smoothie – Michelle Marie Health & Wellness

Anti-Inflammatory Green Smoothie

Happy Monday! I wanted to share my favorite anti-inflammatory green smoothie recipe that leaves me feeling detoxed, replenished, and energized; what better way to start your week?!

What I love most about this smoothie is that it does not deprive you of any nutrients or calories; it is a complete meal with both protein and healthy fats to keep you full and feeling great. The recipe calls for turmeric, a spice which contains a compound called, curcumin, which is the most powerful anti-inflammatory compound in the world! Studies have shown that turmeric has properties for fighting all sorts of medical issues even better than some prescription drugs. Adding turmeric into your diet is easy to do and a huge win!

greensmoothie_2

Anti-Inflammatory Green Smoothie

Ingredients :
2-3 handfuls of kale/spinach
1 cup of almond milk
1 banana
1/2 cup mango
1/2 avocado (optional)*
1/2 tsp of ginger
1/2 tsp of turmeric
1/2 tsp maca powder (optional)*
Protein choices:
1-2 scoops of all natural plant protein powder (recommend vanilla/vanilla chai flavor)
2-3 tbs of hemp seeds, flax seeds or chia seeds (or a combination of two)

*two optional ingredients that have GREAT health benefits:
Avocado: is a great addition to your morning smoothie because of its nutrients and healthy fat content. Dr Lipman suggests having 1/2 avocado daily with breakfast for sustained energy and fullness. It adds an amazing creamy texture to your smoothie as well!
Maca Powder: is a great superfood that is known to boost energy, libido, improve skin & hair and even balance hormones. It adds a great strong flavor that compliments the ginger and turmeric as well.

Directions:

Fill up your blender with all of the ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy.
Portion into a glass and enjoy! 🙂

Behind the Scenes at Thirst Juice Co.

Thirst Juice Co

I had the pleasure of heading into downtown Boston this past weekend and get a private taste testing experience of the Thirst Juice Co menu. I brought my sister along for the experience after we got a serious butt kicking at a BFX studio class that morning – what a perfect way to refuel!

Thirst recently opened in Boston this past year and just announced it will be expanding to a second location, out in my neck of the woods, in Wellesley, Ma. Thirst Juice Co was founded by Heather Stevenson and her husband Chris. Both of them ditched their corporate jobs in New York City and came to Boston to share and promote their love for health and nutrition. Thirst Juice Co really prides itself on the fact that EVERYTHING on their menu is healthy. Heather and Chris work very hard to experiment and combine the perfect ingredients for each of their menu items. Everything on their menu is raw, gluten free and vegan.

I have really fallen in love with this company because of Heather and Chris’s vision and strong passion to share with Boston how important healthy eating really is. Heather and Chris are all about staying local and can easily be found at any fun fitness event taking place in and around the city! I am super excited to team up with these two for future events (especially in Wellesley, keep your eyes open for some fun things!).

So let’s get into the good stuff…

The first item I tried was the “Field of Dreams” juice. This is a green juice made with escarole, cucumber, apple and jalepeno. I gravitated towards this juice because I love spicy and was also totally intrigued by the escarole. This juice was light, refreshing and packed a little heat from the jalepeno! Next we tried the “Buddhabeet” juice. This is a beet based juice with carrot, pear, pineapple and ginger. This was a fan favorite because of its sweet but slightly tangy taste. Lastly we tried the “Kale-Idoscope” juice which was comprised of kale, spinach, carrot and pineapple. This juice was super light and the carrot gave it a more mild taste which I loved.

Next it was time for a smoothie; I chose the Vitamin “G”reen. This is the usual for me – I always pick a green smoothie so I decided to put this one up to the test. This smoothie was out of this world. The flavoring from the mango and pineapple combined masked the strong “green” taste which made it creamy and delicious.

Okay now on to my favorite; the Peanut Butter Acai Bowl. This bowl blended acai berries, peanut butter, cacao powder, blueberries, banana, and almond milk; then is topped with gluten free granola. This gluten free granola is a combination of oats, almonds, and pumpkin seeds – and within one bite, my sister and I literally fell in love.

I cannot say enough great things about Thirst Juice Co; between their mission and vision for the city of Boston and soon to be suburbs and the passion from the co-founders to make a difference is something to support! Definitely run (not walk) to Thirst Juice Co to try one of their amazing menu items!

