Recipes
Large Smoothie 2 cups kale medley (available prepackaged in many grocery stores) 1 cup blueberries, frozen 1 cup dark sweet cherries, frozen 1/2 cup Greek yogurt 1 tablespoon chia seeds 1 tablespoon flaxseed 1 teaspoon lemon zest Fill to “Max” line in large NutriBullet cup with decaffeinated green tea, diluted with water (no sugar added). Blend to desired thickness. – Sharon Thomas Small Smoothie 1 cup baby spinach 1/2 to 3/4 cup strawberries, depending on desired sweetness 1 small banana 1/4 cup peanut butter 1 tablespoon chia seeds 1 tablespoon flaxseeds Fill to “Max” line in small NutriBullet cup with water. Blend to desired thickness. – Sharon Thomas Banana and Kiwi Smoothie 1 banana, peeled and cut into chunks 1 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced (about 1/2 cup) 1 cup low-fat yogurt 1/2 cup ice cubes 2 teaspoons maple syrup, optional Combine all of the banana, kiwi, yogurt, ice and syrup in a blender and whir together until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve immediately. Makes 2 servings. – Fitness magazine Sunrise Tea Smoothie 2 bags mint-flavored green tea 1/2 cup diced mango 1/2 cup diced papaya 2 tablespoons simple syrup (see recipe below) 1/2 cup ice Juice from 1/8 of a lemon Steep tea in 1 cup boiling water for 3 minutes. Combine tea, 3/4 cup cold water and remaining ingredients in a blender. Blend until cold and frothy. Makes 2 servings. – Fitness magazine Simple Syrup 2 cups water 2 cups sugar Bring water and sugar to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 5 minutes, and let cool. Makes about 3 cups.
If you don’t like eating vegetables, maybe you should try drinking them.
That’s the way Sharon Thomas discovered that, by drinking smoothies, she could meet the seven to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day that her oncologist advised after she finished treatment for breast cancer.
“I was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2014, had surgery in November and started radiation in January. Because the cancer was caught early in Stage 1, I did not have chemotherapy. I finished my radiation treatments in February,” says Thomas.
At the March followup visit, her radiation oncologist recommended the produce servings. Thomas laughs as she recalls telling the doctor “OK, no problem” before realizing the ramifications of that commitment. Considering a serving is a half-cup of cooked vegetables or fruit or a whole cup of raw, that was a lot of produce.