Today’s Green Shake is all about getting that beautiful, youthful glow – that you won’t find in a beauty cream! In my fridge, I keep a stock of beautifying foods. Watermelons and blueberries are a top favorite and this morning I blended them together into my green shake – which brings me to an interesting point: not all green shakes come out green! Brown, green… it’s all good! Here’s what went into it:
Watermelon: mostly made of water, watermelon hydrates the body helping to cleanse and detoxify. When it comes to hydrating, water is important – but food waters hydrate the body and also contain fibers, sugars and nutrients that help to keep the body going. Watermelon is also rich is lycopene, an antioxidant that scavenges UV-induced free radicals – little nasties that can cause sunburn and wrinkling. Did you know that you can also juice the rinds – there is a lot of nutrition there, but it’s best to do this only if your watermelon is organic.
Blueberries: rich in Vitamin C, a collagen-builder that helps keep our skin tight and taut! The other really cool thing about blueberries is that they are rich in anthocyanins, which scientist believe protect the body from the effects of oxidative stress. If your body lacks the antioxidants to fight against this stress, it can bring on disorders associated with ageing. Something to note is that the effects from oxidative stress increase with exposure to environmental toxins – so for those of us dealing with the recent haze – I say give your body a strong defence: get your blueberries on!
The Beauty Shake Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup watermelon
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1 cup leafy greens (spinach, kale, kai lan…)
- 1/2 banana (frozen is best – this makes the shake creamier)
- a sprig of mint
Directions:
- In a blender, blend all of the ingredients together until smooth.
- You can add ice to make it like a smoothie and water if you want to thin it out a bit – to reach a consistency that you like.
