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| Coconut Pineapple Cream Sickle |
INGREDIENTS
2 cups coconut water
1 1/2 cups chopped sweet potato
1 frozen banana
1 cup pineapple
2 tbsp organic coconut oil
1 tsp coconut manna
Makes (about) 40 ozs.
Put all of the ingredients into the Vitamix Blender and blend.This is creamy and sweet.
Needless to say its packed with beta-caratene and protein. It tastes like a coconut, pineapple cream sickle...the name says it all.
TIPS:
(1) I use a
brand called CoCo Libre Organic Coconut Water. After trying many brands,
I like this one the best because it tastes like its fresh from the
coconut. You can tell there are no additives or preservatives...and it
doesn't hurt that the packaging comes with a resealable cap! (I frickin love that!) To put the icing on the cake, it comes in a great eco container. (I love that too)
(2) If you want it slushy feel free
to add ice. Or do as I do and freeze your ingredients! That’s right, I freeze
my fruits and greens. When I buy them, I clean them immediately, chop them, bag them and
freeze them. This way, they are smoothie ready and I don’t need to add ice. Please Note: I never freeze apples.
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Some Health Benefits
Coconut Water: Coconut water is a very refreshing drink to
beat tropical summer thirst. The juice is packed with simple sugar,
electrolytes, and minerals to replenish hydration levels in the body. Research studies suggest that cytokinins
(e.g., kinetin and trans-zeatin) in coconut water showed significant
anti-ageing, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-thrombotic effects. Coconut water has been generally offered to
patients with diarrhea in many tropic regions to replace fluid loss
from the gastrointestinal tract and reduce the need for intravenous
therapy. The osmolarity of tender coconut water is slightly greater
than that of WHO recommended ORS (Oral Rehydration Therapy) osmolarity.
Presence of other
biological constituents like amino acids, enzymes,
minerals, and fatty acids may account for this higher osmolarity.
However,
unlike WHO-ORS, its water is very low in sodium and chlorides, but rich
in sugars and amino acids. This well-balanced fluid
composition with much needed calories would be an ideal drink than any
other brand of soft drink beverages in dehydration conditions. Coconut water is composed of many naturally
occurring
bioactive
enzymes such as acid
phosphatase, catalase, dehydrogenase,
diastase, peroxidase, RNA polymerases etc. Altogether,
these enzymes aid in
digestion and metabolism. Despite very light consistency, its water has
much better composition of minerals like calcium, iron, manganese,
magnesium, and zinc than some of fruits like oranges. (Compare mineral
composition of oranges). Its water is also a very good
source of B-complex
vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pyridoxine, and folates.
These vitamins are
essential in the sense that body requires them from external sources to
replenish. Coconut water contains
a very good amount
of electrolyte potassium.
100 ml of water has 250 mg of potassium and
105 mg of sodium. Together, these electrolytes help replenish
electrolytes deficiency in the body due to diarrhea (loose stools). In addition, fresh coconut water has small
amount
of vitamin-C
(ascorbic acid); provides about 2.4 mcg or 4% of RDA.
Vitamin C is a water-soluble ant-oxidant.
Pineapple: is a fruit that contains a proteolytic enzyme bromelain that digests food by breaking down protein. Bromelain also has anti-inflammatory, anti-clotting and anti-cancer properties. Studies have shown that consumption of pineapple regularly helps fight against arthritis, indigestion and worm infestation. Fresh pineapple is an excellent source of antioxidants and vitamin C. Vitamin C is required for the collagen synthesis in the body. Collagen is the main structural protein in the body required for maintaining the integrity of blood vessels, skin, organs, and bones. Regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body protect from scurvy; develop resistance against infectious agents (boosts immunity) and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the body. It also contains good amount Vitamin A (provides 58 IU per 100 g) and beta-carotene levels. These compounds are known to have antioxidant properties. Vitamin A is also required maintaining healthy mucus membranes, skin and essential for vision. Studies have suggested that consumption of natural fruits rich in flavonoids helps body to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers. In addition, this fruit is rich in B-complex group of vitamins like folates, thiamin, pyridoxine, riboflavin and minerals like copper, manganese and potassium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids, helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Copper is helpful cofactor for red blood cell synthesis. Manganese is a co-factor for the enzyme superoxide dismutase, which is a very powerful free radical scavenger.
