RECIPE: superfood-infused strawberry-banana smoothie

I know, I know-- I've been severely slacking on my posts here. Please allow me to apologize for those that read this, and please be assured with confidence that I will be making more of an effort to spit out some new content for you soon!  (Trust me, I've got some ideas brewing.)

The truth of the matter is that I haven't exactly been practicing what I preach lately (mindless eating patterns abound along with the totally unkind side-effect of absolutely no effort put towards fitness). I'm not a particular fan of publicized hypocrisy, so I haven't felt the need to write a lot on the subject of healthy, mindful living. Also, that pesky little psychological deterrent of denial has done its damnedest to ensure I don't even come close to THINKING about the subject. (That's how these cyclical descents begin.)

That said, however, this fact in and of itself smacked some sense into me-- this is a blog about transition, a blog about effort towards change. It's not a blog about living as a perfect model of health and wellbeing, but rather the attempt to incorporate elements of that lifestyle into our very human, very happening lives. It appears that I had placed an unnecessary burden of expectation onto myself in writing these entries, and I gotta' say, it feels liberating to break free of that. Any natural transition has its bumps along the way, and I wouldn't be blogging about the experience honestly if I didn't include those in my entries. That said, expect some humbling self-reflective posts in the near future.

And now, onto the promised recipe!

The past two days, I made the most delicious, decadent, and energy-packed breakfast smoothie I've ever created. Seriously, it's not often my body and my brain are able to agree to a single standard of "good"-- or in this case, GREAT-- but somehow this smoothie has encouraged both to come to an enthusiastic agreement. It not only delivers the detoxifying and cleansing kindness of fruits, but it also packs the punch with three of my favorite energy-encouraging superfoods: chia seeds, maca powder, and wheatgrass. May I present:

Superfood-Infused Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

Ingredients: 

• 2 medium-large bananas 
• 5-10 frozen strawberries (no added sugar)
• a single serving of vanilla meal replacement shake powder (I use 2 scoops of Naturade Total Soy Vanilla-- may use any natural vanilla product as a replacement to make recipe vegan) 
• 3 tsp maca powder 
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 2-3 tbsp pure wheatgrass powder
• 2 hand-scoops of ice cubes
• 16 ounces of water.

Directions: Put all ingredients into a blender and blend on high until smooth and frothy. Makes two 16-ish oz smoothies-- perfect for sharing!

For those on Weight Watchers, the whole blender-full is 6 points total on the Points Plus 2012 program. (I've recently rejoined. More on this later.)

I would love to add some greens into this concoction the next time I'm able to pick some up. I have a feeling it would be very easy to blend a bit of spinach, kale, or romaine lettuce in without changing the flavor much. If anyone reading this has any further suggestions or tweaks to up the ante on this smoothie's nutritional density, please share! The great thing about smoothies is that they are completely customizable and open to interpretation; there is never a hard-and-fast in deciding what goes into them.

Based on the energetic rush I get from all the natural ingredients in this smoothie, I feel it could be particularly good for those trying to cut back/cut out their morning coffee intake. Between this (as an energy booster) and some roasted herbal chicory root tea (as a caffeine-free coffee substitute), I have a feeling this could do wonders in easing some of the transitional longing that comes with giving up one's morning coffee. Another plus? The energy that comes from the ingredients in the smoothie will provide a prolonged, even, and natural energy throughout the day-- which stands in stark contrast to the jittery high and subsequent mid-morning crash that comes from coffee. Just a thought. :)

with metta, 

Charlot