Smoothies featuring avocado

Hot and Spicy Green Smoothie

Hot and Spicy Green Smoothie Every once in a while I find myself in the mood for a hot and spicy smoothie. In order to heat up my smoothies I simply add a little chili powder or cayenne pepper.

If you haven’t tried a hot smoothie, I encourage you to give it a whirl. Besides being a nice change of pace, spices such as chili powder offer their own unique health benefits.

Chili powder is rich in vitamins A and C. Vitamin A supports your eyesight and the health of your bones, teeth, and skin. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant, boosts your immune system, and helps in recovery from injury. Chili powder is also rich in the minerals potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and iron and contains a little zinc, manganese, and selenium.

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Natural Protein Smoothie

Natural Protein Smoothie Are you looking for a protein-packed smoothie that doesn’t call for a supplement or powder, just natural protein from the ingredients?

If you search for protein smoothies around the web you’ll find most of them call for some sort of protein powder. Not that there’s anything inherently wrong with a good protein supplement (I recommend Sun Warrior and a few whey based ones), but some people would rather get their protein from whole foods and/or don’t want to shell out the cash for a high quality product. I’m starting to lean this way myself.

Part of the inspiration for this smoothie came from a brief conversation I had in the comments of a recent recipe, Greek Yogurt Smoothies. The commenter indicated not wanting to use protein powders and how he was able to craft protein rich smoothies without.

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Supergreen Aloe Smoothie

Supergreen Aloe Smoothie Greens and the wonderful superfood aloe vera combine for one super healthy smoothie.

Most people are familiar with using aloe vera topically. It’s great for burns, sunburn, rashes, acne, poison ivy, and a host of other skin conditions.

But the real magic and health benefits of aloe are experienced by those who consume it.

The gel of raw aloe contains a bevy of vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, fiber, amino acids, enzymes, and the all important polysaccharides.

Polysaccharides are carbohydrates, or long chain sugar molecules, responsible for the following health benefits:

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Tasty Turmeric Smoothie

Tasty Turmeric Smoothie Get all the wonderful health benefits of turmeric, in particular its potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, by incorporating it into this delicious and easy to make smoothie.

Turmeric has been used in Indian Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for centuries because of its superior health promoting properties. In the health circles I hang out in I feel like this “super spice” is being talked about more and more, primarily because of its superior anti-inflammatory action.

With inflammation at the root of so many illness such as arthritis, it’s important to include anti-inflammatories into your diet. With turmeric you get much more than a reducer of inflammation though.

Here’s a quick rundown of turmeric’s other health benefits.

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Spirulina Superfood Smoothie

Something that green must be good for you :)

One of the most potent and nutrient dense foods on earth, spirulina is perhaps best consumed in a smoothie.

When I first came across spirulina and began researching why it was considered a superfood, what stood out was the fact that it’s 65-70% pure protein by dry weight. Because of that I usually refer to it as the green protein queen or green gold.

Protein content aside, what’s so special about spirulina and why should you add it into your smoothies?

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Red Hot Fruit Smoothie

Red Hot Fruit Smoothie Some people like it hot and I happen to be one of them. If you enjoy spicy and moderately to very hot foods, you’ll undoubtedly like this smoothie.

Why would you want to add cayenne pepper to your smoothie, other than to heat it up?

The health benefits of cayenne pepper are vast and various. First, it’s an anti-inflammatory and inflammation plays a role in almost every health problem. It’s also anti-cancerous, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-allergen, and anti-irritant. Call it the king of anti’s :)

Looking to lose a little weight? Studies have shown that people who consume cayenne pepper for breakfast have less appetite and thus reduces caloric intake throughout the day. Cayenne also boosts metabolism, which helps the body burn excess fat.

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