Morning Pick Me Up!
I am a huge fan of smoothies and try to have one every morning. They are so easy to prepare and can be taken with me when I’m running out the door. And best of all, they are absolutely packed full of nutrients! I tried out a new and amazingly good recipe this morning that I need to share with everyone! It was delicious and nutritious!
Coconut Mocha Smoothie
- 1 cup organic coconut milk
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 organic banana (previously peeled, cut into chunks, and frozen)
- 2 Tb. NanoPro protein powder
- 2 Tb. organic raw cacao powder
- 1 Tb. organic coconut oil
- 1 Tb. hemp seeds
- 1 Tb. chia seeds
- 2 Tsp. organic coffee
- Blend together all the ingredients except the NanoPro protein powder.
- Once the ingredients are adequately blended, add the NaNoPro protein powder to the blender and gently pulse until well mixed. You never want to over blend protein as you will denature it.
Now the technical stuff! Here are some quick facts as to why this smoothie makes an excellent breakfast or snack choice.
- Coconut is highly nutritious and rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It is classified as a “functional food” because it provides many health benefits beyond its nutritional content. More importantly, Coconut oil is composed predominately of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA). These do not have a negative effect on cholesterol and help to protect against heart disease. MCFA help to lower the risk of both atherosclerosis and heart disease.
- NanoPro is an excellent whey protein powder with colostrum peptides known to greatly boost immune function. It is made of antibiotic free, undenatured whey (non-GMO) and colostrum from BSE free herds not treated with growth hormone (rBGH/BST) or hyper-immunization, or fed animal by-products.
- Cacao is jam packed with antioxidant flavonoids and contains higher levels than blueberries, red wine, and black and green teas. In fact, it has up to four times the quantity of antioxidants found in green tea. Cacao beans are rich in a number of essential minerals including magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese.
- Hemp seeds have a very high quality protein content that contains 8 essential amino acids as well as 6 essential fatty acids. They also contain many much needed minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, potassium, magnesium, silica, and iron.
- Chia seeds are a whole grain, rich in protein. They have very high levels of calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, and fiber. They also contain iron and magnesium as well being a powerful antioxidant!
Anyways, try it out and let me know what you think! I’m sure you will enjoy it.