Turn your smoothie into a super elixir
By Sari Huhtala
Smoothies may not be top of mind during the winter months, but with a little ingenuity you can turn your everyday ho-hum smoothie into a powerful health tonic that needn’t even be icy cold. Plus, you can use a sneaky chef idea to disguise the flavour of some of the most medicinal foods on the planet. This smoothie seems like it contains everything but the kitchen sink!
There are countless ways to pump up the nutrition in your smoothie, without compromising taste.
During the winter months, I like to use a room temperature or tepid steeped tea as the base of my smoothie, instead of just water. I love rose hip or hibiscus tea for its high vitamin C content, but any tea will do. I’ve even added rosemary or thyme tea, simply made by steeping dry herbs to create a wonderfully antimicrobial tea.
Considering science that shows adding dairy to berry will significantly reduce the antioxidant levels of the berries, you might consider alternatives to milk or yogurt in your smoothie. In the study Antioxidant activity of blueberry fruit is impaired by association with milk, researchers found when 200 grams of blueberries were consumed with 200 ml of whole milk, there was a “reduction in peak blood plasma concentrations” of caffeic acid by 49.7 per cent and ferulic acid by 19.8 per cent. When 200 grams of blueberries were consumed with 200ml of water, blood plasma levels of the two antioxidants actually increased by 11 per cent.
Tea is a wonderful medicinal base for a smoothie recipe.
A quarter of a frozen organic orange, peel and all, along with a half cup of frozen blueberries and a couple of small chunks of bananas are a mainstay in my smoothies.
Then I simply toss in some grated veggies and other fruit, depending on whatever I’m in the mood for. Grated vegetables will process much better in a blender. Once a week I roast a pumpkin, from which I create a warming winter soup, and a puree, which I add daily to my smoothies.
Add pineapple for a shot of the digestive aid bromelain. Bromelain is also a natural cough medicine.
Add grated raw beets for fabulous flavonoids and a dose of heart healthy betaine.
Add cruciferous veggies like grated broccoli for anti-cancer, sulphur-rich goodness.
Grate some fresh turmeric for a mighty anti-inflammatory kick, along with a few dashes of black pepper to help the body absorb the medicine in the turmeric.
You can even add a tincture to your smoothie. Lately I’ve been adding a few drops of a mushroom tincture.
Add a handful of unsweetened shredded coconut for healthy brain fat, and to promote satiety.
Really, anything goes. To make it sweeter, simply add more banana or sweet pineapple. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to discover you can’t even taste the veggies in your smoothie. My grandson even likes it!
I also add one teaspoon of either spirulina or chlorella to my smoothie, both of which are a form of blue-green algae that help to detoxify the body from heavy metals. Plus, I add either add my own dehydrated super green powder, like powdered radish leaves from my garden, or I add a scoop of store-bought plant-based greens powder. Then I add some collagen powder into my smoothie and voila, I have a super easy, super fast health elixir.
(This information is not intended to replace medical advice and treatment from a health care practitioner).
Sari Huhtala is the creator, publisher and editor of Alive and Fit Magazine, which was created in 2007. She has over 25 years of experience in journalism and over 15 years of experience as a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor, and is a holistic chef, offering holistic cooking and edible wilds workshops. She is an organic farmer, wild-crafter and grandmother, who has spent over 20 years navigating a holistic, healthy path for her family. Reach her at friends@thelaughingforest.ca
