Making Goulash Smoothies
Some mornings I make Goulash Smoothies. You may say there is no such thing as Goulash Smoothies or you may ask what does that have to do with VITAL Blend soil amendments. Please continue reading and I will clarify how goulash smoothies are connected to our soil amendment.
Goulash is “Gooud”
Goulash is the national dish of Hungary. Its soupy thickness comes from using the tough stringy meat that is rich in collagen which is converted into gelatin during the cooking process.1 The part that I like best about Goulash is once you’ve made the “base” consisting of meat, tomatoes, onions and broth; then you can throw pretty much whatever you have in your kitchen into it!
Throwing together a Smoothie
Although I have several books with smoothie recipes, I don’t always have all the ingredients necessary to make a particular smoothie. Are you starting to see where I am going with this “goulash” thing? In the mornings when I start making a smoothie, I have a few items I always include and then I pull whatever is still fresh in my refrigerator out and add it to the mix. It is the unfettered ability to add a variety of ingredients into making a smoothie that makes me call it – “Goulash Smoothies.”
Probiotics in a Smoothie
The ingredients that I always include in my smoothies contain live and active probiotic cultures. I am intentionally adding gut bacteria to my diet to help maintain my digestive health. There is a lot of information on the web describing the many health benefits associated with keeping your gut flora in balance. Some well-documented benefits are improved digestion, improved immune system functioning and increased energy levels. There are several ways to add probiotics to your diet; fermented foods (e.g., yogurt, sauerkraut) and probiotic capsules or powders.2
Electron micrograph of bacteria. David Gregory and Debbie Marshall, all rights reserved by Wellcome Image
Soils need Probiotics too
Just as we have evolved to depend on our intestinal microflora for certain essential metabolic functions, so have plants evolved to depend on the living components in the soil. The area where most of the microbiology in the soil is found is called the rhizosphere. The greatest density of the microbial population is adjacent to plant roots where there is a lot of plant-microbe activity. The roots excrete sugars, chemicals, and other metabolites (exudate) that influence the microbial diversity of the rhizosphere. The root-derived exudate provides nutrients to support beneficial microbes and other chemicals to defend against pathogenic organisms.3 When the balance of soil microorganisms is disrupted, the plant health will suffer because of nutrient deficiencies and increased pest/disease stresses.
Our VITAL Blend soil amendments promote healthy soil microbe communities. They are a combination of activated BioChar and freshwater-sourced Humate. The BioChar creates a “soil reef” that provides pore space for food, water, air and protection for the soil microbes. The Humate helps microbes easily absorb available nutrients in the soil.4 VITAL Blend helps maintain a healthy balance within the soil microflora, just like adding probiotics to my smoothies helps keep my gut bacteria in balance.
For healthier soil and healthier plants – start with our VITAL Blend soil amendments because the Beauty above comes from the Science Below. Please call or email us for more information today.
Go to Gut-Friendly Blueberry Probiotic Smoothie for a good smoothie recipe.
Want to learn more about VITAL Blend soil amendments, go to www.ambiochar.com
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