Recipe: Banana-Carrot Ital-based drink: basic

RECIPE 1:

Ital-based drink

(I encountered several recipes for what Rastafari people (in Jamaica and elsewhere) call "Ital food". It is ideally a step further than even "vegan", including in its strictest definition only raw, unprocessed, purely natural food items and products, of course without chemicals, but neither any other "processed" aspect, or even condiments. Definitions and personal interpretations differ, however.

Especially, the "condiments" aspect is interpreted differently, as many organic spices are also considered Ital (enough), since they are natural (e.g. cinnamon, kurkuma,thyme, moringa, black pepper, garlic, rosemary, oregano, etcetera).

I prefer those organic spices too, and could find in some organic shops enough organic fruits and vegetables as well, that I liked as well, to be able to make my own Ital-approaching dishes, such as the following drink. They are based on one specific recipe in an academic work on Rastafari Ital cuisine. I placed my own accents, and made variations. Some related to personal taste, others simply to easy availability in a North European city like Amsterdam. I have a working-class background, and am not wealthy, so I will focus on affordable ingredients. Luckily, organic food stores are becoming cheaper and cheaper over time. Later will follow variations.)

Banana-Carrot Ital-based drink: basic

Ingredients (if possible all organic):

-One (yellow) banana, cut in small slices

-One medium-sized carrot, also cut in tiny pieces

-Almond milk (unsweetened)

-Lemon juice

-Rose water

-Coconut oil

-Nutmeg (powder or otherwise)

-Cinnamon (powder or otherwise)

Use a common blender. Try to make sure to have a similar amount of fruits and vegetables, in this cases the banana and carrot. Do the banana slices and carrot pieces in the blender. Add water to just cover them. Sprinkle lemon oil in that water.

Then add one cup of almond milk (as much as the water).

After this, add one teaspoon (or bottle cap) of rosewater.

Then add a bit of nutmeg (at most one teacup), and more (at least two teaspoons) of cinnamon.

Finally add some coconut oil to the mix. To your taste, though I usually add about two or three tea spoons.

Put this all in the blender to blend for long enough. One minute or more of blending time is often required to make a smooth drink, without lumps.

This is a basic, yet tasty Ital-based drink. It is a classic among the Ital drinks. Both bananas and carrots tended to be available for Rastafari communities, also in rural Jamaica.

HEALTH ASPECTS

Carrots:

Carrots are particularly a good source of Vitamin A.

Vitamin A aids specifically growth, vision, immunity, and reproduction.

See for more specifics:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/carrots#nutrition

Bananas:

Bananas are on the other hand a source for especially Vitamins B6 and (to a lesser degree) C, and for potassium.

Vitamin B6 aids especially in brain health, mood regulation (against depression), hemoglobin production (giving oxygen to cells), and helps against nausea, and improves heart health. Further it aids against other specific diseases and symptoms, such as against nausea during pregnancy, vision diseases, and certain types of cancer.

Vitamin C aids in general strongly your immune system, and is essential in many senses.

Potassium especially works on heart health, and can help lower blood pressure.

For specifics:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/bananas#nutrition

Almond milk: is low in calories, yet high in nutrients (including Vitamin D and B12, also found in cow's milk) and Vitamin E (good disease-fighting antioxidant, protecting cells)
It has less proteins than e.g. cow milk, but the protein degree is in this drink somewhat compensated by the bananas (having quite some proteins).

Coconut oil:

Coconut is especially rich in fatty acids, helping to protect your immune system against harmful pathogens (bacteria, virusses etc.).
It also is known as an energy provider.

Cinnamon: is almost a "super food" with strong antioxidant, disease-fighting qualities, even more than also healthy garlic and oregano. It also lowers blood sugar levels.

Nutmeg, has - simply put - many of the same antioxidant and other advantages as cinnamon, only to a lesser degree. It also has anti-inflammatory benefits, and is said to increase libido.
Another difference with cinnamon is that it is not advised to take nutmeg in large doses.

I personally like the taste of cinnamon better than of nutmeg.

Rose water:

Besides also antioxidant advantages, rose water (also called: rose aroma) aids in other aspects, not mentioned here yet: notably anti-inflammatory, and aiding especially with skin afflictions (cuts, scars, burns).

It is also said to help relieve headaches, ease digestion, and even enhance moods (antidepressant properties).

TASTE AND EFFECT

I personally like the taste and effect, this Ital banana-carrot drink ended up having. It is not so sweet as e.g. banana shakes or even milk shakes, but has a pleasant, full - "fresh" - and hearty taste, including a nice - what I dub - "after taste", as a nice sustained feel in my upper body. It is a bit - but not too - heavy.

To make it taste sweeter one can add sugar, though I prefer cinnamon for some sweetening. You might use honey too, though most vegans object to this (for disturbing natural bee balance).
For me, it is sweet enough with two or three tea spoons of cinnamon.

The ingredients as said have mood enhancing/anti-depressant and (slight) energy providing qualities, so all in all there is a stimulant aspect of this drink, that I also experienced..

My experience is that it is also an "appetizer" in the literal sense, and I can recommend it to precede, or combine with, dinners.

The properties of the mentioned ingredients - as well as my personal experience - suggests that it is a good drink to precede active periods (rather than too passive ones).