Green Smoothies!

Did you know that Kale is one of the most nutrition-packed foods- especially dollar for dollar- that you can buy? Here's a condensed list of Kale's many wonderful qualities:

- helps prevent Cancer, especially Ovarian Cancer
- Optimizes your cell's natural ability to detoxify and cleanse themselves
- Lowers cataract risk
- helps prevent cell damage from free-radicals
- promotes lung health (do you get a lot of second-hand smoke? This could save your life!)
- Vitamin C for improved skin and boosted immunity
- Helps prevent rheumatoid arthritis (which runs in my family- yikes!)
- Manganese for energy production and antioxidant protection
- Great source of dietary fiber
- Great source of calcium with fewer calories and non of the fat in milk
- Vitamin E for improved skin and mental function
- Super Heart Healthy
- Kale's also a great source of copper, Vitamin B6 and potassium!
(I got all my information from http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38 -- it has EVEN MORE fabulous information on kale, if you're interested in the un-condensed version)

Isn't that amazing?!? Seriously go out and buy yourself some kale right now!

I used to be a little afraid of greens because my grandmother used to make mustard greens for us and I HATED them. You know what I found out though? Not all greens taste alike! I still don't like mustard greens but I really enjoy collards and spinach and, of course, kale.

Here's my favorite way to eat my greens: Green Smoothies!

Green Smoothie Recipe
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tsp raw cacao
1 tsp whole brown flaxseeds
1 tsp psillium husk powder
1/2 a scoop vanilla protein powder
1 vitamin C fizzy packet (this one's cranberry flavored)
1 1/2 cups fresh kale, stem removed
1 cup frozen orange slices
1/2 a banana
2 cups ice cubes
(makes enough for two people or one VERY hungry Leading Lady)

In pictures:Put the milk in the blender then add the dry ingredients

and blend for about a minute until everything is very smooth. Then add the

KALE! you can add as much or as little as you want. If you're worried about the taste (which is incredibly unnoticeable) then start with just a half a cup and work you're way up slowly. I do about 1-2 cups. Blend that until the smoothie is completely smooth and green then add your fruit and ice cubes.
Beautiful! The perfect breakfast even on a snowy day like today.

Try it out!

Love,
Leading Lady Lis

P.S. This is the kind of raw cacao I use:Raw cacao is seriously the food of the gods- so good for your heart and your mood and so many other wonderful things. Go antioxidants!

P.P.S. Are you going to give kale a try? You know you should!