Blueberries are considered a superfood because they’re packed with antioxidants and phytoflavinoids. Blueberries are also very high in potassium and vitamin C. They are known to help lower the risk of heart disease and cancer, and are also anti-inflammatory. Doesn’t the old saying go: “a 1/2 cup of blueberries a day will keep the doctor away”?
We found this great smoothie recipe that was whipped up by Jennifer over at her wonderful blog, Virtually Vegan Mama. Not only does this delicious smoothie take full advantage of the health promoting benefits of blueberries and acai, but it also makes the most of their lovely berry flavor and combines them with other powerful (and yummy!) immunity boosting fruits.
Here’s what Jennifer had to say about her recipe:
“I threw in some frozen Acai berry which adds a rich berry-cocoa flavor that is a lovely compliment to the sweet, slightly tart flavor of the blueberries. This smoothie is packed with flavor and valuable nutrients. While drinking this smoothie, imagine all the wonders it is doing for your body, like fighting free radicals with powerful antioxidants that may help reduce the risk of some diseases.”
Ingredients (Serves 2):
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
½ cup fresh blueberries
½ cup frozen blueberries
½ cup frozen pineapple
½ cup fresh apple, chopped
1 (3.5 oz.) packet unsweetened frozen acai
Handful of fresh baby spinach
1 tablespoon flaxseed
Optional* -if you like beets, add 1/2 cup raw or cooked beets into this smoothie. So good, and it really makes the color pop!
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Puree until smooth and serve. It’s nutrient-rich and delish. Enjoy!
What do you do to help boost immunity and stay healthy? Tell us your best health promoting tricks in the comments and you might win today’s Everyday Giveaway for free Earth Balance® products!
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I eat well, get plenty of sleep, have started to be more active, have a good probiotic daily, and wash my hands! Sometimes all of that is still no match for a toddler who brings home the dreaded daycare germs though.
I have a question for anyone who can answer it-what is a good dairy-free substitute for canned evaporated milk to put in a pumpkin pie?
I try to get to bed early so I can feel well-rested!
Lots of vit. C, echincacea, traditional medicines tea, and hand washing
Lots of orange juice and good sleep every night.
Upon the first sign of sickness, I used to drink Bolthouse Farms C Boost, which actually stars acai. It was my first experience with it and it worked quite well. I’ve said this before, but I love having Emergen-C and echinacea tea around, so that any time I’m feeling under the weather, I have the cure at my fingertips… no trips to the store needed!
Yum, yumm, yummm… I love using frozen acai smoothie packs! Acai helps balance the sweetness of fruit in a smoothie and it does add a wonderful richeness to it, not to forget that its also loaded with antioxidants and a good source of healthy omegas. And I agree, beets (well for me frozen beet juice cubes) are great to add to a smoothie, again for balance as well as an earthy tone to it that I like to have in all my smoothies.
Whenever I notice I (or my husand or daughter) may be getting sick, I immediately load up on green and white tea, specifically with ginger and lemon, get lots of vitamin C like Lillian said, exercise my heart out because it really does make me stronger and make me feel a tons better, and eat something hot and spicy like a spicy soup or spicy sauteed kale in broth. And last and most important, lots of extra rest!
Thanks for the tips, Ladies! We want to do our best to keep everyone happy and healthy this year, and every little bit helps!
Totally agree with Nancy! (Make sure you don’t sub orange juice from the bottle into that smoothie, or you’ll see the sugar skyrocket!) I make sure to keep my hands clean (wash them even more than usual) during flu season, and if I feel a bug coming on, make sure and up my intake of Vitamin C and Zinc!
Sugar reduces the body’s ability to fight infection, so avoiding sugar-sweetened foods, can help reduce the risk of disease and aid in healing when infection occurs.