CACAO SMOOTHIE BOWL

Chocolate for breakfast?  You bet. Packed with amazing anti-oxidants, loads of omega-3 fatty acids and plenty of fiber, this is a delicious way to start your day without the guilt.  I include smoothie bowls into my diet when the weather warms up.  It’s a great way to get a variety of important daily nutrients in one easy to assemble meal.  It travels well too!  (Get yourself a great thermos and you are all set!) Spring is coming and eating fresh fruits and vegetables naturally cleanses the digestive system and wakes up the detoxification effects of the liver. Don't forget the greens!!!

Want to eat like this all the time?  Join the LK5 Spring Cleanse.  We start March 30th this year and for 10 days we eliminate inflammatory foods, increase our alkalizing menu and finally end with a few days to come back down.  You are given 40+ pages of tried and true cleansing recipes that you will continue using throughout the season!

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon cacao nibs

1 handful spinach

1 acai smoothie packet (samboza)

1 banana

½ cup strawberries

1 cup coconut or other dairy free milk

TOPPINGS:

1 tablespoon hemp seeds

1 tablespoon chia seeds

¼ cup mixed nuts

¼ cup fresh raspberries

In a high powered blender, blend coconut milk and spinach until smooth.  Add in the cacao, smoothie packet, banana, and strawberries and blend for about 1 minute or to the consistency you like.  Pour the smoothie into a bowl and top with nuts, seeds and fresh fruit.

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SHOPPING LIST

cacao nibs, hemp seeds, chia seeds, mixed nuts, Samboza Acai smoothie packet (samboza), spinach, bananas, fresh strawberries, fresh raspberries, coconut or other dairy free milk

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Become a Smoothie Bowl Expert

It's summer time somewhere and from a Chinese medicine perspective this is when I tell my clients that it is safe to add in some raw fruit and veg to the diet.  In fact, the cleansing and anti-inflammatory effects of a plant-based diet comes when you eat a fair amount of raw food.  This doesn't work for everyone and it certainly doesn't work for me on a consistent basis, but in summer, this is my breakfast style of choice. Making a smoothie bowl is so easy and your entire family will love to create their own. This is my favorite way to start a hot summer day.

It goes without saying that fruit is sweet, but when we eat the whole fruit, we use the sugar at a slower rate and the body doesn’t fly into a sugar high. If you tend to get bloated when you ingest raw food, play around with spices like fennel, cardamom, ginger and cinnamon, adding them directly to your blender.

When using fresh greens in a smoothie, here’s my little secret: Add the greens of choice to the liquid and blend this first before adding any fruit. It will ensure that all the leaves are pulverized into liquid.

INGREDIENTS

1 c/ frozen mango

1/2 frozen banana

1 c/spinach

1/2 avocado

1 c/ coconut milk

FOR GARNISH

1 tablespoon hemp seeds

1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

1 teaspoon chia seeds

1 teaspoon pumpkin seeds

¼ cup mixed nuts and dried fruit

2 tablespoons buckwheat groats (I love these for the CRUNCH!)

1 tablespoon cacao nibs

1/2 cup fresh fruit

Assemble ingredients, except garnish,  into a Vitamix or high powered blender. Mix until smooth and creamy. You may have to work at this a bit by turning machine on and off to stir things up.  You want it to be thick, like ice cream. Pour into bowls and sprinkle with garnish items.  Eat immediately.  

Side note: Did you know that flax seeds have the highest source of vegan omega-3 fatty acid potential? Eat ‘em up to keep your joints happy! And while hemp seeds do come from the cannabis sativa plant, they won’t get you high, but they are high in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids as well as protein.

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SHOPPING LIST:

frozen mango, frozen banana, spinach, avocado, coconut milk, hempseed, Chia seeds, mixed nuts and dried fruit, buckwheat groats, cacao nibs

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