Sweet Potato: Although their names are commonly used interchangeably, sweet potatoes and yams are not the same vegetable. They're not even in the same family. Sweet potatoes are native to the Americas, while yams are grown in Africa and Asia. Yams are large, starchy roots that can weigh as much as 100 lbs. Although they're smaller in size, sweet potatoes provide more nutrition than yams. One medium baked sweet potato, which is approximately five inches long and two inches in diameter, contains about 103 calories...this is probably one of the few times you will ever hear me make mention of calories, as I simply don't believe in them. It supplies a little over 2 grams of protein and has almost no fat. Its carbohydrate content is almost 24 grams, with nearly 4 grams of dietary fiber. A 1-cup serving of steamed sweet potato leaves contains approximately 22 calories and almost no fat. This serving has about 1.5 grams of protein and nearly 5 grams of carbohydrates, with a little over 1 gram of dietary fiber. Sweet potatoes are excellent sources of vitamins A and C. A medium-sized sweet potato supplies about three times your dietary reference intake (DRI) of vitamin A and approximately a third of your DRI for vitamin C. A medium-sized sweet potato also supplies about four percent of your DRI for calcium and iron. Sweet potato leaves are good sources of vitamins A, K and folate. Because boiling can leach out some of these nutrients, it’s best to use other methods to cook these leaves, including steaming them.
Banana: Banana’s are loaded with potassium, a mineral that helps within the protein synthesis and constructing of muscle groups. A diet plan loaded in potassium is believed to trim down the menace of stroke and hypertension. They are also full of Vitamin B6, which aids inside the manufacturing of antibodies inside the immune method individually from red blood development, protein metabolic process and operating with the central nervous program. Bananas also have magnesium, which assists in recovering from exhaustion. Together with B12 and potassium, they support the entire body to enhance from your signs and symptoms associated towards the taking from nicotine. Vitamins C is in bananas also and it assists to safeguard the human body versus infections and remedy them too. This vitamin also delivers proof vital inside the synthesis with the connective tissue, assimilation of iron as well as the formation with the blood. Last, but not least banana’s contain Fructoogliosaccharides (FOS), which acts as foods for your “good bacteria” or perhaps a prebiotic inside the digestive method.
Coconut Oil: For years it was a common misconception that this oil was not good for you and was even bad for the heart. However, studies have shown that people who have switched to coconut oil have had less occurrences of heart disease. This is because it contains a large quantity of saturated fats (don't let that scare you, because unlike most oils, coconut oil does not sit in your system, it quickly moves out taking bad fat with it.) Nevertheless, coconut oil contains about 50% lauric acid, which helps in preventing various heart problems including high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. Additional benefits include weight loss, controlling diabetes, curing kidney and gall bladder issues, treating pancreatic issues, providing easy digestion, healing stomach issues, and boosting immunity. It's even good for the teeth, as it has a good amount of calcium.
Coconut Manna: is basically coconut butter...its a thicker, richer creamier version of coconut oil...most often used as a replacement of the animal butter product. Nutrtional information is the same as the coconut oil...please see above.
