Tag: vegan

Winter Beetroot Wonder-Juice: Refreshing, Nutritious, Simple

img_2479This was a leftover juice in the sense that there were bits of veggies left over just before shopping day and they were put together to produce this very refreshing juice, full of nutrients to help you withstand the Winter bugs.

Together these ingredients have antioxidants, are anti-inflammatory and are good for your blood and circulation; they contain minerals such as calcium, potassium and iron, protein, soluble fibre, they are hydrating and their combined juice tastes good too.

If you’d like to read more about the many health benefits of turmeric, click here or for beetroot, read Make Beetroot Your New Veg Friend! (Juice Recipe Included)

I have kept the fruit to a minimum as I’ve been working on achieving the optimum balance of 80% veggies to 20% fruit to maintain good digestion and blood sugar regulation – the carrot and beetroot are sweet, however if you require it to be a little sweeter, add another apple.

Ingredients

(organic, washed, peel left on, quantities approximate)

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1 Apple

1 good-sized Carrot

1 1/2 Sticks of Celery

Small Beetroot

2″ Cucumber

3″ Broccoli stem

Small piece of Turmeric

Handful of Spinach

Method

 Begin with apple and end with apple, squash the spinach leaves up and put through the juicer followed quickly by other ingredients to get the most out of them so they don’t just go straight into the pulp container.

Juice the turmeric with another ingredient for the same reason

If you want a more substantial juice, blend with a quarter of avocado which will give you extra protein, healthy fats and lots of extra vitamins and minerals. It will also keep you fuller for longer. I didn’t this time, I just wanted juice.

For more information on how to fight winter bugs, read Juicing My Way Through The Cold Wars – Update + Golden Milk Recipe

Since I’m publishing this on America’s Thanksgiving Day, I’d like to thank you all for reading and supporting my blog; I love reading your comments and questions, thank you for keeping me out of mischief!

Cheers, stay healthy!

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Copyright: Chris McGowan

Vegan Gluten-Free Tiger Nut Loaf/Bread Mk III

img_2467This is the second post describing our quest for a moist, tasty gluten-free loaf that doesn’t sound like a lab experiment or dry out and break up after the first day. If you’d like to read the original post first, click here.

I rarely eat bread and I rarely miss it, but just ocasionally I get a craving for it. I buy some new product that maintains it isn’t like any other gluten-free bread, costs the earth and inevitably it is such a disappointing experience, I go back to being bread-free. On Sunday, we decided to have another go at making a tiger nut loaf.

We have been using BBC Food’s Dan Leopard’s recipe as a guide but mixing up the flours for more flavour and nutritional content. Which flours we used tended to be those we had in at the time.

In our previous, second, attempt, we only used 1 oz of Tiger Nut Flour as the original had a much larger amount and had been a little too grainy. We also decreased the amount of water from the first loaf which spread too much.

This time, we used the much finer Tiger Nut Powder from The Tiger Nut Company (they ship overseas) and made it the main ingredient – by accident as it turned out since my husband thought we were out of cornflour but of course I later found it on a different shelf at the back of the cupboard, as you do! We substituted the cornflour with gluten-free self-raising flour bought for another recipe. As it happened, it was a lucky accident, because this loaf turned out to be the best yet.

We also decided to bake it in a loaf tin this time to stop it spreading so much and produce a deeper loaf.

It turned out to be tasty, firm, moist and still fresh the next day. And the next.

We sliced it up and put half in the freezer while a third was wrapped and kept in the bread box. On the third day, I got some out of the freezer to have with soup and to see how it had stored. Once thawed, it seemed just as fresh. No need to toast it.

I also tried a slice from the remainder of the loaf that had been wrapped and kept in the bread box. It too was still fresh enough to spread peanut butter on without having to toast it. This is a big deal in the world of gluten-free bread! You always end up having toast because it’s so dry.

It won’t resemble your average thin white sliced that you can make into sandwiches – homemade glutenfree bread is often the consistency of, say, a more dense madeira cake  – but I love it topped with yeast extract,  tahini, nut butter, avocado, banana, salad – or often a combination! We found it easy to spread and handle, it wasn’t as delicate as some gluten-free bread is.

This is such a nourishing, nutritious and satisfying loaf. It has so many good things in it, protein, calcium, healthy fats, fibre, probiotics and prebiotics, B vitamins – I could fill the page! And it doesn’t have anything artificial in it or need a chemistry degree to understand the label.

