Healthy Smoothie Recipe Ideas

My clients ask me all the time about the smoothies I make and what I put in them. I put together a few tips and ideas for making yummy, nutrient-packed smoothies!

Ingredient Ideas
Kale, spinach, or other nutritious greens
Berries, banana (1/2 or less), or other fruits
Young coconut water, kefir, spring water, coconut milk, kombucha, whole milk, etc. Plain, unsweetened whole milk yogurt
Coconut oil, flax seed oil
Avocado
Raw cacao
Super foods like bee pollen, turmeric, spirulina, wheat grass, hemp seeds, etc.
Ginger, cinnamon, or another warming herb
Cilantro, mint and/or other herbs
Vanilla or almond extract
Pinch of sea salt (make sure it’s grey or pink in color)

Keep the Balance – Add a healthy fat
Adding a healthy fat to your smoothie is very important especially if you include a lot of fruit. This will help you to prevent a quick spike in blood sugar from the high-sugar content of the fruits. Healthy fat examples include coconut (dehydrated is fine as long as it has no preservatives), avocado (makes it rich and creamy), coconut or flaxseed oil, and whole milk yogurt or kefir. Also, I’d recommend using only half a banana (if that) and not everyday since bananas have high sugar content.

Receive all the Healthy Benefits – Chew your smoothie
To help you absorb all the healthy nutrients you add to your smoothies, remember this when you’re drinking them: Chew your smoothies! When you blend solid ingredients into a liquid, chewing is no longer necessary but imperative for digestion and the assimilation of nutrients.

Digestion begins with the sight and smell of food followed by chewing it. Since smoothies don’t have much of an aroma, that makes chewing each sip even more important. Chewing alerts your stomach and digestive system that food is on it’s way. When you don’t chew your food well, it compromises digestion and becomes a challenge and a stress to your body.

A General Important Rule of Thumb
To enhance digestion in general, here’s an important rule of thumb: Chew your liquids and drink your solids. This means chew your solid food to the point it becomes a liquid, and as I mentioned above, chew those smoothies to prepare your stomach for the yummy nutrients you’ve taken the time to thoughtfully prepare.