Green smoothie for healthy, glowing skin
I’ve struggled with acne for many years, and one thing that made a huge improvement in my skin was changing my diet.
The minute I cut dairy out of my diet, my cystic acne disappeared. Eating mostly plant-based foods, good Omega-3 supplements and drinking a lot of water also helped me quite a bit.
Over the holidays though, I definitely indulged a little- I just can’t say no to both my mom’s and my mother-in-law’s cooking. Whenever my diet changes, it shows on my skin pretty much instantly and as much as I love the holiday season, I’m really excited to go back to my regular routine, healthy diet and exercise.
Every morning, I start my day by drinking a glass of warm water with lemon on an empty stomach and then usually have a green smoothie for breakfast. Today’s little recipe is my go-to for when my skin needs a little pick-me-up.
My favorite base for green smoothies is kale or spinach. Kale is packed with fiber, Vitamin A, C, and K as well as iron. It aids inflammation, it detoxifies and helps boost immunity. Spinach is also loaded with Vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, and vitamin K as well as vital minerals.
Avocado is another great ingredient to add to your smoothies- it’s packed with vitamin E – a skin antioxidant- and due to avocado’s high oleic acid content, it moisturizes the skin and reduces redness and irritation. For fruit, bananas are also a must for me- I always keep a few frozen ones in my freezer. Mango is full of antioxidants and chia seeds are rich in omega 3 fats which are essential for good skin (especially if you’re suffering from acne).
Green smoothie for healthy, glowing skin
2 cups of spinach
1/2 cups kale
2 frozen, ripe bananas
2 cups of coconut water
1 cup mango, cubed
1 small apple, cored and roughly chopped
1/2 avocado
2 tsp chia seeds
1 scoop of plant-based protein powder (optional)
1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. This makes two, big portions- for one, half the ingredients.