Chocolate Boost Smoothie
This smoothie is SUCH a treat in the morning: it tastes like you are drinking a milkshake for breakfast! Of course, this smoothie is far from a milkshake: low sugar, vegan, and a ton of nutritional boosts from the spinach, cacao and maca.
For this smoothie I've used a mix of cacao and Activate, an awesome superfood powder from Harmonic Arts. Activate has cacao, maca and a blend of mushrooms which tastes just like cacao with an extra boost. Mushrooms are fantastic to add into your diet: they act as "tonifiers" for your immune system. This means that they support your immune system when it needs to be revved up, but they also assist in down-regulating your immune system when it no longer needs to be hyper-activated. The maca also provides an energy boost- sometimes I skip my morning coffee if I'm having this smoothie! If you have mushroom powder or maca, you can add that in by itself as well.
I use cacao in this recipe, but you can substitute for cocoa- their tastes are very similar. Cacao is a less processed form of cocoa, and contains magnesium, iron and fibre (even more reasons to have chocolate for breakfast! ;))
*If you don't have Activate, you can just double the cacao.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup almond milk
½ frozen banana
1 cup spinach
1 heaping tbsp cacao (or 2 if not using Activate)
1 heaping tbsp Activate
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use Genuine Health Fermented Vegan Protein)
4-5 ice cubes
INSTRUCTIONS
Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth. If you don't have protein powder, add an extra half banana.
Disclaimer: Information can be empowering, but we all have unique health profiles and needs. Health-related information contained in this post is intended to be general in nature and should not be used as a substitute for a visit with a Naturopathic Doctor. The advice is intended to offer only a general basis for individuals to discuss their medical condition with their health care provider. Always consult your licensed Naturopathic Physician.