The Nominations Are In For Wednesday Cleanse Day!

by kerryabdow

The Academy Award nominations were announced yesterday and it has me thinking about my own NomNomNom*inations!

*Nom Nom Nom – Represents the sound made when someone is eating something and really enjoying it.

We’d be here all day if I wrote about ALL of my food faves, so… since it’s Wednesday Cleanse Day I thought I would share my Top Five Smoothie Ingredients!

1.  Best Ensemble Cast – Frozen Mixed Berries and Bananas

  • There are so many reasons to love frozen fruit!  Of course I love it fresh, but when I’m making a smoothie, I love the icy creaminess frozen fruit provides.  In the summer I freeze the berries I purchase from local farmers’ markets, but when I run out and turn to buying from the grocer, I always choose organic.   Berries are loaded with anti-oxidants and vitamins, and by choosing a mix I get a wide variety of nutritional benefits.  In addition, bananas are an excellent source of potassium and have been known to lower blood pressure.  So much diversity in our delicious blend!  It’s like the cast of “Modern Family”, but in the food world!   Note:  When freezing bananas, make sure you take them out of their peels first – they like to be free!

2.  Best Performance in a Leading Role- Kale

  • Kale.  *sigh.  Kale, kale, kale…. the Brad Pitt of veggies.  So much depth, so much character, so much… amazing!  Putting kale in a smoothie not only adds wonderful flavor, color and texture, but also a list of health benefits too long to list on this page.  A favorite of vegans, vegetarians, raw foodists- and all foodists- kale hits it out of the ballpark EVERY time.

3.  Best Performance in a Supporting Role –  It’s a tie!  Hemp and Whey Protein Powders

  • I know, I know, it’s tough to choose between two winners.  I imagine it’s how The Academy feels about Meryl Streep and Glenn Close this year…!  Anyway… to be honest, I go back and forth between Hemp and Whey, usually choosing whatever I find that is the best quality at the best price.  They both contain all nine amino acids, and I like to rotate.  A great way to add plant-based protein, the powders are a no-brainer addition to my smoothies.

4.  Best Breakthrough Performance – Juice Plus

  • A tiny powerhouse of phytonutrients, Juice Plus is the Tom Cruise of whole food nutrition!  A little goes a long way with these capsules, made of high-quality fruits and vegetables.  I take them every day, either in my smoothie or in capsule form with water.  Juice Plus makes every day a “Mission Possible”!  *I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself…

5.  Best Director – Water

  • I love almond milk.  I love soy milk.  I love coconut milk.  But as a base for my smoothies, good ol’ water is always available and it never lets me down!  Like Woody Allen, I always know what to expect from water.  It’s never boring, delights and refreshes, and adds the perfect touch.  I like to bring in “the mavericks” once in a while, because they add taste and their own nutritional benefits, but I never totally turn away from my old favorite.

So there they are, the cast of winners!  What are YOUR top five smoothie ingredients?

And here is the recipe for MY Wednesday Morning Smoothie:

1 banana, broken into chunks

1/3 cup hemp protein

1/4 cup frozen blueberries

1 tsp. ground flax seed (If I can’t find them ground, I get the seeds and grind them in my spice grinder)

1 – 2 packets Truvia – or agave nectar – to taste

1 heaping tsp. psyllium husk

8 oz. water

You know what to do from here…  Let ‘er rip!

OH!  Wait!  Before the music starts playing me off stage, I need to thank one more product…

Have you ever had barley tea?!!

I had never tried it until I was in Chicago over the holidays- my friend, Linda, and I discovered it when we were dining at an Asian restaurant- and now I AM HOOKED!    It’s smokey and rich and almost tastes like coffee, but it’s not as strong- I drink it all day!  I bought a box from an Asian store in Chicago, but I bet it’s available at natural foods stores, too.  From what I’ve been reading, it’s loaded with phytonutrients (yay!) and is a super anti-oxidant that helps alkalize the body and is great for digestion.  All that and it tastes delicious, too?!  Bring it ON!

A smoothie AND a delicious cup of tea?  Now THAT is a winning performance!   In the meantime, I’ll be preparing the script for our Friday meeting…

Cheers, dears!