{"id":11693,"date":"2013-02-12T05:33:35","date_gmt":"2013-02-12T13:33:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/?p=11693"},"modified":"2013-02-12T09:24:25","modified_gmt":"2013-02-12T17:24:25","slug":"a-valentines-go-red-for-women-smoothie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/a-valentines-go-red-for-women-smoothie\/","title":{"rendered":"A Valentine’s Go Red for Women Superfood Smoothie"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"guava<\/a><\/p>\n

February celebrates love with Valentines Day, but it’s also American Heart Healthy Month… and I think that’s perfect. So I’m jumping into the fray and joining the Valentine’s Day blitz but, remaining true to my heart healthy ways, with a nutritious superfood magnificently rosey-red green smoothie. Say what – did you catch that? How can a green smoothie be RED?<\/p>\n

Why, with beet greens, of course! This is especially great news for those who are still squeamish about consuming anything that is green. Yes, the best of both worlds – you get all the nutrients of green vegetables, the equivalent of several servings of fruit and vegetables, and a thick luscious berry hued shake that satisfies your sweet tooth all in one glass!<\/p>\n

A healthy heart is a loving heart, or is it a loving heart is a healthy heart? I don’t want to be overly facetious because I know people with heart disease have love in their hearts (my husband for one), but there is a great deal of research that says being\u00a0IN LOVE<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0is also good for your heart. Being in love is good for us because our emotional health is strongly tied to our physical health. According to an article published by\u00a0CBN News<\/a>, “a loving marriage is, without a doubt, great for your overall health. Research shows married people live an average of five years longer than those who aren’t. They also have lower rates of heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and other chronic ailments than their single counterparts”. And, even if you’re not married, the act of loving another \u2014 whether it be your mom, your life partner, your pup, your BFF \u2014\u00a0lowers stress levels because of the emotional support and physical intimacy that comes from being in love. Lower stress levels can help lower blood pressure and also strengthen your immune system. So give your sweetheart a big hug and begin the day with a rosey-red smoochie smoothie, too \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

\"Valentine's<\/a><\/h2>\n

See, my fur baby even wants one \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

Besides beet greens this super smoothie includes two other surprises: guava and blood orange. Did you know that guava is among the top 5 nutrient dense fruits? I learned this and a bushel of other useful information at a cookbook signing event at Melissa’s Produce<\/a> for the new cookbook “50 Best Plants on the Planet” by Cathy Thomas. True guavas have edible, knobby green skin that often runs yellow when they are thoroughly ripe. They bring back memories of living in Kauai with my grandmother; a sophomore in high school enamored with the unfamiliar and exotic fruits and foods of the islands. I cut open a guava and left in on the counter, inhaling it’s powerful sweet fragrance.<\/p>\n

Besides smelling amazing, guavas have one of the highest concentrations of vitaminC of any fruit or vegetable – four times that of oranges. Vitamin C helps counter inflammation, plus it lowers the risks of heart disease, strokes, cataracts, and certain types of cancer. They are also rich in fiber, offering a whopping 9 grams per cup. The same amount of fruit (1 cup) contains 4 grams of protein. Both of these nutrients help increase satiety and encourage the body to burn calories longer to balance blood sugar and reduce symptoms of diabetes. {Source: 50 Best Plants on the Planet<\/a>}<\/p>\n

\"Guava,<\/a><\/p>\n

So let’s get this party started with a Vitamin C powerhouse!<\/p>\n

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