Commercial smoothies

There are a number of articles all over the web about smoothies not being as healthy as people think.  The thing is they are all speaking about consumer-based and/or commercial-made products. They are also talking mostly about calories, fats, salt and added sugars.

Of course mass-produced smoothies are not going to be as healthy as home-made.  These things need preservatives (so they last while being shipped across the country/planet), are made to appeal to a wide variety of people, so have added sweeteners, salt (as an added preservative and taste enhancer), as well as not using high-end juice or fruit (so they make a profit selling them).  Mass produced products are almost always aimed at profit-first, health second.

Take any product off the shelf and if it screams 'Low Fat', it usually means it's high in salt, sugar, preservatives or other aspects - but are low in fat!  They follow trends in society and whatever the current fad is, they promote it.... not for health, but for profit.

Lets be honest ... if your making these at home for yourself, your going to use fresh fruit, and have the ability to use honey instead of sugar (real, pure honey is very good for you) as a sweetener, and you're not likely going to add products knowing they are a health risk.   You can adjust flavour and density by using real yogurt, milk or real fruit juice (not condensed).

As well you don't need to cook or preheat the fruit for easier blending since you're making low quantities and only for your own personal needs. Cooking fruits and veggies removes nutrients but does make them easier to digest and faster to mass-produce.

Please, when reading these articles, understand they are speaking of commercial made - prepackaged, highly sweetened versions.   What we're promoting is the ability to blend your own, home-made product for your personal use.  No additives, no preservatives and no need to add garbage to please anyone else.

More recipe ideas and products can be found on our home page at:
http://www.healthysmoothiesandjuicers.com

Kiwi Kreation

Kiwi's can be delicious and nutritious, but also have a slight bitter side to them.  Their taste isn't for everyone. So I've created this recipe with 2 versions, one gives a more kiwi flavour - with all it's flavour and bitter side, and the other hides a bit of the bitterness but still allows the amazing kiwi taste to come through.

Start with 4 kiwi's, slice off the skin, and put into a bowl for your fruit mixture.  Add 1 pitted peach, 2 sliced banana's, 2 leafs of fresh green mint (or if ground up, add about 1/2 of a teaspoon).  At this point mix in half of a lemon or lime - or don't (if you don't want the bitter-sweet flavour.  Now you need to add the following:
- half a cup of green grapes
- 2 tablespoons of real honey
- 1 teaspoon of ginger
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 cup of plain or kiwi flavoured yogurt

For a tweak you can add more peaches, papaya, or a small amount of dragon fruit. No more than 2/3 cup total for all these additions.

In your blender or smoothie maker crush your ice. I add usually about 6 or 7 large ice-cubes, but you can add more or less depending on how thick you want your drink.  Once the ice is crushed, add 1 cup of kiwi-flavoured fruit juice, or a similar type of juice.  Don't add orange or apple juice or any breakfast-type juices or they mask the kiwi flavour.  Again, depending on your desired thickness you can add up to another cup of juice.

Once you have your ice and juice mixed well - add the fruit and spice mixture and blend well.

Again, a few additional varieties depending on the circumstances.   You can add grenadine, vodka, or gin for a party mix.

The few things you don't want to have in this are blueberries, strawberries, apples, raspberries or cherries.

Kiwi's and Papaya contain - among other things an enzyme called papain, which aids in digestion by helping breakdown proteins.