I never used to be a breakfast eater. If I did break my fast, after a night’s rest, it was with a sugar laden breakfast bar or a quick trip through a fast food drive through. I knew breakfast was considered the most important meal of the day. I just never felt very hungry in the mornings.
When I started a plant based lifestyle, I quickly found a morning solution. Before noon, I only drink liquids. After a mug of warm lemon water, followed by a glass of freshly pressed celery juice, it is time to drink my fruit!
While veggies can be added to morning smoothies, I prefer to stick with fresh or frozen fruit, for several reasons.
- The natural fructose found in fruit is totally different from refined sugar, and fights disease, rather than feeding it.
- Fruit is easily digested.
- Fruit sugar leaves the stomach and enters the bloodstream within minutes of consumption, bypassing the intestinal tract.
Dark leafy greens and other fresh vegetables can be added to lunch or dinner smoothies.
Morning smoothies are so quick and easy to prepare. All that is needed is a blender and an assortment of fresh and frozen fruits.
Here are some of my favorite morning smoothie recipes:
Banana, Pear, Orange Smoothie
Combine in blender: 1 banana cut into chunks, 1 orange divided into segments, 2 pears cut into chunks, 3/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon chia seeds, optional. Blend until smooth.
Bananas, which are full of fiber and vitamins, are a powerful antiviral food that makes the perfect base for a smoothie. This naturally sweet tasting fruit thickens the smoothie while alleviating digestive disorders and stabalizing blood sugar.
Smoothies are a great way to include pears to the diet. This fiber dense fruit soothes the whole digestive tract while helping to expell toxins from the body.
Chia seeds are high in omega 3 fatty acids, for heart health, and deliver massive amounts of nutrients.
Banana, Wild Blueberry, Mango Smoothie
Combine in blender: 1 banana cut into chunks, 1 cup frozen wild blueberries, 1 cup frozen or fresh mango, 3/4 cup of water. Blend until smooth.
Mangoes are wonderful for relieving stress and providing viral protection. They strengthen and support the skin, help to reverse diabetes, and calm the nervous system. I buy frozen mangoes, no sugar added, because I find fresh ones difficult to cut up!
Wild blueberries are considered to be the world’s most powerful food. These little berries are extremely high in antioxidants, effective in detoxing the body and removing heavy metals, and prevent a host of diseases. Buy bags of wild blueberries in the frozen food section. Cultivated blueberries only have a fraction of the health benefits.
I have fallen in love with blood oranges this winter, and Cara Cara oranges. They have a dark pink or red flesh and a sweet, tangy flavor. During allergy season, or when it feels like a cold is coming on, try this vitamin C packed smoothie.
Banana, Orange, Pineapple Smoothie
Combine in blender: 1 banana cut into chunks, 1-2 oranges divided into segments, 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks, no sugar added, 3/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon hemp seeds, optional. Blend until smooth.
Besides being high in vitamin C, oranges are a rich source of bioactive calcium, flavonoids and limonoids. This fruit fights off viruses and deactivates heavy metals in the body.
Pineapple is anti-inflammatory, supports the immune system and protects the eyes, bones and digestive system.
Hemp seeds, purchased in the baking section at the grocery store or in health food stores, are an excellent source of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, which are important to heart health. They are considered the perfect protein and they are full of vitamins and minerals.
This tropical smoothie has been my favorite all winter. And on cold, gray mornings the bright yellow/orange color is like sunshine in a cup!
There are endless ways to combine fruits for morning smoothies. I’ve shared only a few possibilities. Start with a banana, and then add any combination of fresh and frozen fruit.
It’s fun, and tasty too, to try out new combinations, such as watermelon, banana, blackberry. Or pear, peach, banana. If using all fresh fruit, add crushed ice to the blender to chill the smoothie.
As we approach spring and summer, when fresh fruit is abundant, it is so easy to awaken our bodies with delicious fruit smoothies, and jumpstart our day with healthy benefits.
Good mornings begin with good health…and breakfast smoothies!
Learn more about the many health benefits found in fruits and vegetables with this information packed book!
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