Organic Eating Daily

Feel the Power of the Morning Smoothie

About six months ago, I finally quit coffee. Caffeine altogether, actually. Occasionally I’ll have a decaf coffee, just for old times’ sake, but that’s a rarity. Herbal tea has become the substitute. And for anyone who has ever tried to break the coffee habit — you know the hardest part of that ordeal is detaching your life from the ritual experience that coffee becomes. But given the great feeling of sustainable energy and solid health, the Morning Berry Smoothie may just be the ideal substitution.

Breaking From the Morning Coffee Habit

Part of the experiment has been to break off the morning dependency on what is essentially a drug. Further, I wanted to see what it would feel like to wake up every day, and not put something detrimental to my system in there. Sure, you get a jolt of energy, but then you crash and have to go through the whole routine again just to keep your head up.

A while back, I had heard about the positive health benefits of the morning berry smoothie. I decided, why not substitute rituals and see what happens? After several months off of the coffee, I have finally given the morning smoothie a real shot.

Ingredients in the Morning Berry Smoothie

Here’s how it breaks down. I get an organic banana and some almond milk, which I sometimes make from scratch. I use about a third of a cup of almond milk, every once in a while substituting soy milk. I add mixed berries from a bag of frozen organic berries (I promise to do a post soon on the health benefits / differences in nutritional value between fresh, frozen and canned fruits!). This usually includes blackberries, raspberries and blueberries. I will often add more blueberries from another bag. Love the flavor. I’d say a cup and a bit extra of the berries.

To this mix, I add 4 tablespoons of hemp protein powder, one tablespoon of raw honey, one tablespoon of flax seed oil and one tablespoon of coconut oil. I usually throw in some flax seeds, too. Blend in a blender on high until smooth in consistency, and drink.

The Benefits of the Morning Berry Smoothie

In a word — energy. And tons of it. I wake up with a ton of pep, and that energy lasts typically until noon. (I get up at 6:30 and have the smoothie around 7). I also don’t feel hungry for a few hours, either — it’s very filling, and can stand as its own meal. So that’s become the new habit, and the ritual substitution has worked out ok. I miss coffee sometimes, but feel better than I ever have.

Recipe for the Morning Berry Smoothie

1 organic banana
1 cup mixed frozen organic berries
1/3 - 1/2 cup almond milk (or soy milk)
4 tablespoons hemp protein powder
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon raw honey
1 tablespoon flax seed oil
1 teaspoon flax seeds

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