“Jack up the raw” over the holidays…without giving up your favorite food or parties!

Make plans NOW to launch 2010 feeling great, not overweight, low-energy, or depressed. Use Angela’s easy-diet 6-week program to make it happen!

If only kids drank this instead of milk. Or teenagers instead of Red Bull! 

The “engine” of this drink are the polysaccharides in the fresh Aloe Vera Gel — they give a great long-lasting fuel, with the sweetness in the bananas giving a quick energy lift. The flavor is light, the texture is creamy without being cloying, and it makes for a pretty drink… as all smoothies are, I find, when I’ve added fresh aloe.

p

A Mild-Tasting Drink For Long-Lasting Days

This is a great drink to make when you have a long day ahead of you with nary a prospect for slowing down, or if you’ve got an athletic event planned (hellooo ballroom dancers!). You can pour it out over ice in a wide-mouth water bottle and take with you for a quick energy lift when you need it!

Those polysaccharides are great for keeping one’s joints, connective tissues and inner organs “juicified” and healthy, so again… great for athletes. And for athlete wannabees.

p

A Few Words on Fresh Aloe Vera Gel

Aloe vera is a superfood given to us by the Egyptians and worth finding ways to add into your diet at every possible occasion, which is why I regularly post smoothie recipes with aloe as a base. I find I can pick up a large aloe leaf at my local grocery store for just 99 cents, so I usually keep a few on hand at any given time.

Aloe also has a neutral taste that pairs well with raw smoothies, although if you juice the whole leaf, it’s famous for being bitter. But in my smoothies, I cut open the leaf and just scoop (or rather, slice) out the goopy gel in long sheets, making sure to keep the green out of the blender.

There’s something enjoyable about getting that gel out. Takes me back to childhood in a very nice way. 

[private]
p

Recipe for: Vanilla-Banana Smoothie with Fresh Aloe Vera Gel

(A Great Energy Drink!)

• 3 large bananas or 4 small ones
• the inner gel from one whole aloe vera leaf (cut edges off, slice open, and scoop or slice the gel out with a knife, which works better than a spoon)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract
• 2 heaping cups ice
• 2 cups spring water
• dash quality natural salt

Add all ingredients to the blender, give a good whirl, pour out, and enjoy! [/private]