We always hear that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I mean, what could be better than a nutrient dense power smoothie to get you started?! While some might do intermittent fasting, others prefer to start their day off with a bang.
Smoothies are the perfect answer to busy mornings when we need food on the go. And here is a recipe that is sure to give you a nutrient boost and saturate your cells with pure awesomeness!
Tip: Prepare ingredients the night before so you can blend and GO!
The ingredients are easy to find and the recipe is even easier to make:
- ½ tsp powder of turmeric or fresh small sized root
- 1 tbsp. chia seeds
- 1 cup frozen pineapple
- 1 tbsp. shredded coconut (or coconut meat)
- 1 lime, peeled
- ½ banana (optional)
- 1 cup water or coconut water
- some like to add a tiny amount of stevia to be extra sweet
- a cinnamon stick as a garnish is yummy too
Benefits For The Health From This Cleansing Smoothie
Every ingredient in the smoothie is advantageous for every person. However, it is particularly beneficial for women because it assists in minimizing problems during a woman monthly cycle.
Let’s go over the medicinal properties of some of the ingredients.
TUMERIC:
Turmeric is a very powerful medicinal component. It is used for detoxification of the body, gives support to the balance of estrogen and it is extremely helpful for lowering inflammation. This exotic spice has found its way to the must-have list, because of its effects on the human body. Tumeric is currently the most studied botanical and has risen to the occasion by proving over and over again that it delivers major health benefits on several different levels.
PINEAPPLE
Pineapple is not just a delicious fruit, but is extremely beneficial for your body and skin. The health and medicinal benefits include the ability to improve respiratory health, help with coughs and colds, improve digestion, help you lose weight, strengthen bones, improve oral health, boost eye health, reduce inflammation, prevent cancer, increase heart health, fight off infections and parasites, improve the immune system, and increase circulation. The beta-carotene and vitamin A will help you to improve eyesight and prevent damaging or loss of eyesight during aging. Just one glass of pineapple juice contains 75 % magnesium which is undoubtedly good for your bones, especially for those who suffer from osteoporosis. If you have problems with acne and acne marks, the C vitamin which pineapple contains will solve your problems. Don’t even get me started on the enzyme Bromelain that pineapples contain. Stay tuned for a full article on the benefits of this one enzyme!
CHIA SEEDS
What chia seeds may lack in size, they sure do make up for in health benefits.
A 1 ounce (28 grams) serving of chia seeds contains:
- Fiber: 11 grams
- Protein: 4 grams
- Fat: 9 grams (5 of which are Omega 3’s)
- Calcium: 18% of the RDA
- Manganese: 30% of the RDA
- Magnesium: 30% of the RDA
- Phosphorus: 27% of the RDA
- They also contain a decent amount of Zinc, Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Potassium, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) and Vitamin B2
This is particularly impressive when you consider that this is just a single ounce, which supplies only 137 calories and one gram of digestible carbohydrate!
Chia is the highest plant source of omega-3 fatty acids (over 62%). In fact, it has 8 times more omega-3 fats than salmon on a weight-to-weight basis. It also has a nice balance of omega-6 fats to improve the balance of both of these essential fatty acids. Unsaturated fats improve oxygen transport and delivery to cells tissues and organs and they are critically important for the functioning of the adrenal and thyroid glands. They are important for healthy reproduction and nourishment of skin and nerve cells and they are responsible for converting carotenes into vitamin A. The fatty acid component of chia is certainly impressive.
I think you get an idea of how truly nutritious smoothies can be. So, get creative, and with a little prep work the night before, you can have delicious breakfast smoothies at your fingertips every morning in less than 5 minutes. You just can’t go wrong!
About The Author
Jami Oles, CNT, HHP, Holistic Nurse and Health Educator
Jami is a mother of three and a Holistic Health Practitioner with a 10-year background in Nursing and Emergency Medicine. She is a Certified Nutritional Therapist, Holistic Nurse, EMT and is currently pursuing her PhD in Naturopathic Medicine. Jami is also a member of the American Holistic Nurses Association and regular guest and co-host on WNDB radio’s “Sunrise Today Show”. She is available for local and long distance consultations. You can reach Jami via email yournaturalhealer@gmail.com and/or her Facebook Page: Jami Oles, Holistic Nurse
