Omega 3 Smoothie Recipes

I am extremely energized as I learn even more about health and wellness through obtaining my health coach certification. As I go through this nutritional program I am able to put together the missing links and areas I can improve my family’s health in and use food as medicine to help build a stronger mind, body, soul. What is most exciting is creating recipes with superfoods while making them taste top notch at the same time so all likes love.

What has spoken to me the most, learning about amazing benefits of Omega fatty acids. Our body needs 25 fatty acids and it makes all but 2 kinds: Omega 6 and Omega 3. We get these fatty acids through food consumption. Most Americans get enough Omega 6 fatty acids through the food they consume because it is present in many foods such as oils such as corn, safflower, soybean and cottonseed oil. Soybean oil alone makes up 20% of the calories in the American diet that consumes fast and processed foods.

Omega 3 most of us are lacking in our diet but we need it the most due to the imbalance of too much Omega 6. Omega 3 fatty acids are something you have to purposely work into your diet because most people do not consume daily unless it’s planned out.

Here is why you want to build Omega 3 acids into your diet: Builds healthy brain cells, helps reduce heart disease, lowers risks of cancers (colon and breast), elevates your mood, lessens post-partum depression, improves learning, attention span and vision.

Here are the foods that contain Omega 3 fatty acids: cold water fish, seafood, flax seed, flax oil, omega 3 eggs, sea vegetables, nuts and seeds. If you are going to consume nuts,raw is best because they haven’t been processed which means more nutrients.

Too few Omega 3’s can wreak havoc on your body. Here are some of the dangers of an Omega 3 deficiency: Inflammation, higher risk of heart disease and high cholesterol, digestive disorders, allergies, arthritis, join and muscle pain, mental disorders like depression, poor brain development, cognitive decline.

One simple easy way to add more Omega 3’s is by adding them to a morning smoothie. Here are 2 of the favorite recipes I have created and use in our family to get our daily dose of Omega 3. It’s wonderful brain food first thing in the morning to get your day started out on a positive vibe by adding either flax seed or chia seed.

Chia Seed- Purchase in seed form organic if possible. Okay to leave whole seed in tact.

Flax Seed- These come in seed form but it’s best to take small amounts like ½ cup at time and grind the seeds into sawdust form and store in a glass mason jar and use as you go.

The Milkshake (pic above)

8 oz Almond Milk

1 Frozen Banana

2 Tablespoons of Peanut Butter

1 Tablespoon of Cacao Nibs

1 Tablespoon of Flax Seed (grind it up before you use it)

Add all ingredients to your blender and blend until well mixed usually 60 seconds or so.

Day Brightener (pic below)

8oz Coconut Water

1 Frozen Banana

½ Cup Frozen Strawberries

10 Frozen Blueberrries