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ginger-tea-smoothie (3)Do you love the thick texture of a frozen fruit smoothie, but can’t bear the thought of drinking one on a cold winter’s morning?

Our client Linda Dessau has a tip and recipe to share:

In the cooler months, I use tea in my smoothies instead of water. Using tea in a smoothie doesn’t result in a hot drink, but more like room temperature. The hot tea and frozen fruit and vegetables cancel each other out.

Ginger has been touted for its warming and inflammatory properties, so I like to get lots of it, especially in the winter. When I bring it home from the grocery store, I slice it up all at once and store it in the freezer. You could also use a ginger tea bag, or any other tea that you enjoy.

I use this method for all my smoothies, which vary every day, based on Kerri’s recommendation to rotate the fruits and vegetables I’m sensitive to. My smoothies always contain a vegetable that’s been cooked (another recommendation from Kerri) and then frozen, along with frozen fruit, and a base of sweet potato, cinnamon and protein powder.

You can swap out the ingredients below with your own favouites. It’s really the method I wanted to share. The other vegetable/fruit combinations I like are:

  • Spinach and strawberries
  • Carrots and grapefruit (I use coconut water with this one to counteract the bitterness)
  • Kale and watermelon

Ginger Tea and Zucchini Smoothie

  •  1 1/2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup sweet potato, cooked and mashed, with the skin (if organic)
  • 1 small zucchini (sliced into rounds, steamed for 4 minutes, cooled, then frozen)
  • 1/2 cup cantaloupe, frozenginger-smoothie-ingredients (3)
  • Small chunk of ginger (with peel, if organic or washed with Nature Clean Fruit & Veggie Wash), steeped in boiling water for 2-3 minutes
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. pumpkin seed protein powder
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • Splash of lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Boil water and pour into measuring cup with ginger. Let steep for 2-3 minutes.

2. Add ingredients to blender in this order:

  • Protein powder
  • Cinnamon
  • Vegetables
  • Sweet potato
  • Fruit
  • Splash of lemon juice
  • Tea

3. Blend for 1-2 minutes or until desired consistency.

Enjoy your wintertime smoothie!

P.S. My digestion has improved dramatically since I eliminated raw vegetables and started rotating my vegetables. Thank you, Kerri!

Thank you Linda! If anyone else has delicious recipes or cool tips to share, please email your ideas to info@rootedinhealth.ca

Yours in Health

Dr. Kerri Fullerton ND & Dr. Whitney Young ND