A smooth start to the New Year

Here’s a “smooth” way to kick off the New Year, with a healthy you!

Each January at Hipcooks, we post smoothie recipes on our blog. It’s a great time to re-set and re-focus on health, especially after the holiday season. I find that I crave fresh, sassy flavors, and lots of energy-boosting vitamins. There are lots of good reasons to introduce healthy smoothies: it can be a great way to get those greens in every day. They are rich in micronutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. When fresh summer fruits (like berries) are not as easily available (or expensive), you can reach into your freezer and pop them in a blender. Magic.

It’s easy to make a smoothie packed with flavor and all the goodness to give your body a boost. We use organic fruit, and when we add citrus, we’re often adding the whole thing! The skin has concentrated vitamin C and is packed with flavor-carrying essential oils, and the pith is rich in beneficial nutrients, like naringenin — it stimulates the liver to burn excess fat and reduce blood sugar, triglycerides, and cholesterol; it can reverse the DNA damage that causes cancer and radiation-induced damage to the cells of the body. Lemons, limes, grapefruit and oranges, contain hesperidin, which reduces bone loss, d-limonene, likewise fights cancer, high cholesterol, and indigestion. vitamin C, is much more potent and three times as much fiber. You’ll also find vitamins A, C, B6 and B5; calcium; riboflavin; thiamin; niacin; and folate.

Smoothies can be a fantastic meal replacement when created thoughtfully: they should be satisfying, well-composed and (of course) super-scrumptious. Here’s a smoothie trifecta for you: choose one or make all 3!

Orange, fig & coconut smoothie

Chai spice “latte” smoothie

“Cold-buster” green smoothie

If you like these smoothie posts, please let me know, and I’ll keep on keepin’ on. Happy New Year!