Balance Smoothie
Are you looking to start your day with a smoothie, but need the caffeination of coffee? This smoothie does both by blending organic instant coffee mix with two of my favorite adaptogens: Ashwagandha and Eleuthero. This smoothie will help stabilize your stress levels, balance your mood, and provide energy while having half the caffeine as a regular cup of coffee.
Adaptogens are a group of super herbs and functional mushrooms that help our bodies adapt to stressors. They have been used in Traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicines for centuries to help your body cope more effectively with the demands of everyday life.
Ashwagandha is calming and helps to support your immune system, reduce anxiety, improve memory, and reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.
Eleuthero is used to increase mental alertness and performance, increase energy and stamina, reduce stress and fatigue, reduce dream-disrupted sleep and insomnia, enhance immunity, and improve detoxification.
Ingredients
1 cup organic almond milk
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 package Four Stigmatic Balance with Ashwagandha & Eleuthero Adaptogens
1 tbsp organic chia seeds
1 - 2 tbsp organic peanut butter
1/3 cup frozen banana slices
1/3 cup organic frozen riced cauliflower
1/3 cup frozen organic spinach
1/4 cup avocado chunks (frozen)
Add the ingredients to a Vitamix or other high-powered blender in the order listed above and process. Transfer to a cup and top with cacao nibs for an extra treat!
Makes 1 serving
Options:
You can substitute coconut milk if you prefer.
I prefer frozen spinach, frozen bananas, and frozen avocado as it makes the smoothie colder and thicker, but if you don’t have frozen on hand feel free to use fresh ingredients. I would increase the spinach to at least 1 cup if using fresh.
My go to brands for this recipe:
Be Well By Kelly chocolate protein powder
Four Stigmatic “Balance” Instant Organic Coffee with Ashwagandha & Eleuthero Adaptogens
Nutiva organic chia seeds
Whole Foods Market organic creamy peanut butter (no sugar or salt added)
Three Trees Original Almond Milk or MALK Organic Almond*
Whole Foods organic frozen chopped spinach
Whole Foods organic frozen riced cauliflower
*Three Trees and MALK brands are my favorite due to the quality and limited number of ingredients in these products. They do not contain any gums, which are frequently added to non-dairy milks and can cause gastrointestinal issues. However, I do understand that it can get costly if you’re making lots of smoothies! My replacement suggestion would be Whole Foods Organic Original Unsweetened Almond Milk, but feel free to use whatever you love and works best for you.
