For my husband
Copyright 2019 by Rockridge Press, Emeryville, California
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Interior and Cover Designer: Michael Cook
Photo Art Director: Sue Smith
Editor: Crystal Nero
Production Editor: Ashley Polikoff
Photography 2019 Evi Abeler. Food styling by Albane Sharrard.
Stephanie Chan/The Pauhaus
ISBN: Print 978-1-64152-587-9 | eBook 978-1-64152-588-6
Contents
S moothies always provide a quick and convenient meal in my household. In fact, its hard to remember a time when they werent a part of my life, but the truth is I didnt discover the beauty of the smoothie until I neared my mid-twenties. Until that point, I had never even seen a person consume a smoothie. But on taking my first sip, I was instantly hooked on the burst of flavor and intensity.
At first, I relied on smoothies mainly for their taste. I didnt pay much attention to their health benefits or prepare them myselfI just purchased them from smoothie bars. Later, in 2006, eight years after being diagnosed with Crohns disease (an autoimmune digestive disorder), I realized I needed to take control of my health and focus on consuming foods that would help ease my symptoms, address inflammation, and boost immunity. My diet and lifestyle at the time were simply not supportive of digestive health. This led to little appetite and difficulty eating, constant bloating and gassiness, countless hours in the bathroom, and severe anemia. Essentially, my quality of life was poor, and if I wanted to live vibrantly, I had to make changes.
I began cooking almost everything from scratch, a big adjustment as I was accustomed to buying many packaged items. Soon I was learning how to bake my own crackers and whip up condiments, and I invested in a cheap blender so I could make smoothies, dips, and sauces at home.
Smoothies are beneficial to a wide range of health conditions, but for me they were life-changing, because I could pack many more nutrient-dense ingredients into a single glass than I could ever consume in one sitting if I left those foods in their whole forms. Smoothies made it easier for me to eat without pain or discomfort and take in the nutrients I was missing. They were also dead simple to blend, which enabled me to make smoothies a habit.
Once I started nutrition school and learned about the amazing benefits of superfoods, I began honing my smoothie techniques with both whole foods and superfood powders. Heres where my smoothies veered out of control: They became time-consuming, complicated (I would often add 12 to 15 ingredients to the blender, several of which were concentrated powders), and a heck of a lot more expensive. While some ingredients are worth the money if you are targeting a specific health issue or have a nutrient deficiency, it was not sustainable for me to keep creating these superfood monsters. And so, after about a year, I returned to the basics: blending fruit, veggies, nuts, seeds, spices, herbs, and liquids to make delicious, health-building smoothies.
Superfoods are all around usyou can conveniently find them at your local grocery store without breaking the bank. With this book, its my goal to help you discover the benefits of everyday ingredients and create deliciously simple smoothies that will bring you good health. You deserve it!
A mid our modern lives, it can be challenging to prioritize our health. Some view busyness as a status symbol or a source of pride, but for many of us, its not always possible to tear up the to-do list or escape to a rustic, Wi-Fifree cabin in the mountains for a week. Between work, family, friends, hobbies, volunteering, and exercise, it can be difficult to find the time to eat, much less cook! Still, neglecting our health in the present can lead to serious, chronic consequences in the futureand this may compromise our ability to take care of ourselves and those important to us. We cant be there for those we love if we are too sick to enjoy the precious time we have.
Enter the smoothie: a convenient, affordable, efficient way to facilitate health. Smoothies require no cooking, so you can prep or blend them in batches ahead of time, and you can even take one with you on the go. If youre curious about how you can use specific superfoods to strategically enhance the health benefits of your smoothies, the recipes here will help you explore beneficial ingredients and how you can make them taste wonderful, too.
Why Superfoods?
If youve watched television or picked up a magazine or newspaper in the last couple of decades, youve probably heard the word superfood. Often, these news stories or features tout a trendy ingredient that is the best or latest thing you must include in your diet.
