Happy New Year Pineapple Basil Smoothe

Happy New Year!

A new year often comes with resolutions and commitments in hope of success and joy. Many people want to improve different spheres of life, like our career, finances, health, love life, ect… it is often difficult to know where to begin. We often get overwhelmed and within a few weeks we are back to our old habits, which can be very frustrating.

To start the New Year off on the right foot and move us through this powerful time in our lives I propose instead of making New Years Resolutions, take time to make an inspiration board.

What is an Inspiration Board? Its anything you want it to be! Ha! It is a photo collage that inspires you and drives you to help you reach your goals, to stay focused, organized and makes you happy. It’s a two dimensional art project that YOU create to inspire you to live the best life possible! There are no rules, guidelines or limits. Dream BIG and see what you can do!

I am working on my inspiration board today, will post more about it later!

In the mean time, I offer this recipe for you to protect you from the negative tendencies of the past, to push through to a new level of health and wellbeing. Power packed with enzymes and anti-oxidants its the perfect smoothie to start 2013 off right.

Pineapple Basil

• 1 cup pineapple
• 1 frozen banana
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 1Tbs green powder
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups almond milk or tea

Place all ingredients in blender and blend! Enjoy your delicious and pleasantly power packed smoothie!

Basil is an amazing herb that protects cell structures as well as our chromosomes from radiation and oxygen damage. Basil also helps the body get rid of unwanted bacterial growth and has many other positive benefits for the body.

• Anti-Inflammatory – helps relieve inflammatory health problems related to rheumatoid arthritis & inflammatory bowel conditions.
• Anti-Bacterial – helps to provide protection against unwanted bacterial growth.
• Nutrients Essential for Cardiovascular Health – Basil is a very good source of vitamin A that helps protect cells from free radical damage and helps prevent free radicals from oxidizing cholesterol in the bloodstream. (Only after it has been oxidized does cholesterol build up on the walls of the blood vessels, initiating the development of atherosclerosis, whose end result can be heart attack or stroke.)
• Basil is a Good Source of Magnesium – which promotes cardiovascular health by prompting muscles and blood vessels to relax, and therefore improving blood flow and lessening the risk of irregular heart rhythms.
• Good Source of Vitamin C, Iron, Potassium and Calcium.

Pineapple has many amazing benefits as well:

• Anti-Inflammatory – Bromelain is a proteolitic enzyme (an enzyme that digests proteins) found in fresh pineapple. It is often used to treat muscle injuries and when applied topically it helps speed up wound healing.
• Digestive Benefits – Bromelain enhances the effects of the digestive enzymes and helps prevent heartburn and ease diarrhea that may be caused by a deficiency of digestive enzymes.
• Anti-Aging – Bromelain is a natural anticoagulant that works by breaking down the blood-clotting protein fibrin.
• Improve Immune Function – Bromelain triggers beneficial changes in white blood cells, thinning mucus and is therefore effective in treating chronic bronchitis and asthma. Bromelain also enhances the effect of antibiotics (see basil above).
• Protects Against Macular Degeneration – Everyone has heard that carrots are good for your eyes? Well, pineapple is even better!

Here is to a healthy and happy New Year!

In love and light,

Michelle

Please visit my personal site at www.MichelleBerryShaffer.com

Greeña Colada

Since I live in Montana, and its cold and snowy outside this time of year, I long for warm beaches and sunny clear skies. But in the mean time I can create my own tropical hideaway in my space by cranking up the heat, practicing yoga and making myself a delicious Greeña Colada!

Greeña Colada:

• Meat of one coconut (I used the fresh coconut water yesterday for a hydrating drink super drink)
• 1 banana (or 4 drops of stevia if you want this to be lower glycemic)
• 1 cup fresh pineapple
• 1/2 cup cashews (or whatever kind of nut you have on hand – almonds, ect..)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup coconut milk or tea or water
• 1 Tablespoon Premier Greens Mix
• 1 teaspoon spirulina
• 1 drop of vitamin D3 serum

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth!

Pineapple is a great digestive aid because it helps the body break down and digest proteins more efficiently. The enzyme in pineapple that is so amazing is called Bromelain, it is an excellent anti-inflammatory. If you eat 1/2 cup of pineapple a day it is said to provide pain relief by helping to relieve painful joints common to osteoarthritis. In sports medicine, bromelain is used to reduce inflammation and swelling after an injury.

Pineapple is also known to help dissolve blood clots and is an old folk remedy for morning sickness. So go ahead and drink up your Greeña Colada!