Here’s the new, improved recipe – watch out nearer Christmas when we hope to produce a fruity tiger nut loaf.

(All measurements are approximate, you may need to adjust to suit your own tastes or your oven).

Ingredients

25g – 50g (10z – 1 3/4 oz) Organic Golden Linseeds

450 mls (16 fl oz) Warm Water

2 1/2 Tsps Quick-acting Yeast

1 Tsp Sugar

80 mls (3 fl oz) CoYo Plain Coconut Yogurt

100g Self-Raising Gluten-free Flour

100g Organic Chickpea or Garbanzo/Besan Flour

250g Tiger Nut Powder

1 Tsp Salt

50g (1 3/4oz) Organic Psyllium Husk Powder

50 mls (1 3/4 Fl oz) Organic Raw Virgin Olive Oil

A little extra olive oil and flour

Method

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4

1. Warm the linseeds on a tray for about 10-12 minutes, until they darken slightly (the toasted seeds will release a sticky gluten-like substance when mixed with the wet ingredients, and they give the loaf a wheatgerm-like flavour).

2. Switch off the oven.

3. Mix together the water and yeast, then stir in the yogurt and seeds. Set aside.

4. Mix together the flour, tiger nut powder, salt, sugar and psyllium husk powder in a large bowl.

5. Pour in the yeast mixture and olive oil and mix well until it resembles a smooth thin batter.

The liquid will turn into a sticky dough within a few minutes as the linseed, flours and psyllium husk powder become gel-like.

6. Once the mixture is firm enough, knead it for 10 seconds on the worktop to mix everything again, then place the dough back in the bowl, cover and leave in a warm but not hot place for 30 minutes.

7. Place the dough into a non-stick or lined 2lb loaf tin and brush with the extra olive oil, cover and leave it to rise for about 30-35 minutes.

8. Heat the oven to 240C/465F/Gas 9

9. Make some diagonal cuts across the dough with a sharp knife, sprinkle with a little cornflour and bake for about 40 minutes, or until rich golden-brown in colour.

10. Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Here are the three loaves to compare:

 

Latest on the left, second attempt in the middle and first on the right. The middle one was good, but I think the latest is the most successful.

Copyright: Chris McGowan

This Green Juice Packs A Nutritional Punch! (Ft Jay Kordich Juicing Video)

(Please read to the end, there’s a special video feature for anyone interested in juicing).

As you know, I love juiced sweet potato, so forgive me for posting another one! Sweet potato on its own is so full of nutrients – vitamins including betacarotene, minerals, fibre, essential fatty acids – but combined with the carrot, broccoli, spinach and avocado, this blended juice packs quite a nutritional punch.

The apples add soluble fibre and all the fruit is high in vitamin C.

The broccoli and spinach are good sources of bio accessible calcium.

img_3635The avocado also provides protein, fibre, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids, and contributes to a more satisfying, satiating juice.

These nutrient-packed, versatile fruit are very good for your skin, heart, eyes and regulating blood sugar levels. They fill you up so you don’t eat as much. I have some avocado at least once a day. It is one of those foods you could live off if you were stuck on a desert island (though when you were rescued you’d probably never want to see one again!).

This juice is high in antioxidants, helping to boost your immune system and ward off those winter viruses.

Metal straws protect your teeth when drinking juices, they are reuseable, can go in the dishwasher and don’t end up in landfill – and they’re not made of plastic, so no nasty chemicals. You can find them on Amazon, the ones I have came with their own tiny cleaning brush.

Ingredients

Sweet Potato, washed, chopped and peel left on if organic

Carrot, ditto

2 Sweet Apples, ditto

Slice of Lemon, ditto

1 Kiwi, peeled

3″ Broccoli Stem, washed

Handful of Spinach, washed

Juice all ingredients beginning with an apple and ending with an apple

 Blend with 1/4 Avocado

*

Jay Kordich is known as the Father of Juicing. As a very young and athletic man he was diagnosed with terminal bladder cancer. He chose to work with doctors who specialised in juice therapy. He is still alive today at the age of 93. This is his first video lecture fom 30 years ago on how to juice. I learn something from him every time I see him.

Please note he is using organic produce and using the skins. Please be sure to wash your produce thoroughly and consult your doctor if you are taking medications.

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Healthy Almond, Raisin & Mulberry Treats

imageThese are another version of fruit and nut energy balls made from almond milk pulp, this time using some dried Turkish mulberries from The Raw Chocolate Company  and also trying out some Pulsin’ Cacao Butter Buttons for the first time. Please don’t mistake these Cacao Butter Buttons for White Chocolate Buttons – I wonder how many people have done that? They are cacao fat, to cook with, not dessert chocolate for eating or decorating birthday cakes.

