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- WHY A SMOOTHIE?
- WHY THESE INGREDIENTS?
- THE RECIPE!
My first smoothie? I loved the Orange Julius in the U.S. – orange juice and egg whites; then there was Jamba Juice – still going strong today – and now with the Vitamix, everyone’s making smoothies. Okay to be exact, these earlier beverages weren’t smoothies, they were juices, with all of the fiber removed. And to give credit to my mother, my first such drink was her homemade blend of coffee, milk, sugar, and raw egg. Prior to school she would mix it all together in the blender and give it to us, sometimes as we were running for the school bus! I thought this sweet iced coffee was delicious.
These days, smoothies are used for added nutrition, health, and convenience. So what’s changed, aside from keeping the whole food and all of the fiber?
Nothing has changed…except for some of the Ingredients…
We know a lot more about nutrition than when I was growing up. We know about antioxidants and micronutrients, and keeping blood sugar low. These are all crucial elements for optimal health. Read on for the BEST ingredients for beautiful skin and a healthy body.
The Ingredients:
- UNSWEETENED PLANT MILK – If you’re a cow’s milk drinker, that’s fine also. My preference is soy milk (and if you’re biased against soy, please read my article Why Don’t People Like Soy?) Whichever milk you prefer, it is a good base; gives much more flavor than water and adds protein.
- SPICES – Spices are important for many reasons: CINNAMON adds flavor and lowers blood sugar. TURMERIC fights inflammation, and may prevent alzheimer’s. (Choose organic.) BLACK PEPPER – activates the turmeric, making it more bio-available. It also adds a subtle peppery flavor. When these spices are combined, you won’t necessarily taste them but together they up the yumminess of the drink for sure.
- RAW UNSWEETENED CACAO: This is a delicious addition and healthful too. It contains Bioflavonoids which are powerful antioxidants. Cacao also dilates blood vessels, keeping them supple, which improves blood circulation to the skin and the rest of the body.
- RAW SPINACH – Spinach contains vitamin A to help grow tissue, fiber to slow the release of sugar into the bloodstream, iron for healthy blood cells, antioxidants like vitamin E to prevent DNA damage, vitamin C to build collagen, and all of these add up to a potent addition to your smoothie.
- RAW BROCCOLI – Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable, containing much of the above nutrients of Spinach. It also contains sulforaphane – a powerful sulfur-containing antioxidant. The sulfur in sulforaphane increases circulation to the skin, and science is now showing that it may also prevent cancer.
- RAW PARSLEY – a good source of protein (yep), B vitamins, vitamin E, Phosphorus and Zinc, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamins A, C, K, and Folate, plus Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese. In addition it contains Sulfur which brings circulation to the skin. It also increases the amino acid Glutathione, which is a potent antioxidant and liver cleanser.
- FROZEN BANANA – adds creamy deliciousness! It’s also a good source of potassium which will balance the sodium in your blood to reduce puffiness.
- FROZEN STRAWBERRIES – strawberries have lots of Vitamin C, fiber, and Fisetin – which is a senolytic compound that prevents aging by clearing dead cells.
- FROZEN MANGO (OR PINEAPPLE) Mango has lots of vitamin A for beautiful skin. It also adds sweetness.
Prior to school she would mix it all together in the blender and give it to us, sometimes as we were running for the school bus! I thought this sweet iced coffee was delicious.
The Recipe:
Important things to Remember in order to make the best-tasting smoothie:
ADD THE FROZEN FRUIT AT THE END
A smoothie needs to be cold to be its best, and when you’re blending ingredients finely, the motor heats up the drink. If you wait until the end to add the fruit, you will have a frothy cold shake.
GET A GOOD BLENDER
The blender needs to be able to liquify all of the ingredients well. With a vegetable like broccoli, it takes a good minute to completely dissolve all of the flesh of the plant. You don’t need to taste the broccoli in your smoothie! I recommend the Vitamix, but there are others so shop around.
FEEL FREE TO EXPERIMENT!
I love this recipe as is, but your taste might be different from mine so add more cacao or less milk or throw in some blueberries. I swear by these ingredients and I think the magic is in the spices and the cacao. Apart from that, greens and frozen fruit are the crucial elements.
The Directions:
(Directions for one person. Just keep multiplying for more!)
- Add 8 oz milk to blender
- Add spices: good tsp of turmeric, 1/2 tsp of black pepper, and tsp of cinnamon
- Blend spices well
- Add a rounded tablespoon of raw cacao powder (the best I’ve found is Navitus.)
- Blend well
- Add a small handful broccoli crowns and let pulverize until you see only very small particles of the plant remaining. Then add the same amount of spinach and parsley and do the same.
- Lastly, add your fruit and grind well, on high power. Your smoothie should be refreshingly cold and delicious.
For more on broccoli for good skin, see this post!
What are your favorite smoothie ingredients?
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