Springing into an Aloe Vera Smoothie Craze

There are lots of different ways to get back into shape for the warmer seasons. On top of any diet you may choose, exercise is an important addition. I have a friend who has cut wheat out of her diet completely and is already seeing results. Instead of breads or pastas she uses rice or rice pasta. She also has a 3 mile jog she goes on. On top of all that, she has made fruit and veggie smoothie concoctions a part of her daily regime. (My personal favorite is pineapple!) This morning I found a site with lots of different smoothie recipes and ideas for healthy juices to help with a timely seasonal slim-down. It talks about the importance of fresh foods that are high in nutrients. Aloe is mentioned right next to spirulina.

Here is an interesting Aloe Vera smoothie recipe that I’m planning on trying out!

• 1 1/2 cups cucumber (with peel)
• 2 large kiwi, peeled
• 1/2 cup Aloe (freshly harvested or purchased gel is fine)
• 1 banana, peeled
• 4 oz. filtered water

Add all of these ingredients into the blender and blend for 30 seconds or until the smoothie is creamy. If it is too bitter, try adding another banana or some chunks of fresh pineapple!

The nutritional info:

• Calories: 226
• Fat: 1g
• Protein: 5g
• Carbs: 53g
• Calcium: 14%
• Iron: 16%
• Vitamin A: 256%
• Vitamin C: 215%

This smoothie is also a rich source of folate, vitamins B2, B6, C, E, K as well as minerals including copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and potassium.

Another, super simple, Aloe Vera smoothie recipe is as follows:

• 1 cup blueberries (frozen, unsweetened)
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup Aloe Vera gel (remember, not the stuff for you skin…that’s not for ingesting!)

Blend all together and drink! You can add non-fat yogurt (or frozen yogurt) to make it creamier.

So, when this weird regression into snow goes away and the weather is nice again, I know I’ll be sharing these with my friend, and trying it out myself! If anyone has more fun recipes I’d love to hear. I’m excited to play around with some interesting fusions!

Good green luck, and enjoy!