Power Up – My Morning Juice – Fruit and Vegetable Smoothie Recipes

Power Up – My Morning Juice

1 bunch kale
2-3 carrots
1 green apple
1 lemon
1 cucumber

Yield: about 3 cups

The definition of kale is super food. Kale tops the charts in Vitamin K and carotenoids. It is loaded with a dozen other important nutrients including vitamin’s A, C, B1, B2, B6, E, manganese, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, folate, phosphorous, copper, tryptophan, and protein. (Source: WHfoods.org) It is in the cruciferous family with broccoli and cabbage, and is a super food in its ability to fight and prevent cancer.

“Vegetables have powerful levels of carotenoids and other nutrients that prevent age-related diseases. For example, the leading cause of age-related blindness in America is macular degeneration (loss of vision). Low carotenoid levels in the macula are now considered a risk factor for macular degeneration. If you eat greens at least five times per week, your risk drops by more than 86 percent! Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids with powerful disease prevention properties.” (Source: “Eat To Live” Joel Furhman M.D.)

Kale contains 28,470 micrograms of Lutein and/or Zeaxanthin with collard greens and spinach following closely behind. 4 cups of romaine lettuce contains 12,770 micrograms of these powerful carotenoids and that number isn’t very close to the number of carotenoids found in kale. (Source: “Eat To Live” Joel Furhman)

“Kale also contains Omega-3 fatty acid. The two primary essential fatty acids are omega-6 and omega-3. The body can make other fatty acids, called nonessential fats, from these two basic fats. Optimal health depends on the proper balance of fatty acids in the diet. The modern diet supplies an excessive amount of omega-6 but often too little omega-3.” When we do not get enough omega 3 we tend to fight problems with inflammation. Kale contains two of the most important ingredients to fight inflammation and they are vitamin K and omega-3. (Source: “Eat To Live” Joel Furhman)

Needless to say, I will be steaming more kale and drinking it daily in my Power-Up morning juice!