Blending or juicing fruit and vegetables has become incredibly popular for people hoping to improve their health, not without good reason. When attempting to consume a diet that is based in plant-foods, drinks made of these things can serve as an appropriate quick fix.
While consulting with women who have had a diagnosis of breast cancer, I’ve likely heard every concern and assumption regarding the juice/smoothie fad. Many women ask if this is something they should or need to do. Others come to me after already purchasing a high quality juicer or blender and starting a diet regimen on their own. From these conversations I’ve accumulated a few tips or guidelines to steer women in the right direction:
- Follow Your Personal Preferences. Drinking juice or smoothies is not something that a person needs to do to achieve his or her optimal health. The decision of whether or not to do so should be based on individual needs and tastes.
- Maintain a Consistently Healthy Diet. Vegetable and fruit drinks should be thought of as a way to supplement an already healthy diet. When following or followed by periods of unhealthy or overeating, short term juice “cleanses” or fasts can contribute to a binge/purge pattern. This type of eating pattern does not encourage a good relationship with food or body image nor does it do much for overall health. Consistent eating or lifestyle patterns are the ones that confer the greatest rewards.
- Curb the Fruit Content. The healthiest types of smoothies are made from the healthiest types of plant-based foods. If smoothies are to be used as a true “health food,” they should be based in non-starchy vegetables and contain only limited amounts of fruit. (Fruit is ALWAYS a healthy food, but because of its sugar content, it’s best consumed in its whole form, when the process of digesting a solid helps to steady blood sugar levels. The more liquefied a fruit is, the greater impact it will have on blood sugar. ) The best smoothies can also incorporate plant-based fats for additional benefits.
- Slash the Sugar. Whenever someone tells me they drink juice or smoothies for health, I immediately ask what they’re made of. Often, people are consuming far more sugar than they realize. I tend to think that less than 10 grams of sugar is appropriate for a juice or smoothie. To give that some perspective, one cup of banana has about 28 grams of sugar, a cup of pineapple has at least 16 grams of sugar, and a cup of mango has about 24 grams of sugar. Many people combine multiple types of fruit into one drink for sugar estimates of 50-60 grams! Conversely, a smoothie that contains mostly leafy green vegetables and a bit of a lower sugar fruit such as strawberries or raspberries will have about 6 grams of sugar.
- Pick Pasteurized. Lastly, if receiving chemotherapy or other immunosuppressing treatment, avoid homemade or commercial unpasteurized juice. Surprisingly, juicers can be very difficult to clean appropriately, and residue build-up can create the perfect environment for bacteria to thrive. I advise using a blender instead of a juicer for people with weakened immune systems because they can be run through a dishwasher and generally have less of a potential to create food-borne illness.
The smoothie recipe below contains a powerful blend of phytochemicals with various health-promoting effects. Flax contains lignans, which are a rich source of antioxidants and have fiber-related properties and may have heightened benefits for breast cancer survivors. Strawberries, while containing very little sugar compared to other fruit, contain anthocyanins to provide anti-inflammatory effects. The cruciferous vegetable family, which both kale and arugula are a part of, contain a host of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals with antioxidant and cancer preventing traits. Curcumin, the active component in turmeric, is a strong anti-inflammatory agent, and high intakes have been linked with lower rates of breast cancer.
While I find this combination to taste quite good, you should use this recipe as a guideline for creating your own recipes. Substitute the arugula and kale for spinach or swiss chard, experiment with other types of plant-based fats such as avocado or cashews, and play around with your favorite fruit and spice flavors.
Green Smoothie Recipe
In a blender, combine about 3 cups of kale, 1 cup of arugula, 3 tablespoons of ground flax seeds, 1 cup of strawberries, the juice from ¼ lemon, about an inch of peeled, fresh ginger root, and a similar quantity of fresh turmeric root. Add about 2 cups of water and, on top of all other ingredients, add ice to your preference. Blend until well combined, and drink up!
**I often freeze fruit and vegetables to use in smoothies. This eliminates the need for ice, and is a great way to preserve produce.
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Alexandra Rothwell, RD, CSO, CDN, is a registered dietitian and specialist in oncology nutrition. She has worked within the Tisch Cancer Institute for the past 3 years, now focusing on breast cancer nutrition for the Dubin Breast Center. Alexandra provides individual counseling in the areas of wellness, weight management and symptom/side effect management, in addition to creating patient education programs in this realm.