This is one of those throw in everything but the kitchen sink superfood smoothies.
Smoothies can be like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get when you fill your blender with an array of superfoods. That’s not entirely true, you know you’re going to get an extremely healthy concoction that’s typically quite tasty.
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.
There aren’t many smoothie ingredients better than thick, creamy, and healthy Greek yogurt.
When you strain the liquid whey, lactose, and sugar from regular yogurt you’re left with the thick and creamy goodness known as Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt has roughly the same amount of calories as regular yogurt, but it contains about twice as much protein (6-ounce serving contains 15 to 20 grams) with half the sugar content.
Most health experts agree that it’s much healthier than regular yogurt.
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:
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?
Nothing like loading up the old Blendtec with green leafy goodness :)
Arugula is an underrated “super green”, in my opinion. It took me a while to warm up to its bitter and almost peppery taste, but now I consume it regularly and love making arugula green smoothies.
What’s so special about this cruciferous vegetable also known as salad or garden rocket? Here are a few of the top health benefits attributed to arugula.
Vitamins Galore
Arugula is high in vitamins A and C, which are potent antioxidants and boost the immune system. Vitamin K, which is good for the brain and helps the body absorb calcium, thus promoting bone health. And the B vitamins, especially folate, the natural source of folic acid.
