Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Anti-Aging Smoothie - Raw Frozen Red Or Purple Grapes With A Shot Of Matcha Green Tea, A Good Combination Of Resveratrol And Catechins


Freeze cleaned, dry grapes in a plastic basket.



Resveratrol and Anti-aging
You may have heard about resveratrol, the compound found in the skins of red grapes and various other sources like berries and peanuts. It has been accredited, by some, for explaining the French Paradox (the ability for the French to eat a rich diet and not suffer high incidences of cardiovascular disease because of the red wine they consume). It also has anti inflammatory, antioxidant and cancer preventive properties. The phenomenon most discussed, however, is how resveratrol has anti-aging benefits by activating sirtuins, a class of longevity genes in the body. Sirtuins can reduce cellular decay and promote cell repair. (I'm so excited about this compound, it is one of the few supplements that I take on a daily basis). Raw red and purple grapes are one of the best sources of resveratrol. Once heated, the amount of resveratrol in grapes drops dramatically.
Grape seeds also have many health benefits due to their antioxidant properties. They are associated with improving blood circulation, lowering blood pressure, improving blood cholesterol levels and preventing hardening of the arteries. So if you have a high speed blender that is capable of grinding seeds, you can make this smoothie with seeded grapes.

Matcha Green Tea
Green tea, with its rich catechins called EGCG (epigalloctechin-3-gallate) also have been associated with anti aging health benefits. I particular like Matcha Green Tea which is a green tea powder, especially when making smoothies. Green tea has a little caffeine so putting it in your morning smoothie certainly helps you wake up and gives you a jolt of energy. I'm pretty sensitive to caffeine and had to give up coffee years ago but I'm very tolerant to the caffeine in green tea. Another benefit of green tea is that it can lower blood sugar.

Frozen Grapes - A Good Weight Loss Tip
Besides putting them in smoothies, frozen grapes make a great little dessert. If you are trying to lose weight and want something sweet, pop some frozen grapes in your mouth. The frozen texture and sweetness of the grapes are very satisfying and may keep you from eating that bowl of Ben and Jerry's!

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Anti Aging Smoothie
[serves 2]
2 cups red or purple grapes, frozen
1 large or 2 small bananas
2 teaspoons powdered matcha green tea
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
2 cups cold water
6 to 8 drops liquid stevia (or other sweetener,optional)

To freeze grapes, rinse and dry well and place in a basket like the one pictured above. You can also place them on a plate or cookie sheet that has some edges to prevent them from rolling off. Once frozen, you can store them in a ziplock bag until needed.
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 183 calories, 1.5 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0.8 g ALA omega 3 and 0.3 g omega 6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 2 g protein, 43.5 g carbohydrates, 31.5 g sugar from fruit, and 4 g fiber.

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5 comments:

  1. A comment to add the frozen grape comment! I just was watching Dr. Oz (not something I normally do), and he referenced a scientific study from the 1950's where kids who suck on Popsicle's are more likely to develop dimples... It was related to the temperature causing the fat in your cheeks to break down and then your skinny cheeks would form dimples?

    So I am sure (depending on how accurate this initial study was) the frozen grapes would also help.. haha. silly yes but maybe?

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  2. How funny. When researching it on the web, I found an article about a new technology called Zeltiq Cryolipolysis. This technology uses a device that freezes small areas of fat which kills the cells leaving the body to clear them away. This is suppose to be an alternative to liposuction. Evidently they got this idea from the observation that you mentioned about kids eating popsicles. As they say, "don't try this at home!"

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  3. Haha yeah, that was why they were referring to this study. They were showing the Zeltiq Cryolipolysis on the show, and a variety of other non-surgical/ less invasive techniques for reducing fat.

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  4. Very motivating post! One of my favorite things to eat is purple grapes. I eat them all the time. Maybe that is what has been keeping me younger:) This anti-aging smoothie looks delicious. I will have to try it out. I don't have any Macha Green Tea Powder, so I will need to go shopping for that if you have any suggestions.

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  5. I buy my green tea from Den's tea. For smoothies and green tea ice cream I use their matcha chiyo-no-shiro. Check it out at http://www.denstea.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=122_340.

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