Smoothie Of The Week!

"Swiss Bliss Smoothie"
This week our healthy smoothie features Swiss chard!

Why Swiss chard?

Recent research has shown that Swiss chard leaves contain at least 13 different polyphenol antioxidants, including kaempferol, the cardioprotective flavonoid that's also found in broccoli, kale, strawberries, and other foods. But alongside of kaempferol, one of the primary flavonoids found in the leaves of chard is a flavonoid called syringic acid. Syringic acid has received special attention in recent research due to its blood sugar regulating properties. This flavonoid has been shown to inhibit activity of an enzyme calledalpha-glucosidase. When this enzyme gets inhibited, fewer carbs are broken down into simple sugars and blood sugar is able to stay more steady. It makes sense to think about chard as a vegetable whose flavonoid phytonutrients are unique and may offer special benefits for blood sugar control. Talk about healthy. 

Here is what you'll need:

-1 bunch Swiss chard
-1/2 cup frozen raspberries
-1/2 cup frozen pineapple
-1/2 cup frozen peaches
-3 tablespoons chopped mint
-1 fresh orange squeezed
-reverse osmosis water

Here is what you'll do:

Combine the Swiss chard, raspberries, pineapple, and peaches in a blender or like device. Blend ingredients until semi smooth. Slowly squeeze the fresh orange into the mixture and continue to blend. You may use more than one orange if desired. Add mint and blend. Once the Swiss bliss in well blended, begin to add the reverse osmosis water to obtain desired texture.

ENJOY!

Bonus info on Swiss chard: 

• Like beets, chard is a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains. In the betalain family are found reddish-purple betacyanin pigments as well as yellowish betaxanthin pigments. Both types can be found in chard! In the reddish-purple stems of chard and the reddish-purple veins in the leaves, scientists have identified at least 9 betacyanin pigments, including betanin, isobetanin, betanidin, and isobetanidin. In the yellowish stems and veins, at least 19 betaxanthin pigments have been identified, including histamine-betaxanthin, alanine-betaxanthin, tyramine-betaxanthin, and 3-methoxytyramine-betaxanthin. Many of the betalain pigments in chard have been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support. The detox support provided by betalains includes support of some especially important Phase 2 detox steps involving glutathione. So you can see that in the case of chard, beauty is far from just skin deep!