Saturday, July 21, 2012

Almond & Berry Smoothie

 This is another delicious smoothie packed with skin nurturing vitamins and nutrients. 



1/4 c raw or blanched almonds
1 ripe banana
1/2 c mixed berries
1 c filtered water
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t vanilla extract

If using raw almonds, soak them overnight to release enzyme inhibitors so nutrient absorption will not be blocked.

Place almonds in a blender and add a quarter of the water.  Blend until a paste is formed.   Keep adding water until you have a consistency of almond milk.  (You may need to add some extra water).

Drop in remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.   Serve in a tall glass.

A few great things about almonds: 

1) Almonds contain Vitamin E and promote healthy skin.
2) Almonds are anti-inflammatory.   If you suffer from asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, eczema or psoriasis, eating almonds regularly can help.
3) Almonds are high in folic acid-  good to include in your diet if you are thinking about starting a family.
4) Almonds contain unsaturated fat-  the good kind.  They contain Omega -3 fatty acids.   We need this for healthy heart and cholesterol levels and our body doesn't produce this by itself.
5) Almonds are also high in magnesium and calcium.

(**Recipe and information adapted from Well Being Magazine - Lee Holmes)

2 comments:

Gluten free said...

That was all an awesome facts about almonds. They are really one of the healthy foods that would benefits us a lot.

karysmar said...

thank you for this info on almond. the health benefit if the wonderful nut can not be over emphasize as written here bit.ly/UYUxEy