Green Smoothie Tropical

September 13, 2011 · Posted in Healthy Food Choices 

Some cool healthy food choices images:

Green Smoothie Tropical
healthy food choices
Image by Barry Gourmet and Raw
Beverage and Salad Dressing Approx: 2 min. for 1 to 2 people

Green Smoothie Tropical
A Barry Gourmet & Raw Signature

Ingredients for the Green Smoothie Tropical:

1 half cup of chopped young or mature broccoli

1 Half cup of chopped loosely mixed pungent fresh herbs of equal parts of Basil,Mint,Parsley.

Optional pinch of fresh herbs of Sage,Rosemary needles,and Fennel

4 open caps or 1 level teaspoon of your favorite powdered green Super Food?
I chose Spirulina.
You can use the following short list of Super Green Food examples: Powdered Chlorella,Wheat Grass,Barley Grass,Sea Vegetable Powder (Sea Weed) of any kind with out any fillers.

Cut a 2 inch thick across of fresh tropical Pineapple , and discard the skins.

Cut a 2 inch thick down the middle or 4 inch thick at the end of a fresh tropical Papaya.
Your choice to discard the skins? Some times I keep the skins on if I know its organic and not GMO . If its growing in my garden I include the skins as most of the fiber and valuable nutrition of any fruit and vegetable is just under the skin.

One whole fresh tropical Coconut or coconut juice. If you buy coconut juice from the store it will most likely be pasteurized with heat that kills life giving enzymes and heat sensitive vitamins like C.When giant food manufactures take away our nutrition mechanically this way or through pasteurization ,the food Giant knows that the product is deficient and denatured so
the company must put back the missing vitamins and minerals with synthetics for better marketing on their labels to you, and to us the consumer. The Food Giant knows that high volume, longer shelf life,foods that cannot spoil or parish is convenient for us to buy at much higher costs to you and everyone else. I will get into this more on another post .

If Coconut Juice is not available you can substitute with pure water.

Fill your glass blender half or one third full of coconut juice with the inside coconut meat scraped out and added.

This last ingredient will send your smoothie into heavenly bliss for the taste department.
This Queen of fruits is not easy to find in the West ,but check in your local Asian Supermarket for them and you cant miss them if they are there. They are round with Dark Purple thick skins
with a greenish stem with a collar of small round stiff leaves. About the size of a Lemon or Orange the firm skins can be easily pinched to test for freshness and when opened you will see a beautiful cluster of creamy white fleshy seeds called the Mangosteen.

Yes in the Western market the imported fruit from South East Asia will cost much higher if you can find them, but try to compare the price with the packaged products you find sold on line or on the store shelf to make an informed decision. Take into account the packaging and marketing cost ,with price and nutritional value.
I believe the whole food wins out in the end but I let you decide?
The down side to all this in my opinion is that the USDA, and FDA of the United States has forced the Thai Agricultural sector to impose radiation treatments of all Mangosteen Fruits coming into the USA , in exchange for a share of the US Market.This was done in fear of bringing in the fruit fly from Thailand. The fact is food that has undergone Radiation treatment does not Sprout any more.

The seed is effectively dead, and the chemistry of the fruit as been altered in such away that in effect the produce has been denatured, and there is no long term human studies on the effect of food Radiation Treatments. For example most of imported dry spices are treated with radiation and they like the Mangosteen , are never Labeled as such to inform you and me , the consumer.
Some dry herb companies if you noticed are now advertising on their labels that “Our product has not been E radiated” When you see that kind of Label then buy it, or buy localy dried herbs and not imported, or do what I do purchase fresh living herbs grown localy.

This problem also applies to foods grown with GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) Never Labeled and mostly found in processed packaged foods.It is like we are just one great experiment every time we enter into a grocery store?

I just had to touch on this important subject above and with out further ado I continue the ingredients of your Green Smoothie Tropical.
Just add the inside of 3 to 4 whole Mango fleshy seeds and place them all into your glass blender.

General Note for Taste ! For adding taste and sweetness to any green smoothie the Banana and the Mangosteen in my opinion is in a neck and neck tie in my taste department. Fresh Pineapple and Papaya and coconut are close seconds. Apple and Pear is also good as well.

