Thursday, September 3, 2015

Stoke Your Health With A Blueberry Shake!

Hi Everyone!  As I sit at my computer writing this, it is about 84 degrees in my south-facing home office (I don't have air-conditioning) and it's a sticky, humid, hair-frizzing 88 degrees outside - in the shade!  Dang hot - especially for coastal Maine!  Whew . . . good thing I just made one of my favorite fresh & fruity blueberry shakes to cool me down.  

Here in Maine, late summer is harvest time for one of our largest commercial crops . . . the low-bush wild blueberry.  By comparison to the high bush variety, with it's rather large berries, our berries are tiny, but mighty, mighty sweet.  So, without further adieu, I'd like to share one of my favorite blueberry blender recipes with you . . . It tastes fabulous and will ramp up your youthifying antioxidant intake while boosting your immune system!  A win, win, win, if you ask me!  Enjoy!

For this and other healthy and delicious blended, raw beverages, read my latest book, Raw Energy In A Glass: 126 Nutrition-Packed Smoothies, Green Drinks, and Other Satisfying Raw Beverages to Boost Your Well-Being (Storey Publishing, 2014).

 

Blueberry Blast-Off Protein Shake

Anthocyanins, the pigment molecules that make blueberries blue, help protect and strengthen the walls of the blood vessels and capillaries throughout the body and improve nocturnal vision.  During Maine summers, when our wild blueberries are at their peak of ripeness, I'll frequently enjoy the entire recipe of this shake as an evening meal - quite satisfying and filling.  Young children, in particular, love this shake because it makes their tongues turn purple!  Makes the perfect after-school snack, too!  NOTE:  If you want to avoid staining your teeth slightly blue, be sure to brush immediately after drinking.

Blender Type Suggestion:  This recipe contains hard frozen fruit and is best blended using a high-speed blender such as a Nutribullet or Nutribullet RX, Nutri-Ninja, Blendtec, KitchenAid, or Vitamix.  If you don't have one of these, just let your fruit soften on the counter for 10 minutes before adding to your blender.

 

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups purified water
- 2 cups frozen blueberries
- 2 medium or 3 small frozen bananas, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 4 tablespoons raw almond or cashew butter (may substitute toasted nut butter varieties if the raw are unavailable - sunflower butter tastes good, too)
- 1 tablespoon raw honey, raw agave nectar, or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon natural vanilla flavoring
- Pinch of sea salt
 
Directions:
 1.  Put the water, blueberries, bananas, nut butter, honey, vanilla, and salt in a blender and blend on high until smooth, 30 - 45 seconds.

2.  Serve in glasses or insulated mugs.  This shake is rather fiber-rich and high in natural sugars and fats, so be sure to sip slowly so that it digests with ease. 

Yield:  2 servings

A good source of:  powerful antioxidants, vitamins B, C, and E, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, manganese, copper, zinc, other trace minerals, tryptophan, protein, healthy fat, complex carbohydrates, natural sugars, and fiber

NOTE:  This blog was written by Stephanie Tourles, Lic. Esthetician & Herbalist, and the recipe adapted from her book, "Raw Energy In A Glass", Storey Publishing (c2014).  The information is true and complete to the best of her knowledge.  All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of Ms. Tourles.  She disclaims any liability in connection with the use of this information.  It is for educational purposes only.