Energy Boosting Red Smoothie

There’s a lot of talk about green smoothies… but red ones are awesome! Try this energy boosting red smoothie!

It’s really true what they say: you should Eat The Rainbow. I’m the first one to chug down a green smoothie — I’m one of those people who thinks that the greener they are the better; if they taste like grass, I’m all in. That being said, different colored foods provide different nutrients for the body. And, a lot of red foods enhance the quality of blood that your body makes and provide you with tons of energy. In Chinese medicine, we know that good quality blood is a key to longevity. This energy boosting red smoothie will pump you up, keep you healthy, and it tastes so sweet and delicious that it will feel like you are having dessert.

Last month, when I was at the Longevity Conference, I came home with a ton of new products and supplements to try. By now, I’ve tried them all… haha I was joking the other day that I need an assistant just to organize and hand out my supplements… One of my favorite new finds is a powder that’s made of cherries and beets. I used that in this smoothie, but you can use fresh or frozen cherries and beet powder or a roasted beet.

It’s funny how things work out. Red has always been my favorite color. When I was a child, I would go to the library, and I would refuse to check out any book that didn’t have a red cover. Now, a million years later, red is still my favorite color to wear… and now also, to eat.

Cherries are my favorite fruit. And cherry juice is something that is always in my fridge. A little swig of cherry juice before bed helps me sleep.

Beets are something that I try to get into my diet any way I can. I put beet powders in things I want to color red, I buy pre-roasted beets, I make Pomegranate Glazed Beets whenever I can, and now this beet powder is my favorite new addition to my shakes and smoothies.

And to make this even more red-special, there are also goji berries and raspberries hidden in this smoothie. And goji berries… well, these are amazing for your digestion and even can lessen some aches and pains.

So, what I’m saying is that you too should add a beautiful red smoothie into your smoothie rotation.

Here’s another non-green smoothie for you to try: Strawberry Cauliflower Smoothie (this one’s pink)!

Here are the healthy deets on this energy boosting red smoothie:

Beets are SO good for you. I try to find ways to fit them into my meals as much as possible. Really… many times a week. Beets nourish blood and tonify the heart. Athletes are starting to drink beet juice as a form of endurance therapy. They are anti-carcinogenic, good for anemia, and relieve constipation. I also think it’s a great idea to eat them raw sometimes because their amazing goodness is even more pumped up this way.

Cherries are one of the best foods to combat many types of arthritis and joint pain. Also, because cherries help improve circulation, they can be helpful for post-stroke patients. In Chinese medicine, we also believe that cherries help to maintain the body’s “essence” or life-force. I always keep a bottle of organic black cherry juice in the fridge and I often drink a few ounces before bedtime or put a little in my smoothies. I also keep bags of frozen cherries in the freezer. And when fresh cherries are in season, you can always find a big bowl in my kitchen.

Raspberries are an anti-aging fruit. They are great for men who are experiencing frequent urination and for men and women with vision issues. They have anti-cancer and anti-inflammation properties. In Chinese medicine, raspberries are an herb called Fu Pen Zi. This Chinese herb is prescribed for impotence, premature ejaculation, poor vision, and frequent urination. Raspberries are great for you, but if you are experiencing difficulty urinating, that’s when this berry should be avoided.

Goji berries are a Chinese herb (Gou Qi Zi). This herb is great for your blood. I prescribe gojis to some people with chronic pain in the legs and lower back. They are also good for men experiencing impotence and can be used to treat some eye problems. Women who are pregnant and people with intestinal issues should be careful not to eat too many gojis, but the amount in this smoothie shoud be fine for anyone.

Dates are rich in potassium, dietary fiber and tannins. Fiber is good for your gut and tannins help the body fight inflammation and infection. Dates are also rich in vitamin A and iron. The most amazing thing about dates is that they can be used to replace sugar in almost anything. I stopped using sweetened protein powders in my smoothies and now I use unsweetened ones but I add a few dates.

Tocotrienols are a powdered form of vitamin E. I added some of this to this smoothie because it’s so good for your skin, heart, and hair. It can also reduce inflammation and actually combat sun damage… and summer is coming!