Lucky Charm Smoothie

The Irish have survived famines, war, starvation and today there luck will continue to prevail! If you woke up with the Monday blues and a nasty hangover after all of the imbibing and celebrating this weekend then today is your lucky day!   Rise and shine with today's green smoothie that will hydrate you while pumping your body full of the nutrients it’s deprived of.

Though no one meal or drink can cure a hangover, certain foods are better for refueling than others. After waking up with a pounding head, aim to restock the body with necessary fluids and nutrients like fructose, vitamins, animo acids, and minerals that can help break down toxins or lessen the body’s negative reaction to the chemicals in booze.

First things first replenish with a large glass of  water. Water is our elixir of life and should be your number-one priority after waking up with a pounding head. Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it pushes liquids out of the body. Adding some lemon will  help soothe your stomach and add some vitamin C. Then, do your liver a favor, and add a  teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in the water with lemon to help dissolve foreign substances in the body. ACV will also balance pH levels and increase deficient minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium and iron. Now on to this  magically delicious smoothie.... 

 

Lucky Charm Smoothie

 Ingredients:

• Almond milk or nut milk of choice

• 1/2 bunch spinach

• ½ ripe avocado, pitted and peeled

• 2 green apples

• 2 kiwis, skin peeled

• 4 stalks asparagus

• 1/2" ginger

• 4 Pitted dates or natural sweetener (pure maple syrup or raw honey)

• 2 ripe bananas

• crushed ice

• garnish with kiwi and mint (optional)

If you have a high-powered blender, such as a Vita-Mix, place all the ingredients in the blender and process until smooth.If you do not have a high-powered blender, the dates may not get blended completely and may leave tiny little bits of date in the smoothie.  If that bothers you, blend the almond milk and dates together and then strain the mixture.  Add the remaining ingredients to the blender with the strained almond milk and blend until smooth.  Or just use honey or maple syrup to sweeten instead of dates. Makes 2 Medium Drinks.  

Nutrition Facts:

• Ginger reduces nausea and eases indigestion.

• Apples have lots of fructose, which gives the body instant energy. Its water content is high to help hydrate the body, and it’s packed with vitamins.

• Banana, Kiwi and spinach are packed with potassium, which is typically depleted after a night of drinking and an important electrolyte that is often depleted due to alcohol’s diuretic effect.

• Avocados are full of fresh, high-quality fat, loads of Vitamin E and fiber. And it’s that fat that helps us absorb the fat soluble vitamins and antioxidants, especially the carotenoids in spinach.

• Asparagus boosts levels of enzymes that break down alcohol.

 Happy St. Patrick's Day!!