These cacao butter buttons are so much more convenient than solid blocks of cacao butter which need a hammer and chisel and some hefty muscles to break up! The melted cacao butter not only adds a mild chocolate flavour but also helps bind and firm up the ingredients.

I’ve also used some Golden Linseeds, partially ground to release the nutrients,  which some of you may not have seen or used before. They contain Omega 3, 6, and 9 healthy oils, protein and fibre and are regarded as a superfood. (See Golden Linseeds (aka Flax Seeds): The Original Superfood?)

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All ingredients are organic, vegan and gluten-free and the recipe can also be nutfree if you use an alternative to almond milk pulp as the base. (Eg Tiger nuts are actually tubers and make excellent sweet and creamy milk).

These energy balls are healthy bites of protein, vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and fibre. They are sweet and fruity but contain no refined sugar.

Measurements are very apporoximate and rely on my short-term memory functioning long enough to write them down!

Ingredients

1 Cup Almond Milk Pulp (see How To Make Almond Milk) or any other milk pulp (which may alter the taste or texture)

1 Cup Raisins

3-4 Medjool Dates, pitted and chopped

1/4 Cup Mixed Golden Linseeds & Sesame Seeds, partially ground

1/4 Cup Pulsin’ Cacao Butter Buttons, melted

3/4 Cup Dried Mulberries

2 Tbsps Apple Juice

Desiccated Coconut and Cacao Powder for dusting

Pulse a few times and then process in bursts, scraping down the sides, until it is the texture you want and will come together to form a smooth ball.

Roll in coconut or dust with cacao powder.

Refrigerate to firm them up. Will keep for several days in an airtight container.

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Juicing My Way Through The Cold Wars + Golden Milk Recipe

When I wrote Preparing to be SuperJuiced Part 2 at the beginning of January this year, I mused about whether I would be able to avoid succumbing to any of the winter viruses while living on juice only for a fortnight (which actually turned into nearly 3 weeks).

Before I began juicing almost 3 (now 4) years ago, I would suffer untold pain and discomfort from a heavy cold, sinusitis and chest infection in January or February every year. This would last up to 8 weeks, make my asthma worse and occasionally crack a rib and strain a stomach muscle from the effort of coughing. It was exhausting, I was unable to sleep or breathe properly and nothing gave any relief. I would go through a jar of Vicks, use honey and lemon and copious amounts of cough sweets to try to ease the symptoms. I probably used a forest of tissues!

After my first year of juicing, I almost got away with it. Everyone else in the family had fallen like flies but I was still standing, until my husband became ill and probably for the first time since I’ve known him had to take to his bed for a few days. It really knocked him for six. This placed me under a lot of stress and almost inevitably I got it too. BUT: it didn’t turn into a chest infection and I didn’t have to use an inhaler, nor did it last nearly as long and I wasn’t as ill as my husband.

So this January, having turned vegan and been on a mainly raw diet for a year, I was interested to see how my body would react this time around. I was also doing the 14 day juice cleanse and having a series of intense dental treatments. And if that wasn’t enough of a stress test, I don’t know what is!

I have felt a dry throat once and a few sneezes once, but each time I thought a cold was coming on I drank a lot of fresh ginger, turmeric and lemon tea as well as regularly sipping ginger and turmeric juices – see Juicy Winter Warmers in Juice Recipes – I also gargled with a couple of drops of Eucalyptus Essential Oil in warm water for the dry throat. Tastes horrible but is very effective! I eat a lot of garlic too, a natural antiviral, antibiotic, decongestant. Within hours, all symptoms were gone.

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My Medicine Chest

This despite being hugged and kissed by younger family members in the full throws of colds and chest infections with weepy eyes and ears and undergoing the aforementioned intensive and painful dental work. I am allergic to adrenaline and when I had a local anaesthetic my whole body convulsed for 20 minutes. On two occasions, a twenty minute appointment turned into an hour and a half.

Oh, and in February I tried to make a hole in the ceiling over the stairs – with my head! As you do. Don’t ask. You know those cartoons where the character hits something hard and sits there cross-eyed with a circle of stars around his head? That was me. It literally and metaphorically knocked me sideways. I was feeling the vibration of it throughout my body for days afterwards and it placed untold stress on my spine for months afterwards.

After all that, I was sure I would now fall prey to the next virus passing.

