Healthy & Yummy Kale Smoothies

I have been eating very badly lately and so decided to add some healthy Green Smoothies to my diet. Green smoothies are made with leafy veggies and added fruit to make them taste better. I tried out some Kale recipes and here are two of my favourites.

Kale is a type of cabbage with green or purple leaves. It is very high in beta carotene, Vitamin C and K, rich in Calcium, contains anti-cancer properties, decreases cholesterol and decreases the absorption of fat (read more about it HERE). Basically, its like a SUPER FOOD! But there is a catch. It tastes metallic and can be very hard for the body to digest. If it is your first time having it, you might feel slightly nauseous or bloated afterwards. 

To make these smoothies, start with a few leaves of Kale and then build up to the amount you can tolerate - I put in three leaves. Each of these recipes has ingredients which combat the metallic taste of the Kale, is low in calories and fat, and tastes yummy. Let me know what you think! 

1* Healthy Morning Shake

This is a great shake for breakfast. The Kale provides plenty of protein and antioxidants, the banana has carbs to power you through your morning, and the Hazelnut milk is not only delicious but provides calcium. Kale Drinks taste best fresh so drink immediately after you make them. 

What you Need:

3/4 cup of Hazlenut Milk 

(I used Rice Dream Hazelnut and Almond Milk. If you can find a low fat version, it is even better)

1 Medium Ripe Banana

3 Leaves of fresh Kale- slice off the stems

1 Cup of Ice

1/2 packet of Stevia 

STEP 1: Wash the Kale leaves in water and then blend with 1/4 cup of the milk. It is very hard to blend Kale properly so always make sure to blend it with some liquid. Blend it for about 3-4 minutes.

STEP 2: Pour in the rest of the ingredients and blend well

STEP 3: Taste the mix, add as much Stevia as you like to sweeten it. I found 1/2 an individual packet to be enough. Blend again after adding in the Stevia

STEP 4: Serve Immediately with ice cubes - DELICIOUS! 

2* Kale Mint Lemonade 

I was surprised how much this tasted like lemonade. The apple, lemon and mint completely mask the flavour of the kale. It would be perfect for summer- very refreshing and healthy. 

What you Need:

1 Green or Red Apple

The juice of 1 Lemmon

3 Leaves of fresh Kale- slice off the stems

Few Fresh Mint Leaves

1 Cup of Ice

1 cup of Water

1/2 packet of Stevia if you want it sweeter 

STEP 1: Blend the Kale leaves with the water for about 3 -4 minutes 

STEP 2: Pour in the rest of the ingredients and blend well till the mix is liquified 

STEP 3: Taste the mix, add as much Stevia as you like to sweeten it. I found 1/2 an individual packet to be enough. Blend again after adding in the Stevia

STEP 4: Serve Immediately with Ice Cubes

Do you have any Kale Recipes that you would like to share?

FlyWheel at DIFC!

Today I attended a FLYWHEEL DUBAI event at DIFC. FlyWheel is an indoor cycling studio in Dubai which is franchised from New York. Similar to spinning, they offer classes which will literally make you fly! Instead of simply turning the dial on the indoor bike from easy to very difficult, FlyWheel bikes have a screen which indicates exactly what level you are spinning at. For each track, instructors tell you at which target resistance level and RPM you should be striving for. At the end of each class, there is a group level (called torq) and a score board which ranks all the riders. If that dosen't make you want to push yourself, I don't know what will! 

At the DIFC today, instructors and clients from FLYWHEEL DUBAI had their bikes on the lawn under the Gate and were showing the spectators what the classes are all about. 

They were cycling to INCREDIBLE music 

FlyWheel bikes are different from the average spinning bikes and don't have regular pedals. Before each class, each participant gets his/her size of trainers which connect onto the pedals so you and the bike literally FLY together!

You can MEASURE YOUR RESISTANCE by turning this blue knob and seeing your torq and RPM on the screen. It is a lot more effective than simple turning it up or down and you get a better workout

The instructors also gave demonstrations on a new class called FlyBarre which involves fast paced mat exercises using light weights and a small ball. The idea behind this class is to fatigue each muscle before moving onto the next so you get a full body workout.

It looked like a killer but SO MUCH FUN!! 

Next time I'm in Dubai, I'm definitely going to make time for a class instead of shopping or eating!

To book a class at FLYWHEEL DUBAI, click here