THE ULTIMATE SKIN HEALING SMOOTHIE

Morning all...

Before I get onto the ultimate skin health smoothie recipe, I have to apologize that this post is incredibly late, but it is for a good reason! We have officially moved!

We were offered a property some time ago which is a bit closer to where we used to live in South London and if you follow my youtube channel you'll be able to catch up on everything that has been happening.

The house itself is amazing! It's so big compared to the place we had before and it's a blank canvas ready for me to work my magic on! I can't wait to show it to you along with the before and afters!

I will aim to post a recipe a month as it takes incredibly long to shoot as well as write up - but now I'm actually settled the content should become a bit more consistent! Thank you for being so patient as well as encouraging me along the way with all your messages!

You may remember me speaking previously about following a guy called Rob Stuart on the second eczema update video on my channel. It was watching his videos and eventually speaking to him over the phone that convinced me that a whole food plant-based diet was the best way to heal my skin naturally.  Initially I began this recipe based on the one featured on his channel - but over time and after reading the Medical Medium book called Secrets Behind Chronic and Mystery Illness; I tweaked the recipe, added more fruits in and it became even better. At the time I didn't even think that was possible!

For those of you joining me for the first time on this post, this last year has been really traumatic for me by way of eczema, which completely covered my body from scalp to toe. At times it was so unbearable, the idea of wanting to die frequently crossed my mind. I thank GOD for the periods of relief I have had during this whole process because I don't know how I would have coped if it was as severe as it had been for the whole time.

The recipe I am about to share with you right now is the ultimate smoothie to aid in healing the skin and for overall skin health and digestion. This is also the recipe that broke my fear of bananas!

Up until this point, I had never willingly eaten a banana in my life. I hated the look, texture and smell of them to the point where I wouldn't be in the same room as someone who was eating one and even my husband was banned from coming anywhere near me if he had been eating it! Oh, how times have changed!

Now bananas are one of my staple foods, and it was this smoothie that helped me make that transition. Although you can taste the banana, the flavours of the other ingredients made it subtle enough for me to really enjoy it, and at this moment in time I am drinking this smoothie twice in the morning everyday - and have seen my skin heal at a rate that I hadn't experienced before.

Banana's themselves are an amazing digestive aid as well as being packed full of anti-oxidants, vitamins and phytonutrients that help fight disease.

Below I've added a bit more detail into some of the health benefits I found relating to skin health in the main ingredients. I recommend you keep these in the recipe even if you decide to switch out or add some other ingredients.

Ginger:

Ginger is a flowering plant closely related to Turmeric and Cardamom. The underground stem of the ginger plant is commonly known as ginger root and is well documented for its medicinal properties.
It can be found in fresh, ground or capsule form, or even as ginger essential oil. The key benefits of ginger for the skin are it's ability to:

fight fungal infections 
block bacterial infections
reduce and inhibit inflammation
quicken and aid digestion

Lemon:

Lemons are a good source of vitamin C, an important nutrient that’s been linked to increased immune health. In fact, there is about the same amount of vitamin C in lemon vs. an orange. Not only that, but lemons are also loaded with antioxidants that can help fight inflammation and promote improved immunity. Antioxidants are key when it comes to healing the skin as they help fight off free radicals and prevent oxidative damage. This is why drinking just lemon and water is good for your skin.

The buildup of free radicals contributes to the aging process, resulting in changes like wrinkles, age spots, dryness and decreased elasticity. Researchers believe that antioxidants could be an effective way to slow aging and improve the skin.

MIXED BERRIES:

Mixed berries - especially wild blueberries are packed full of antioxidants; the miracle fighters of free radicals. They are also full of phytochemicals and essential amino acids. An excellent source of iron, magnesium, selenium, and zinc; as well as traces of omega-3 -6 and -9. This is definitely one of the key ingredients for anyone trying to heal the skin from diseases like eczema, dermatitis, and psoriasis and it makes the smoothie taste absolutely amazing as well as giving it that rich red colour. Your smoothie doesn't have to be all green for it to have maximum health benefits!

PAPAYA:

Papaya is said to be the number one fruit for digestion. Each papaya contains more than 500 digestive enzymes which support the pancreas, aid digestion and mend the walls of the digestive tract; reducing inflammation and preventing scar tissue from forming. They also rid the gut of unfriendly bacteria and parasites including intestinal worms!

It is a miracle worker for the skin and wrinkles as it has a high content of vitamins, minerals, and most importantly carotenoids. It will not only encourage your skin to glow but it can also aid in clearing up your eczema, psoriasis, and acne.

DATES:

Contrary to popular belief and misinformation; dates are one of the most anti-parasitic foods in existence. They bind onto, destroy, and sweep away parasites; yeast, mold, and other fungus; heavy metals, unproductive bacteria, viruses; and other poisonous pathogens inside your gut. This makes them a key ingredient in fighting an overgrowth of candida! Many people will tell you otherwise!

Dates are also abundant in anti-cancerous properties so these are definitely a must if you are seeking disease prevention or just optimum health in general. Many skin ailments can be linked to an imbalance in the gut which manifests on the skin as it begins to lose the battle in expelling toxins from the body. Adding dates into your daily diet will soon help relieve any gut related imbalance or invasion.

