Super Healthy Smoothies for the New Year!

By Health Coach Melanie Rathbun, FMCHC

This month, our expert-in-the-kitchen Health Coach, Melanie Rathbun, shares great fresh Smoothie recipes to cleanse your body! 

Whether you binged a little over the holidays, are interested in boosting your immune system, lose a little weight, or just want to eat healthier, smoothies are the easiest way to pack a ton of nutrition into your meals. You can make smoothies in less than 10 minutes and the best part is you don’t even need to turn on the oven.  Another added bonus is there is minimal clean up.

As we move into January, our thoughts may turn to what we can do to make 2021 a healthier year, with strong and resilient immune systems.  If we can first turn to what we are consuming and the food choices we are making, we’ve got a solid head start on our overall health and wellness.

Smoothies are an efficient way to significantly increase your intake of nutrients and antioxidants.  These are great for when you are feeling like your body just needs a reset. You can start your morning with them, but they are also great for after a workout, for a snack, or even for a meal when your body just needs something really nourishing! 

You can consume smoothies daily, although I would suggest rotating your ingredients.  Striving to ‘eat the rainbow’ is a good guide to ensure you are getting an assortment of vitamins and minerals from your fruits and vegetables.

When I make smoothies, I prefer that they look beautiful.  We eat first with our eyes, and no one wants to drink anything that looks mucky. Next it needs to taste amazing and should be enjoyable to get down.  Finally, it needs to be nutrient dense and full of foods your body will get its best fuel from.

I’ve chosen two of my favorite smoothies for you to try below. Both recipes include kale and spinach winter greens as wonderfully described by Deb in this month's gardening blog post. I hope you have fun with it.

Don’t forget to tag us at #bwcforhorselovers on Instagram or Facebook so we can see all your beautiful creations!

Blueberry Detox Smoothie (2 servings)

Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

•  2 cups frozen blueberries
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 banana (peeled, chopped and frozen)
• ½ avocado
• 2 T chia seeds
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
• *Optional:  1 scoop your favorite protein powder

Directions

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend well until smooth.  Divide into glasses and enjoy!

Did you know that spinach is loaded with iron and other minerals, vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, protein, antioxidants, fiber and anti-inflammatory power?  This wonderful and versatile superfood is an immune boosting cleansing champion.  You can add 1 to 2 cups of spinach into any smoothie blend without really changing the flavor.

Detox Green Smoothie (2 servings)

 Prep time:  10 minutes

 Ingredients

• 4 cups kale leaves
• 1 cucumber (chopped)
• 1 lemon (juiced)
• 2 pears (chopped)
• 1 T ginger (grated)
• 1 T ground flax seed
• 1 ½ cups water
• 5 ice cubes
• *Optional:  1 scoop your favorite protein powder

Directions

Place all ingredients together in a blender and blend until smooth.  Divide between glasses and enjoy!

Did you know that kale is one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet?  It is a cruciferous vegetable packed full of vitamins and minerals to fuel your day. It is full of antioxidant such as quercetin and kaempferol that have numerous beneficial effects on your health.  Antioxidants help counteract oxidative damage by free radicals in the body. This is a positive for many reasons such as helping support healthy aging and longevity.  Kale can be added to your diet in a number of ways such as simply adding to smoothies, salads, soups or even snacks such as kale chips, so feel free to get creative.

Take good care,

Melanie 

**Note:  fruits and vegetables begin to oxidize the minute you cut them open, so it’s great if you can enjoy them right after they’re made to minimize the degradation of nutrients.  If you are taking it to go simply seal your container right after making it, then shake before consuming later on.

References

• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270609#nutrition
• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-benefits-of-kale#TOC_TITLE_HDR_7