Most of my blog readers know that I love all kinds of smoothies and have at least one almost every day. I always throw in plenty of fresh spinach, and sometimes other fresh veggies too, like squash, kale, carrots, or cucumber. Here's my current favorite combo, a simple yet delicious one I've been enjoying over the past couple of gloriously sunny days:
About 1 cup of fresh strawberries (you could use frozen, but I got fresh ones on sale recently and am loving the flavor... it's better somehow!)
About 2-3 cups of fresh spinach
1 ripe banana
1 clementine
About 1/2 - 1 cup soy milk (however much you need to get the blended consistency you want)
ice cubes if you want it colder
Blend and enjoy!
Why soy milk? I've read lately that it isn't actually very good for you. Something about phyto-estrogens or something like that. Have you researched it much? I'm curious what you've learned.
ReplyDeleteEmily, I have read research concluding that high quantities of soy-based products can be bad for you because of the chemical makeup of the soybean, which, as you mentioned, mimics the properties of estrogen. There also seems to be a lot of research claiming that the other research is baloney, soo... :) It's hard to know which voices to listen to in the realm of nutrition, isn't it? The middle ground, and most common opinion on the subject, seems to be that like most things, it's fine in moderation but perhaps not good if you drink soymilk with a tofu-scramble for breakfast, eat tofu for lunch, and then have tempeh for dinner! (Haha.) I think a glass of soymilk now and then is unlikely to be damaging.
ReplyDeleteI put soymilk in some of my smoothies, and water in most of them. I don't use cow's milk because 1) I'm lactose intolerant and 2) There's a lot of convincing (to me, anyway) research out there about the potential harm (cancer, heart disease, and other 'diseases of affluence') from consuming animal-based proteins in large quantities. (Read "The China Study" if you're interested.)