Try this chocolate smoothie, you'll never go back!

For the longest time, myself and a few family members drank our green smoothies religiously. What, you ask, is a green smoothie? Well, they consist of a blender full of a green leafy vegetables (romaine, kale, spinach, etc.), two cups of water, two bananas, and one other fruit. There are a million recipes one can try, and they really are delicious. We started drinking them after reading the book "Green For Life" written by Victoria Boutenko. I highly recommend this easy to read book to anyone looking for a path towards a raw food diet. She includes many delicious smoothie recipes. 

However, over the last 2 weeks I have been hooked on a new smoothie. A chocolate smoothie. The recipe came from my brother who has been my partner in health food experimentation. The first chocolate smoothie goes something like this...

1 cup almond milk

1 banana

1 tray of ice (make sure you use water from your Brita, and not just tap water)

2-3 tsp of chocolate mix 

2 tsp of bee pollen

1 tsp of raw honey

add water till reaches 3-4 cups, depending on the desired consistency.

Your probably thinking, where do I buy maca, carob, cacao, and bee pollen. Well, these can be purchased at any health food store. In my town, we buy our ingredients at The Healthy Nuts. These ingredients will put a bit of a dent in your wallet; however, it goes a long way. Like I said, my husband and I have been drinking these smoothies for two weeks now, and I have barely made a dent in the powders. 

Ok, so you might be wondering why these smoothies are so special. Well despite their fantastic taste, they have huge nutritional benefits. 

Maca, for example, has been used to increase stamina, boost libido, and combat fatigue. The maca root is an adaptogen, which means that it helps the body to adapt to and regulate stress factors that are constantly being imposed upon us. The maca root is a nutrient-dense whole food that is loaded with vitamins, plant sterols, and many minerals, amino acids and healthy fats. Who wouldn't want to start their day with such rich whole foods? For more information on the maca root, check out this website: http://www.navitasnaturals.com/products/maca.html

Cacao is a super food that contains a naturally rich supply of antioxidants. It is also an excellent source of dietary fiber, magnesium, and iron. This super food also contains many other essential minerals in significant quantities. Cacao is the ingredient that chocolate is made from; however, most chocolate that you find in stores has been heated to such a degree that most of the vitamins, minerals and other dietary benefits are lost. http://www.navitasnaturals.com/products/cacao.html

Carob, is 8% protein and contains vitamins A, B, B2, B3 and D. It is also high in calcium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium and contains iron, manganese, barium, copper and nickel. 

Bee Pollen is one of the richest and purest natural foods ever discovered. It has a multitude of medicinal and nutritional values that have been known for centuries. Bee pollen contains the richest source of vitamins, minerals, protein amino acids, enzymes and fats. The benefits of bee pollen are two fold. There is so much to say about bee pollen, that I will have to make a post simply on bee pollen. In the meantime, check out this website and learn more: 

http://www.alternativescentral.com/beepollen.htm

If your feeling adventurous, get some ingredients, and experiment. This is a base recipe, but you really can do anything. So test it out, and see how you feel!

Thanks for reading!