By Karimah bint Dawoud, Muslim Chaplain and Well Being Writer.
I noticed by my Radical Middle Way, Ramadhan Smoothie video on YouTube was another fruit smoothie from Moroccan chef, Alia. It looked lovely however after watching the video I was horrified at the copious amounts of white sugar in the recipe.
So I decided to give it a 21st century Karimah nutrition make over.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 4-8 if watered down, its really thick
7 carrots
3 peaches
10 dried apricots
1/4 cup of gogi berries
3 tablespoons of orange blossom water
METHOD
Soak the apricots and gogi berries in 500ml if filtered/bottled water for at least 1 hour.
Apricots are high in vitamin A, good for skin, eyes, bones and they also contain a significant amount of tryptophan, which is good for your appetite, helps you sleep better and elevates your mood. They also contain high beta carotene and high fibre good food for your heart.Apricots stones are mentioned in Islamic medicine to purify salt water
Now gogi berries are a new one for most people. These cute little dried fruits can be bought in some supermarkets like Waitrose or health shops. They have been used in Asian and Indian for hundreds if not thousands of years, they are a super food; they give you energy, improve your sex drive, increase optimism, improve your sleep. They are good for patients having chemo therapy as they help prevent liver damage. A Japanese study has shown that tumour growth was inhibited by 58% in a controlled group, definitely worth more research. Gogi berries have shown to the best anti –oxidant so far discovered in the world, I definitely need to eat more of them.
Juice the carrots or boil them, according to The Carrot Museum it makes very little difference, carrots contain large amounts of vitamin A which is great for the skin, mucous membranes , bones and eyesight. They also contain alpha and beta carotene which is good for inhibiting the growth of tumours. They also contain phytochemicals, which are natural bioactive compounds found in plant foods that work with nutrients and natural fibre in food to protect against illness and are anti-aging.
Add soaked apricots, gogi berries and their water to blender, carrot juice or boiled carrots, chopped peaches and orange blossom water.
Peaches are also high in fibre, vitamins A and C, they also contain potassium which is good for lowering high blood pressure, they are relatively low in calories and filling so good for weight loss, and one peach has only 70 calories. They are also fantastic anti-oxidant, and contain chlorogenic acid which combats the free radical found in pollutants, fried foods and the environment,
Orange blossom water is calming, eases stress and anxiety and is uplifting.
this smoothie is really delicious the sweetness form the dried gogi berries and apricot combined with orange flower water.It really doesn’t needed added sugar as it’s sweet enough already.White sugar has shown to be scientifically one of the worst things for ageing your skin and adding to the silent epidemic that is diabetes, common in North African people.
“That is so because Allah will never change a grace which He has bestowed on a people until they change what is in their ownselves.” (Al-Antal, 8:53)
And He, the Almighty says,”Allah will not change the good condition of a people as long as they do not change their state of goodness themselves ” (Ar-Ra’d, 13:11)
Karimah's Cuisina Quranic Cooking 