Green Goddess Protein Smoothie

We all have days when we wake up feeling like a blimp thats about to pop... ladies you know what I'm talking about... In Florida its been a rainy mess and what most awesome thing to do than lay on the couch, watch movies, make and eat cookies and other indulgences, right? Right, until the next morning when we feel like a train ran us over from all the sugar and fat and laziness :P Well the sun came out today and I felt like I needed a detox! Its a gym day so I thought why not make a protein smoothie with tons of good-for-you ingredients :) Lets talk about everything in this smoothie and why its gonna help us glow today. 

Almonds are so nutrient dense that they are beneficial for so many things! Weight loss, cancer prevention, lowering cholesterol, ENERGY boost, improving brain power, reducing risk of heart disease etc. When someone tells you snacking on nuts is good for you, try to stick to raw almonds, they are seriously the best for you! Versus peanuts which are loaded with bad fat. In my smoothie I added unsweetened almond milk and maple almond butter. 

Banana is loaded with fiber which keeps everything moving in your system. Fiber is key for preventing certain kinds of cancer as your body is always chug chug chuggalugging along! Eating bananas before a workout is PERFECT as it gives you that natural energy boost you crave. Bananas also regulate blood sugar so they're good when a woman is PMS'ing. Guys... maybe you should try buying your lady a bunch of bananas if it has been a rough week, but don't make it obvious...or you'll make it worse ;) Bananas reduce swelling and aid with weight loss too.... SOLD!

Kale, like almonds and bananas, is high in "oh so good for you" fiber, Along with that, kale is full of antioxidants and Vitamin K which prevent cancer as well. Kale is one of the best detoxifying foods. Loaded with Omegas, this miracle food is wonderful for our hair and skin too. I like to incorporate it into all my juices. If you're scared about flavor, trust me, kale is almost flavorless in smoothies. The only way you can tell its in there is the green color. 

Honey is another miracle food. I used raw honey which is unprocessed and unpasteurized. All of the main benefits of honey are killed in the processing and pasteurization process, so it is KEY to buy raw honey. Or else you might as well just put sugar in your smoothie. Honey promotes digestive health, strengthens the immune system and prevents allergies. Honey has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties, so this is great for preventing that pesky flu that's been going around.... and if you did catch the flu, put some of this honey in your tea for relief and as natural medicine! 

I also like to put an extra boost of protein in my smoothies, especially on gym days! This is the protein powder I am currently using. I hate how most powders are loaded with sugars and calories for all the big muscly people. I just want something to keep me slim! This is the powder for me. Lean 1 is one of the better tasting powders I have tried and it is loaded with fruits and veggies and MORE FIBER! 

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Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk 
• 1 tbsp Justins' Maple Almond Butter or any almond butter with minimal ingredients. (low oil, low sugar, low salt)
• 1/2 banana
• 1 cup fresh kale 
• 1 tsp raw honey 
• 1 scoop Lean 1 Vanilla

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend it up real good! I have a Magic Bullet and I LOVE it for my smoothies. Make sure to open it up, stir up the ingredients once and blend again. Sometimes the ingredients get bunched up and not blended well so you'll need to stir it up with a spoon before continuing to blend. 

Serve it in your favorite cup, enjoy and I hope you have a glowing green goddess day!

xoxo, 
Tiny Taster