Super Fruit Mango Peach Tea Smoothie

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I might be a little late to the mango party but I’m so glad I didn’t miss it altogether. These super fruits are so jam packed with nutrients, it’s amazing. The mango was always a bit of a mysterious tropical fruit to me. I discovered it out of curiosity and found it sweetly indescribable. Sort of a mingling of peach, pineapple and honey. I can’t think of a better way to get your mango on than with a super fruit mango peach tea smoothie.

July has been an ultra busy month here at the Jersey Shore. My iced tea production and sales are in high gear so I’ve missed a couple of weekly posts here. If you’re living in the US, I hope you had a great 4th of July with family and friends, and are thoroughly enjoying this beautiful summer weather.

Now, back to mangoes. Did you know they contain over 20 different vitamins and minerals, and have only 100 calories per cup? Mangoes are fat free, sodium free and cholesterol free. What’s not to love?

Historically, the mango is an ancient pleasure of India, first mentioned in Sanskrit literature 4,000 years ago. In the US, mangos in southern Florida only go back a mere 100 years or so but have a rich history.

There are many different varieties of mango but the sweetest mango in the world is said to be the soft Philippine variety known as Manila. I’m pretty sure I bought the Florida variety, Tommy Atkins.

And did you know there is a specific way to cut and eat a mango? I found detailed instructions on mango.org. If you want to learn more about the mango you should visit their website.

First you slice the mango on either side of the center pit and expose the golden-orange flesh.

Most people will take a teaspoon and scoop out the tangy flesh, leaving the skin behind, while taking great care to retrieve all the buttery meat around the fleshy pit.

Mangoes and peaches – perfect together. Smoothies are a great way to get in all your fruit and protein without taking a heavy meal, making them a flawlessly easy summer staple. It doesn’t get much easier than cutting and tossing things into a blender.

And our lovely peaches are native to China with the US producing peaches mainly in Florida, Georgia and California. Although I have to tell you, I bought the most deliciously sweet and juicy peaches right here in New Jersey yesterday that were grown on a farm in South Jersey. There’s nothing tastier than buying local fruit in season.

Medicinal Goodness

Mangoes: One cup of mango is high in vitamin C, Vitamin A, Folate, Fiber, Vitamin B6, and Copper.

Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant supporting cognitive neurologic function, collagen formation, increased iron absorption from food, supports immune function important for wound healing and keeps gums and teeth healthy. If you have severely bleeding gums all the time you may be deficient in Vitamin C. Scurvy is a result of Vitamin C deficiency.

Vitamin A is critical for vision and important for immune function, reproductive health, healthy skin and bone growth.

Folate consumption before and during pregnancy may help reduce a woman’s risk of having a child with a brain or spinal cord defect known as spina bifida. Folate helps the body make red blood cells and DNA. Folate also supports healthy cardiovascular function.

Fiber makes you feel full faster and therefore may help support weight management. Fiber aids digestion, controls constipation and slows the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream.

Vitamin B6 is involved in immune function, plays a role in cognitive development, helps maintain normal nerve function and helps the body maintain normal blood sugar levels. Vitamin B6 also helps the body make hemoglobin, which carries the oxygen in red blood cells to tissues throughout the body.

Copper helps form red blood cells, supports healthy immune function and helps to maintain bone health.

And that’s just in the mango! There’s more nutritional goodness to come.

Peaches: A large peach has fewer than 70 calories and contains 3 grams of fiber. It’s also a good source of Vitamins A and C.

Banana: They are full of potassium, fiber, and vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 is important for healthy brain function and keeping your immune system strong.

Greek yogurt: Made from fermented milk, it has twice the protein of regular yogurt at 13g, with a nice dose of calcium in each serving. Greek yogurt adds a creamy texture to your smoothie. Yogurt also contains probiotics. These live organisms can help improve your digestive system absorb nutrients and improve immune health.

Probiotics help you maintain a healthy level of friendly (normal flora) bacteria in the gut or the intestines. This keeps you healthy and minimizes the buildup of toxins that could be absorbed into the bloodstream instead of being properly eliminated, wreaking all kinds of havoc on the body.

Almond Nut Butter: One tablespoon of almond nut butter contains 100 calories, 10 grams of fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 4 grams total carbohydrates, 1 gram dietary fiber and 2 grams protein. Almond nut butter also contains calcium, zinc, iron, folate, niacin, phosphorous and magnesium.

Flaxseeds: According to Dr. Patrick Quillin, nutritionist and author of The Wisdom and Healing Power of Whole Foods, flaxseeds are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids that promote eye health and help in preventing dry eye syndrome, macular degeneration and cataracts. They are also high in fiber, iron and protein.

Honey: Raw honey is packed with vitamins and antioxidants. Studies have found honey to contain an antimicrobial peptide called bee defensin-1. The antimicrobial properties of honey have been used to heal wounds. Honey also has a low glycemic index.

The World Health Organization recommends honey as a treatment for coughs and sore throats.

Tea: Tea is high in polyphenols, a potent antioxidant. Antioxidants have proven health benefits to cardiovascular health.

Black tea contains an amino acid called l-theanine, which is unique to tea and has some very interesting effects on the brain. L-theanine increases alpha brain waves inducing a calm and deeply relaxed state. Combined with the caffeine, which is about half the amount found in coffee, the overall effect is a focused calm.

Thanks for reading

I know you want to protect your mind and body and boost your health… and live longer and better for yourself and your loved ones.

These posts are for you, so please let me know if you enjoy the nutritional information included with each post. Oh, and the recipe – let me know if you like it!

And please share this with those loved ones who can benefit, leave a comment and have a wonderful day!

In tea and friendship,

Mary Ann

Super Fruit Mango Peach Tea Smoothie