Cheats smoothie!
Are you time short at the moment? I certainly am! The run up to Christmas, whether you are going away or staying at home, is just manic isn't it? It's also very cold in the UK at the moment so the thought of juicing green veg is just not making my body feel happy, let alone the time it takes. So, I have been doing a very lazy, quick version of my usual health packed smoothie which I hope will help you too get through the busy period, and beyond, with all the nutrients your body needs to fight exhaustion and stress. And it takes no time at all.
Here's the video of my cheat's smoothie with full details of the benefits of these powders below.
Hopefully, you have most of these superfoods in your cupboards already, but there are a couple of powders you might like to buy locally or on-line. Here's the list of what went into my Lazy Smoothie but, obviously, you can add anything you like, such as a banana or avocado, to keep you going through these busy days. Apart from the raw egg & kefir, this recipe is also perfect for vegans and vegetarians.
INGREDIENTS
A big glug of kefir or live yogurt plus coconut water, or plain water for more liquid.
1 teaspoon of organic, ground, cinnamon, for blood sugar levels, turmeric for it's anti-inflammatory properties, & chia seeds for extra Omega 3, an essential fatty acid your body will thank you for.
1 tablespoon of Omega-3 rich golden flaxseeds, rich in phytoestrogens, great for constipation & very helpful for menopausal symptoms as is.........
1 tablespoon of maca, what I call Peruvian marching powder! it's so good for energy as well as hormone support it's another essential. I've written more on foods for the menopause here.
1 tablespoon of protein powder. There are many to chose from but I use a vegan, raw hemp protein powder that I found on Amazon.
Green powders. There are so many it's hard to chose. I used to use a combination of spirulina, chlorella and mixed greens including wheatgrass. But I have recently gone back to an old favourite I used to recommend to patients because it's so high in iodine, as well as all the minerals & vitamins essential for supporting the thyroid, energy & metabolism. (Please check with your doctor if you are on any thyroid medication). Oceans of Goodness Seagreens isn't the cheapest, but it's one of the best and has replaced my 3 different powders, and you only need half a teaspoon a day.
If you use the link here, and pop the code PR 1156 into the gift voucher box, you'll get a £1 discount plus free postage.
I tablespoon of goji berries or frozen blueberries for antioxidants.
I raw egg (if you're pregnant or have any health concerns replace with an avocado). My daily egg makes the smoothie really creamy and keeps me going till 4.00 in the afternoon and my cholesterol has gone down, not up!
2-3 stoneless dates or a small banana for sweetness.
1 tablespoon of raw, virgin coconut oil, hemp seed oil, flaxseed oil or Udo's Choice oil. They are so full of essential fatty acids that your body uses them for the health of every cell in your body, instead of laying them down as fat! They're essential for keeping you full for longer and for healthy hair, skin and nails.
Udo's Choice Ultimate Oil Blend, combines flaxseed, coconut, sesame, sunflower & evening primrose oil, so a great all rounder, especially for hormone issues. This link will give you a 15% discount if you pop this code in: SUZI15.
Finally, if you feel you need an extra mega boost of natural Vitamin C at this time of the year, there's a new kid on the block: organic baobab powder. It deserves a blog of it's own it's so fascinating, but suffice to say, it's from a green pod grown in Ghana and provides up to 6 times more vitamin C than oranges. A teaspoon a day should certainly keep the doctor away! It's available worldwide and if you use this link to read more about it & want to order some, just add discount code SUZI15 you will get 15% off.
That's it.......a glass full of superfoods, vitamins and minerals to help you through this busy time of the year1 Please let me know how you are doing and whether you are using nutrition to cope with the run up to Christmas. As always, I love your comments and always answer!
