Useful tips.

Tips to Make Delicious Smoothies With Kids

By Heather Boger  

Safety is a priority anytime children are helping out in the kitchen, so before your children come in to help you must check to be certain that all knives are put away and burners are turned off and cool. Encouraging children to assist in their own food preparation increases the odds that they will like it and eat it, no matter what you make. Smoothies are no exception, and many children find the actual process of creating a homemade smoothie rather intriguing.

Here are the elements that you will require to make homemade smoothies with children: Blender or food processor, Silicone Spatula, Juice smoothie ingredients, crushed ice, cups, aprons, straws, aprons, and food coloring (optional).

The blender is essential because it is the tool that finely chops vegetables and combines all of your ingredients. Blenders can range in price anywhere from $10 - $500 but you can use any brand of blender as long as your ingredients get mixed together thoroughly. The blender I use is a Oster 18-Speed with a very powerful ice crushing mode. The Vitamix is considered to be the best blender on the market, and could be a worthy investment if you plan on making smoothies often.

I use a slanted silicone spatula to scrape down the sides during blended (if needed) and also to get all the smoothie out of the blender when I'm finished blending. It is important to scrape the sides of the blender to ensure that you don't end up with any unblended ingredients. A chunky or chewy green smoothie is not appetizing to children of any age. The spatula that I use a basic one that was purchased inexpensively from QVC.

There are thousands of healthy smoothie recipes, so your ingredients will vary greatly depending on what kind of smoothie you are trying to make. You can use fresh or frozen produce, although including at least one frozen ingredient will make the smoothie much colder, and therefore more appealing. Fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, and bananas are very popular for smoothies. Green smoothies are growing in popularity. Green smoothies are made by using vegetables such as baby spinach, celery, and cucumbers. Most smoothies are made with a liquid ingredient as well. You can use milk, fruit juice, water, or even thin yogurt as your liquid ingredient. Smoothie ingredients can be purchased from your local grocer or farmer's market. It would be ideal to use a combination of fresh, seasonal and frozen ingredients.

Adding a little bit of ice to the blender during the smoothie process will keep your smoothie colder longer - which is always a good thing. Be careful to not add any more ice than you need, as it will water down your smoothie, and also your smoothie's nutrition. As smoothies warm to room temperature they can separate and be less visually appealing to children.

You can use a regular cup, insulated cup, or travel mug depending on when and where you plan on drinking your smoothie. In the Summer, you may opt for an insulated cup to help keep your smoothie cold, or you may want to use a travel mug if you drink your breakfast smoothie in the car. Children also like fun straws to drink their smoothies! Tervis Tumblers are great because they are double wall insulated and don't sweat, and you can use hygienic disposable straws from the dollar store or Walmart. Reusable straws are difficult to clean properly, and you don't want to take the chance.

Kids find a way to make a mess! Children can wear a store bought or homemade apron or even an artists smock to keep their clothes clean. If an child-size apron is not handy, at least be sure they are wearing play clothes, or clothes that you do not mind getting dirty, as certain berries and juices will stain.

The use of food coloring can help make several smoothies more interesting to younger girls and boys. Just a bit of red or pink will make a festive Valentine-themed smoothie, red and blue layered smoothies are fun for the Fourth of July. Orange and black swirls could be a real treat on halloween, and red and green smoothies are appropriate for the Christmas holiday. Just be careful to understand your coloring wheel - because no one wants to consume a dark brown or black fruit smoothie every day!

Now that you have all the tools to make great smoothies, click here for the best smoothie recipes for kids.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Heather_Boger/495825

It is cool !

High Alkaline Food Diet Is A Miracle On The Body

By Will Johnson

The human body maintains a slightly alkaline body ph of 7.4. When this ph is tilted towards the acidic side it spells danger. Not only does rapid degeneration of cells begins but we are also susceptible to varied illnesses. Consuming food that is high in alkaline content can do wonder for out body. High alkaline food restores the ph balance to its normal level of 7.4 and rejuvenates the body.

High alkaline food is the answer to all our problems. Those suffering some depressions or fatigue find they can rid themselves of it by eating food with high alkaline content. High alkaline food leaves a high alkaline ash causing the blood cells to carry out their functions optimally. When the brain can draw all the energy it needs from the blood cells one is less likely to be prone to depression. Similarly we can be rid of fatigue by consuming food with an alkaline ph. Not only this, food with high alkaline content also helps prevent as well as cure cancer, arthritis, coronary diseases and many other serious chronic problems. Out body ph must by balanced at its natural level for out body to function well. Cell degeneration is also prevented by high alkaline food, so we are able to live for a longer period of time. Societies where the average life span is high are found to be eating high alkaline food amongst other things.

Vegetables and fruits are foods that are alkaline. The greener the vegetables and the sweeter fruits are highly alkaline food. But this does not mean that only green vegetables are alkaline. Eggplants, tomatoes and potatoes with their peels are all alkaline foods. The sour tasting acidic nature's lemon is also high in alkaline content. Lemon though acidic in nature when digested leaves an alkalizing effect on the body. Almonds, honey, herbal teas are some more forms of highly alkaline food. Olive oil also has a high alkaline content. Olive oil has a tremendous alkaline affect on the body and it helps to cook all of ones meal in it. Using it on the hair and body directly is also considered to be good. There are certain foods that one must watch for when consuming them. Raw spinach is a food that is alkaline, but cooked spinach becomes acidic. Similarly peeled potatoes are acidifying food while potatoes with their peels on are alkaline. Therefore it is essential that ones knows exactly what form the food is best consumed in so as to gain maximum benefit from it.

