by Colleen
When it comes to beauty, what you choose to eat is just as important as what you choose to put on your skin. In today’s busy day to day life it isn’t always easy to incorporate all the key ingredients for a healthy complexion into mealtimes. Starting your day with a beauty smoothie can give you a head start to a great complexion.
Key ingredients for a beauty smoothie:
Berries/fruits– for their antioxidants that help strengthen the body’s own natural defenses and helps to reduce stress at the cellular level which may lead to wrinkles and loss of firmness. Any mix of colorful fruits will work, in this recipe I have used raspberries and blueberries.
Yogurt- for it’s probiotics leading to healthy bacteria in the gut.It is essential to maintain this delicate balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut for proper digestion, absorption of vitamins and minerals and increased immunity. For this recipe I use plain greek yogurt because it adds a richness to the smoothie but has 0% fat.
Maple Syrup– with all the research on sugar, particularly fructose suggesting that it causes inflammation and inflammation can lead to aging, it’s best to leave out the sweetener or try Maple Syrup which is about 35% fructose. (maple syrup is delicious and I’m not being biased just because I hail from Canada!)
Ginger and Turmeric– for their anti-inflammatory properties.
Dulse flakes (seaweed)– rich in amino acids, can help strengthen hair ( if you use 1/2 teaspoon you won’t have any “fishy” taste in your smoothie.)
Coconut water- because it’s delicious and hydrating. You could substitute water or almond milk , but the almond milk may change the flavor somewhat.
Recipe:
1 cup of raspberries ( fresh or frozen)
1 cup of blueberries ( fresh or frozen)
6 oz. of plain greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. or to taste Maple Syrup ( canadian is best )
1/4-1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and grated
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp of dulse flakes or powder
pinch of cinnamon
Coconut water – enough to reach the consistency you desire
Blend in the blender. Makes 1-2 servings
I’m not a doctor or a nutritionist and there’s no guarantee that this smoothie will make you beautiful, but I do believe that proper nutrition is one of the keys to being the healthiest, most radiant and beautiful you.