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Pineapple: is a fruit that contains a proteolytic enzyme bromelain that digests food by breaking down protein. Bromelain also has anti-inflammatory, anti-clotting and anti-cancer properties. Studies have shown that consumption of pineapple regularly helps fight against arthritis, indigestion and worm infestation. Fresh pineapple is an excellent source of antioxidants and vitamin C. Vitamin C is required for the collagen synthesis in the body. Collagen is the main structural protein in the body required for maintaining the integrity of blood vessels, skin, organs, and bones. Regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body protect from scurvy; develop resistance against infectious agents (boosts immunity) and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the body. It also contains good amount Vitamin A (provides 58 IU per 100 g) and beta-carotene levels. These compounds are known to have antioxidant properties. Vitamin A is also required maintaining healthy mucus membranes, skin and essential for vision. Studies have suggested that consumption of natural fruits rich in flavonoids helps body to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers. In addition, this fruit is rich in B-complex group of vitamins like folates, thiamin, pyridoxine, riboflavin and minerals like copper, manganese and potassium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids, helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Copper is helpful cofactor for red blood cell synthesis. Manganese is a co-factor for the enzyme superoxide dismutase, which is a very powerful free radical scavenger.
Sweet Potato: Although their names are commonly used interchangeably, sweet potatoes and yams are not the same vegetable. They're not even in the same family. Sweet potatoes are native to the Americas, while yams are grown in Africa and Asia. Yams are large, starchy roots that can weigh as much as 100 lbs. Although they're smaller in size, sweet potatoes provide more nutrition than yams. One medium baked sweet potato, which is approximately five inches long and two inches in diameter, contains about 103 calories...this is probably one of the few times you will ever hear me make mention of calories, as I simply don't believe in them. It supplies a little over 2 grams of protein and has almost no fat. Its carbohydrate content is almost 24 grams, with nearly 4 grams of dietary fiber. A 1-cup serving of steamed sweet potato leaves contains approximately 22 calories and almost no fat. This serving has about 1.5 grams of protein and nearly 5 grams of carbohydrates, with a little over 1 gram of dietary fiber. Sweet potatoes are excellent sources of vitamins A and C. A medium-sized sweet potato supplies about three times your dietary reference intake (DRI) of vitamin A and approximately a third of your DRI for vitamin C. A medium-sized sweet potato also supplies about four percent of your DRI for calcium and iron. Sweet potato leaves are good sources of vitamins A, K and folate. Because boiling can leach out some of these nutrients, it’s best to use other methods to cook these leaves, including steaming them.
Banana: Banana’s are loaded with potassium, a mineral that helps within the protein synthesis and constructing of muscle groups. A diet plan loaded in potassium is believed to trim down the menace of stroke and hypertension. They are also full of Vitamin B6, which aids inside the manufacturing of antibodies inside the immune method individually from red blood development, protein metabolic process and operating with the central nervous program. Bananas also have magnesium, which assists in recovering from exhaustion. Together with B12 and potassium, they support the entire body to enhance from your signs and symptoms associated towards the taking from nicotine. Vitamins C is in bananas also and it assists to safeguard the human body versus infections and remedy them too. This vitamin also delivers proof vital inside the synthesis with the connective tissue, assimilation of iron as well as the formation with the blood. Last, but not least banana’s contain Fructoogliosaccharides (FOS), which acts as foods for your “good bacteria” or perhaps a prebiotic inside the digestive method.
Coconut Oil: For years it was a common misconception that this oil was not good for you and was even bad for the heart. However, studies have shown that people who have switched to coconut oil have had less occurrences of heart disease. This is because it contains a large quantity of saturated fats (don't let that scare you, because unlike most oils, coconut oil does not sit in your system, it quickly moves out taking bad fat with it.) Nevertheless, coconut oil contains about 50% lauric acid, which helps in preventing various heart problems including high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. Additional benefits include weight loss, controlling diabetes, curing kidney and gall bladder issues, treating pancreatic issues, providing easy digestion, healing stomach issues, and boosting immunity. It's even good for the teeth, as it has a good amount of calcium.
Coconut Manna: is basically coconut butter...its a thicker, richer creamier version of coconut oil...most often used as a replacement of the animal butter product. Nutrtional information is the same as the coconut oil...please see above.
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