Micronutrient Smoothie
Bailey’s Notes & Ingredients:
Plants have hormetic compounds (polyphenols) that are biological stressors to our body that activate a variety of beneficial stress pathways to help the body deal with stress better. Similar to exercise where you break down the body so it can build back stronger. Slightly toxic to us but activates a variety of genetic pathways like detoxification enzymes, anti-inflammatory genes, antioxidant genes, & inactivation of pro-inflammatory genes
Plants provide a variety of micronutrients that are required in order to run metabolic processes in the body.
For this smoothie use a high powered food processor or a Vitamix, NOT a juicer because of fiber. A juicer removes the fiber. Average American only gets 10-15g a day. Our ancestors & present day hunter gatherers in Tanzania get 10x that amount, about 100-150g per day. Eating a diverse array of fruits & veggies improves gut health by feeding beneficial gut bacteria & other microbial species along with facilitating food & waste through the gut.
Kale:
- High in lutein, great for cognition (studies show improvements in learning & memory scores) (Journal of Nutrition)
- High in folate. Folate is needed to make DNA & a low folate diet leads to premature aging because it causes a break in your DNA strands. (PNAS Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
- Anti-cancer properties (International Journal of Cancer)
- Reduces inflammation.
- Helps in production of glutathione (master antioxidant)
- Improves visual performance & filters out blue light from the sun.
Ginger:
- Burns fat through 2 pathways. Ginger increases adrenaline (mobilizing fat to be burned up) & by deactivating fat burning genes. (Journal of Food Biochemistry) (Nutritional Neuroscience)
Avocado:
- High in potassium (1,000mg) compared to bananas (420mg)
- Potassium is important for not getting kidney stones & maintaining proper blood pressure.
- Turns on fat burning genes & uncoupling proteins, turning our fat cells from white fat to brown fat that is more metabolically active & burns body fat by dissipating it as heat. (Penn State Clinical & Translational Science Institute & Progress in Lipid Research)
- Great fiber to net carb ratio (10g of fiber to 2-3g carbs)
- Good for the eyes because it supports the macula (filter of the eye.) Macula is our built in blue light glasses.
Apples:
- Ursolic acid in apples demonstrate increases in muscle mass & strength. (Journal of Biological Chemistry)
- Prevents gut bacteria from turning carcinogenic. (Integration of Cancer Therapeutics)
Rainbow Chard:
- Source of Vitamin K (prevents blood clotting, calcification of arteries & ensures calcium gets to bones.) (Journal of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics)
Carrots:
- Good source of Vitamin A (supporting healthy vision & immune system function.) (Journal of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics)
Red Beets:
- Great vasodilator & nitric oxide booster so you’re getting more blood flow to brain & muscles. Takes less energy for the same energy output. (Antler Farms)
Celery & Parsley:
- Decreases inflammation.
- Slows cognitive decline.
- Forms new brain neurons (BDNF & Nerve Growth Factor) (Advances in Regenerative Biology)
- Kills cancer cells. (Molecular Cancer Therapeutics)
Blueberries:
- Lowers triglycerides.
- Lowers blood glucose levels.
- Improves cognitive function. (Journal of Agriculture & Food Chemistry)
- Great Nootropic (similar to caffeine, enhancing what you already have by stacking avenues to get more out of existing energy.)
- Prevent cognitive & behavioral deficits in Alzheimer’s disease. (Nutritional Neuroscience)
- Powerful antioxidant & anti-inflammatory.
- Aids in production of stem cells (creates RBC’s & in turn RBC’s carry oxygen.)
Tomatoes:
- Prevent growth of new blood vessels which is how cancer cells metastasize to other tissues.
Spinach:
- High in magnesium & calcium.
- Anticancer properties (DNA damage / mutations.) (PNAS Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
- High in folate (required to make DNA.)
Collagen:
- Great for hair, skin, & nails (gives skin elasticity to help prevent wrinkles.) (Skin Of Pharmacological Research)
- Great for joints, tendons, & ligaments (helps with joint pain because it helps to build cartilage.) (Journal of Agriculture Food Chemistry)
- Helps with digestion because it helps to secrete bile to digest fats.
- Supports & synthesizes DNA & RNA.
- Great vasodilator.
- Great for the liver. Reduces impact of alcohol on your liver. (Alcohol Clinical & Experimental Research)
- Huge impact on hormones, especially females because of its impact on estrogen by taking up free floating estrogen in the body & puts it to use so it doesn’t cause a free radical effect & water retention.
- Supports recovery after an injury or workout, supports regeneration of muscle fibers & production of scar tissue. (Europe PMC)
Grass Fed Whey Protein:
- Grass fed cows are more nutritious than feedlot beef because they’re raised in a pasture so richer in omega 3 fatty acids, CLA, amino acids, & more. In short, the nutritional quality & density is better. Animals raised in confinement (factory farming) go under stress / abuse, pollute the environment, given food with less nutritional value, given hormones, dugs, & antibiotics. Holistically raised cattle pull carbon out of the atmosphere & fertilize the soil. (Chris Kresser, M.S. & Savory Institute)
Whole Fat Dairy:
- Studies consistently show that full fat dairy (highest saturated fat content) is associated with reduced risk of heart disease, reduced risk of diabetes, reduced weight, & other improvements. (European Journal of Clinical Nutrition & Advanced Nutrition)
- With skim milk & other low fat products, the fat is intentionally there to buffer the absorption of sugar & support the digestion process.