2 Green Bananas
1 Avocado
2T Cacao Powder
2T Almonds
3 Dates
2C Kefir
1/2 C kefir whey protein (live liquid)
1C Ice
Stevia to taste
Add all ingredients together in a blender and blend until smooth. This power smoothie contains both prebiotics, probiotics and resistant starch.
Green Bananas - While in the unripened state, green bananas contain resistant starch. Resistant starches are “resistant” to digestion by us but become very beneficial food for the good bacteria in our gut and so is considered a prebiotic. These short-chain fatty acids feed a very important bacteria strain that stimulate the production of butyrate. Butyrate helps fight inflammation, the root cause of many diseases. Bananas also contain many vitamins and nutrients like potassium, magnesium, manganese and even vitamin C. Because green bananas are unripened they have a lower sugar content. They also help you absorb nutrients like calcium better.
Avocado - is in this smoothie for numerous reasons. One, it keeps you full longer. Because it is a healthy fat, it is good for the heart. It helps make the smoothie rich and creamy and doesn’t change the flavor much at all. Avocados contain many vitamins and nutrients like vitamin K, folate, vitamins C, B5, B6, and E along with small amounts of B1, B2, B3 and A. It contains more potassium than a banana and has small amounts of magnesium, manganese, copper, iron and zinc.
Cacao Powder - This is a nutrient dense prebiotic that makes both you and your good bacteria happy! It feeds beneficial microbes. Surprisingly it packs in more calcium than cow’s milk. It also contains iron, magnesium and antioxidants. Cacao is heart healthy due to its ability to hep control blood pressure, stress and depression. Raw cacao powder contains more than 300 different chemical compounds. It’s rich, chocolatey flavor will help to satisfy your chocolate cravings.
Dates - A fantastic way to sweeten almost anything while adding extra nutrients is to add dates. Just take the pit out and throw them in the blender. They are really sweet so you only need a couple. Adding dates will give you extra fiber, potassium, and copper. The type of fiber found in dates is soluble fiber which helps maintain healthy glucose and cholesterol levels.
Kefir - Adding kefir adds a good variety and large quantity of probiotics. See my blog post “Why I Drink Kefir Every Day” to learn more about my favorite probiotic drink.
Kefir Whey - This is the clear liquid that separates from kefir when it is homemade. This is a golden liquid protein and contains many healing properties. I always reserve some of the whey from every batch of kefir and use it in things like smoothies, kefir whey lemonade, and even add this to other beverages like ice coffee and fresh juices. It is probiotic, containing beneficial microbes to help detox and heal your body. If you have seen whey protein products on the market and understand their benefit, just think if you put that whey protein in living form with lactic acid bacteria to help your body use it very efficiently.
This smoothie is a great meal replacement. It provides a ton of energy due to the unique combination of nutrients. Because it contains healthy fats, protein and fiber, these satiating foods will keep you feeling full longer. A fantastic way to begin the day!
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