Then my husband had surgery. And my mum was ill.

But here I am, October, and as I write still cold-free. My body has been through untold pain, stress and worry over the last 9 months, a sure sign to any lingering germs that my immune system is being seriously stretched and giving the green light for an immediate full-on attack. But so far, so juicy gingery good!

Update: Haha – the blogging gods are laughing at me now! I post-dated the publication of this post, it is now November 2016 and I am still vegan, still juicing, but after 3 visits in 5 days recently from family members with their horrible coughs and colds and waving goodbye in a horrible chilly wind, I succumbed to a dry throat and tickly cough.

I didn’t fall ill though, I bombarded it with ginger, turmeric, lemon and black pepper as tea and in juices, in between drinking my Spicy Watermelon & Grapefruit Juice – another nutrient-filled anti-inflammatory juice – and avoided the stuffed up head cold and the usually inevitable chest infection.

I’ve also added Golden Milk to my natural treatment armoury and it works a treat at aiding sleep when you’re under the weather. It is so warming: just add a few slices of ginger and turmeric with a twist of black pepper and if necessary, a teaspoon of maple syrup, to a cupful of warm almond milk, (making sure you stir well while warming in the pan to stop it catching at the bottom, it will thicken slightly). Let it steep for 5 minutes, then strain and drink.

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Toothache Tip: My daughter-in-law visited recently and was suffering terribly with an inflamed wisdom tooth. Nothing was helping: she tried clove oil, gargling with salt water, Nurofen (which helped a little for a short while), then we hit on the idea of ginger tea and between sips she held one of the slices of ginger from the tea against her gum and – done regularly – it seemed to provide some longer relief.

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Ellen’s Latex-free Super Berry Smoothie (Just Look at the Colour!)

img_2355Ellen is a writer, she is funny, talented, a new follower and she also happens to have an allergy which causes anaphylaxis. When she told me this, it was in the context of being unable to try most of my recipes and I assumed she meant she was allergic to nuts. I then proceeded to give her a list of potential substitutions. However, I got it very wrong, it seems that Ellen is fine with nuts but allergic to latex.

Now, I assumed that being allergic to latex meant you just had to avoid wearing rubber gloves, but no, it means avoiding a long list of fruits and vegetables too. I decided to set myself the challenge of coming up with a tasty, nutritious smoothie that Ellen could enjoy with complete peace of mind. She warned me how difficult she was to ‘cook’ for, but I pointed out that as I was a vegan, juicing, gluten-free raw foodie, I know how that is!

I had a couple of days to ponder this conundrum while Hurricane Fremily (aka my 2 toddler grandchildren) hit landfall, and I did a bit of research to make sure I understood the issues.

Latex allergy is caused by a reaction to the protein in latex and can range from wheezing, itchy skin, hives to full-on anaphylaxic shock. Some people who have latex allergy may also have an allergic response to certain fruits including banana, cherries, plums, papaya, grapes, pineapple, avocado, chestnut, kiwi fruit, mango, passionfruit, fig, strawberry and soy.

Ellen seems ok with berries, oranges, lemons, melon (but not watermelon) and apples but she also can’t have squash, turnip, swede or broad beans due to a lifelong phobia! (Which I can totally understand as I have my parsnip phobia – shudders at the very word! See Pears But No More Parsnips: In Which I Confront My Parsnip Phobia! )

So there you have it, my challenge.

This is my first attempt. It’s an amazing colour! It’s a little tart, so if you want to add a little sweetness, add a medjool date, or reduce the amount of blackberries and add another apple. To ring the changes, you can substitute different berries, use coconut water or other nut milk, add oats to make it more substantial and alternate the superfood powders. I read that açaí is ok, but please do your own research. I understand lucuma has a latex sap when immature so I’m guessing that would best be avoided.

Purple berries contain powerful antioxidants which aid healthy ageing, memory, help prevent cancer and other diseases caused by inflammation. Hemp seeds have protein and healthy omega fats and are smooth and creamy to taste (see Shelled Hemp Seeds: Superfood or Psychogenic?!) Cashews are a good source of magnesium, which helps keep us calm, is essential for good mental health and prevents muscle cramps (see Magnesium: Are You Getting Enough?). Apples are all-round good for us! They contain soluble fibre and are good for the lungs.

All ingredients are organic where possible, vegan and can be made gluten-free by substituting seeds or Horchata (aka Tiger Nut Milk) if you’re sure you’re not allergic.  Measurements approximate.

