The RITUAL of a POWER SMOOTHIE

Green power smoothie. Credit: Nicole Dawson Cullinan

Traditionally, a smoothie is a thick smooth drink consisting of fresh fruit pureed with yoghurt, milk or ice cream. These ingredients make for a tasty drink but you can do SOOO much more with smoothies... Read on and I will teach you how to build a POWER SMOOTHIE!

Smoothies have been a nutritional life saver for me in the past when I used to skip breakfast because I didn’t feel hungry… they have become a healthy ritual for me and I always recommend them to my clients who have busy lives, are struggling with blood sugar control and priortising their own nutrition.

These are the benefits of smoothies when you ‘build’ them in an intelligent way from a variety of wholefood ingredients:

• They are convenient and quick to consume

• They are in a predigested and easy to metabolise from

• They provide great hydration

• They provide a variety of anti-oxidants, fibre and micro- & macronutrient in one glass

Do you want to learn how to build a power smoothie for optimal health benefits?

I covered this in my recent workshop on PLANTBASED EATING at 42:23 in this video which you can watch.

Plantbased eating workshop recording on YouTube Credit Nicole Cullinan

For me, making and enjoying a smoothie is a healthy ritual that puts me in the self-care zone and sets the tone for a productive and positive day.

Especially when times are tough, I feel that my smoothie ritual provides an adequate nutritional base for the energy, mindset and stamina required to rise above life’s inevitable challenges.

Power smoothies

My smoothies deviate from the traditional recipes. I prefer to call them 'power smoothies' because I carefully choose ingredients that pack a good nutritional punch. They are versatile and tasty plant-based treats which can be enjoyed in a glass or as a smoothie bowl. These smoothies are nutritionally balanced and can be a complete meal or a perfect in-between snack.

They are also a dietary tool, to help you increase not only the number of fruit and vegetables in your daily diet but also extend your food repertoire by including a variety of seeds, nuts, plant 'milks' and even herbal tea and wild foods .

Furthermore, having a rainbow of colour in your diet is a sure way to include a variety of antioxidants. These combat the everyday wear and tear on your cells, switch off inflammation and slow down the ageing process. For this reason, I make power smoothies in all colours taking seasonal advantage of nature's palette of plant pigments.

Is it healthy to have a power smoothie for breakfast?

Yes for sure… Especially for those of us who aren’t hungry in the morning or routinely skip breakfast, power smoothies are light and easy to digest. They can also be enjoyed conveniently on the go and carried in a reusable stainless-steel bottle!

Are power smoothies a good way to lose weight?

Yes, they may be… Many people who are overweight are overfed but undernourished. They eat too many high-calorie foods that are devoid of soluble and insoluble fibre and micronutrients like minerals and antioxidants. Or they don’t eat enough and often enough so that the dance between blood sugar and stress hormones stops effective fat burning.

A power smoothie is nutrient-dense, keeps you full for longer and cravings at bay

How do you make a power smoothie?

Choose high-quality organic ingredients and include them in your smoothie design. Pick at least one ingredient per category, then your power smoothie will be nutritionally balanced and a complete food.

SOME IDEAS

Protein - tofu, raw egg, greek yoghurt, cottage cheese

Healthy fats - seeds, nuts, nut butters, avocado

Liquid - water, herbal tea, dairy or plant 'milks'

Complex carbs - rolled oats, cooked sweet potato

Fruit - berries, banana, peaches, cooked apple, mango , kiwi, pineapple

Vegetables - leafy greens

Sweeten only if you must with honey, maple syrup or fruit juice and cordial

Adding superfoods like Spirulina, herbs, spices and wild foods and flowers add extra biodiversity and medicinal phytonutrients - this really raises the nutritional bar!

Here is one of my very first power smoothie creations...

Green tropical power smoothie Credit: Nicole Dawson Cullinan

Green tropical power smoothie

(serves 2) A handful of fresh Kale or

frozen baby spinach 1 ripe banana 1 yellow kiwi fruit or

1 chunk of pineapple 1 ripe avocado

1 cup of coconut or nut milk

1 cup of water (if a more liquid smoothie is preferred)

1 tablespoon of hemp seeds

1/4 teaspoon of Spirulina Powder

Desiccated coconut for sprinkling on top

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and share with your nearest and dearest.

Since then my smoothie recipes have gotten even more awesome... you will find many colour seasonal smoothie recipes in my Wild Seasons book series. The books are available to purchase HERE

Wild Seasons book series Credit Nicole Cullinan

Go on, go wild and make your smoothies powerful :)

nicole

LOOKING FOR MORE RECIPES AND SUPPORT?

JOIN WELLNESS PLACE INT FB COMMUNITY GROUP

#smoothies #powersmoothies #smoothiebowl #summersoup