Have you been to the Statue of Liberty in New York City or seen it's pictures? What color is it? What color was it when it was built in 1875?
Ok, no tricks here - it is green in color today and it was Dark golden (the color of Copper) when it was built. What happened since then to it? Why did it change the color? The natural process of oxidation turned it into green color. Our bodies have a ton of metals as well. Iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, copper and zinc are just some of them. They get oxidized as well. Statue of Liberty might look pretty green, but when the metals, hence the cells within our body get Oxidized there is nothing pretty or healthy about them. One of the by products of this oxidation process is free radicals. Free radicals are associated with every single fatal disease you have heard of. Deep fried foods, over cooked meals with oils that are probably good for greasing our bikes, Meat industry by-products ground up into sumptuous salamis and other processed meat and most dairy products all contribute to creating oxidation stress in our bodies.
The corollary of every problem is the solution. This is no different. Cut out the bad stuff that causes excessive oxidation and consume a ton of anti-oxidant. that simple really. This simple smoothie recipe is a anti-oxidant abundant drink that will help immensely along with other related lifestyle and diet adaptation.
1. Cacao nibs or powder .. 1 Tbsp. Did you know Cacao is the richest anti-oxidant on the earth. Please do not reach for that chocolate in your fridge or pantry - it has sugar, dairy and probably many other ingredients that have nothing to do with anti-oxidants. Infact sugar is the # 1 source of inflammation in our bodies
2. Blueberries – 2 Cups
3. Cranberries – 2 Cups. If it's not cranberry season, skip it. Organic Capsules are sort of ok too, but nothing in a capsule is a substitute. Stay away from it if you can find other ingredients and stock up on Thanksgiving for cranberries.
4. Dried figs – 2
5. Strawberries - 3-4
6. Pineapple - 1 cup
7. Cherries - 1 cup
8. Yogurt or Kefir with active cultures – 2 Cups. This is optional. Dairy in general is controversial (refer to China study, Fork over Knives), the only exception I make is home made yogurt made out of Organic, Non-GMO 100% Grass fed milk. This is primarily due to it's richness in probiotics which are absolute rock stars for our microbiom (The Gut). And why is the Gut important again? Well, it controls 80% of our immune system. .. . it's sort of important.
9. Water – enough to allow ingredients to blend. If you have a sore throat or cough, cold - boil the water before you add it to make the smoothie lukewarm
If you are getting your kids used to the taste, add 1-2 more Figs or Dates to make it sweet. Over time, reduce the qty. as the smoothie is very sugar heavy to begin with.
There are 4 categories of foods which are very important for our health in addition to the broader food categories we pay way too much attention to- Protein, Carbs, Fats.
1. This post is focused on Anti-oxidants. There are other equally important foods as well in these categories
2. Anti-inflammatory. Most fatal diseases start with cell inflammation. # 1 cause of inflammation is sugar and other acidic foods + toxins sustained consumption over long periods of time. This Anti-inflammatory tea recipe is a cheap super-food that you should have throughout the year to keep inflammation in check
3. Anti-acid (a.k.a Alkaline). Body gets diseased when it is acidic. The opposite of acidic is alkaline. Just know this about Alkalinity
a. Your body can never be too Alkaline. It makes enough acid and there are enough acids in our environments and foods that you never have to worry about having enough acids. Acids are like taxes, they are always there
b. The scale for measuring Acid vs. Alkalinity in body is based on PH Value. PH value goes from 1-14. a PH value of 7+ is the minimum bar for our body to be healthy
4. Probiotics. The second brain in our body is our gut. It contains the microbiome which is roughly about 100 trillion bacterial cells. That's right, it's all living and breathing system of bacteria that keep us healthy and our immune system strong. Home made SauerKraut, Apple cider vinegar, home made dosa batter, kimchi, home made yogurt (indian dahi) are all great forms of live bacteria and have millions of strains of fermented cultures that our microbiomes so badly need
There are more categories of foods which are essential for nutrition as well - vital minerals (vitamins), essential oils.
Remember, it not important to get everything. it is important to start.
Winning starts with beginning and this is an important beginning towards great health for you and your family. Our bodies deserve better and so do our family, friends and communities. Have a blast and God bless