Flaxseed:

Flaxseeds, sometimes called linseeds, are small, brown, tan or golden-colored seeds. Flaxseeds are a great source of dietary fiber as well as minerals like manganese, thiamine, and magnesium; and plant-based protein. Flax is also one of the richest sources of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, called alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, in the world.

The ALA fats in flaxseeds benefit the skin and hair by providing essential fatty acids as well as B vitamins, which can help reduce dryness and flakiness. It can also improve the symptoms of acne, rosacea and eczema. The same benefits also apply to eye health, as flax can help reduce dry eye syndrome due to its lubricating effects.
Flaxseed oil is another great option for your skin, nails, eyes, and hair since it has an even higher concentration of healthy fats. If you want healthier skin, hair, and nails, you only need to add two tablespoons of flaxseeds to a smoothie or porridge in your daily routine. How simple is that!

Kale:

Kale comes from the Acephala group of the Brassica oleracea species that includes collard greens. There are two main varieties of kale: one that has green leaves and one that has purple

Kale has become a key staple in my diet because of it's three pronged health benefits that are amazing for skin and overall health.

The most beneficial property of eating kale is its ability to be a powerful anti-inflammatory agent. When you consider the ideal omega-3 to omega-6 ratio, kale is the perfect anti-inflammatory food at a near 1:1 ratio.

Also going hand-in-hand with its anti-inflammatory potency, kale is a marvelous antioxidant food. Of the three main antioxidant vitamins in the world, kale is particularly rich in vitamin C and beta-carotene.

These antioxidants again, help your body to fight of the free radical molecules and toxins that our bodies are exposed to every day.

Lastly, Kale is a natural detoxifier. It not only helps remove toxins, but also helps eliminate them from your body. This is due to a component in Kale called isothiocyanates, which are made from glucosinolates.
These two components are a powerful combination in fighting against toxins and free radicals. First, they help by removing the toxins and destroying them using antioxidants and then they are removed, or detoxified, by the glucosinolates.

Although I love Kale in my food, whether cooked or raw, sometimes I hate buying it and prepping it myself! The amount of bugs you can find in organic produce is incredible!

One time I found a colony of bugs in my bag of fresh Kale, I couldn't help but throw it away and it put me off buying veg for a long time.

I've had the privilege of teaming up alongside my go-to brand for supplements, Indigo Herbs, and they sent me a wonderful big bag of Organic Powdered Kale to use as part of my recipe. So if you're like me and you hate the idea of washing bugs off your Kale, or you're just too busy and want to cut preparation time getting your smoothies ready, this one is definitely for you. Check out my instagram this week for a chance to win three bags of Indigo Herbs Powders to power up your smoothies!

This is a beautiful tasting recipe but feel free to tweak it as desired. For those of you that find the taste of Kale overpowering, Iceberg Lettuce is a great swap out but definitely try it with the Kale powder first as personally, I don't think you can't taste it amongst the other flavours. I myself have made endless versions of this smoothie using different fruits and vegetables but try to keep the main ingredients the same if you want the health benefits as well as that sweet, sharp flavour.

Lastly, if and when you decide to use fresh Kale, be sure to buy organic, as Kale is one of the most heavily pesticide-sprayed crops on the planet!

You Will Need:

2 Ripe Frozen Bananas

A Cup of Organic Frozen Berries

1/2 a Bottle of Cold pressed Golden Delicious Apple Juice 

2 Tbsp of Organic Dried or Six Fresh Leaves of Mint/Coriander

2 Tbsp of Organic Lemon Juice or 1 Lemon 

A thumb of Fresh Ginger or 1 Block of Frozen 

1-2 Tbsp of Organic Ground Flaxseed

1-2 Tbsp of Indigo Herbs Organic Kale Powder

2-3 Dates

1/2 or One Whole Papaya

For an extra detoxifying boost you can also add a teaspoon of organic spirulina or barley grass powder.

Method:

Place all your dry ingredients into a Nutribullet or any other high powered blender. Putting the dry ingredients first allows you to avoid the splashback you get if you put the liquids in first!

Add the apple and lemon juices to the cup

Close tightly and blend for at least a minute.

Either pour out into a glass or replace the blade with a lid and enjoy!

If you can feel too many bits of ginger, feel free to close it and blend it again.

This recipe yields about two glasses so feel free to store the rest in the fridge for later or share with a friend.

I drink the whole thing twice as breakfast in the morning and I honestly believe doing this with respect to all the benefits listed above of each ingredient has aided my skin in recovering at the rate it has.

If you try this recipe make sure to give me a shout letting me know how you found it and also let me know of any other combinations you may have tried using the key ingredients!

REFERENCES:

https://draxe.com/10-flax-seed-benefits-nutrition-facts/

https://draxe.com/health-benefits-of-kale/

https://draxe.com/lemon-nutrition/

https://draxe.com/10-medicinal-ginger-health-benefits/

Anthony William: Medical Medium Life-Changing Foods