This past week my skin has thrown a fit and given me the worst breakout I’ve ever had. In an effort to get rid of the breakout as soon as possible, chocolate has taken a backseat and fruit has come to the forefront. I figured that the quickest and easiest way that I’d get some of my five a day is through having a smoothie in the morning. While I’m not exactly a morning person (read: not at all), I tried to find a way that would make making smoothies as easy as possible. The result? I came up with the idea of making smoothie ‘packs’ at the start of the week and then freezing them, so they were ready to go every morning.
The ingredients I used were:
A handful of spinach – Spinach helps to clear blemishes, improves complexion and repairs skin thanks to its rich Vitamin A and Vitamin C content. It is best to use spinach fresh, so if you know that you will use the whole bag before it goes out of date, try not to freeze it.
One banana, sliced – Bananas are one of the best energy-giving foods and help to stabilise your blood sugars, helping to improve your mood as a result.
A handful of strawberries, sliced – Packed with Vitamin C and antioxidants, strawberries are my favourite fruit to add to a smoothie or to eat on their own. They aid the production of collagen, which keeps your skin looking young, and also help healthy digestion.
A handful of raspberries – These little berries are also packed full of antioxidants and Vitamin C, they may be small but they are powerful!
A handful of blueberries – Containing minerals like iron, magnesium, manganese and potassium, as well as increasing the production of dopamine (the ‘happy’ chemical), blueberries are literally little packages of goodness.
I add one ‘pack’ to my blender, then add a teaspoon of coconut oil, half a cup of almond milk and half a cup of low fat yogurt. Sometimes I throw in a teaspoon of peanut butter, lemon juice and any other fruit that I have lying around. Don’t let the colour of the smoothie scare you, it tastes great, I swear! Of course you can chop and change what you like, with kale, apples and oranges other great super foods to add to your smoothie.
While I’m no nutritionist, I can safely say that this smoothie is packed full of goodness and has many benefits for your hair, skin, body and mind.
I hope that everyone is having a good weekend, Share a Smile Sundays #5 will be up tomorrow!
*Work for a cause, not for applause. Live life to express, not to impress*