Green Beauty Smoothie

​Introducing the Beauty Green Smoothie, a new tool to add to your skincare routine! This smoothie is loaded with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, antioxidants, specifically those I target for great skin, hair, and nail health in my daily routine and also for my clients. Not only are you nourishing your skin on a cellular level with this smoothie, but it’s also simple to make and tastes amazing!

The Beauty Green Smoothie contains strawberries, acai, spinach, coconut oil, chia seeds, and more whole food ingredients perfect for radiant skin. It’s rich in vitamins C, A, K, zinc, iron, protein, fiber, and healthy fats. The mixture of greens, sweet fruits, and healthy fats make this smoothie really creamy and completely satisfying- it can easily become a meal by adding a bit extra healthy fats or protein to the mix as I share below.

Beauty comes from within. This is such a true statement on many levels, but for the topic of today external beauty truly does start from within. What we put in our bodies (and on top of our skin), impacts the way our skin is. Whether it be dry, oily, aging quicker than you’d like, or glowing, soft and smooth; our lifestyle impacts our skin. This smoothie isn’t just for those of you interested in anti-aging or fighting the free radical damage that comes with the territory of daily living, but for anyone who has suffered from skin issues, rashes, or if you’re after that natural “glow”.
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Fun fact // researchers found that those who consume vitamin A rich foods, beta carotene in particular, were found more attractive. Can you guess why? The natural “glow” many consumers of vitamin A rich foods experienced, literally made their skin glow with a natural golden hue from the beta carotene. 

​This smoothie contains essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients vital for healthy skin and work on a cellular level providing your cells with nourishment. Take vitamin C for example, found in the acai, spinach and strawberries, all are loaded with vitamin C which is important for the production of collagen, maintaining skin integrity, and fighting damaging aging free radicals. Carrots and spinach are both high in vitamin A, which plays an important role in skin, hair, and nail health for it’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.

The acai, chia seeds, and coconut oil all contain healthy fats which are vital for healthy hormonal production which leads to healthy hair, skin, and nails as well. Chia seeds in particular have omega-3 fatty acids alongside protein, iron, zinc, calcium and provides a feeling of fullness after eating due to their unique “gel-like” fiber structure (read more about chia here). I love adding in pumpkin seeds and brown rice protein both for protein and giving the smoothie a bit more substance- it’s also a great way to help stabilize blood sugars when it’s mixed with carbohydrates, a win win! Pumpkin seeds are high in zinc, which is often overlooked when it comes to beauty and it shouldn’t be! It’s incredibly important for thousands of functions in the human body, but especially with healthy metabolism, thyroid, hormonal, and you guess it, hair and skin health. Many practitioners actually supplement patients who suffer from acne with zinc (although always check with your MD first, this isn’t for everyone).

fter a long day of working and shooting, some times it feels so good just to make a quick smoothie and relax. I love making this with a little extra dates or fruit to make it sweet as a dessert smoothie. If all of these powerful nutrients don’t convince you to add this smoothie into your beauty routine, I don’t know what will! I’ve been getting so many emails requesting foods and recipes specifically for improving skin, it was perfect timing to share with you all this beloved smoothie of mine. Enjoy this for breakfast, as a snack, or even for dessert. It’s great with added ice or even half frozen pear or banana to give it a bit more carbohydrate and calorie content- as always adjust it to your goals and needs.

BEAUTY GREEN SMOOTHIE
Author: Emma Olliff, CNM NT, BANT, CNHC
Recipe type: smoothie, breakfast
Prep time:  5 mins
Total time:  5 mins
Serves: 1
 
A thick, creamy green smoothie loaded with healthy fats, protein, and nutrients important for overall skin health.

Raw VGN
INGREDIENTS
1 cup coconut milk
2 handfuls organic spinach
½ cup strawberries, frozen or fresh
½ cup blueberries, frozen or fresh
½ cup organic carrots, fresh
2-3 dates, pitted
1 tablespoon spirulina
2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon maca
1 scoop vegan protein powder
1 packet frozen acai pulp (or use 1 tablespoon acai powder)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Simply add all the ingredients to a high speed blender/vitamix and blend until smooth. If you're using a traditional blender, I recommend adding the liquid and carrot first since the carrot is the hardest to blend, followed by the remaining ingredients.
2. Adjust dates for sweetness.
3. May add ice to chill further.
4. Serve immediately and enjoy chilled!

Notes
PROTEIN // use whichever plant-based protein you enjoy, I like Arbonne  for this one
ACAI // try Sambazon or Organic Burst
Side note, if you don't' have spirulina, this smoothie will not turn out this colour.

I hope you all love this one as much as I do, be sure to show me your creations on Instagram: #eatgorgeous

Of course drinking 1 smoothie isn’t going to improve your skin radically, it’s about so many other factors in your lifestyle as well. If you suffer from serious skin issues, it may be time to take a deeper look into your lifestyle and nutrition and come up with a plan to support healthy hormone production and skin health. I’d be happy to chat with you, make a reservation today for the Beauty & Skin Food Consultation.

​Emma x