Ingredients

Large handful of Blackberries (I used frozen)

Handful of Blueberries

1 Sweet Apple, washed & chopped (peel on)

Heaped Tbsp Hemp Seeds*

Handful of Cashews

1 Tbsp Açaí Powder*

Generous glass of Homemade Almond Milk (click link to see how to make your own, it’s really easy).

 Blend until smooth, and may this gorgeous vibrant smoothie give you a bright start to your day!

(When I was looking for a video to accompany this smoothie recipe, I started typing ‘berry’ and it started coming up with Berry White songs which I found highly amusing and since his outfit matches the colour of the smoothie, I decided to go with it!)

*https://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/

Allergic To Latex? Foods And Products To Avoid

http://latexallergyresources.org/latex-cross-reactive-foods-fact-sheet

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Quick, Easy & Tasty Vegan Mushroom Soup (& Not a Drop of Milk in Sight!)

I love organic mushrooms. They are one of my must-haves on every weekly shopping list. I like different types but especially chestnut mushrooms. I like the firm, ‘meaty’ texture.  This week we had a glut, 2 weeks’ worth, as I’d been doing a juice cleanse and we forgot to cancel them. Most of them were little button mushrooms.

I really fancied some soup yesterday and thought I would try using some of them. I swithered about whether or not to use coconut milk and make a creamed soup, but really I just wanted it plain and simple, the milk felt too rich for my stomach. So here’s what I came up with. It’s not for the purists – the real chefs – I’m sure, but I loved it.

It’s quick and easy with only 2 ingredients apart from the oil and the seasoning. The only thing that may need adjusting is the salt levels: there is salt in the celery, tamari, stock cube and miso. We used 1 Tbsp of Miso but I’ve reduced it to a teaspoon in the recipe. I’m not even sure it needs it at all, I added it for the nutrients as much as for the flavour.

Miso paste is made from fermented soya beans and is a good source of probiotics (to keep the gut healthy), Vitamin K for bone health, copper, manganese and zinc as well as dietary fibre.

Chestnut Mushrooms are high in copper and vitamin B5 and are a source of B2, B3 and folate as well as potassium and selenium.

Celery is also an excellent source of vitamin K, and is a very good source of folate, potassium, dietary fibre, manganese and B5. It’s also a good source of vitamin B2, B6, copper, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin A.

So all in all, this soup is very good for you (adjust the sodium if you need to keep it low).

Serves 2.

All ingredients organic, vegan and gluten-free.

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Ingredients

1 Tsp Coconut Oil

Approx. 350g/13oz Chestnut Mushrooms, washed and skin left on

1 Celery Stalk, scrubbed

Tamari

Mushroom Stock Cube + approx. 450-500mls Hot Water

2 Tsps Cornflour + a drop of Cold Water to mix

1 Tsp Miso Paste + a drop of the soup to mix

 Black Pepper

Method

Chop the celery finely and most of the mushrooms roughly, reserving a few small whole ones for garnish.

Dissolve the stock cube in the water.

Melt the oil till hot but not smoking.

Place all the celery and mushrooms in the oil, a little at a time, stirring to keep them moving.

Add a couple of splashes of tamari and a few twists of black pepper.

Stir again.

Place the lid on and leave to cook on a low heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the whole button mushrooms and leave them aside.

Add the stock, stir, replace the lid and cook for about 35-40 minutes, making sure the celery is cooked. Stir a couple of times. Don’t boil it, just let it cook gently.

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Add a little cold water to the cornflour and stir until smooth, add a spoon of soup to the mix then add it into the pan and stir on the heat until the soup is slightly thickened.

Add the miso paste then blend with a stick blender.

Add more black pepper if required.

Serve with a few button mushrooms on top.

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Copyright: Chris McGowan

This Spicy Watermelon & Grapefruit Juice Will Help Stave Off Those Winter Bugs!

img_1486This is such a refreshing and energising breakfast drink, the ginger gives it a little kick and you can feel it warming your insides as you drink it! It is a hydrating juice with electrolytes, antioxidants and it’s anti-inflammatory too. It’s such a vibrant colour, it makes you feel alive just looking at it!

Daily grapefruit is good for helping to prevent colds, so it’s important to add this amazing fruit to your diet at this time of year. See also  The Health Benefits of Grapefruit + Heart Healthy Wake-Up Juice Recipe for the full lowdown on why grapefruit is so good for you.

