A Little Milk Could Go A Long Way For Your Heart

(NAPSI)-As little as one glass of low-fat or fat-free milk could help protect your heart, according to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition-and other research suggests it could be good for your kidneys.

Researchers found that adults who had at least one serving of low-fat milk or milk products each day had 37 percent lower odds of poor kidney function linked to heart disease compared to those who drank little or no low-fat milk.

The National Kidney Foundation estimates that kidney disease affects about 26 million Americans -and kidney disease is both a cause and a consequence of cardiovascular disease, the No. 1 killer of Americans.

Milk provides nine essential nutrients, including calcium, vitamin A, vitamin D, protein and potassium. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend drinking three glasses of low-fat or fat-free milk each day.

Frozen Chocolate-Covered Cherry Smoothie

Yield: 6 servings

4 cups fat-free or low-fat milk

2 cups pitted and halved sweet cherries

4 Tbsp chocolate syrup

2 tsp almond extract

Place 2 cups of fat-free milk in a zip-sealing plastic bag. Place cherries in another zip-sealing plastic bag; drizzle cherries with chocolate syrup and mix well. Place both sealed bags in the freezer; freeze until lightly frozen. When you are ready to prepare the smoothies, remove bags from the freezer, checking to make sure they are lightly frozen. Place frozen milk and cherries in blender. Pour remaining 2 cups of milk into blender; add almond extract. Blend until mixture is at smoothie consistency. If desired, blend smoothies in 2 batches. Serve immediately.

Dark Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Smoothie

Yield: 2 servings

3 cups fresh whole strawberries, sliced (2 cups sliced)

1 cup fat-free milk

1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt

2 tsp honey (optional)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

In a single layer on a plate, freeze the sliced strawberries for at least 1 hour (or overnight). Add the frozen strawberry, milk, yogurt and, if using, the honey and vanilla to a blender container. Cover and purée until smooth. Pour into 2 tall chilled glasses. Sprinkle the top of each smoothie with the cocoa powder.

Recipe by Jackie Newgent, RD, award-winning author of "The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook."