Empowering Mom in the Morning with the Miracle Smoothie!

Many of my clients are mothers of young children, and I often hear that they wish they had more energy. Relying on caffeine has its drawbacks.

On this blog, I usually suggest recipes with kids in mind. Today, I am going to give you something that’s JUST for moms. It’s my go-to for a great day.

The Miracle Smoothie

A couple of years ago, my husband and I stumbled upon a raw, organic lunch shop in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

The shop was tiny, only able to hold two or three customers at a time, but there was often a line of corporate types out the door (not the type of people you would normally see at a health food restaurant).

I asked the middle-aged fellow in front of us why the place was so crowded. We learned that he was an attorney who could not get through his day without the chocolate hemp smoothie from this cafe. In fact, almost every customer was leaving with the same thing–the chocolate hemp smoothie!

When it was our turn to order, we asked the store owner, (a young hippie) why this smoothie was so popular.

“Try one and you’ll be back tomorrow,” he chuckled.

Indeed, we returned the next day for another smoothie. Upon our third visit, we asked the guy if he’d give us the recipe because we might go broke buying this smoothie (it was not cheap!). He must be a really bad capitalist because he proceeded to show us all the ingredients and how to prepare them, and even told us where we could buy the everything at wholesale prices!

These chocolate hemp smoothies have become a staple in our home (and we often mix in a variety of other ingredients).

The essential recipe is as follows.

Blissful Chocolate Hemp Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 banana (peeled and frozen overnight)
• 2 dates (pitted and preferably covered and soaked in water overnight, although I have forgotten to soak them and just added them dry)
• 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
• 2 tablespoons raw cacao nibs or raw cacao powder (notice that raw chocolate is called “cacao” NOT “cocoa,” which is roasted, making it bitter (requiring sugar) and not as healthy.

Preparation

• Blend hemp seeds with ½ cup of water in a blender.
• Add frozen banana, dates (with soaking water), and the ground raw cacao nibs. Blend. (I grind the raw cacoa nibs in a coffee grinder before adding, but you can also buy raw cacao powder.)

You can experiment with the amount of water depending on how creamy you like your smoothie. I sometimes add more cacao when I want an especially blissful experience. You can buy cacao nibs or powder and raw hemp seeds on Amazon or in your local natural foods store. 

Try my other favorite smoothie recipes.

A Burst of Energy

I find that on days that begin with a chocolate hemp smoothie, I get a great buzz, feel excited and energetic, and experience no letdown the way I do when I drink coffee.

If you want to make this smoothie kid friendly (I can’t resist!), just skip the cacao and make a hemp smoothie with banana and dates. This variation is also delicious and full of digestible protein.

For health food geeks like me…

David Wolfe, who is a superstar in the raw food movement, has compiled a list  of the top super foods.  Cacao (raw chocolate) ranks #1, and raw hemp ranks #4. 

Cacao (raw chocolate): The seed/nut of a fruit of an Amazonian tree, cacao is the highest antioxidant food on the planet–it’s also our #1 source of magnesium and chromium, and is extremely high in PEA, theobromine (for cardiovascular support), and anandamide (the “bliss chemical”). Raw chocolate improves cardiovascular health, builds strong bones, is a natural aphrodisiac, elevates your mood and energy, and increases longevity.

Hemp products eaten in their raw form: Hemp seeds are packed with 33 percent pure digestible protein, and are rich in iron, amino acids, and vitamin E as well as omega-3’s and GLA. Hemp is a perfect food for growing children and adults looking to increase protein intake.

I hope you will enjoy increased energy with the help of this smoothie. Please share your own recipes for empowering breakfasts.

Be well,