Need to beat winter lurgies? Try healthy, immune-boosting smoothies
An orange resolution
(Serves 8)
You’ll need:
2 cups frozen mango chunks; 2 cups frozen peach slices; 2 cups Greek yoghurt; 1 cup baby carrots; 1 cup orange juice; 1 cup pineapple chunks; ¼ cup honey; 1 banana, peeled.
Method:
Put the mango chunks, peach slices, yoghurt, carrots, orange juice, pineapple chunks, honey and banana in a blender and whizz until everything’s smooth.
The big green
(Serves 1)
You’ll need:
1 ½ cups kale, stems removed and chopped finely; ½ cup baby spinach leaves, chopped finely; ½ cup frozen blueberries; 1 cup apple cider or apple juice; 1 tsp ginger, freshly grated (the easiest way to peel ginger is to scrape the skin off with a spoon); 1 tsp maple
syrup.
Method:
Whizz all the ingredients in a blender until everything is well mixed and liquefied. Drink immediately.
Raspberry jubilee
(Serves 2)
You’ll need:
¾ cup frozen raspberries; ½ cup orange juice; ½ cup pomegranate or cranberry juice; ½ cup vanilla flavour yoghurt; ¼ cup All-Bran cereal.
Method:
Place fruit in blender container. Add juices, yoghurt and cereal. Blend until smooth. If desired, sweeten to taste with a little honey
KID-FRIENDLY!
Sweet potato pie
(Serves 3 – 4)
You’ll need:
1 medium-sized sweet potato, cooked; 1 medium-sized banana, peeled; 2 cups fat-free milk; ¼ cup vanilla flavoured Greek yoghurt; 1 Tblsp honey; ¼ tsp cinnamon; ½ cup ice.
Method:
Add all ingredients into blender. Cover; whizz on high for about one minute or until smooth. Serve immediately.
Potent turmeric & ginger
(Serves 1)
You’ll need:
1 ripe banana; 2 tsps powdered turmeric; 1 ¼ tsps ground ginger; 2 Tblsps hemp seeds; 2 Tblsps cashew nuts; 200ml filtered water; ½ cup frozen mango; ½ cup frozen pineapple.
Method:
Whizz the banana, ginger, turmeric, water, hemp seeds and cashews for about 30 seconds. Add frozen fruit, then blend until creamy smooth. dd more water if you want it more juice-like.
Apple pie
(Serves 2)
You’ll need:
1 red apple, peeled and cored; ½ cup non-fat plain yoghurt; ¼ tsp vanilla extract; 1 tsp brown sugar; ¼ tsp nutmeg; ¼ tsp cinnamon; pinch of ground cloves (optional); 1 cup
ice cubes.
Method:
Chop the apple into small cubes. Pop all ingredients into blender and pulse until well mixed.
* Top with whipped cream and cinnamon for an extra sweet treat!
Did you know?
* About a cup of strawberries a day gives us our daily requirement of Vitamin C, which in turn, boosts our immunity and works as a brilliant antioxidant.
* Probiotics, found in yoghurt and other fermented products, may ease the severity of colds. Look for labels that say ‘live and active cultures’. Also, look for added vitamin D.
* You’ll find lots of nutrients in spinach. One of them is folate, which helps your body make new cells and repair DNA. It also boasts fibre, antioxidants such as vitamin C, and more.
* Pomegranate juice may help your body fight bacteria and several kinds of viruses, including the flu.
* Consuming turmeric may improve your immune response. This is due to the qualities of curcumin, a compound in turmeric.
* Honey is rich in antioxidants and is often used to soothe sore throats. It adds natural sweetness to the drink.
* Lemon juice is very high in vitamin C and can help support heart and digestive health.
* Orange juice is naturally high in vitamin C, folate and potassium, as well as being a great source of antioxidants.
* Ginger has a very long history of use in traditional and alternative medicine. It’s been used to help digestion, reduce nausea and help fight the common cold and other illnesses, among other benefits.
* Cayenne has many health advantages that are a result of the active component, capsaicin. It can boost metabolism and lower blood pressure.
* Apple cider vinegar can kill harmful bacteria.
Compiled by: Rialien Furstenberg