Superfoods 101

Superfoods-by-Simone-Samuel — via youngandraw.com

Superfood is a word thrown around these days and is associated with many different foods. Superfoods, in definition, are a group of foods that are the most potent, super-concentrated, and nutrient dense. Superfoods have amazing abilities to increase and change the energy and vitality in one’s body for optimum health; boosting immune system, enhancing sexuality, cleansing, detoxifying, and alkalizing. This all being said, superfoods are something you have to be careful incorporating into your diet. They should be portioned correctly and used consistently to see the health benefits. Here are five of my favorite superfoods that all can be bought at Whole Foods, online, and sometimes even in T.J.Maxx (keep your eyes out).

Maca: This superfood contains 5x more protein than a potato and 4x more fiber! It is known for its amazing ability to increase one’s energy, strength, and libido. Dried Maca powder contains more than 10% protein and 20 different amino acids. Maca is a superfood you need to be extra careful with and only portion out one to two tbs per day.

Spirulina, Chlorella & Other Blue Algeas: Spirulina is the highest source of complete protein in the world at 65%. It also provides a wide variety of minerals, phytonutrients and enzymes. Chlorella is another amazing superfood (the #1 superfood on the planet) because of its high chlorophyll content. Chlorophyll is known to reduce inflammation, promote cleansing within the body, improves skin and odor, aids in digestion, and has anti-cancer fighting properties.

Goji Berries: These little red berries are known for their strength building properties and their ability to increase one’s longevity. Goji Berries contain 18 different amino acids (including the 8 essential), over 20 different minerals, high amounts of antioxidants, iron and B& E vitamins.

Cacao: This is the nut/seed of a fruit in the Amazon. It is RAW chocolate and is the #1 source of antioxidants, magnesium, iron, manganese and chromium on the planet! Cacao is known to improve cardiovascular health, improve bone strength, boosts mood and energy levels, and increases longevity. Yes, eating chocolate can help your chances of living longer (with other good healthy habits of course).

Bee Pollen: This superfood contains almost all of the B vitamins, including a great amount of folate, as well as all 21 essential amino acids which make it a complete protein. Honey (another bee product) is an easier way to get this same superfood side effect as well. Organic honey is rich in antioxidants, probiotics, and enzymes. Honey is a great substitute in cooking and baking for any type of sugar or sweetener.

A great easy way to start adding a mix of superfoods into your daily routine for a low price is with the ALOHA line of “Daily Good” dried juices. These are so easy to mix with water, nut milk or toss in a smoothie, yogurt or oatmeal. Each one is packed with a unique combination of superfoods. Want to try them out? Use my code: SUNSF33 for 20% your first order 🙂

Other great superfood companies are Navitas Naturals and Organic Burst.

Back on Track Green Smoothie

Did you have too much chocolate and wine over the weekend or is this cold winter weather leading you to overindulge?

Here is my favorite Green Smoothie recipe that makes me feel detoxed, replenished, and kick starts me to get back on track during the week..

What I love most about this smoothie is that it does not deprive you of any nutrients or calories. It is a complete meal that just makes you feel great.

greensmoothie_2

Ingredients (2 servings):
4 handfuls of kale/spinach
2 cups of almond or coconut milk
2 bananas
1 mango
1 avocado (optional)*
1 tsp of ginger
1 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp – 1 tsp maca powder (optional)*
Protein (choose 1-2):

1-2 scoops of all natural plant protein powder (recommend vanilla/vanilla chai flavor)
2-3 tbs of hemp seeds, flax seeds or chia seeds (or a combination of two)
2 tbs of almond butter
1/2 cup of cooked quinoa

*two optional ingredients that have GREAT health benefits:
– Avocado: is a great addition to your morning smoothie because of its nutrients and healthy fat content. Dr Lipman suggests having 1/2 avocado daily with breakfast for sustained energy and fullness. It adds an amazing creamy texture to your smoothie as well!
– Maca powder: is a newly discovered Superfood that is known to boost energy, libido, improve skin & hair and even balance hormones. It adds a great strong flavor that compliments the ginger and cinnamon as well.

Directions:

Fill up your blender with all of the ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy.
Portion into two glasses and enjoy! Can easily store the second serving for the next morning 🙂

Tag Archives: smoothie

Anti-Inflammatory Green Smoothie

Behind the Scenes at Thirst Juice Co.

Superfoods 101

Back on Track Green Smoothie

This article also appears on Women’s iLab to inspire the next generation of female leaders.