Alkaline water is also a food that is alkaline. Our body needs a minimum of 6 to 8 glasses of water to keep or system clean. If this water is alkaline water then it serves a dual purpose of not only cleansing our body system of toxics but also having an alkalizing affect on it.

Food that is alkaline works like a miracle on the body. Not only does one regain lost vigor and vitality but diseases can be cured with consumption of food that is alkaline.

Discover How Alkaline Foods Work and Why A High Alkaline Foods Diet Is Highly Recommended for your Health, including Free Alkaline Diet Food Chart & Alkaline Recipes.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Will_Johnson/34296

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Super- nutrients, phytonutrients, non-nutritive plant chemicals

Phytonutrients - The Five Colors of Optimal Nutrition

By Doug Ingoldsby  

Enzyme rich green foods and phytonutrients can help heal your body, boost your energy and strengthen your immune system.

Phytonutrients (also known as phytochemicals) are plant compounds found in fresh fruits and vegetables. They have been shown to have tremendous beneficial effects on the body. Among other things, phtyonutrients have been shown by research to have antioxidant, anti-aging and anti-cancer properties. But, unfortunately, the modern diet has become increasingly deficient in these amazing compounds.

The Missing Phytonutrients
The average American's fast food, processed, nutrient poor diet is a stark contrast to how we ate in recent history. We have made drastic alterations to our diet, almost exclusively away from phytonutrient rich, fresh green foods and fruits. The lack of these foods are the cause of much pain and suffering from diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

The decreased consumption of phytonutrients is in part caused by the genetic modification and processing procedures of our fruits and vegetables. Today's produce has been modified to have durable skins for rough cross country travel, and is often picked long before the peak of ripeness in order to endure the sorting, washing, packaging and trucking they have to undergo before appearing in our local grocery stores. All in all, the "fresh" produce we buy is a far cry from the juicy fresh treats we once savored at the local farmers market or roadside produce stand. Given the depleted nature of our fruits and vegetables, the "5-a-day" rule is not sufficient to give our bodies the necessary phytonutrients we need.

The Five Colors Of Optimal Nutrition
According to a recent America's Phytonutrient Report, there are five color categories that include red, blue and purple, yellow and orange, white, and green. Each color category is said to play a different role in health. White, for instance, tends to inhibits cancer and high cholesterol levels while bolstering heart health. The yellow and orange category contributes to healthy eyes as do greens, which also stem cancer growth. Experts recommend ingesting a diverse selection of fruits and vegetables from all color categories in order to obtain the synergistic benefits from each. (A colorful and diverse mixed salad with all the colors a good example)

According to the report, eight out of 10 Americans have a "phytonutrient gap" in every color category. The worst deficit is in the blue and purple category where fully 88 percent of Americans are deficient. In the white category, 86 percent are lacking while 79 percent are deficient in the orange and yellow category, 78 percent are deficient in reds, and 69 percent in greens.

The report recommended levels for 14 different phytonutrients and compared levels in the average American diet. These included EGCG, isothiocyanate, lutein and zeaxanthin, isoflavones for greens, lycopene and ellagic acid for reds, allicin and quercetin for whites, anthocyanidins and resveratrol for purples and blues, and alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, hesperitin, and beta-cryptoxanthin for yellows and oranges.

Antioxidants Another Key To Health and Healing
Antioxidants are another reason vegetables and especially fruits are so healing for the body. Our industrialized world constantly exposes us to free radicals: unstable oxygen molecules associated with cancer, heart disease and the effects of aging. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, keeping us healthy. Tufts scientists measured the antioxidant levels of 50 fresh fruits and vegetables, and found berries occupied the top slots. This has largely been attributed to their high anthocyanin content. Anthocyanins give berries their blue and red colors, as well as being powerful antioxidants, three to four times more potent then the traditional antioxidants such as vitamins C and E.

Research is constantly exposing novel health benefits from fresh fruit. Some of these include:

·       Tart cherries provide highly effective pain relief and a multiplicity of other health benefits. In 1998, scientists at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, discovered that the anthocyanin in red tart cherries give 10 times the anti-inflammatory relief of aspirin, without irritating the stomach

·       At the meeting of the American Chemical Society in April, 2002, several studies were presented that demonstrated that the antioxidants in cranberries not only help with urinary tract infections, but also appear to possess anti-cancer properties, inhibit the growth of common food borne pathogens and contain antibacterial properties.

·       USDA researcher Ronald Prior, Ph.D., determined that blueberries have the highest antioxidant capacity of 40 tested fruits and vegetables, largely due to the anthocyanin flavonoids that give blueberries their dark blue color. Recent laboratory studies suggest blueberries may delay the onset of age-related memory loss.

With the growing challenge we face to feed ourselves and our families nutrient rich, high quality food, it is extra important to add phytonutrient supplements to our daily routine, as well as eating a wide variety of colorful and nutritious foods.

About Doug Ingoldsby

Doug Ingoldsby, AKA, The Vitamin Professor, is the founder of ALL ONE, manufacturer of the world's first high potency multiple vitamin/mineral/protein powders and phytonutrient supplements. By adding ALL ONE Green Phyto Base and ALL ONE Fruit Antioxidant Formula to your daily routine you will be sure to get two full grams of healing phytonutrients daily. For more information and to check for current specials, see http://www.all-one.com

Copyright 2010, Doug Ingoldsby, ALL ONE Vitamins

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Doug_Ingoldsby/690053

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