BRAZILIAN ACAI BERRY SMOOTHIE

Most of us know that smoothies can add a great benefit to the average person's diet, which often sadly consists of too little fruit and vegetables. The typical American diet robs us of many vital nutrients and minerals needed to maintain health. Moreover, if we combine a combination of healthy foods into one Smoothie, we are taking in all of the good found in the individual ingredients.

Smoothies are not only low in calories, but also superior in antioxidants. They are a personal favorite of mine, as smoothies can be made to not only taste good, but also be a great source of antioxidants. Antioxidants build up our natural immunity to diseases, which is especially important for those of us who have concerns with heart disease and cancer.

This recipe combines three fruits that are high in antioxidants, the acai berry, the pomegranate, and blueberries. Today, there is a lot of press surrounding the benefits of all three fruits, although two of them not commonly in popular in most U.S. households. Each of them have different, but complimentary health benefits.

The lesser known of these fruits is the acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) berry, which has been used for many generations by the natives of Brazil. It possesses ten times the antioxidant benefits of grapes, and twice that of blueberries. Currently, there are a lot of juice products using the acai berry. These can greatly vary in price, so its important to determine which product fits your budget. Because of its many great benefits, advertising about the benefits this one fruit, can sometimes cross the line of common sense. However, don't be deceived, it's still a great addition to a healthy diet, even if it doesn't cure every medical condition known to humankind.

The second fruit in this recipe is more commonly known here, but generally doesn't rank on the top of the list, when we think of fruit. The pomegranate is a thick red fruit about the size of an orange, native to the Middle East, but was widely planted in the U.S. and South America since the days of the early Spanish explorers. It has a sweet-tart flavor and is an excellent source of vitamin C, folic acid and other free radical fighting antioxidants.

The third fruit in this smoothie is of course, the ever-popular blueberry, a fruit that we are all familiar with, as it is native to North America. It's widely known that blueberries can do amazing things for our health, some of which are: Combating aging, reducing cholesterol, and as an aid to averting and combating cancer.

This recipe contains the natural marriage of all three of these fruits that are all rich in antioxidants. It combines the smooth berry flavor of the acai with the natural tartness of pomegranates, adding an extra punch of antioxidants with the sweetness of the blueberries. It also makes a great breakfast on the go for busy families.

BRAZILIAN ACAI BERRY SMOOTHIE

2 cups fresh or slightly thawed frozen blueberries
1 container (8 ounces) low-fat vanilla yogurt
1 cup milk
6 ounces - Bom Dia Acai Berry Juice with Pomegranate (Bolthouse Du Brazil)
3 tablespoons honey
1 cups ice cubes (about 16 cubes)

In a blender container, place blueberries, yogurt, milk, Acai berry juice and honey; and blend until smooth. Add ice cubes a few at a time, blend until finely crushed. Serve immediately.

For added sparkle when serving to guests on special occasions - Sugar dip the rim of the glasses by wetting the rim with water and then dipping the glass in decorative sugar of your choice.

Learn more about this author, Jerilee Wei.
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