Method for Green Smoothie Tropical:

Just add your Super Greens,Pineapple,Papaya,Broccoli,and chopped mixed green herbs to your glass blender filled to the top. Do not worry if you have lots left over I have a delicious plan for you?

Blend your ingredients together , and taste with your eyes closed to focus your senses into your taste buds. Are you smiling I want to know ? because I tested this smoothie on all my friends and the reaction was very good.

If you have left over ingredients or you wish to add more to it you have the opportunity to make a fantastic delicious Tropical Salad.

How to make your Tropical Smoothie Salad:

You can easily put all your left over tropical fruits and Green vegetables together into your serving bowl and create the following.

How to make a Cleansing Weight Loss Dressing ?

Ingredients:

On stand by Raw unfiltered Honey
On stand by Bee Pollen ( Natures Multi Vitamin Supplement)
On stand by Raw Cold Pressed Apple Cider Vinegar in glass container.
On stand by Raw natural Lemon or Lime Juice stored in a glass container
On stand by stored in glass ground Cinnamon Powder

Method for making a Cleansing Weight Loss Dressing:

In a small mixing bowl.

1teaspoon of Raw unfiltered Honey
½ teaspoon of Bee Pollen grains
I teaspoon of Lemon or Lime Juice
½ level teaspoon of raw Apple Cider Vinegar Cold Pressed
½ level teaspoon of ground Cinnamon powder

Mix well together and taste then make your necessary adjustments accordingly with your ingredients at hand. Spoon the liquid over your salad and toss it well. Taste it then pour some of your Super Green Smoothie Tropical over top as a dressing. Just writing about it makes me hungry !

“Enjoy I hope this recipe inspires you to make one for your self,for Family and friends “?

“Love Your Food “

Barry Gourmet & Raw

Nutritional Information with Health Benefits of the Green Smoothie Tropical:

www.mangosteen.com is a good site to visit for a farmers unbiased perspective on this tropical fruit that is produced in abundance in Thailand.

All the raw Green vegetables in this smoothie will be good for you in so many ways . Alkaline for the blood, enzymes to assist digestion, Fiber to support the Liver and to help with transit time and overall intestinal health, rich in bioavailable organic vitamins and minerals that the body will use at the cellular level.High water content foods like Juices and Smoothies carry Oxygen into your system ,and the antioxidants of these green foods rich with green chlorophyl of plant will help you with your weight loss. This has been proven time and time again no question about this.

Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices ever used and today many studies suggest that this sweet savory herb can help people with type 2 Diabetes.

Raw unfiltered Honey with Bee Pollen is a very complex formula of protein amino acids ,with vitamins and minerals for good health.

Apple Cider Vinegar is reputed to help people to produce more hydrochloric Acid in the stomach for better Nutrition . Note that as people grow older our bodies produce much less Hydrochloric Acid.

Lemon and Lime Juice is very Alkaline, high in vitamins C and good for over all health.
Coconut Juice and its meat will never make you fat , just look at all the countries where coconuts are grown. South East Asian people are by far mostly lean especially in up country but sadly today it is changing with the introduction of Western Fast Food outlets popping up every where. Coconut is a different kind of saturated fat , that actually helps you to lose weight .

Papaya is a tropical fruit high in the phyto chemical Lycopene that gives the Papaya its orange red color same as tomatoes and water mellon. Papaya also provides loads of enzymes called Pa-pain that will assist your body with the digestion of food proteins and will further give your digestive organs such as the pancreas a much needed break as well. In my garden Papaya is growing every where naturally by a happy accident through composting my kitchen scraps.
A very hardy plant to grow under the right tropical conditions.

Pineapple is loaded with the proteolytic enzyme called Bromelain found mostly down the center of the fruit ,which breaks down protein.
Often when I serve Seafood , Eggs , or Poultry I will have chunks of Pineapple and Papaya near by or on the main course itself to assist the body for better digestion. Pineapple is anti- inflammatory and used as a good weapon for effective weight loss.

Growing Your Own Pineapple?

