Stress Management Smoothie Recipe with Organic Greens, Chocolate and Chia Seeds
With warmer weather comes longer days, busier schedules, and most likely, a good bit of stress management. Even though your goal may be to spend more time outdoors, relaxing and enjoying the spring and summer months, that desire can put pressure on other areas of your life—making it to the beach or the trail takes planning, coordinating, and of course, freeing up your schedule, which can mean more work ahead of time. No. Fun.
But don’t let all the work deter you from enjoying the warmth and outdoor activities. Take stress management into your own hands—and mouth—with these foods that naturally reduce stress. And bonus stress reducer: you don’t have to do elaborate meal planning or prep. Just throw them into a blender and watch your stress puree away!
- Greens – A salad or a smoothie with leafy green vegetables in it at least once a day is a terrific strategy in handling stress. Loaded with nourishing vitamins and minerals, greens can provide a calming effect while also boosting energy naturally, so you’re not overwhelmed by the tasks at hand and awake enough to handle them.
- Bananas are a sweet, tropical treat. And their rich sources of magnesium, potassium, B6, fiber and tryptophan, help to calm and relax you while also giving you healthy energy.
- Chia seeds are all the rage these days for their healthy fats and protein. But they’re also great sources of magnesium, potassium, B vitamins, calcium, iron and fiber. It’s a super filling food and will certainly help to reduce your stress levels.
- Chocolate – Really. Truly. Chocolate. This superfood is so loaded with nutrients it will make your head spin. Cacao—chocolate in its raw form—is loaded with magnesium and tryptophan, both of which help the body to relax and feel good (which is part of why we love it so much). But don’t reach for a Snickers bar. Stick to really dark chocolate (it should say at least 70% on the label). Or better yet, reach for the raw cacao beans or powder and add to your smoothies.
So now that you’ve got your stress-relieving foods—let them do the work of stress management in a smoothie!
In a blender, add one banana (preferably frozen), a handful of spinach or other leafy greens, plus a teaspoon or two of dried greens like our mustHave greens, along with 2 teaspoons chia seeds and 2 teaspoons chocolate powder. Fill in with a nondairy milk like almond or coconut. Add a sweetener if you like ( a drip of honey is good) and any other fruits like berries or pineapple. If not using a frozen banana, add a handful of ice. Blend and serve!
Image: Robert Gourley
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