[Recipe] Vitamin-K-Boosting Kale Berry Smoothie

Vitamin K is crucial for our health.

Kale is an excellent source of Vitamin K. So include kale in your smoothies for a super-healthy boost of nutrients and for loads of health benefits. (Just one cup has 1180% of your daily value nutritional requirements, according to WHFoods.) But remember it is a fat-soluble vitamin (as are Vitamins A, E and D) and as such requires fat in your diet.

It is suggested that most of us get enough Vitamin K to support blood clotting but not enough to protect us from other health problems.

Dr Mercola says …

Vitamin K is an important fat-soluble vitamin that plays critical roles in protecting your heart, building your bones, optimizing your insulin levels, and helping your blood to clot properly …

Recent research has shown that having adequate vitamin K is important in preventing heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, multiple types of cancer, and even Alzheimer’s disease, among others.

Vitamin K works with Vitamin D and recent research indicates most of us are deficient in both (This is probably a result of the low fat diets we have been following for years.)

Please turn to the Next Page for 2 Smoothie Tips and 1 Health Tip …

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2 Smoothie Tips and 1 Health Tip

Smoothie Tip 1:

I tend to think of (and have) my smoothies for breakfast. Occasionally I’ll make one for lunch. At other times, especially if I want to lose weight, I’ll do both and have a proper meal in the evening. But because I tend to think ‘thick, green smoothie’ I rarely have them as snacks; they’re too filling, plus I don’t need snacks when I’m full of healthy, thick, green smoothie!

Our recipe comes from Katie Goodman at GoodLifeEats who says she frequently gives her children smoothie snacks. That’s a great idea, as children expend so much energy they are always hungry. A small glass of extra cold, healthy, smoothie at snack time on a hot summer day is so refreshing.

Smoothie Tip 2:

I thought Katie had a great tip when she said that her daughter, Madeline, loves for her to …

… freeze smoothie blends in a tupperware and pack them in her lunch. By the time lunch rolls around, the smoothie is soft enough to be eaten with a spoon, like sorbet, and serves as a fun lunchbox treat.

Health Tip:

Because Vitamin K and Vitamin D work together, it’s important to get good supplies of both.  So take advantage of the sunny summer weather and drink your Vitamin-K-Boosting Kale Berry Smoothie outside where you can get a healthy boost of sunshine to build up depleted Vitamin D stores.

It is suggested that only 10 minutes of sunshine on our skin (without sun screen) is sufficient for our daily supply of Vitamin D. That is a simplification and it is much more complicated in reality; however, it is a guide – and probably wise not to do any longer without sun screen.

Please turn to the Next Page for the recipe …

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Recipe: Vitamin-K-Boosting Kale Berry Smoothie

Serves 3

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup Orange Juice, or a whole fruit, peeled
• 1 cup Fresh Kale Leaves
• 1 1/2 cup Mixed Berries, fresh or frozen
• 1 cup Mango Chunks, fresh or frozen
• 1/2 – 1 cup Water, according to preference
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Chia Seeds

Blend until smooth and enjoy.

If the mix is thicker than you like, add a little extra water till you reach the consistency you prefer.

Note: if you use fresh berries you may want some extra ice.

Source: DrMercola

Recipe Source: GoodLifeEats

Photo: GoodLifeEats