Warming Spices Smoothie

A smoothie is a wonderful way to consume good nutrition. If you are like me and you don’t necessarily think of a smoothie when the weather is wintery and cold out then this Warming Spice Smoothie is the answer. It is an earthy, satisfying, healthy smoothie and not a very sweet smoothie, like ones you are used to with fruits made in warmer weather. When it’s cold out and there is a chill in the bones, this smoothie with the warming spices is perfect as the spices will warm and nourish your body subtly. These spices are known to raise your body temperature and retain body heat to make you feel warmer. If you don’t want it very cold, use a fresh banana and not a frozen one and let the other fridge ingredients sit out for a bit to get to room temperature.

Let’s go through the spices and their benefits:

Cinnamon – contains anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal properties in an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory spice. It provides support for digestion and gut health, reduced blood pressure and lowers blood sugar.

Ginger – raises body temperature, promotes healthy ageing, promotes healthy cell health, a potent antioxidant, promotes heart health.

Turmeric – a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant to support whole health, turmeric is especially supportive in improving symptoms of arthritis, the active component in this spice, curcumin, is beneficial in supporting heart health and brain health and is the component that heats the body. Two ways to increase the benefits of turmeric when consuming it is to include a pinch of black pepper and, or, a source of fat (the almond butter in this recipe).

Allspice – reduces inflammation, is an antiseptic, and an anti-fungal and promotes digestion and gut health.

In addition to these spices in the smoothie - the hemp hearts provide valuable essential fatty acids, the carrot provides fiber and Vit A, the banana potassium, the zucchini VitA and Vit C, manganese and lutein to support vision health and the nutritious goji berries are high in fiber, protein, VitA and VitC, copper and selenium.

So you see, in one glass of this yummy smoothie, you are getting a powerful boost of wonderful nutrition! And an inner warming up!

As always, when you make this recipe, please post a photo of your smoothie goodness and tag my IG account or leave a comment with your thoughts!

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cook time: No cook time / Total: 10 minutes / Makes: 2+ cups

Ingredients:

• 1 small banana – cut into pieces & frozen, or a fresh banana

• 1 small Carrot – peeled and chopped

• 1/3 Cup Zucchini – chopped (Alternate – 1/3 cup packed spinach or kale)

• 1 Tablespoon Almond Butter

• 1 Tablespoon Hemp Hearts

• 1 Tablespoon Goji Berries (optional)

• 1 Tablespoon of chopped or grated Ginger

• 1½ Tablespoons Coconut (sweetened or unsweetened as you prefer)

• ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon

• 1/8 teaspoon Turmeric

• 1 grind of fresh or a pinch of ground Black Pepper

• ¼ teaspoon Allspice or Nutmeg (optional but I highly recommend it!)

• 1 Cup Almond Milk (or another plant-based milk of your choice)

• 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup or Honey (optional)

How It’s Made:

Add everything to a blender and whirl away until it is smooth. Taste and adjust as you wish – more of one spice, more almond butter, more coconut… as your preference dictates. Remember, this is not supposed to be a sweet smoothie unless you make it so with extra maple syrup or honey!

Enjoy!