Did you know that it is not that difficult to grow Pineapple your self under the right conditions like indoors with lots of sun near a window? When you purchase your Pineapple in the store or market look for the following. For me it is easy where I live in Phuket Thailand.
I cut the crown off but leave at least 2 or 3 inches of pineapple fruit attached and place the flat side on top of potted soil. It took about 6 months in my garden to see a 6 inch long and 5 inch wide new pineapple to grow ,but it was worth it after tasting it.

Lets start from the very beginning with my Pineapple Notes :

Check for a Pineapple that is firm and not too soft to the touch as soft means the Pineapple is overly too ripe, and when you place your nose next to this fruit you should be able to smell the notable fragrance otherwise the fruit is not ripe enough ,with practice and help from the vendor you will quickly know from experience the gem among the bunch.

The leaves should be green and uniform in shape with a bit of yellow color at the base line is OK .
Leaves that appear discolored , brown, grayish,and small grayish spots found at the base of the leaves would indicate infestation from scale insects, so choose another one if that is the case.
The leaf should be able to be pulled off with some resistance, and keep in mind that there are so many varieties of Pineapple around the world so I would ask your vendor where the fruit came from and even ask for their assistance for picking a good one out for you, the Thai vendors are so helpful to me this way and its good for repeat business for them.

I love my pineapple so it is not uncommon for me to bring half a dozen or so into my home.

Next ask your self how many you would like to grow and make sure that you have lots of natural sunlight with large windows , the larger the better as Pineapples need lots of Sun.
Prepare your Container Pot :

I like to use large clay or ceramic pots as they are more attractive then plastic, and environmentally they are friendlier. Pineapples except for the Phuket Pigmy Dwarf ,needs lots of room and space to grow so , I suggest that what ever size of Pineapple you are holding just use the size of your hand in a nice circle to determine the surface area of the pots size and the total length of the fruit just double the depth size to have the correct size pot.

Next place some stones and broken pottery pieces at the bottom about 2 to 3 inches high to provide good drainage. Then at your favorite nursery look for some good organic garden potting soil , and if you like some cactus potting soil as well. Even some shaved coconut husk is a good medium for good drainage.
Fill your clay pot up to about half way , then work in some of your drainage material and add some more of your organic potting soil to about 6 inches from the pots edge.

This next step will raise a lot of eye brows out there because it goes against a lot of the conventional wisdom , thinking and practice for people raising Pineapples.But my method works for me so I am sharing my experience with you.

Place a Pineapple on your cutting board with the leaves attached, then cut the fruit about 2 to 3 inches from the base of the leafy stem in half. You will be left with the leafy stem and a small piece of the pine apple with skin attached. ( “I just know I have to make a You Tube Video of this method with time lapse photography when I get around to it, so please be patient with me Thank You”)
Place this flat part of the fruit firmly into the center of the pot, then add the rest of your soil mix filled to the top almost covering the fruit , its ok to leave a bit of the fruit exposed.

Water your exotic plant and let the soil dry out a bit before watering again.

Compared to growing a Mangosteen Tree www.mangosteen.com ,growing a Pineapple should be a walk in the park for most people ,and easy to manage until maturity before harvest.My method does not take up to 3 years to see results ,as reported from other sites but only takes 6 to 8 months of growing time ,with at least half size delicious pine apple in comparison to the original size of the purchased Pineapple.

Water to wet the soil , then let the soil dry out a bit and work your way up to only watering 2 or 1 time per week between dry periods. The Phuket Thailand weather is this way with dry seasons 6 months of the year with sporadic tropical rains that do not last too long then 6 months of drought, with hardly any rain at all . Phuket island is one of the many Pineapple Capitals on Planet Earth , so its growing every where year round,and that makes me one happy camper.

After one month the stiff leaves should start to grow outwards and upwards covering the soil surface of the pot and this is indeed a good sign that the fruit is taking hold and the fruits flesh is breaking down to encourage new roots to grow out.When I last harvested my New Pineapple growth and inspected the subterranean soil underneath I discovered a healthy root system with no evidence of the original flesh of the fruit. The root system spread all the way to the edges of the pot and down to the length size of the original size of fruit purchased.

