Rise & Shine!

That’s how my mom used to wake me up as a kid, “Rise and shine, sweetie!”. Such a sweet way to start the day! Now I wake up to a snoring husband, a demanding kiddo (or two) and/or a long-limbed dog kicking me out of bed. I have to find my own sweet way to wake up…and I have! Along with an hour of quiet time in which I do a mix of yoga, meditation, embroidery and reading (mostly reading!), I make a delicious smoothie. And here it is:

Rise and Shine Smoothie

(vegan)

This is my go-to morning smoothie. I make this most mornings, but always on my workdays. I let it sit for an hour or more while I drink coffee and commute to work. The chia seeds thicken the smoothie during that hour and make it SO filling that I am good-to-go until lunch. I don’t feel hungry after drinking this smoothie. I feel awesome, energized and proud of myself for starting the day with vegetables!

• 1 cup vanilla flavored Almond Milk (unsweetened)—or your favorite non-dairy milk
• 1 heaping TBSP chia seeds
• 1 scoop organic greens powder
• 1 TBSP organic cocoa powder
• 1 scoop of plant-based, organic protein powder
• 1-2 handfuls of greens (I use a mix of Kale and spinach and put as much as my blender will hold)
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 TBSP nut butter, coconut oil or ¼ avocado for a dose of healthy fats

Add each to your blender (the high-powered ones mix this in to a SMOOTHie). Normal blenders may have trouble really grinding down the greens so the end result may be a little chunky; start with a smaller amount of greens at first to see what your blender can do and consider investing in a high-powered one!

Not sure where to find these ingredients? Start here!

I buy the food ingredients in bulk at Costco–they have an impressive supply of organic ingredients these days. Our local farmer’s markets, co-op natural food store, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are other great resources. If you live in a place without good, organic food options, a few of my patients use thrivemarket.com.

Have a favorite smoothie? Share it!

What’s your favorite way to start the day?

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