When I was a little girl, I woke up every morning looking forward to a bowl of Apple Cinnamon Cheerios. Or Frosted Mini Wheats. Or- if I was on vacation, Mom’s rule- Lucky Charms. Things have changed. I’m not looking to jumpstart my day with a crash-and-burn sugar and carb fest. I’m looking for an easy way to pack in nutrients and superfood ingredients so that I can feel great the rest of the morning and make sure my body gets what it needs right away. Enter the green smoothie. Hate it or love it, it’s here to stay.
A typical green smoothie might include a banana, an apple and more fruit on top of that. I’ve subbed in cucumber for all the fruit, but included half a banana for creaminess. Cucumbers have less sugar than apples, and are water-heavy, extra hydrating and have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. Since I’m always looking for ingredients that may help my skin, I added coconut oil (anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, antioxidant- basically more benefits than I count) and aloe vera gel (also anti-inflammatory) to make a skin-saving green smoothie. It’s just slightly sweet, smooth and coconut-y and supplies you with what you- and your skin- need to survive early morning traffic, late nights working and a weekend of spicy food and donuts.
Ingredients:
- 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped into chunks.
- 1 frozen banana, broken into chunks (make sure it’s frozen-makes it extra creamy!)
- 1 small handful spinach
- 2-3 kale leaves
- 1/2 cup coconut milk (or other alt milk)
- 1/4 cup aloe vera
- 3-4 tablespoons of coconut oil
- 3 drops liquid stevia, optional
- pinch pink salt, optional
How to:
- Blend all ingredients on high in blender for 1-2 minutes, until smooth. Stevia and salt are optional, but will add a little extra flavor.
Makes one serving.
flourish-live-inspired.com 