The Smoothie Series

Popeye Smoothie

It's no secret that the everyday foods we eat influences the way we feel and look. Think about how you would feel (and what you'd eat for the rest of the day) if you started off your morning with a soda, a fat-laden muffin or a heavy breakfast sandwich. Sometime around 10 am you'd probably start feeling tired, crabby and a bit moody. And it's all downhill from there...

But if you start your day off eating a balanced and nutrient-dense breakfast, you'll not only make better food choices for the rest of the day, you may even be able to manage, treat and reverse common health conditions (think: headaches, PMS symptoms, minor aches and pains). Consuming a diet rich in fruits in vegetables keeps your blood sugar stable, gives your body plenty of vitamins, minerals and water from food sources (which helps flush out your system naturally), and keeps you energized the whole day through.

My friends and family know that smoothies are my secret weapon when it comes to my own health. I find there's no better way to "sneak in" nutritious foods first thing in the morning without having to sit down to a big spinach salad, a bowl of fruit, a cup of nuts and a side of yogurt. In one cold velvety drink, you can get 2-3 servings of fruits and vegetables....all before you even answer an email or brush your pearly whites. Plus, drinking blended foods aids in the digestion process, is gentle on your system in the morning, and makes it easier for your body to absorb all the vitamins and nutrients from your food. So why use only fruit in a smoothie when you can mix in greens, not notice any difference in the taste, but still get all the benefits of this nutritious powerhouse?

Note: this smoothie is healthy enough so I didn't fuss with any supplemental add-ins this morning. Also, because this smoothie combines green, red and blue colored fruits and veggies, the outcome is a brown smoothie. DON'T BE SCARED! It's sweet and delicious.

• 2 handfuls of organic spinach
• 1 frozen organic banana
• 1/4 cup of organic blueberries (fresh or frozen, whatever you have!)
• 3/4 cup fresh coconut water (I used Vita Coco today since I was out of Young Thai coconuts)
• 1/4 cup of organic plain yogurt (you could also use Greek or omit yogurt if your vegan or lactose intolerant)
• small handful of almonds

Blend, serve it up, and sip.

♥ Cheers to your health ♥