Hope Harrell: Personal Trainer + Nutrition Coach

Do you ever have times in your day or week where you can tell that your body is begging you for something refreshing? This smoothie is the PERFECT way to satisfy that craving.

For me, after I do yoga, I always want a smoothie…especially after a hot yoga class. A cooling, refreshing, nutrient dense smoothie that is packed with bold, citrusy, and sweet flavors is all summed up in this smoothie recipe!

Orange. Dreamsicle. Antioxidant. Immunity Boosting. Smoothie of your dreams!

This recipe can be adapted to be a smoothie bowl as well just by adding a little less liquid or a little more frozen banana. When I make it a bowl, I top it with coconut cashew granola and just a liiiiitle drizzle of honey. Whether you are sipping or eating this nutrient packed hero, it should definitely be included in your week at some point.

The theme for this smoothie: immunity boosting and vitamin A and C.

Ginger has been proven to provide anti-inflammatory benefits and can work to reduce high stomach acid which can often cause bloating and an upset stomach.

Turmeric is also a natural anti-inflammatory and specifically helps the muscles and joints in the body to not become inflamed or painful. If you are active and hard on your joints in that way, or you have a job that puts a lot of pressure on your joints, then I highly recommend supplementing turmeric. When I was working as a corrective exercise specialist at a chiropractic clinic, I was hard on my joints all day long. Turmeric is what I swore by to keep my muscles and joints happy and healthy.

The color orange in fruits and veggies means that those foods are naturally high in vitamins A and C. Vitamin A provides the strength for great vision, healthy immune system function, as well as helping your heart, lungs, and organs work properly.

Vitamin C is the all mighty vitamin that helps fight off sickness. It helps protect the cells against what are called “free radicals” in the body. Long story short, free radicals are not great, and they contribute to all kinds of illness and disease. Vitamin C boosts immunity, antioxidant levels, improves iron absorption, and so much more.

The protein from either collagen or normal protein powder is needed in our bodies throughout the day. You can read more about protein in my post about it HERE.

Enjoy! Let me know in the comments when you try this!

THE DEETS:

• 1-2 frozen bananas
• 1 thumb of fresh ginger
• 1 thumb of fresh turmeric OR 2tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 cup of carrots
• 1-2 scoops of collagen OR vanilla protein powder
• a splash of vanilla extract (1tsp or so)
• 1/3-1/2 cup of orange juice (depending on if you want a thicker consistency for a bowl or not)

If you are making this into a bowl, the topping possibilities are endless: granola, fresh oranges, blueberries, banana, honey or agave, chia seeds, and coconut flakes, would be my recommendations, but feel free to personalize this to what you like!

Here’s to the pursuit of a healthier YOU!