Every. Single. Morning !

For almost 2 years, this has been my breakfast. Every morning (minus a couple ravenous hungover times). I used to have really bad silent reflux - which is instead of heartburn, acid creeps up and destroys your throat. After seeing a doctor a couple years ago for it, I started drinking this every day and also changed my diet & my reflux is almost 100% gone ! Unless I do something dumb like binge drink or eat a crazy acidic meal. I also haven't been sick in I don't know how long. I think drinking this smoothie has helped with that as well. Here's what it is, I'll list the benefits below !

Every week I freeze a bunch or 2 of sliced bananas. First in the nutribullet I do about 5 slices of banana + a lil of whatever fruit I have on hand. Today was strawberries & blueberries

 Then in goes a nice handful of spinach, heaping spoon of matcha, & tablespoon of hemp seeds. I'll add the links to the products I use below.

 Then in goes the liquid - coconut water & a tablespoon of flax oil

 Blend it up !

 YummY, delicious & nutritious

I buy my all of my produce, coconut water & flax from central market. Hard to access right now, but maybe try some smaller grocers around town to find produce.

I get the hemp seeds from there, but luckily amazon has them in stock - Manitoba Harvest Organic Hemp Hearts - my favorite matcha is the Akira brand here. Now for some fun facts:

MATCHA
Unlike regular green tea, matcha is shade grown 20-30 days before it is harvested. This process not only increases the amino acid content of the tea, but also the chlorophyll content which gives matcha its bright green color. After the leaves are harvested, the leaves are steamed, dried and ground into a fine powder. When you drink matcha tea, you’re getting the nutrients from the entire tea leaf. This means you’re getting more antioxidants. 

Matcha green tea has one of the highest antioxidant ratings. The Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) value is 1348 units per gram. That’s 13x the antioxidants in pomegranates and 15x the antioxidants in blueberries. Studies have shown the high antioxidant content in matcha tea can prevent cell damage caused by free radicals.

It green tea contains L-theanine, an amino acid that puts you in a calm and meditative state. Buddhist monks have been drinking matcha for centuries. In 2008, researchers tested the effects of cognition with and without caffeine. Participants were tested on word recognition, rapid visual information processing, critical flicker fusion threshold and attention switching.

The results, which were published in “Nutritional Neuroscience,” found L-theanine and caffeine improved both speed and accuracy of performance and reduced distraction. [source link]

FLAX OIL
flaxseed oil benefits include being one of nature’s richest and best sources of vegetable-based, vital omega-3 fatty acids. And that’s not all. Flaxseed oil benefits extend beyond its high omega-3 content, which is why it should be added to an integrative health protocol. 

Flaxseed oil contains 50 percent to 60 percent omega-3 fatty acids in the form of alpha-linolenic acid. With even more anti-inflammatory and disease-preventing ALA omega-3 content than fish oil, many people opt for flaxseed oil benefits over fish oil benefits. Omega-3 fatty acids play important roles in all sorts of bodily processes, including inflammation, heart health and brain function. Being deficient in omega-3s is associated with lower intelligence, depression, heart disease, arthritis, cancer and many other health problems.

HEMP SEEDS
Hemp seeds contain over 30% fat. They are exceptionally rich in two essential fatty acids, linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (omega 3) They also contain gamma-linolenic acid, which has been linked to several health benefits.

They are a great plant based protein source, as more than 25% of their total calories are from high-quality protein. The seeds are also a great source of vitamin E and minerals - such as phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron, and zinc.

Then the other guys are more commonly known - BANANAS: contain fiber, potassium, folate, & antioxidants, such as vitamin C. All of these support heart health. BERRIES: loaded with antioxidants, high in fiber, helps fight inflammation. SPINACH: contains several vitamins & minerals, including potassium, magnesium, and vitamins B6 & B9. Spinach is an extremely nutrient rich vegetable. It packs high amounts of carotenoids, vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid, iron, & calcium. COCONUT WATER: lots of electrolytes & natural salts like potassium & magnesium. Offers numerous nutrients that are beneficial for your body - inorganic ions, b vitamins & minerals that all support your antioxidant and overall system.

PHEW ! SO MANY FACTS !

If you have certain ailments you can google natural aid for whatever that might be and add it to your smoothie. Customize it to help you ! This is an all around great one if you'd just like to sharpen your focus and improve your health greatly : )