After jumping on the Cancer Prevention band wagon, over a decade ago, I had myself on so many supplements and liquid formulas; I was juicing, and downing algae, consuming a LOT of powders and pills, and pulling my hair out trying to decide how to keep my body cancer free while keeping up with the expense and dedication to all the pill popping, powder pounding, and herbal shots I was on.
In the end, it wasn’t manageable long-term and I came to the realization that freaking out and experimenting with 100 supplements a day for a time period, was just a stage in the big process. Eventually, I learned how to stay calm, to prevent Cancer daily with regular regimes that were doable, that it was actually more beneficial to eat real foods and supplement sparingly and wisely, to prioritize rest and stress management, in order to fully heal and find a sustainable way forward.
One of the regimes I’ve held onto since then is the morning power smoothie and I cheerlead for it so loudly, that pretty well all my clients are pounding back the power smoothie every morning too.
Here’s the thing, you can get almost anything into a smoothie, if you’ve got a solid (and yummy) base to work with. And although I don’t advocate for out of control and/or random supplementation, there are a few that I swear by in order to keep those micro & essential minerals and vitamins at levels that help the body to thrive. It seems we can’t get around the vitamin & mineral depletions in a world where our output is so high and the toxicity levels unavoidable, that our body has to fight hard to consume enough, and utilize properly, all the vitamins & minerals it needs for optimal function. Supplementing smartly, with real food formulas, IS something I feel can greatly support better health and disease prevention long term.
As with everything I advocate for, the morning smoothie is entirely individualized according to the individual’s needs. For example, I may have a client add maca powder to aid with menopausal symptoms, or offer that another add moringa leaf powder to bring her iron levels up; we may decide that a distance runner needs a pumpkin seed powder boost to increase zinc and magnesium levels for recovery, and an autistic child would benefit from extra real food additions & protein, etc. So, individualize your own morning smoothie to suit YOUR NEEDS as you see fit. What I offer here is a base formula that you can change in whatever ways feel right for you.
Your Key Components to a Morning Power Smoothie
All Macronutrients: Number 1 rule with composing a smoothie is to be sure it contains Protein, Carbohydrates, AND Fat. This is what I call the “Magic 3 Combo” that will help support blood sugar stability, increase energy and endurance levels, will aid with mood and mental focus & clarity, and help keep the body full for longer.
Greens Powder Formula: Dried, real food, greens are an amazing way to add vital vitamins & minerals to your morning. Extra greens will aid with regular detoxification, elimination, with cell function & repair, will support regular Cancer & Disease Prevention, as well as all organ function. Look for a formula that does not contain additional flavours or additives that you don’t recognize as real food. The one I use is made by Enerex (I have no affiliation with this company, I just like the blend and can buy it locally).
Vitamin/Mineral Formula: Now being in my forties and accepting the fact that my body just doesn’t have the same stamina, endurance, and capability to recover as it used to, I want to be sure that I am getting all those additional vitamin/mineral requirements that I know are harder than ever to receive & absorb through real food sources. I have turned on to this real food supplement company that makes supplements ALL from organic, dried real food sources and I just LOVE that adding a daily scoop to my morning smoothie eases my mind a little knowing that I am, in the least, getting a good does of vitamins & minerals in this one meal. It’s called Women’s Pure Food A to Z, made by Pranin Organic (I do have an affiliation with this company, the ONLY one I have because I love it so much!). If you purchase, use discount code: cindy 😊
Berries: All berries are packed with antioxidants, which are potent cancer fighting, free radical neutralizing nutrients that are a DAILY MUST. We pick ours in the summer from the local organic farm and freeze them in ready-to-use containers so that we don’t have to buy them in plastic during the winter months. Any berry will do here: blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, huckleberries, etc. all are nutrient & antioxidant powerhouses.
Tahini: If you didn’t already know, tahini is a bit of an underdog in the world of nutrition. This superstar seed butter is PACKED with nutrition that every one needs! High in protein, healthy fat, calcium, selenium, iron, zinc, just a Tablespoon or two in your morning smoothie can give you a daily health kick like no other.
My Everyday Morning Power Smoothie
1 cup coconut water (electrolytes)
1/2 banana (carbohydrate)
1 cup blueberries/mixed berries (carbohydrate, antioxidants)
1-2 Tbsp tahini (protein, fat, minerals)
1-2 Tbsp hemp hearts (complete protein, fat)
1/4 cup coconut kefir (ideal) or coconut cream/milk (fat, probiotics)
1 scoop greens powder (minerals/vitamins)
1 scoop Pure Food formula (minerals/vitamins)
Personalized Add Ins (maca, mushroom blend, probiotics, ashwaghanda, goji powder, etc.)
Place all ingredients in your blender and combine until smooth.
Smoothie on people.
Live well, eat well, drink a smoothie a day.
Feel awesome.