In addition to the smoothie, also give your children a good quality multi-vitamin, a 500 mg vitamin C, and a vitamin B12 every day.
I try to remember to give them another C after school too. It is pretty much impossible to take too much vitamin C and it is used up very quickly by your body. Vitamin C is extremely powerful to your immune system. It has even been shown in studies dating back to the 30s to cure such major diseases as diptheria and polio in high doses, which I think is a huge testimony to it's importance to our immune system.
Vitamin B12 should be absorbed in the mouth for best effect, which is why I don't add it to the smoothie. Make sure when you are buying B12 that you check the label. It should say with folic acid (aids absorption) and ingredients should not have anything that starts with "cyan or cian", yes, had to believe, but meaning cianide.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Smoothie tricks... strategies to be consistent.
I prep smoothie ingredients for a week or two in advance, making it A LOT easier to do each morning!
Almost all the ingredients are available from our local Nutters. Many could be also be found online, possibly cheaper, but if you have a local health supplement store, that is probably the easiest.
I drive to our nearest city an hour away to go to Costco once a month, and that is when I buy frozen strawberries, WAY cheaper than the local grocery stores.
Strategy 1: Prep the berries
To make it easier on your Magic Bullet or blender, chop strawberries coarsely, doesn't have to be too small. I spent a few bucks at the dollar store and got a bunch of 3 oz (90 mL) containers. Chop a bunch of strawberries and make little individual cups of chopped strawberries. Then, prep another little container a third to half full with blueberries or another berry. Then you can just grab one of each container from the freezer every morning! You could obviously get bigger containers and put the berries together too, I just got those containers super cheap.
Strategy 2: Prep the supplements
Invest in a small mortar and pestle and another 2 bucks at the dollar store to get one of those plastic cases with little containers to hold beads for people who do bead work. These are perfect for holding the powder supplements!
Strategy 3: Stretch the supplements
All the following supplements are "Natural Factors" brand. Grind up a vitamin B6 tablet and split half the powder between two little bead containers. Do the same with a GABA tablet, and Mental Calmness tablet, and split half to each container. Last, add your Children's Multi Probiotic and a 1/4 tsp of stevia powder to each container.
Strategy 4: Keep everything together
Last dollar store purchase, I promise! Get a plastic bin from the dollar store for another buck or two, and put ALL the smoothie ingredients in it. Then, rather than having to search for several things in your fridge, you just pull out your bin!
Strategy 5: Daily assembly
Grab your berries from the freezer, and the bin from your fridge. Throw the berries and supplements in your Magic Bullet, add a drizzle of vitamin E, a tsp of Nutrasea oil, a Tbsp of calcium, a few drops of GSE, and 2 Tbsp of OJ and grind!
Strategy 6: Serve in a little bowl like yogurt
Ha ha, yes, you guessed it, little dollar store fruit nappie bowls! My kids are 7 and 9 and we have been doing smoothies for a year now. ONE smoothie split between them is their daily dose. I have found it very successful to have them eat it like yogurt on a spoon rather than try and drink it. They have figured out they can do it in 6 bites if they are not too light loading up their teaspoon, and they have fun counting down!
Strategy 7: No smoothie, no brekkie!
Yes, that's right, nothing else to eat or drink until the smoothie is done. You might meet resistance at first, but I was surprised at how quickly they adapted. I always try not to be too rushed and sit with them while they eat it, the side benefit being that you are there to keep them on task and get it done quickly!
Wow, I can't believe how long this post got, I had no idea there was so much strategy involved, because it really does only take a few minutes a day, and believe me, the benefits are immeasurable.
Almost all the ingredients are available from our local Nutters. Many could be also be found online, possibly cheaper, but if you have a local health supplement store, that is probably the easiest.
I drive to our nearest city an hour away to go to Costco once a month, and that is when I buy frozen strawberries, WAY cheaper than the local grocery stores.
Strategy 1: Prep the berries
To make it easier on your Magic Bullet or blender, chop strawberries coarsely, doesn't have to be too small. I spent a few bucks at the dollar store and got a bunch of 3 oz (90 mL) containers. Chop a bunch of strawberries and make little individual cups of chopped strawberries. Then, prep another little container a third to half full with blueberries or another berry. Then you can just grab one of each container from the freezer every morning! You could obviously get bigger containers and put the berries together too, I just got those containers super cheap.
Strategy 2: Prep the supplements
Invest in a small mortar and pestle and another 2 bucks at the dollar store to get one of those plastic cases with little containers to hold beads for people who do bead work. These are perfect for holding the powder supplements!
Strategy 3: Stretch the supplements
All the following supplements are "Natural Factors" brand. Grind up a vitamin B6 tablet and split half the powder between two little bead containers. Do the same with a GABA tablet, and Mental Calmness tablet, and split half to each container. Last, add your Children's Multi Probiotic and a 1/4 tsp of stevia powder to each container.
Strategy 4: Keep everything together
Last dollar store purchase, I promise! Get a plastic bin from the dollar store for another buck or two, and put ALL the smoothie ingredients in it. Then, rather than having to search for several things in your fridge, you just pull out your bin!
Strategy 5: Daily assembly
Grab your berries from the freezer, and the bin from your fridge. Throw the berries and supplements in your Magic Bullet, add a drizzle of vitamin E, a tsp of Nutrasea oil, a Tbsp of calcium, a few drops of GSE, and 2 Tbsp of OJ and grind!
Strategy 6: Serve in a little bowl like yogurt
Ha ha, yes, you guessed it, little dollar store fruit nappie bowls! My kids are 7 and 9 and we have been doing smoothies for a year now. ONE smoothie split between them is their daily dose. I have found it very successful to have them eat it like yogurt on a spoon rather than try and drink it. They have figured out they can do it in 6 bites if they are not too light loading up their teaspoon, and they have fun counting down!
Strategy 7: No smoothie, no brekkie!
Yes, that's right, nothing else to eat or drink until the smoothie is done. You might meet resistance at first, but I was surprised at how quickly they adapted. I always try not to be too rushed and sit with them while they eat it, the side benefit being that you are there to keep them on task and get it done quickly!
Wow, I can't believe how long this post got, I had no idea there was so much strategy involved, because it really does only take a few minutes a day, and believe me, the benefits are immeasurable.
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