BLAST OFF WITH A ROCKET AND PINAPPLE SMOOTHIE - GIVE YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM A BLAST ....

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Recently I have done a lot of smoothies on fruit only, with a hint of veg...so today I bought myself some fresh Arugula - Rocket to me and you - Usually used as a basis for summer salads, agurula is not something that is often found in smoothies. However I thought I would give it a go and see what it would taste like - surprisingly it was good. The sweetness of the pinapple and the honey, balanced out the sometimes peppery taste of the Arugula.

Does Arugula have any health benefits - of course! lots . Arugula is a leafy green plant that is packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants,as well as many other minerals like potassium,manganese, iron and calcium, all of which are beneficial and necessary elements in your diet.

Other benefits include:-

• Antioxidant Properties:  What are Antixidant properties - there main role is to create a healthy balance of enzyme reactions with in your bodys' cells, seeking out and destroying the disease causing free radicals that are prone to attacking your system. By eating arugula your will provide your body with  a great source of  antioxidants and can greatly increase a person’s ORAC value (Oxygen  radical absorbance capacity), a measurement of antioxidant  strength. You can aid your immune system by eating this green leaf veg,  because its antioxidants  will reinforce  your defenses  against simple illnesses like the common cold.
• Pre-Natal Health: pregnant ladies will hugely benefit  from adding arugula to their diet.  High in Folates, a  classification which includes folic acid, these leafy greens are a huge benefit to a developing baby. 
•  Strengthens bones:  Loaded with Vitamin K, this vitamin is a key element in bone building along with its high level of calcuim also - meaning that it helps bones form and  strengthen. Sufferers of osteoporosis  can see improvement if used regularily;  arugula can also be used as a preventative step as  well, ensuring bone health and strength before the age/activity-based  effects of bone degeneration become serious. Eating Agurula from young age can be a good 'insurance policy' for the future; the green leaves oxalate allowing good minerals from the leaves to enter into your body making it a strong support system for healthy strong bones.
• Brain Food: Old age brings deterioration of neural pathways, like that found in  conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. With Arugula high in Vitamin K this can be slowed down . As such a good source for Vitamin K,  the consumption of arugula has been cited as a small, yet worthwhile,  preventative method of diseases of that type. 
• A Great Detox: Detoxification the process by which our body flushes out the toxins.  Vitamin A and Vitamin C are high in Arugula  and these two vitamin are the 'detox-twins' that are considered the best anti-oxidants in, they scavenge on the free radicals, clean the layers of skin and strengthen your immune system. Detoxification makes you sturdy and resistant to common infections and diseases owing to an improved immune function. .  

A few words of Caution

Can Arugula be harmful to you? Most of the leafy vegetables like Arugula are rich in Oxalic acid.  This acid has been conclusively associated with the formation of Kidney stones. So, though by controlling calcium release in the blood Arugula favors  the Kidney function; but people who suffer from Kidney stones actually  elevate their risk of developing them significantly with regular  consumption of Arugula. To such people, a simple advice is that do not eliminate it entirely from your diet but eat it sparingly. We mentioned that Arugula has a strong peppery flavor in the earlier  sections of this article. Well, the compounds responsible for this  distinct flavor can cause mild irritation in the throat. Some people may also experience tongue swelling, stomach cramping, and diarrhea by over eating Arugula in raw form. (source Fitness World).

                                                              

Rocket Blast

1 Cup of Pinapple 

Handfull of Arugula ( Rocket) - baby leaf better - larger leaf can be a bit more peppery!

1 advocado - makes it creamy

2 tablespoons of honey - organic if possible

1/4 grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg

Coconut Water or Almond Milk 

Chia seeds or Flax seeds 

                                                           

To Make

Place all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth

Pour into glasses and ENJOY:)

                                                                       

IF YOU ENJOYED MY POST AND YOU ARE SIMILAR MINDED ON SMOOTHIES, JUICES AND HEALTHY FOOD/LIVING- THEN PLEASE FEEL FREE TO FOLLOW ME; NEW FRIENDS ALWAYS WELCOMED AND COMMENTS APPRECIATED.

HAPPY SMOOTHIE-ING:)