Solar Power Recipe: Aloe Kale Smoothie

Posted by | December 3, 2016
Beverages, Plant-Oriented Lifestyle, Recipes, Smoothies, Snacks

Blog feature post image

The Healing Power of an Aloe and Kale Mega Combo

I love creating ways to make smoothies into a meal—something balanced with all the right kinds of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, not to mention tons of nutrients and superfoods!

I also love filleting aloe. Not only is it super nutritious, but the leftover skin is nature’s band aid. I love rubbing it on all my Alberta-dry, windblown skin! Almost everyone has aloe in their home, so here is an easy way to use it.

Why You Should Add Aloe Vera to Your Diet (and Not Just Your Skincare Routine)

Fun fact: Aloe vera is able to cure itself when it is torn. All succulents can to some extent, but aloe is king. And it takes that healing technique and does the same thing in our bodies!

When I say aloe vera is the most impressive medicinal herb invented by nature, I don’t make that statement lightly. Of all the herbs I’ve ever studied, aloe vera is a standout. (Turmeric is usually my go-to…actually, let’s face it, I love them all. But back to aloe!) There is nothing on this planet that offers the amazing variety of healing benefits granted by aloe vera. In a single plant, aloe vera offers potent, natural medicine that does the following and more:

  • Halts the growth of cancer tumours
  • Lowers high cholesterol
  • Repairs “sludge blood” and reverses “sticky blood”
  • Boosts the oxygenation of your blood
  • Eases inflammation and soothes arthritis pain
  • Protects the body from oxidative stress
  • Prevents kidney stones and protects the body from oxalates in coffee and tea
  • Alkalizes the body, helping to balance overly acidic dietary habits
  • Helps relieve the effects of ulcers, IBS, Crohn’s disease and other digestive disorders
  • Reduces high blood pressure naturally by treating the cause, not just the symptoms
  • Nourishes the body with minerals, vitamins, enzymes and glyconutrients
  • Accelerates healing from physical burns and radiation burns
  • Replaces dozens of first-aid products, makes bandages and antibacterial sprays obsolete
  • Halts colon cancer, heals the intestines and lubricates the digestive tract
  • Ends constipation
  • Stabilizes blood sugar and reduces triglycerides in diabetics
  • Prevents and treats candida infections
  • Protects the kidneys from disease
  • Functions as nature’s own “sports drink” for electrolyte balance, making common sports drinks obsolete
  • Boosts cardiovascular performance and physical endurance
  • Speeds recovery from injury or physical exertion
  • Hydrates the skin, accelerates skin repair

How to Fillet Aloe Vera to Get it Green-Smoothie Ready

First we need to fillet the aloe. We do that by using a sharp knife and taking off the very edges, all the spiny stuff.

Next, with the same sharp knife we peel off the top skin of the aloe. This takes time and patience but is very easy.

Then, we peel the clear gel like aloe off of the bottom skin. This is my favourite part, it just smells so summery and fresh (even in winter).

Now, we have ooey, gooey aloe gel that we can do so many things with. This is the part that you can put in recipes or skincare creams. You can even freeze it in ice cube trays and save it for later!

So without further ado! Let’s give you the recipe!

Solar Power Health All-Round Aloe-Kale Smoothie

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp freshly ground flax seeds
  • 1 “thumb” of ginger
  • 1 apple
  • 3 stalks of kale
  • 1/4 cup of raw organic walnuts
  • 1/4 cup goji berries
  • 3 filleted aloe leaves
  • filtered water

Method and Notes

Add each item one at a time to a blender. Here are some notes on the why’s and how’s of each ingredient.

1. Grind your flax seeds. Flax seeds add fibre and omega 3’s to your smoothie, but can go rancid very fast once the oils are released—this is why you should always grind them fresh. Don’t worry, it’s easy—you can use a coffee or herb grinder. If you do grind a whole bunch, refrigerate the leftovers and use them within a week. Or you can freeze them and use within a month.

2. If you have a high-speed blender, chop the ginger and put it in like it is. If you have a less-efficient blender, peel the skin off with a spoon and finely chop or grate your ginger. Ginger has a long list of benefits for us. Most prevalent: its digestive abilities, and not just with nausea—it also breaks down rotten foods and moves them along, helping your body avoid malabsorption and getting the most from the nutrients you ingest.

3. Leave the skin on your apple, but slice and remove the seeds. Apples contain pectin—my go-to when my skin starts looking my age, lol. Pectin literally helps you look younger and gives you “that glow.” (An apple a day literally does keep the doctor away.)

4. Now for the kale, which is packed with protein and so many nutrients! Not many prep notes here other than to wash first, especially if you’re using conventionally grown kale (I recommend using organic kale, though). Kale is a superfood for a reason; not many other greens can give you the absorbable and much needed nutrients kale can. Are you low in iron? Need more calcium? Or let’s talk about that Heart Chakra! Bottom line is, kale is important. You can substitute spinach here if you would like; however, overuse of spinach can lead to a build up of oxalic acid, so it is always good to vary the greens you ingest. (I secretly think it was kale that gave Popeye all his strength and not spinach. 😉

5. Goji berries! I can talk about them forever. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, soak them in water for 10 minutes first to plump them up (just make sure you save that water for your smoothie!). Goji berries are one of the biggest sources of beta carotene in existence. However, the reason they are my go-to in so many meals is that they contain sesquiterpenoids that literally kick your body into action and naturally stimulate the Human Growth Hormone! You know, that anti-aging, fat-blasting hormone that keeps our cells rejuvenating and looking—and more importantly feeling—young? This is the only food that does this. And you only need a very little bit in a day: 1/8 a cup or as a water infusion will do. (Or just drink this smoothie every day, lol.)

6. Add your walnuts! Whenever you think of walnuts, think of your heart. Your heart needs them. And then, think of your skin. Walnuts not only protect your skin from sun damage, they also give you a warm glow to help fight the winter pastiness. Walnuts deserve their own page on benefits. I have them here to give us protein and, again, healthy fats. Fats slow down the absorption of sugar in your body, which fights insulin secretion and is just plain good. They also allow our bodies to absorb all the great nutrients we put into them. That is why when you go on a juice fast the experts recommend consuming a tablespoon of coconut oil in the morning—it ensures you aren’t just peeing all those important life giving nutrients out, lol.

7. Finally, add your aloe, then add your water. Everyone is different. I don’t like thick smoothies, so I add quite a bit of water. Start with a cup and blend, then adjust to where you like it.

And now you are done! You’ve made a complete meal that is perfectly balanced and is going to work on your insides as you read this. Highly vibrational, nutrient dense, and delicious.

Bonus

I find this smoothie is already a bit on the sweet side, but if you’re relatively new to smoothie life and prefer something a little sweeter, you could try adding a little raw honey or yacon syrup.

Thank you for allowing me to share with you!

Share and Follow