Last year around this time I was taking multiple tests to figure out what was going on with my health. Along with taking care of things on the medical side, I also started making changes to what I ate. If you want to make positive changes with your nutrition just know it’s a process. You can’t do everything all at once but each small change is a step in the right direction.
I’m sharing things here that I’ve done to improve my health but in no way, shape or form am I a nutritionist or medical professional. I’m sharing to inspire you, not to force you to do anything you don’t want to do or that may not be right for your body.
I know for me if something is simple and easy I’ll stick with it. I want to show you what I did with my favorite smoothie to supercharge the health benefits.
Most mornings I’ll make a smoothie which consists of frozen or fresh berries and a really ripe banana. Since having HPV Throat Cancer last year, I’ve been finding ways to add in superfoods and healthy ingredients to the food I eat whenever possible.
Here’s what I did to revamp my smoothie and give it an extra nutritional boost.
1 – Taking Out… I never liked dairy based smoothies so I always used orange juice for the liquid. As I started to cut down on sugar, I used less orange juice and substituted in water until eventually it became all water.
2 – Adding In…
Chia Seeds – if you’ve never had chia seeds think of poppy seeds on a poppy seed bagel. You know those little black things that get caught in your teeth? Chia seeds are like that but are now considered a modern superfood. They are loaded with nutrients and antioxidents.
Flaxseed – Flaxseeds are rich in dietary fiber, loaded with nutrients and again, may reduce cancer risk. I needed flaxseed meal for another recipe so since I had that I’ve been using it but other times I use regular flaxseeds.
Fresh Spinach – Not to play favorites or anything but spinach really isn’t one of my favorite leafy greens. It’s no kale!! When it’s raw it feels weird on my teeth and then it always seems watery when I saute it with garlic and olive oil. I do want the health benefits of spinach though so now I add a handful of spinach into my smoothie. I know you’re thinking it sounds gross but believe me, you really can’t taste it!! This is why I suggest using really ripe bananas!! It naturally sweetens the smoothie and minimizes the taste of the spinach!! Spinach is loaded with nutrients and dark leafy vegetables in general are supposed to be good for lowering the risk of cancer.
The thing that’s great about these extra ingredients is they are easily and readily available in regular supermarkets which make sit super easy. No need to make an extra trip. Also none of these ingredients change the taste of the smoothie so you still get the flavor of the berries and banana.
I don’t measure when I make a smoothie. I put all the ingredients into the Nutribullet and whiz it up. I use 1 banana, a handful of berries, a handful of spinach a pinch of flaxseeds and chia seeds and add in filtered water.
I encourage you to do your own research on these ingredients so you can educate yourself on the health benefits.
Let me know in the comments what you put into your favorite smoothie…
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