There’s also currently a lot of interest in the nutritional and health benefits of watermelon, which at 92% water you would be forgiven if you considered it merely a thirst-quencher on a warm, sunny day! However, they also contain among other things: Vitamins A, B1, B6, C, magnesium, potassium, copper, lycopene and amino acids.

According to recent research, watermelon may help prevent asthma, reduce blood pressure, prevent cancer, regulate digestion and reduce inflammation.

Children love it! If we put small chunks of watermelon on the table at mealtimes, it is always the first thing to disappear when children are around.

These ingredients make nearly 3 glasses of juice (depending on the size of the items used), so you can keep 1 or 2 in the fridge for later on if you don’t want to share!

All ingredients are organic. 

Ingredients

1/4 of a good-sized Mini Watermelon, peeled leaving as much pith as possible

Half to Whole Pink or Red Grapefruit, depending on size and how much you love grapefruit! Thinly peel leaving as much pith as possible

1.5″ Ginger Root

2 Medium Carrots, scrubbed, halved, peel left on

Juice the fruit and ginger between the carrots.

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Grip and Go Glass Bottles

Copyright: Chris McGowan

The Look, No Banana! Mango Smoothie Bowl

imageI nearly always start a smoothie wth a banana. I like that it thickens the smoothie but also that it has so many healthy nutrients in one ingredient and it is so satisfying.

Today, however, I went for something different: dried mango. I love mango, it is my favourite fruit: I love the juiciness, the colour and most of all the smell! But it is difficult to find them here, they are nearly always expensive and unripe.

Like avocados, they have a tendency to go off before they ripen and so when I get the urge for mango, I generally turn to the dried strips. Still organic, but not so juicy – or so messy! They take a little soaking first, so you may want to soak them in a little fresh apple juice or with the chia seeds and quinoa flakes in the coconut water for half an hour while you do something else. (This is extra yummy if you use frozen mango).

Mangoes are a good source of dietary fibre, B6, Folate, Vitamins A, C and K (necessary for bone health), and Potassium. Quinoa is a complete protein, while chia seeds are rich in vitamins, minerals, protein and essential omega fats (see also 3 Cheers for Chias! for more info on these amazing seeds plus further breakfast bowl recipes). Brazil nuts contain selenium, which some people are deficient in. (See Love Brazils? Beware Potential Selenium Overload! to read more about the symptoms of selenium deficiency and also the dangers of over-consumption).

This isn’t a particularly arty breakfast bowl, but it is simple and healthy.

All ingredients are organic, vegan and gluten-free.

Ingredients

1 Cup Dried Mango, chopped

1 Tbsp Quinoa Flakes

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds*

3 Brazil Nuts

1 Medium Glass Chi Coconut Water

Soak the above for about 30 minutes in the blender.

Blend and pour into a bowl and top with sliced apple and a sprinkling of dried coconut. 

Some smooth jazz today with some stunning natural photography.

(Ps If you’re reading this via email, you’ll have to go onto the blog to play the video)

Have a great day!

*http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Selenium Smoothie: A Light Energy Boost or Recovery Drink

Some time ago, I wrote a post about the importance of selenium in the diet, but somehow I didn’t get around to posting this recipe to accompany it. (See Love Brazils? Beware Potential Selenium Overload!) I think I was concerned I was posting too many smoothie recipes and not enough juicing ones!

This is a simple, light smoothie, but as always bear in mind my smoothie recipes are mostly meant to be meal replacements, energy boosts or recovery shakes. They contain protein, electrolytes, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals and are healthier alternatives to sugary, chemical-laden snacks and so-called energy bars and drinks.

The Brazils in this smoothie contain selenium, healthy fats and B vitamins, while the wheatgrass powder also contains selenium, B Vitamins including B6 and B12, Vitamins A, C, E and K (essential for bood clotting and bone health). Banana contains potassium for a healthy heart and B vitamins, the chia seeds are full of healthy nutrients including protein and omega fats, oats have magnesium to prevent cramping muscles and keep us calm. Dates are good sources of fibre, minerals including iron, calcium, copper and zinc, and Vitamins A, B, C and K.

Ingredients

1 Ripe Banana

2 Tbsps Gluten-Free Oats

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds*

3 Brazil Nuts

1 Medjool Date, pitted

1 Glass Coconut Water

1 Tsp Wheatgrass Powder

Soak the oats and chia seeds in the coconut water in the blender for 20 minutes for improved digestion and absorption, then blend with all the other ingredients.

*http://www.therawchocolatecompany.com/

Copyright: Chris McGowan