A healthy outside starts from the inside. ” – Robert Urich
Smoothies. They’re just so darn easy. And you can pack soooo much nutrition into 16 ounces. This is the reason I now drink a smoothie (practically) every day for breakfast. I especially love adding greens to my smoothies (my kids, not so much). {sigh} For me, it’s mainly because it’s so easy (I can almost do it with my eyes closed), but there are actual health benefits to adding a green smoothie to your daily breakfast routine. Including:
- Increased energy
- Improved digestion (after the initial adjustment period)
- Immune system boost
- Promotes healthy bones
- May lower (bad) cholesterol
- Promotes other healthy lifestyle choices (domino effect)
- Improved hydration which equals radiant skin {yesssss!}
Now, I love the color green, but when I first started drinking green smoothies, the color was the biggest adjustment. It just felt weird to be drinking something green. So, I put it in a stainless steel cup so I didn’t have to see it. This helped me over the visual hump. Once I fell in love with adjusted to the taste and how having a daily green smoothie made me feel, I could care less what it looked like. My oldest calls my favorite green smoothie recipe the “Alien Smoothie” because, well, I probably shouldn’t explain why, you’ll never want to try it…even if you can’t see it. {eeeek} But here it is…
Alien Smoothie (makes 2 smoothies)
- 2 cups Unsweetened almond milk
- 2 (big) handfuls mixed leafy greens (usually chard, spinach, baby kale)
- 1 ripe (pre-sliced/frozen is best) banana
- dash of cinnamon
- 1 tsp(ish) vanilla extract (optional)
- 2 (heaping) TBSP almond butter (or any nut butter you like)
- 1(ish) cup of frozen blueberries
- 2 TBSP chia seeds
- 2 TBSP hemp seeds
** I also add 1/2 tsp alma powder and 1 tsp moringa leaf powder, but these superfood add-ins are optional. A scoop of vanilla protein powder is super yummy too, if you’d like to boost your protein content.
Blend it all up (add a few ice cubes if your bananas and blueberries aren’t frozen), divide into two (16oz) glasses and enjoy. I usually drink one as soon as I make it and save the other one (in the fridge, with a lid) in case I need a quick afternoon pick-me-up OR I keep it for the next morning. One less thing to do!
Light and Love,
♥k