Refreshing Pineapple Mint Smoothie

I don’t know what really happens every spring (sun light maybe?!) but I feel there’s something very energising and metabolism-boosting about the spring. Now that weather is finally getting warmer I want to share a hydrating smoothie recipe that is loaded with minerals and electrolytes (read: coconut water!) to naturally cleanse and rebalance the body.

You are born with everything you need to detoxify. Your body is designed to cleanse itself of all kinds environmental and naturally occurring toxins through the liver, kidneys, lymph, and skin. All we need to do is to support the functions of these organs in order to avoid toxin buildup and inflammation throughout the body. And the easiest and most affordable way to do that is by adopting a healthy balanced diet and use food as medicine.

Drinking a big class of green smoothie is tantamount to eating a bowl of green salad. If you struggle with getting your daily servings of greens, fruits and vegetables, start your day by drinking green smoothies. As a base for my smoothies I love to use plenty of leafy greens and a banana (fresh or frozen) for creamy texture. Eating plenty of raw greens, fruits, and berries will ensure you have tons of live enzymes in your system to help breakdown heavier foods. They will also improve the alkalinity in your blood.

I decided to add spirulina to this recipe which I hadn’t used for a while. We thrive on chlorophyll-rich foods, and spirulina, in particular, is super high in various vitamins and minerals, and it’s amazing at providing energy, restoring hair and skin health, and supporting brain function. Spirulina is one of the most complete food sources in the world: it’s high in antioxidants and contains 60% protein. It also has plant-based non-heme iron that is best absorbed in the presence of vitamin C. Thus, I decided to add pineapple, fresh berries and fresh lemon juice to this recipe as well. Just one cup of pineapple provides 88% of the your daily Vitamin C needs, and it’s packed with bromelain (which supports digestion).

Refreshing Pineapple Mint Smoothie 

MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS 

Ingredients:

1 cup water or coconut water 

kale leaves (stems removed) 

1 baby bok choy

1 handful of fresh spinach

1 frozen banana

1 cup pineapple 

3/4 cup of any berries 

Add-Ins: 

1 tbsp spirulina 

Fresh mint leaves 

Lemon juice

Directions:

1. Wash all produce well.

2. Cut and dice the banana and pineapple.

3. Add the water, lemon juice and the greens to the blender. Blend until smooth.

4. Add the pineapple and berries. Blend until smooth.

5. Add the banana and spirulina. Blend until smooth.

6. Pour smoothie into a glass.
   

Enjoy with gratitude!