Smoothie Action for Energy & Radiance

How good are smoothies? I love green smoothies but I am also a fan of beetroot and berries, so many of my green smoothies turn out rather pink or purple. This recipe is packed with skinfood goodness, for radiant skin and it is also really energising....

I wanted a high-performance blender for years, but never got myself to make that big investment. I figured that having a baby on the way is the perfect reason to finally get myself a Vitamix. I have used every day since I purchased it and I can't believe it took me so long. It's pretty amazing. I can chuck in anything and it turns into the creamiest smoothest perfect little meal. I also make my own cashew milk all the time. It's so quick and easy.

While I have learned that a pregnant woman hardly needs any extra calories in a day, she does need very highly nutritious meals and "empty" calories, like sugar or white flour, are a very bad idea. I don't ever count calories but rather try and listen to my body. When I am hungry I eat, when I am full I stop. I also seem to crave protein these days, which seems to give me energy and is also recommended for pregnancy. Let me tell you, though, I was craving bread & potatoes my whole first trimester and have had plenty of both.

I am definitely way more peckish and always up for a snack since pregnant, but healthy smoothies, nuts and other fresh, live foods make sure that my body has fabulous support in growing this little one.

I thought I share today my re-energising super smoothie, which I often of have in place of breakfast or lunch. As I snack so much throughout the day, light main meals are the answer for me. I tend to mix things up a lot and vary my ingredients all the time, but here is one that turned out pretty yummy.
This recipe makes at least 2 large Smoothies Glasses. P.S: Buy organic whenever possible!

Liv's Super Smoothie for Energy and Radiance

Ingredients:
1 handful of cashews
150ml of water (or more to cover the cashews in the blender)
1 date
1 small beetroot
1 handful kale
1 orange
1/4 papaya
1 frozen banana
1 handful of mixed frozen berries
Optional: 2 tbsp of Vegan Protein Powder I used Raw Protein Isolate Vanilla by Amazonia.
This makes the smoothie extra creamy and turns into a complete meal.

Instructions:
Use the ingredients in the order listed. Start by blending just the cashews, water and date until milky and smooth. Now you can start adding the other ingredients. I usually mix everything else in, except the frozen fruits, which I add after I blended everything. Of course, you can also use a fresh banana instead of frozen one, but I like the cool refreshing temperature it adds when frozen.

Do you have a favourite smoothie recipe? Please share. Always happy to try new things.

Special thanks to Dave for snapping these pics of me. If you like to follow our personal adventures, head over to Liv+Dave=