Mixed Berry Tea Smoothie
Mixed Berry Tea Smoothie Recipe
I have heard it said that maintaining your health is like growing a garden. Maybe that’s why I enjoy gardening so much. Before you plant you go in and till the soil and make sure that it has the right levels of nutrients. Then you water it and care for it removing the weeds and in a few months you have a productive garden. It’s a continuous process. The same is true with the human body.
That’s why I love smoothies. They’re like miracle grow for the body; simple, quick and nutritious. My girls have always loved them since they were little. It’s such an easy way to get the nutrition you need. This mixed berry tea smoothie is packed full of flavor and nutritional goodness.
The basics of any smoothie is one-part liquid to three-parts fruit or vegetable. So for this smoothie my liquid is black raspberry tea. I like to put a banana in my fruit smoothies since that adds a touch of sweetness and a creamy dessert-like texture.
If you’re having a tough time getting your kids to eat a nutritious meal or snack, try a smoothie. They will sometimes drink that before eating any one of the single ingredients in it. It’s amazing.
So don’t worry, between the polyphenols in the blueberries and tea and the omega-3’s in the flaxseed, this mixed berry tea smoothie will provide you with plenty of serious brain food.
Back to the business of what does a garden have to do with our body? Detoxify. Remove the weeds, the garbage and toxins from your diet and nourish the soil in you. The healthy garden is self-regulating and self-healing when optimally nourished and so is the human body.
“Nature cannot be tricked or cheated. She will give up to you the object of your struggles only after you have paid her price.” – Steven Pressfield
Stress reduction is another very important part of a healthy body as it is in a healthy garden.
Think about it. In a drought, the plants are stressed-out and not doing well. They wilt. They turn brown. They’re not happy. Maybe the plant can tolerate the stress for the short term but if continued for too long it won’t survive.
I’ve cared for enough patients to recognize that what you’re eating is only part of the whole health picture. What’s also important is all the environmental and lifestyle factors that regulate our stress hormones.
Factors like a good night’s sleep, the people who love you, tolerance, forgiveness, love, our thoughts and self talk, and our purpose in life. Our home life and work life all play a roll in our health.
Deepak Chopra says it best in his book Perfect Health, “every cell in your body is eavesdropping into your thoughts.”
So sit a little while in your carefully tended garden, enjoy drinking your smoothie and de-stress. And yes, think good thoughts.
My Tea Smoothie Secrets
Smoothie Secret 1: Use a good quality tea made from loose black or green tea leaves as your base instead of the usual milk. If you are looking for a bigger antioxidant boost you can use a green tea since it has higher levels of the potent antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).
Smoothie Secret 2: The standard ratio for a nice consistency in a smoothie is 1part tea to 3 parts fruit. The protein powder and yogurt will thicken it up a bit.
Smoothie Secret 3: Using frozen fruit and iced tea will make a colder smoothie in record time. You can buy fruit in season and freeze it it for future smoothies. Blueberries and strawberries freeze exceptionally well. I’ve even frozen chopped up bananas. Simply chop the banana, place in a zip lock freezer bag and place in the freezer.
The Payoff
Banana: They are full of potassium, fiber, and vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 is important for healthy brain function and keeping your immune system strong.
Strawberry: These little berries are low in sugar, about 6g per cup, and are full of fiber, about 3g per cup. They are loaded with potassium, vitamin C, and antioxidants to help ward off cancer.
Blueberry: Naturally sweet, a good source of fiber, and rich in antioxidant vitamin C. Most prevalent nutrients are vitamin K, manganese, resveratrol, anthocyanins, quercetin (an antioxidant) and kaempferol, another antioxidant found to reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. These nutrients build bones, helps blood clotting, promote healthy metabolism of fats and carbohydrates, prevent heart disease and combat inflammation.
Protein Powder: Here I used a whey protein. It’s high in protein, low in carbohydrates, and contains essential amino acids that facilitate muscle growth.
Greek yogurt: Made from fermented milk, it has twice the protein of regular yogurt at 13g, with a nice dose of calcium in each serving. Greek yogurt adds a creamy texture to your smoothie. Yogurt also contains probiotics. These live organisms can help improve your digestive system absorb nutrients and improve immune health.
Probiotics help you maintain a healthy level of friendly (normal flora) bacteria in the gut or the intestines. This keeps you healthy and minimizes the buildup of toxins that could be absorbed into the bloodstream instead of being properly eliminated, wreaking all kinds of havoc on the body.
Flaxseeds: According to Dr. Patrick Quillin, nutritionist and author of The Wisdom and Healing Power of Whole Foods, flaxseeds are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids that promote eye health and help in preventing dry eye syndrome, macular degeneration and cataracts. They are also high in fiber, iron and protein.
Honey: Raw honey is packed with vitamins and antioxidants. Studies have found honey to contain an antimicrobial peptide called bee defensin-1. The antimicrobial properties of honey have been used to heal wounds. Honey also has a low glycemic index.
The World Health Organization recommends honey as a treatment for coughs and sore throats.
Tea: Tea is high in polyphenols, a potent antioxidant. Antioxidants have proven health benefits to cardiovascular health.
Black tea contains an amino acid called l-theanine, which is unique to tea and has some very interesting effects on the brain. L-theanine increases alpha brain waves inducing a calm and deeply relaxed state. Combined with the caffeine, which is about half the amount found in coffee, the overall effect is a focused calm.
Miracle Grow for the Body
Wow. That’s an amazing amount of nutritional goodness packed in one little beverage! That’s why I say a smoothie is to the body what miracle grow is to the garden.
I know you want to protect your mind and body and boost your health… and live longer and better for yourself and your loved ones.
Please share this with those loved ones who can benefit, leave a comment and have a wonderful day.
In tea and friendship,
Mary Ann
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp raspberry black loose-leaf tea
- 1 banana diced
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup strawberries - hulled and quartered
- 5.3 ounces greek yogurt - vanilla
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 tsp ground flaxseeds
- 2 Tbsp vanilla protein powder
- Bring water to boil and add loose leaf tea to water.
- Steep 10 minutes and cool in refrigerator
- Add tea, fruit, yogurt, honey, flaxseeds and protein powder to blender.
- Mix until completely blended.
Smoothies are best when cold. You can use frozen fruit and iced tea or cool down in refrigerator for a bit. You could also add ice cubes to the blend but keep in mind that will water down the smoothie.
Mixed Berry Tea Smoothie Nutrition Label
A tea connoisseur celebrating the joyous and healthy benefits of tea.
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