All these low-carb/no-carb diets are giving fruit a bad rap, but the truth is carbs aren’t evil. It just depends on the kinds of carbs you’re consuming. The brilliant thing about berries is they have a lower sugar content than other fruit, so you can eat them without experiencing a potentially drastic sugar spike. Blueberries reign supreme as a not only a power food, but also a beautifying food.
When you eat beautifying foods, the ingredients work from the inside out, creating total body change. You can slather the most expensive lotions and potions and magical ingredients on your skin, but the saying “skin deep” exists for a reason. These ingredients literally mask the results of poor health and/or an unhealthy diet, but it’s impossible for those expensive ingredients to really penetrate the deeper layers of skin. All the creams in the world don’t do anything for your total body wellness.
Blueberries have the highest antioxidant capacity of all commonly consumed fruits and vegetables.
If that’s not enough to convince you to try out this delicious smoothie, there are actually a ton of other fantastic reasons.
Benefits of blueberries
- Low in calories, but HIGH in nutrients
- Major source of antioxidants to combat aging
- Blueberries reduce DNA damage, which protects against not only wrinkles but also cancer
- Boost the Brain function and memory
- Support Digestion
- Promote Heart Health
- Aid Weight Loss
Plus a TON of other benefits. Can you believe all this goodness is crammed into one tiny berry?!
Blueberries as a Beautifying Food
Blueberries contain high levels of both vitamin A and C are necessary for the health of collagen, your skin’s support structure. Eating foods rich in these nutrients may help slow the development of wrinkles, sagging and dark circles. The berries also contain water, which keeps skin hydrated and young looking.
They are a also good source of vitamin K, fibre, manganese and other antioxidants (notably anthocyanins), which all aid in keeping the skin looking GORGEOUS.
Smoothie Time
Smoothies are a no brainer for the busy person on the go. It takes like, 0.0005 seconds to make an incredibly nutritious, energy packed breakfast.This recipe is fantastically delish and chocked full of nutrients that will make your skin glow brighter than high wattage LED Christmas lights. I’m talking G-L-O-W, baby, glow. This particular recipe contains blueberries + raw spinach=mega beauty food for your skin.
PREP: 5 minutes
TIME: less than 5 minutes
SERVES: 16 oz smoothie
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups of baby spinach
- 1 head of romaine lettuce
- 1 banana
- 2 cups of blueberries
- 2 cups of water or nut milk of your choice
- Stevia to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Add liquid to your blender, then throw in all the other ingredients. I cram as much greens in as possible, but if you’re new to green-smoothies, error on the side of less greens until your tastebuds shift to a more alkaline diet.
Press the blend button and let the blender do all the work! BOOM! DONE!
That’s it, literally. How easy was that? SO EASY, I KNOW! If you want to make a larger batch, you can store smoothies for about two days in the refrigerator, or you can freeze them. Just be aware that liquids expand as they freeze, so you won’t end up with broken containers and a big ol’ mess. Don’t ask me how I know this, but you can assume I learned the hard way.
You can add or subtract any ingredients, but I’d definitely encourage you to steer clear of dairy products. They taste delicious, but are high calories and mucus forming. Dairy also does a number on your skin and your intestines, so do your body a favor and use a nut milk. I actually just use water, but that might not be for you.
After a couple weeks of drinking this smoothie, you’ll notice a crazy difference in not only your skin, but also your energy levels. Now, that’s a total win in my book!
Naturally Fit Living 