A Berry Good Smoothie
Shake off the winter funk with a little spring cleanse, plus GIVEAWAYS for The Farm to Table Conference and The Clean Plate Cleanse!
Photos by Leah Lizarondo
I don’t know about you, but as soon as spring forward happens, I skedaddle all my winter clothes into storage posthaste. “Winter fashion,” my friends, is the biggest oxymoron of all. And the faster we can recoup the sartorial shortage of the last few months, the better. People think I’m cray cray (it’s still 32 degrees!), but I don’t care. I. Am. Done. The days are already longer and a few days from now, the equinox will be upon us. Temperature be damned. Denial be damned. Spring is here!
And with the shedding of heavy winter clothes, also come the shedding of all the heaviness we’ve built up over the last few months. No, I don’t mean the pounds that seem to latch on to us from the Halloween candy on to Thanksgiving, to the holidays and all the cocktails on New Year’s Eve. Not to mention Valentine’s Day chocolates. Well, maybe that’s part of it. But really, over the winter months, we build up “heaviness” that doesn’t necessarily have to do with weight.
During the winter, we tend to eat richer food, move around less and certainly have less sunshine. We also eat less vegetables and fruits, primarily because they are just not in season. These all contribute to the accumulation of toxins in our bodies that nature intended to for us to shed in the spring. That’s why at the beginning of the season, the first plants that rise up are “cleansing” powerhouses: bitter greens such as dandelions and arugula, artichokes, beets and the first berries. Nature is throwing us a big hint.
Along with exorcising all the shapeless, gray clothing from my closet, I begin each season with a cleanse. Not a radical, all-liquid, lemon juice-cayenne detox (which does seem to work for some people) but a whole foods-based, clean-eating and gentle reset. For 21 days, I actually co-lead a group through The Clean Plate Cleanse, and after three weeks of clean food, I feel amazing. It’s like a burst of sunshine inside my body. I kid you not.
So with that, I share with you one of my absolute favorite smoothies. I call it the Berry Good Smoothie, because that’s just what it is. It’s a simple recipe that packs a punch. Berries are low sugar fruit that are high in vitamin C. Greens such as dandelions and kale are high in calcium, antioxidants and minerals. Dandelions in particular are rich in liver and kidney cleansing properties. Apples add fiber that helps with cleansing your digestive tract. The banana and coconut water are there to make it taste even yummier and add potassium. If you add the chia seeds, you get a healthy dose of protein to go along with all this other good stuff.
Fair warning: This is one smoothie that looks better in the “before” photo! But please don’t judge this one by looks alone. Unlike “winter fashion,” this “healthy treat” is not an oxymoron at all.
Berry Good Smoothie
Yield: Serves 2
Ingredients
- 1 ripe banana (frozen is best – peel a ripe a banana, pop in the freezer)
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1 apple (optional)
- 1 cup greens – kale, parsley, dandelions or spinach
- 1 ½ cups So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk (or other dairy alternative, except soy-based) OR 1 ½ cups coconut water
- 4 ice cubes
- Optional – 2 T chia seeds
Directions
1. Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Pour into two tall glasses.
3. If using, stir in 1 tablespoon chia seeds per glass. Drink right away!
TWO GIVEAWAYS!
What better way to begin the season than by learning about all the local bounty? The much-awaited Farm to Table Conference runs March 22-23. The Brazen Kitchen is presenting on March 23 at 1:00PM. Win two tickets (valid for the two days) by letting us know — in the comments below — what your favorite SPRING vegetable is and WHY! Winner will be drawn on Tuesday, March 19 and announced here.
Interested in learning more about The Clean Plate Cleanse? Win a $75 voucher by liking the Facebook page here. Winner will be drawn on April 1 (no foolin’!)
