superfood sunday: berry cacao smoothie

I've really gotten into super foods lately and am trying to incorporate them into my diet as much as possible. And so I've started a new series - superfood sundays! I've never been a smoothie fan...until recently. I seriously despise bananas (unless in banana bread) and I don't take yogurt very well. I've been on the hunt for a banana-free and dairy-free recipe for some time now and finally found this one from Joy McCarthy's "Joyous Health" book. Ever since I've started making this, I crave it every single morning. Liquid foods are great to get your digestion going in the morning because your stomach doesn't have to work too hard to break it down. I've seriously noticed a huuuge change in how I feel after I eat breakfast since drinking smoothies. 

Let's just talk about how amazing theses ingredients are for you (most info from Joy's book):

Raspberries: high levels of vitamin C and B-complex, full of anti-oxidants, high fiber content to keep you full longer

Blueberries: anti-inflammatory (which helps to prevent chronic diseases), full of anti-oxidants, lowers blood pressure, increases metabolism

Raw cacao: extremely high in antioxidants, rich in magnesium and other essential minerals, contains theobromine, phenylethylamine and anandamine which help boost energy and mood

Chia seeds: great source of omega-3 fatty acids which helps lower inflammation and is good for your brain and heart, source of fiber which releases glucose slowly into your blood stream so you feel full longer and don't get sugar spikes, are a complete source of protein, and contain all sorts of other nutrients


Depending on how hungry I am in the morning I'll either make the full smoothie or just do half. The full recipe is one large smoothie or two small ones.

Berry Cacao Smoothie (originally called Raspberry Chocolate Cheesecake Smoothie and adapted slightly from Joyous Health)

1/4 cup (60ml) raw cashews
1 cup (250 ml) fresh or frozen raspberries and blueberries
1 scoop chocolate protein powder (I use the Genuine Health's protein+ chocolate powder)*
2 tbsp (30 ml) raw cacao powder
2 tbsp (30 ml) chia seeds
1 cup (250 ml) coconut milk (I use Earth's Own almond coconut milk)
Filtered water to get it to your consistency (I use about 1 tbsp)
1 tbsp raw cacao nibs

Soak cashews in filtered water for about 30 mins to 1 hour**; drain. Place all ingredients except cacao nibs in a blender. Blend for 30 to 60 seconds, until smooth. Pour into a glass and sprinkle with cacao nibs.

* if I don't add protein powder for whatever reason I'll squirt in some honey because I find the smoothie needs some sweetness

**when I first started making this I always soaked the cashews but I've gotten pretty lazy these days. It still blends well with out being soaked - it's just not quite as smooth.

Happy Sunday!