Superfood Smoothies Resized · always have something tasty to hand to throw in a shake. Fruit that freezes really well includes: banana (ripen first), ... Probiotics have so many

S U P E R F O O D

MAY 2016

S M O O T H I E

R E C I P E S

WWW.NIAMHBURKENUTRITION.COM

Copyright © 2016 Niamh Burke Nutrition,All rights reserved.

http://www.niamhburkenutrition.com/

MAKING A SMOOTHIE

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PROTEIN & F IBRE

A smoothie is a great opportunity to get some extra vegetablesand superfoods into your diet. Smoothies have exploded inpopularity recently but unfortunately most health sites don'tmention that it's not ideal to overindulge in raw greens. For 2 reasons:1. They are high in oxalic acid which binds to minerals in thedigestive tract preventing us from absorbing them.2. A lot of raw greens contain goitrogens, which can negativelyimpact the thyroid. For this reason I usually skip raw greens in my smoothies and Irecommend buying frozen spinach, which is cooked before it'sfrozen.

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GREENS

Adding extra protein and fibre to your Smoothie will slow downthe release of sugar from the fruit helping to keep your bloodsugar stable and your waist trim. Add 2 tablespoons of wholeor ground seeds to your shake like chia, hemp or flax. Theseseeds are also naturally high in protein and fibre as well asomega 3!

MAKING A SMOOTHIE

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Fats help curb cravings for sugar and keep us full for longerwhile supplying us with valuable energy. Plant based fatssuch as avocado, coconut oil, nuts or seeds, are the best fatsto add to a smoothie or shake.

FRUIT


Berries are a great addition to any shake becasue they areso high in antioxidants and low in sugar! You can buy yourfruit in bulk, prepare it and then freeze it, that way youalways have something tasty to hand to throw in a shake. Fruit that freezes really well includes: banana (ripen first),pineapple, berries, grapes, orange segments, ginger and evenavocado!

Tip : I f you are us ing h igher sugar fru its l ikebananas just use half at a t ime.

HEALTHY FATS

MAKING A SMOOTHIE

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o Supergreen Powders are excellent detoxifiers. My favourite isNUA Supergreen+ as they also contain probiotics!


SUPERFOOD POWDERSYou can use 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of the following to boost your Smoothie!

o Ceylon cinnamon – helps manage blood sugar by increasinginsulin sensitivity (it supports weight loss). It’s also an amazinganti aging food! If you can't find Ceylon, organic cinnamon isalso ok. Make sure you purchase your herbs and spices fromthe health food shop otherwise the likelihood of them beingirradiated is high which can destroy the beneficial plantcompounds. o Maca is an energy boosting superfood which also boostsfertility and helps to balance out the hormones. GelatinisedMaca (available on nourish.ie) is the best choice as raw macacan have a suppressive effect on the thyroid.

o Raw Cacao is low in sugar and high in iron, zinc andmagnesium. Cacao is a natural mood enhancer – that’s why wecrave chocolate during our cycle!

MAKING A SMOOTHIE

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Kefir was originally discovered in the Caucasus mountains onthe border of Europe and Asia where scientists were intriguedby how the people of the area were living such extraordinarylong and healthy lives!! It’s fantastic superfood to add to yourdiet and now that smoothies and nutribullets are so popularyou can easily add kefir to a delicious shake!


PROBIOTICS Probiotics have so many health benefits ranging fromsupporting digestion to improving detoxification and they evenhelp to prevent cancer. We’ve only recently begun tounderstand the extent of the gut’s role in human health anddisease. Studies are now indicating a direct link between yourgut flora and obesity –> Faulty gut flora can actually promoteweight loss resistance. *Diversity of gut microbes is key whenit comes to a healthy gut and kefir is one of the most diverseof all the fermented foods containing anywhere from 40 – 60different strains of microbes. Plus it’s one of the easiest tomake yourself at home!!

