Strawberry and kiwi smoothie with kefir

All the vitamin C you need in a glass full of freshness! Plus some probiotic goodness.

Flu season is finally behind us – thankfully! – but that doesn’t mean that we must neglect our vitamin C intake. And fortunately we have the “star”-fruit of the season on our side!

Strawberries! Fresh, in-season strawberries are so colorful, sweet and juicy. And even if you’re not a big fan, I bet you’ll love them as an ingredient in a fruit smoothie!

This one is literally loaded with Vitamin C! Contrary to what many people believe, oranges are not the main and most common source of vitamin C in our nutrition. There are many fruits and vegetables which are also rich in this important for our body vitamin. But before we talk about them, let’s remember a few things about vitamin C.

Its role is not just to reinforce our immune system and protect us from infections, thus keeping us healthy. It is also important for growth and repair of bones, skin, teeth and other tissue. It increases our body’s absorption of iron from plant-based foods. And it also protects our cells from damage which can be so vital in the prevention of many chronic diseases.

Unfortunately, our bodies don’t store Vitamin C. Since it is a water-soluble substance, the body will get what it needs and the rest will be discarded through our urine. That’s why we need daily doses of vitamin C. And if you smoke, you need even more because nicotine diminishes the effectiveness of the vitamin, according to health experts.

So, which foods can provide us with all the amount we need? It may come as a surprise but oranges are not on the top of the list. The highest content is attributed to the tropical fruit guava and red peppers are the vegetables richest in vitamin C. Other vegetable choices that can boost your daily intake are broccoli and red cabbage, whereas on your fruit platter, you can add oranges, papaya, pineapple, strawberries and kiwi.

Yes, kiwi! Another fruit with great health benefits that we’ll put into our smoothie today. For the base of this smoothie I chose to use a different ingredient than usual. Kefir has amazing benefits for our digestive system and I suggest you try it if you haven’t already. I used milk kefir but there are also dairy-free alternatives like almond milk kefir. Choose the one that suits your needs and tastes and let’s make this full-of-health smoothie!

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