I LOVE me a green smoothie! Even now as I travel across the globe I have a mini hand blender with me just so I don’t have to miss out on green smoothie goodness – THAT is how much I love them/am obsessed with the green stuff.
Now one of the things I love about them is that they are super straight forward and require zero hippy ingredients. A basic smoothie literally just requires spinach or kale, some sort of fruit and some liquid – honestly, that is all you need to get some goodness in your belly!
But I DO love to pimp up my smoothies and make them even more ‘superhuman’ in there healthy giving abilities and that is what I am going to talk about today. BUT just remember these are not, I repeat, are not essential ingredients. So if you’re strapped for cash then you can still enjoy some smoothie goodness and get the benefits without adding any the following. (I remember living off of £10 a week for food and freaking out after everyone telling me how awesome bee pollen was but it cost the same as my entire food budget!)
Green smoothies are for all;) Which is why I celebrating the 2-year ‘birthday’ of my green smoothie challenge which has so far helped hundreds and hundreds of people double their energy and regain their glow. So click here to find out the bonus goodies I am offering if you join the challenge before this Wed 18th May.
But here are my favourite ways to pimp my green smoothie and why:
Algae
You have not misread that I do literally mean algae. Specifically, spirulina and chlorella which are nutrient power houses full of b vitamins, protein and fabulous at helping detox the body (Read more about them here). You don’t use a lot of them just about 1/2-1 tsp per 500ml of smoothie at most otherwise it will taste like a pond…..
(Grab it here)
Gelatin
I love gelatin so much I have bought some with me in my travels! Click here to read why is so good but basically is a natural protein powder and super fit for healing the body.
Add 1-2 tbsp.
(Grab it here)
Bee pollen
I got a bit obsessed with this a while back and it’s super yummy. Great for helping you sort out allergies and as Dr Mercola points out:
According to researchers at the Institute of Apiculture, Taranov, Russia:
“Honeybee pollen is the richest source of vitamins found in Nature in a single food. Even if bee pollen had none of its other vital ingredients, its content of rutin alone would justify taking at least a teaspoon daily, if for no other reason than strengthening the capillaries. Pollen is extremely rich in rutin and may have the highest content of any source, plus it provides a high content of the nucleics RNA [ribonucleic acid] and DNA [deoxyribonucleic acid].”
Bee pollen is a complete food and contains many elements that products of animal origin do not possess. Bee pollen is richer in proteins than any animal source. It contains more amino acids than beef, eggs, or cheese of equal weight. Bee pollen is particularly concentrated in all elements necessary for life.
Basically, it’s awesome – fab for anyone who won’t/can’t eat meat or fish too, plus it tastes YUM! Add 1-2 tsp.
(Grab some here)
Protein powders
I am not a massive fan protein powder generally but if you get the best quality you can afford then it’s a great way to up your protein intake without adding tons of nuts or eating steak everyday.
I like hemp, pea, organic whey and collagen powders but I have friends who enjoy brown rice protein too:)
Aim for 1-2 scoops per smoothie.
(This company does a great selection of quality plant-based protein powders)
Chia seeds
I always add some chia seeds! They are little power houses of anti-inflammatory, skin loving omega 3 fatty acids and are super hydrophilic which means they help hydrate you from the inside out and are often associated with weight loss for this reason.
I try to have chia seeds every day and aim for 1-2 tbsp in my smoothies.
(Grab them here)
Cacao/cocoa
I am a sucker for anything chocolate … aren’t you? So adding some quality cocoa/ cacao powder or nibs is the perfect way to sort it a chocolate craving as well as boost your magnesium intake.
I have about 2 tbsp per smoothie.
(Confused about cacao and cocoa! Well join the club but a fellow Scottish biz buddy who runs real food source says that there is no difference it all just depends on quality and how processed it is – this is the stuff I buy from them and I love it)
Maca
This powdered root has many fabulous benefits. Mainly it is used to help support and nourishes the hormones, contains b12 and is perfect or filling in any gaps in your body. It’s Also a fabulous caffeine free energised – if I mix cacao with maca in my smoothie or hot chocolate then I am ready to go! Add 1 tsp to your smoothies to begin with but build up to 1 tbsp if you feel like it.
(Click here to find out more about how maca can help your hormones)
(Grab it here)
Coconut oil
Now you need to be careful at adding this as it will only really work in smoothies that aren’t ice cold (it will go a bit lumpy in ice cold smoothies). But if you add 1 tbsp of melted oil to you smoothie when blending then it’s a great way to get all the benefits of this metabolism boosting fat. (Click here to find out why coconut oil is the BOMB)
(Grab it here)
Baobab
I LOVE this stuff. It’s basically naturally vitamin C powder which means it helps your immune system (obvs) but also your adrenals and energy and even weight loss too. As its a food it means you absorb way more of the vitamin C too.
Add 1-2 tbsp.
(Grab it here)
So whether you want to support your hormones, build some muscles, sort out your low magnesium levels, boost your immune system or even supercharge your weight loss goals then green smoothie are for you especially when you add these superfoods.
My advice is to pick ONE and add to your daily smoothie and if you feel clueless/skeptical about the whole green smoothie thang then get your butt over to my Green Smoothie Challenge😉
What’s your favourite addition?
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