Then in 2 or 3 months you should witness like I do a brilliance of color, down the center of the plant,with much more new leafy growth jutting up to a hight of about one foot or more.
A small bud will start to form and grow , and grow until it takes the shape of your new Pineapple. When ever you can if its in the summer months with warm weather I would encourage you to have the potted Pineapple out side and only inside during cold winter months.
Your tropical ornamental plant that provides such a delicious healthy treat for you and your family, should be, a great conservation and conversation piece around the house ,for your guests to enjoy as well. I hope that ,I can inspire a new trend to give people the opportunity to not through out their stems, but instead use them with the part of the fruit attached to replant and grow for years to come, could I be starting a new cottage industry?

To recap from my experience the size of your new pineapple fruit will be around half the size of the original size purchased after only 6 to 8 months of growing in your clay container pot.
The fruit should be incredibly juicy and sweet tasting, very edible.

“Love Your Food”

Barry Gourmet & Raw

Colorado Nutrition Roundtable
healthy food choices
Image by USDAgov
Under Secretary Janey Thornton (left) and Darlene Barnes, Administrator
of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service’s Mountain Plains Region, chat
with children in Colorado Springs, Colo., about healthy meal choices.

Raj Patel At Kepler’s
healthy food choices
Image by Earthworm
Raj Patel told stories about the mystery ingredients in our food. Lecithin, which he mentions in his book "Stuffed and Starved", is an emulsifier in many of our processed foods. It is made from soy and responsible for 40,000 slaves and deforestation in Brazil. And we thought it was cattle that was bringing down the forest, but no it is the humble soy bean which has become Brazil’s largest export due to world demand.

He explained how the global market began in 1880 when the British replaced feudalism in India with a market system and paid labor. In the feudal system labor was exploited for free, but they were fed by those exploiting them. In the free market labor is exploited with "slave wages" and no one has to be responsible for feeding anyone. Since then, instead of a famine every 120 years, there is one every four years, but there is always enough food to export to countries and people who can afford to buy it. Markets basically created poor people, or rather people who cannot afford to buy food, but Mr. Patel did not point this out because he is not about getting rid of the money system altogether, he is about eradicating poverty.

Mr. Patel was very good at explaining concepts and has an educated British accent to go with his presentation. He’s also quite funny in that droll way. World Bank policies, he described as being much like the scene in the movie Time Bandits with John Cleese as Robin Hood, with us upper class accent, giving people the fabulous gifts stolen from Napoleon, but then the same recipients are punched in the nose by a thug standing next to him. Thus the free market brings fabulous wealth that the poor cannot use and then they are bloodied by it.

He is fond of concepts and liked to tell stories so if you don’t already know the big picture you have to string it all together yourself.

I like his perspective that our lifestlye has made our food absurd, but we don’t know it because our speeded up life has made convenience food and soda pop, eaten while driving, seem reasonable.

"I take my inspiration, as I’m sure you do too," he said, "from the Italian Communist Party," I was the only one who laughed. He was referring to the Slow Food movement, which had borrowed from the communist party edicts, and added the galvanizing principle that everybody has the right to pleasure and enjoyment of food. Even if they are poor. (We seem to have missed this part in our Californian translation where the best revenge is living well. I never found out, though, what it was we were revenging. "Elitist," cried Carlo Petrini, the founder of Slow Food Nation when he came to our shores and saw how we had turned his movement into more fine cheeses for the wealthy.)

Mr. Patel chastised us for wanting to try to fix the food system by changing our consumer habits and urged us to get involved with local food policies. Consumer choice is a poor cousin for democracy, he said. We should not be consumers of democracy. Corporations exist because of a mix of coercion and consent because of all the false choices we are given ie: between Pepsi and Coke.

We need to curb corporate power, rectify income inequality and make the government accountable for the nations healthcare. Only then will government care enough to keep us healthy, he pointed out, because they know they will have to pay for healthcare down the line.

In order to feed 9 billion people in 2020, we must heed what scientists are saying, he advised, and get rid of industrial agriculture, replacing it with agro-ecological culture of grains/food that is adapted to the locale. In short we must move from monoculture to diversity. Here, here.


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