Smoothies – packed with vitamins, and delicious when you know how

Anti-colds Smoothie – my drink of the day

The winter blues are coming, armed to the teeth with viruses. When the Christmas rush gets going, it can be hard to eat a balanced diet. Rich food, cookies and other guilty pleasures are always around, and they can make us rounder too! But if we want to stay healthy, we need vitamins too. So to help you ward off virus attacks, here are two smoothie recipes that are packed with vitamins – and easy to make.

Raspberry Smoothie for immune systems

So what ingredients belong in a vitamin-packed smoothie? Our first virus killer is the Raspberry Smoothie.

Put the following ingredients in the mixer and press start:

• 1 cup frozen raspberries: they have a strong antiviral and antibacterial effect, are high in vitamins C, A and B and contain biotin, tannins, minerals like potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and fruit acids
• 2 bananas 
• 3 dates: rich in potassium, strong natural sweetener
• 1 tsp vanilla powder
• 1 piece of ginger: vitamins, minerals
• 1/2 l almond milk
• ice cubes (as required)

This Anti-colds Smoothie has antioxidants that soak up free radicals and protect body cells from oxidisation. Raspberries are not only delicious, they also help our blood to flow, which can slightly reduce cholesterol overall. They also fight inflammation, cleanse the blood, fight fever and regulate urine and sweat. That’s quite a list, and makes raspberries the ideal ingredient for an immune system smoothie.

Footnote: raspberries contain anthocyanins* which help to prevent diseases such as cancer (especially colon cancer and oesophageal cancer), Parkinson’s (the berries‘ polyphenol is proven to reduce the risk of contracting the illness) and cardiovascular diseases (e.g. arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure and strokes).

*Water-soluble plant pigments that occur in nearly all plants and give fruits and leaves their natural intensive red, violet or blue colour.

Fights colds and stretch marks: Banana Smoothie

It‘s a classic, but not a bit boring. Bananas are yellow, delicious and every parent’s favourite snack for the kids. Bananas are such a cult that you can even buy banana-shaped lunch boxes.

So the third vitamin powerpack is the Banana Smoothie, with vitamins A, D, E and K, alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, zeaxanthin, magnesium and calcium.

All you need is a blender and these ingredients:

• 6 bananas
• ½ avocado
• ½ tsp cocoa
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 ½ tsp agave syrup
• ½ can of coconut milk

On top of healthy vegetable fats, this Anti-Colds Smoothie also contains large amounts of essential vitamins such as vitamin A, alpha carotene, beta-carotene, biotin and vitamin K. Bananas are also rich in magnesium and calcium. The essential fats of the avocado help your body to better absorb the following nutrients: vitamins A, D, E and K, alpha carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, zeaxanthin and calcium.

While this may sound like the package insert of a dietary supplement, it’s actually a delicate recipe that’s perfectly natural, really delicious and ideal as an Anti-colds Smoothie.

Besides boosting your immune system, this smoothie also makes you even more good looking by protecting you from dry and cracked skin. It also helps with stretch marks. The natural nutrients can also help to prevent cancer, heart attacks, diabetes and stroke, as well as lowering your blood pressure. The coconut milk contains antibacterial lauric acid, which can help you lose weight. And some people even say the tropical milk is good for acne and stimulates the thyroid gland. Cheers!

Knowledge is Power! Powerfood is all about your attitude and your kitchen equipment. If you want to keep your immune system strong, eat or drink a vitamin powerpack every day and choose only the best warriors for your battle with the viruses. For more ideas on how to keep your immune system healthy with powerfoods, visit our recipes.