Sunset smoothie
Today is all about creating the perfect complete meal smoothie. While you can find thousands of smoothie recipes online, they do not teach you to create complete meals. Why? Because some recipe developers and chefs focus on taste and presentation, I focus on functionality. It doesn't mean they are wrong, and I am right; we see food through different lenses.
If you follow me, you will learn that it is optimal to focus on functional foods rather than taste and appearance. We all want to eat what we love and like, but that is not necessarily good for us. Food affects biology!
My scope of practice is to educate my clients and followers on creating healthy, sustainable, complete, healing meals. Food is medicine, and the faster you understand this concept, the closer you are to healing some of your health problems.
Now, is this smoothie for everyone? No! We all have different nutritional needs, different dietary concepts we have to follow, taste buds, preferences, food sensitivities, restrictions, etc. If you are uncertain about what foods are best for you, I suggest you find a health practitioner to guide you or reach out to me. I am here to help in any way I can.
Ok, let's get started with this complete meal, and what do I mean by this. If you follow this simple concept, you are on the right track to health. ALL YOUR MEALS SHOULD HAVE PROTEIN/FAT/FIBER. Simple as that!
So what can you use for protein in your smoothies? Protein powder, collagen powder, marine collagen, vegan collagen, hemp seeds, silky tofu, and other protein sources allowed on your diet.
What about fiber? Fruits, veggies, greens, chia seeds, flax meal, hemp seeds, fiber supplements, etc.
Fat sources? You can add MCT oil, coconut oil, avocados, nuts, seeds, and nut butter.
The sunset smoothie is one of the many recipes I'll include in the Gut TERRApia meal plan. My first meal plan will be a simple approach to the concept of non-negotiables. Non-negotiables are gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free; this is a base concept of Functional Nutrition.
You will also notice that I am obsessed with eating the rainbow, and sometimes by coordinating colors, you create a more appealing finished product. Particularly in smoothies and cream soups, I like sticking to the same colors and not having a brown funny looking mess that I don't want to eat because it looks like baby poo. You are free and encouraged to find what works best for you.
Orange foods are associated with creativity, activity, fun personality, and relaxation. If you don't like my choice of orange foods for this smoothie, please create your own. Other orange foods are apricots, butternut squash, cantaloupe, nectarines, papayas, peaches, persimmons, pumpkin, rutabagas, yellow summer or winter squash, and sweet potatoes. Again, find a version that appeals to your taste buds.
RECIPE
Ingredients
1 medium orange or 4 tangerines, peeled, seedless
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
1 cup frozen mango
1 tablespoon hemp seeds
1 tablespoon flax meal
1 serving protein of choice(paleo, vegan, or collagen powder)
1 cup almond milk, unsweetened, or plant milk of choice
1 cup coconut water
1 pinch pink Himalayan salt, sea salt, or Celtic salt
1 tablespoon nut/seed butter of choice
ice (optional)
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender.
Process at high speed until well combined.
You may want to add ice (or cold water), depending on how cold and thick you like your smoothie.
Enjoy!
As usual, these are my thoughts and ideas, not medical advice. You are encouraged to create your own recipes or search for some suited to your needs. I am just sharing my opinions, hoping that I can help some of you to make better choices.
Please remember that we all have different nutritional needs and that food affects us differently. If you are not sure which foods are best for you, reach out for a free phone consultation.
In good health,
Ioana