Have you heard of kale?
Kale is actually one of the most nutritious vegetable around and this is another major reason why it is so popular in fruit smoothie and juice recipes. Kale is most certainly the green nutritional powerhouse you will soon discover in this article as you read on.
Health Benefits of Kale – Antioxidant Activity
Most green leafy vegetables have high amounts of antioxidants and phytonutrients to promote good health. Kale is highly concentrated in Vitamin A, C and K.
Vitamin A and C are both well known antioxidants that help to maintain good eye health and also reduce oxidative damage on cells. The high amounts of carotenoids and flavonoids like zeaxanthin also has anti-cancer and anti-diabetic properties. Sulfurophane, a compound in broccoli also has similar properties as well as antimicrobial properties. Lutein another sulphur contain phytonutrient is good “food” for your eyes. Therefore, if you are looking for a good alternative to carrots for good eye health, kale is you next best thing!
Will you get fat with kale?
I really doubt it… Considering that a small serve has about 35 calories and 5 grams of fibre. I don’t think obesity will ever be an issue.
As for your daily requirements of vitamins in your body, the amount of Vitamin A, B6 and C in kale is more than required in your daily diet in a small serving of kale.
Health Benefits of Kale – Vitamin K
As for Vitamin K, one small serving has more than 10x the amount of Vitamin K you need per day!
Some of you who can remember from high school biology that Vitamin K is essential for clotting. That shockingly high amounts of Vitamin K usually does not cause any health problems unless you are taking Warfarin. If you eat a lot of kale and take Warfarin at the same time, your Warfarin will not work as well. Consult your medical practitioner if you find yourself in this situation. As for other health benefits, Vitamin K does not have much antioxidant activity but it does have other roles to play in your body.
Another benefit of having a lot of Vitamin K is the overall reduction in risk of getting cancer and cancer mortality.
Lowers Your Cholesterol and Good For Your Heart!
When you have a whole bunch of antioxidants in kale, you will definitely have some degree of protection from cardiovascular disease, reduction in cholesterol levels and a healthier heart!
If you dare to eat kale raw, then you will get even more of these benefits as cooking destroys s percentage of enzymes, minerals and other antioxidants in kale.
How to Eat Kale?
Kale can be eaten raw or steamed. You can even stir-fry kale in with any choice of meat or eggs. If you prefer the leaves to be more tender, steaming is best.
You can also consume kale in a smoothie or juice. Of course, not many people have tried this before which is why I am going to show you how this is done!
Now, I am going to show you how to make an incredible juice recipe from kale. But first, you will need to know a few things about it before you start.
Choosing Kale for Juice and Smoothies
- Kale is one of the most common vegetables that you can find. You can find it in wet markets or in the supermarkets.
- They are available all year round!
- They are also cheap.
- Although kale is readily available, I would recommend getting the organic ones as they contain less pesticides and hence safer to consume
- The greener leafy ones are your best pick and you should always try to avoid choosing yellow ones ( as with most vegetables).
Now once you’ve got your perfect kale greens, gather them and get ready to juice them!
Kale Juice Recipe #1
This kale juice recipe is my favourite. You should try it yourself!
2 cups of kale
2 red apples
3 stalks of celery
Gather all the ingredients above and juice! I would recommend a good quality masticating or triturating juicer to extract the most out of these vegetable ingredients including kale. Alternatively, you can try these other great choices!
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Delicious Kale Smoothie Recipe #1
2 cups of kale with ribs and stems removed
2 carrots chopped
1/2 cup red apple
1/2 cup frozen bananas
1/2 cup crushed ice
Get a good blender and then juice them all!
Both these delicious and nutritious juice and smoothie preparations can be taken first thing in the morning as breakfast or anytime during the day.
What are your thoughts on kale? Do you have any kale juice or smoothie recipes to share? Let me know!