Blackberry Maca Adaptogenic Balancing Smoothie

Autumn is here and what better way to find ground and enjoy the fruits of the season than with this immune boosting berry maca smoothie. This is my favourite post yoga drink and is great for grounding, boosting, and balancing at this time of year when we can all do with a little help to boost our immune systems.

Most people struggle to consume enough purple foods in their diets so I love to make this smoothie every now and then to boost my brain power. With the rising levels of mood and cognitive disorders such as alzheimers, we want to be including more blue and purple coloured foods in our diets such as berries, grapes, beets, aubergine, plums, cabbage, purple kale, figs, purple carrots, cauliflower and potatoe. The phytonutrients in these foods can improve mood and cognition, and support neuroplasticity.

Maca is an adopten from Peru and is rich in minerals, amino acids, vitamin C, and antioxidants including iron, so it is very good for fatigue and anaemia. It has an earthy, nutty taste and a butterscoth aroma that also goes really well with strawberreis and cacao. It helps the body naturally adapt to stressors such as sustained chronic stress, busy lifestyles, and illness. It also supports hormone balance, mood, and memory, and can be taken by men and women to calm the nervous system and support sperm quality. Black maca seems to have the most promising research behind it and I would advise in only buying maca from Peru not China, where it is now being industrially grown with pesticides due to its popularity. If you'd really like to make a meal out of this smoothie you could also add in some protein powder of your choice.

Ingredients:

Handful of frozen blackberries

Handful of blueberries or blackcurrants

1/2 frozen banana

1 tbsp chia seeds

1-2 tsp maca (I like Kiki's 3 maca blend)

Unsweetened plant based milk such as almond, oat, hemp, or coconut.

1 tbsp almond butter

1 tbsp protein powder (optional)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

A few mint leaves

Top with figs and bee pollen.

Blend all ingredients in a blender such as a nutri bullet until smooth. Tope with figs and bee pollen.