Detox smoothie bowl with milk thistle and aloe vera
Course: Breakfast Cuisine: Healthy Servings: 1 bowl Prep time: 5 minutes Total time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach
- ½ pear
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- half kiwi (keep the other chopped half for decorating)
- ¼ cup chopped pineapple
- ½ cup chopped cucumber
- ½ banana
- 1 Erbology Organic Aloe Vera Shot
- ½ tsp Erbology Organic Milk Thistle Oil
- ¼ tsp spirulina powder
- 1 tsp dried currants
- 1-2 tsp raw or toasted hazelnuts
Directions
- Blend everything in a high-speed blender. If you like it thicker, skip the plant milk and only add the aloe vera shot.
- Pour the smoothie in a bowl.
- Decorate with ¼ tsp spirulina powder, the remaining chopped kiwi, dried currants, and raw or toasted hazelnuts. Enjoy!
Do you ever sleep in? This may mean that your body is asking for some extra rest. After a week of long hours, I finally got a good nine hours of sleep last night. I decided to continue nourishing my body with some naturally detoxifying plants.
I am going to share with you my secret cleansing recipe. It only takes ten minutes to make and is so delicious. It’s fruity, but not too sweet.
My two secret ingredients in this detox smoothie recipe are aloe vera and milk thistle oil, both by Erbology. I like that they are organic and pure and also I often take the aloe vera shot straight. And I love how refreshing and cleansing aloe vera is. I highly recommend you read about the health benefits of aloe vera here.
Start with the fruit
For fruit, I grabbed ripe bananas, pears, pineapple, and kiwi! I normally throw in either a fresh or frozen banana. Bananas are great for making the smoothie thicker, especially if you want to make a smoothie bowl. Bananas are loaded with fiber and potassium. They can help with digestion and are especially great for a pre-workout snack.
I love the sweetness of pears. They add a nice flavor to the smoothie. Pears also are a great immunity boost. Pineapples are another great natural sweetener. When they are ripe there really is nothing yummier. Together with kiwi fruit, pineapples are a fantastic boost to the immune system and gorgeous skin. 1/4 cup of pineapple contains about a third of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C. As for the kiwis, it turns out they have more vitamin C than an orange. In fact, one kiwi fruit can even exceed the recommended daily amount of vitamin C .
Don’t forget your veggies
For veggies, I go for spinach and cucumbers. This two help to neutralize the sweet fruits. Spinach is loaded with vitamins and minerals, including beta-carotene, iron, and magnesium. Cucumbers add a nice refreshing flavor and help you stay hydrated. Did you know they are over 95% water?
I love to use almond milk for my liquid. This makes my smoothies rich and creamy. I made almond milk last week, so I am going to use the last of that. I suggest you try making your own, it’s relatively simple and I had a lot of fun with it. All you really need is almonds and a cheesecloth (and some patience).
The key is getting the right consistency. I start off with less liquid because it is a lot easier to add it in but more of a challenge to take it out. I am going for a thicker smoothie that I can eat with a spoon, everyone has different preferences so you just need to know what you like and how your blender works!
Finish with a topping
Toppings are the best part. I tend to let my inner-artist run wild. I top my bowl with spirulina powder, a type of blue-green algae. It is great for energy and detoxing. I also add the remaining kiwi, dried currants, and hazelnuts (toasted or raw work great). I love the tangy flavor of dried currants. They are also packed with nutrients. Hazelnuts bring a nice earthy, nutty flavor and add a crunch.
Finally, I’d love to share a few words about refreshing aloe vera and cold-pressed milk thistle oil which adds a nice nutty flavor to this recipe.
The cleansing power of aloe vera
Aloe vera juice is extracted from the inner leaf of the aloe vera plant. It is valued for its acemannan polysaccharide. Go for aloe vera that has got over 1,200mg of acemannan. This component is what distinguishes aloe vera from the other 400 species in the aloe family. The acemannan found in aloe vera may have healing properties. Research suggests that it may support our digestive and immune system.
Aloe vera is alkalizing; it helps to balance the pH levels in our bodies. Our body is designed to keep a proper balance between acidity and alkaline, this is somewhere around 7.4. Our pH levels change depending on the foods we eat and our lifestyle choices. We want to keep our bodies more alkalized than acidic.
Unfortunately, the diet that many turns to for weight loss, with lots of animal protein and few carbs, is very acidic. Studies have shown a diet like this may increase the risk for kidney stones, decreases calcium balance, and may increase the risk for bone loss.
Why milk thistle is good for you?
Milk thistle has long been known as a plant that promotes liver health. It is an excellent source of polyphenols, vitamin E, and plenty of other phytonutrients. The oils, which is cold-pressed from the seeds of milk thistle, is high in unsaturated fatty acids.
There you go, a delicious smoothie bowl. I am able to slow down and enjoy this type of breakfast. I make sure each bite has a little bit of everything. This one almost looks as good as it tastes.