I thought, "Ok, I might as well try it." So I got my lazy butt in gear, went and bought a watermelon, pureed the dang thing up, and the results? Shockingly effective. It really did "cool" my bladder (making the pain go away). I became a believer. It was true - raw fruits and vegetables blended, juiced or whatever, really can be seriously strong medicine.
Since the watermelon, I've tried a slew of other smoothie recipes. I usually keep it simple: Milk or yogurt, a few ice cubes, flax seed, protein powder and whatever fruit I have on hand. Nutritious basic smoothies. But there are other smoothie recipes that can help with specific wheelchair-user ailments. And they really work.
Here are my favorites so far. Each one is a recipe for an ailment anyone with limited mobility might experience. You know, taking a pill or the hard way isn't always the answer. All our bodies want at the end of the day is food. Always start with food first, and see where your body leads you.
'Keep your skin in shape' smoothie
Having a healthy amount of collagen in your skin is critical when you're sitting down all day, and raw fruits and veggies are loaded with water, fiber, vitamins, antioxidants and minerals�.all the goodies necessary for skin functions. This Strawberry Kale smoothie is a great way to get your body to produce collagen (since you can't get it directly from food). It's great because it contains spinach, or whatever dark leafy green you like, and two more palatable fruits (turns out, eating 10 mg of dark leafy vegetables a day can get your body to produce all the collagen it needs). Here's the recipe:
Strawberry Kale smoothie
- 1 cup of strawberries (frozen)
- � of banana
- 3oz of spinach (or dark vegetable of choice)
- 3oz of milk
Blend on high until all ingredients are mixed well.
'Heal that wound' smoothie
If you have a pressure sore, you need to eat 3x the amount of protein you would eat otherwise. And while meat and eggs are good sources of protein, protein powder will take you to that next level of healing, and adding a spoonful of whey protein to your smoothies is the way to do it. You will notice a difference (a bag of whey protein costs anywhere between $12 to $18 dollars; Walmart is the cheapest). There are also specific fruits and vegetables that help with wound healing. Zinc, potassium and vitamin C help heal wounds by helping maintain a healthy immune system. By drinking smoothies with these fruits, along with protein powder, you'll be healed up before you know it. Here's one to try:
Pumpkin Banana smoothie
- 2 servings of protein powder
- 1 cup of almond milk or regular milk (dairy helps heal wounds, especially almonds)
- 1/4 cup of canned pumpkin (for vitamin C)
- 1/2 medium banana (potassium)
- Dash of pumpkin pie spice
Blend well until mixed. Adding nut butter is also good (for more protein).
'Bladder health' smoothie
Urinary tract infections are one of the most common things wheelchair-users have to deal with, but the good news - a smoothie full of berries (and yes, the tart cranberry) can help. They've discovered berries contain flavonols, which prevent E. Coli from adhering to the bladder wall (and we all know blueberries and cranberries help prevent UTIs). Also, if you�ve got a latex allergy, this one�s free of bananas. Try this one:
Blueberry Cranberry smoothie
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 1/4 cup frozen whole cranberries
- 1/2 cup vanilla low-sugar yogurt
- 1/2 cup all-natural cranberry juice (made yourself or from a co-op)
Don't forget to blend until smooth!
And remember, they may seem daunting, but smoothies are worth the work. Don't let the prep involved keep you from trying these truly magical drinks (I've taught all of my PCA's how to make them now). Sure, it takes more time and effort than it does to pour a bowl of cereal, but once you get a freshly made smoothie into your system and you see the results, you won't look back.
Do you have a smoothie or other natural remedy that helps your ailments? We want to hear about them! Want more info about VPG? Visit www.vpgautos.com.