It's summer time somewhere and from a Chinese medicine perspective this is when I tell my clients that it is safe to add in some raw fruit and veg to the diet. In fact, the cleansing and anti-inflammatory effects of a plant-based diet comes when you eat a fair amount of raw food. This doesn't work for everyone and it certainly doesn't work for me on a consistent basis, but in summer, this is my breakfast style of choice. Making a smoothie bowl is so easy and your entire family will love to create their own. This is my favorite way to start a hot summer day.
It goes without saying that fruit is sweet, but when we eat the whole fruit, we use the sugar at a slower rate and the body doesn’t fly into a sugar high. If you tend to get bloated when you ingest raw food, play around with spices like fennel, cardamom, ginger and cinnamon, adding them directly to your blender.
When using fresh greens in a smoothie, here’s my little secret: Add the greens of choice to the liquid and blend this first before adding any fruit. It will ensure that all the leaves are pulverized into liquid.
INGREDIENTS
1 c/ frozen mango
1/2 frozen banana
1 c/spinach
1/2 avocado
1 c/ coconut milk
FOR GARNISH
1 tablespoon hemp seeds
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1 teaspoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon pumpkin seeds
¼ cup mixed nuts and dried fruit
2 tablespoons buckwheat groats (I love these for the CRUNCH!)
1 tablespoon cacao nibs
1/2 cup fresh fruit
Assemble ingredients, except garnish, into a Vitamix or high powered blender. Mix until smooth and creamy. You may have to work at this a bit by turning machine on and off to stir things up. You want it to be thick, like ice cream. Pour into bowls and sprinkle with garnish items. Eat immediately.
Side note: Did you know that flax seeds have the highest source of vegan omega-3 fatty acid potential? Eat ‘em up to keep your joints happy! And while hemp seeds do come from the cannabis sativa plant, they won’t get you high, but they are high in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids as well as protein.
SHOPPING LIST:
frozen mango, frozen banana, spinach, avocado, coconut milk, hempseed, Chia seeds, mixed nuts and dried fruit, buckwheat groats, cacao nibs