In light,

Michelle

Please check out my personal page at: www.MichelleBerryShaffer.com

Michelle's Super Green Smoothie

Smoothies are a great way to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet to increase your overall health! If you have kids its easy to get them to participate in making smoothies by having them “experiment” with different ingredients, it also helps if you love making smoothies too because leading by example is the best teacher!

Health Benefits of Green Smoothies:

• Increase Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables
• Easy to Digest and Assimilate Nutrients
• Antioxidants and Phytonutrients
• Mental Clarity and Focus
• Increased Fiber Intake
• Clearer Skin
• Natural Weight Loss
• Reduced Cravings For Junk Foods
• Alkalizing to help maintain a proper pH level in your body.

Now is a good time to try to make your own green smoothie! Try to stick to about 60% greens and about 40% fruit.

Michelle’s Super Green Smoothie:

• 1 Frozen Banana
• 1 Large Kale Leaf or 2 Small Kale Leaves
• 1 cup Blessed Water
• 1/4 cup Walnuts
• 1 tsp Friendly Force (Vegan Powdered Probiotic by Healthforce Nutritionals)
• 1 tsp Vitamineral Earth
• 1 tsp Spirulina
• 1 tsp Maca
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1/2 tsp Max B-ND by Premier Research Labs
• 1/2 tsp Liver Care by Premier Research Labs
• 1 dropper full Nettle Tincture
• 1 dropper full Chaga Tincture
• 4 drops Stevia
• 1 drop Vitamin D3 by Premier Research Labs
• Dash of Cinnamon

Put everything in a blender and blend away! How’s that for a super smoothie?

If you don’t have all of these ingredients, don’t worry about it, experiment, taste test, and most of all have fun with it!

Lots of love to you!

Michelle

Please visit my personal page  at www.michelleberryshaffer.com

Smoothie Bliss

Wonderfully Delicious Green Smoothies!

*Feel free to use fresh or frozen fruit, whatever you have on hand. Add pitted dates when you need a little extra sweetness. Or for an extra goodness, add spirulina! or another green powder! Have fun, experiment and enjoy!

Banana Kale Smoothie

1 frozen banana

2-3 kale leaves

1 Tbs green powder

almond milk

Almond Butter Kale

1 frozen banana

2-3 kale leaves

1/3 cup almond butter

2 pitted dates

almond milk

Walnut Kale Banana

2-3 Tbs walnuts

1 cup water

2 leaves kale

1 Tbs green powder

1 frozen banana

Mango Banana Parsley 

1 cup mango 

1 frozen banana

1/2 bunch parsley

water or almond milk

Green Pina-Colada

1 peeled orange

1/2 cup pineapple

1/2 frozen banana

1 cup spinach

almond milk

Pineapple Basil

1 cup pineapple

1 frozen banana

1/2 cup fresh basil

1Tbs green powder

almond milk

Pineapple Kale

1 cup pineapple

1 frozen banana

3 kale leaves

4-5 leaves of fresh mint

almond milk or water

Mango Orange Spinach

1 cup mango

1 peeled orange 

1 cup spinach

water or almond milk

Candy Apple

1 apple

1 frozen banana

1 cup spinach

3 pitted dates

1 Tbs green powder

water or almond milk

Kiwi Apple Spinach

2 kiwis 

1 chopped apple

1 cup spinach

sprinkle of cinnamon

3 pitted dates

almond milk or water

Berry Peach Spinach

1 cup berries

1 whole peach

1 cup spinach

almond milk or water

Pear Kale Mint

2 pears

1 frozen banana

3 kale leaves

5 leaves fresh mint

Strawberry Banana

1 cup strawberries

1 frozen banana

1 cup spinach

1 Tbs green powder

almond milk or water

Peach Spinach

1 peach

1 frozen banana

1 cup spinach

almond milk or water

Orange Blueberry 

1 peeled orange

1 cup spinach

1 cup blueberries

1 frozen banana

Green Bliss

3 romaine leaves

1 banana

1 orange

1 mango

water

Mango Mint

1 mango

1/2 cup strawberries

1/2 bunch mint

1/2 cup apple juice

water 

Berry Blue 

1 cup blueberries

1 cup blackberries

1 pear

3 kale leaves

water or almond milk

Pear Parsley

1 pear

1 banana

1/2 bunch parsley

almond milk or water

This is a fast and easy way to incorporate more highly nutritious green foods into your diet every day!

Love you!

Michelle

Please check out my personal site at: www.MichelleBerryShaffer.com