This is a smoothie recipe but the story begins with a cake. Namely, my occupational hazard. You see, I’m actually a fairly boring person when it comes to food and would have no problems eating brown rice and steamed broccoli for dinner every day. (That sounds sooo good actually…) But you can’t blog about that because everyone already knows how to make such simple fare. So occasionally I find myself baking a whole 9″ diameter cake in the middle of the day…which takes hours…and by the time you’re done taking photos, you are starving because you haven’t eaten anything all day except frosting. Soo you go to town on the cake like it’s breakfast lunch dinner.
Because of this my blood sugar has been out of whack for the past 24 hours. When you’ve eaten a lot of sugar and flour, your blood sugar skyrockets and you feel a huge surge of energy–like you won’t need to eat for the rest of the day. Then your energy level drops down, and inevitably you feel bad physically and emotionally. First thing I do to cushion that fall is to sweat it out with a good cardio session–a run outside does the trick nicely. I also take a really hot bath, which not only “feels” super relaxing and detoxifying, but actually lowers blood sugar levels in diabetic patients, according to studies. Finally, I resist the urge to starve myself back to normal levels of hunger, but actually feed it light, cleansing meals at regular intervals.
If you ever feel like you’ve ever indulged too much, don’t let it get you anxious! Instead of worrying, just focus on eating a little cleaner. The key is to send your body lots of nutrients, and this blood cleansing smoothie recipe fits the bill. And let me tell you, it tastes incredibly delicious…The perfect blend of healthy and tasty!
Kale–rich in Manganese, which is an essential mineral that helps control blood sugar levels.
Beets–high blood sugar can give you a foggy brain like no other. Get your mental focus back with beets, which are high in folate (memory, cognition) and nitrates, which pump blood to your brain.
Ginger–One of my favorite anti-inflammatory ingredients, ginger fights the inflammation resulting from excess sugar intake.
Cinnamon–stimulates your insulin receptors, effectively lowering blood sugar levels. According to studies, just 1/2 tsp a day can lower a diabetic patient’s blood sugar levels by 20%.
Chia seeds–it is one of the most concentrated sources of plant fiber, making it an amazing blood stabilizer. (Not to mention the Omega-3!)
Blood Cleansing Smoothie
1 small beet, peeled and cubed
1 medium banana
2 ice cubes
8 oz non dairy milk of choice
1 leaf kale, chopped fine
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp chia seeds
Blend everything together until smooth! Enjoy!
Also see: Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie
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Photo: Peaceful Dumpling