HEALTHY FAT SMOOTHIE

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Process these ingredients in a blender until smooth

INGREDIENTSo 1/2 a banana – this is the only fruit!o 1 tsp of raw cacao powdero 1 tsp of macao 1 tsp of cinnamono 2 tbsp of hemp heartso 1/2 an avocadoo 2-3 frozen spinach cubeso 2 heaped tbsp of tinned coconut milk or coconut milk kefiro 1 cup/200ml of pure water

DIRECTIONS


This smoothie is very low in sugar and contains healthy fats and fibreboth fantastic for skin and hormonal health. A higher fat smoothie is agreat breakfast option because it will keep you full for ages. Fatsrelease their energy slowly helping to maintain stable blood sugar levelswhile helping to prevent cravings!

MUSCLE BUILDER

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1. Process these ingredients in a blender until smooth 2. Finish off with a sprinkle of coco powder and serve!

INGREDIENTSo 1 scoop of chocolate protein powdero 1 tbsp of almond buttero 1 cup of nut milk or kefiro 2 tbsp of raspberries or blueberrieso 1/2 avocadoo 3-4 ice cubes

DIRECTIONS


If you are exercising you may wish to add a spoon or 2 or proteinpowder to your shake to speed up muscle recovery and boost themetabolism. The cleanest forms of protein powder include: hempprotein and sprouted or fermented grains, peas or seeds. My favouritebrand is Vega Plant Based Protein and you can pick it up on iherb.com.

HORMONE BALANCING SMOOTHIE BOWL

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1. Process these ingredients in a blender until smooth 2. Sprinkle with sliced fruit, coconut flakes and nuts or seeds

INGREDIENTSo 1 cup of kefiro 3 cubes of frozen spinacho 1/2 avocadoo 1 apple with the core removed – keep some slices for the top!o 1 carrot - leave the skin on if it's organic!o 2 tbsp of flax seedso 2 tbsp of berrieso 1 tsp of macao 1/2 tsp of cinnamon

DIRECTIONS


>The fibre in carrots and apple helps the body to remove excessoestrogen from the gut. >Flax seeds contain plant oestrogen's that help protect us fromthe stronger oestrogen in our bodies.>Maca increases energy and helps to balance the femalehormones.

Note: Flax seeds are not recommend for people with thyroid issues.

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY SMOOTHIE

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INGREDIENTSo 100ml of coconut milk kefiro 100-200ml of water for desired consistencyo 1/2 cup frozen pineapple including stalko 1/2 ripe banana or mangoo 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (dried or fresh)o 1/2 teaspoon cinnamono 1/2 teaspoon gingero 1 teaspoon chia seedso 1 teaspoon maca

DIRECTIONS


>Ginger, pineapple and turmeric contain strong anti-inflammatory plant compounds and can help relieve pain.>Chia contains omega 3 which reduces inflammation in thebody.>Cinnamon has strong anti oxidant properties. >Probiotics have a calming effect on the gut where 80% of theimmune system resides.

STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE RECOVERY SHAKE

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INGREDIENTSo 200ml of Kefiro 1/2 ripe bananao 6-8 frozen strawberries or you can also use raspberries. (I like frozen as it makes the smoothie nice and cold)o 4 dateso 1 heaped tbsp of ground almondso 1 heaped tbsp of cashew nutso Top up with 100-200 ml of water

DIRECTIONS


One cup of plain kefir contains provides around 11 grams of high-quality protein, including all eight essential amino acids, along with 30percent of the daily value for calcium and a blast of tummy-friendlyprobiotics. The complete proteins in kefir are partially digested by thegood bacteria and therefore more easily utilized by the body. Plus, it'slow in lactose, which means it's generally a safer option for people withdairy intolerance.

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Superfood Smoothies Resized · always have something tasty to hand to throw in a shake. Fruit that freezes really well includes: banana (ripen first), ... Probiotics have so many