skin-loving smoothie recipe

Note: this post was previously published here as a part of my freelance work.

So you love smoothies. There’s no doubt that its healthy, but you really just throw random ingredients into the blender with no rhyme or reason. Why not construct a super-power combination to boost one system or another? The smoothie recipe below will provide a powerful dose of antioxidants and nutrients for the skin. Down it as often as you’d like to help prevent wrinkles, smooth the surface, and get glowing. Not to mention, it's pretty tasty.

THE INGREDIENTS:

70% Dark Chocolate: The darker the chocolate the more the antioxidants. This will help you improve luminosity. 

Spinach: Spinach is chock full of lutein, a carotenoid that will protect your skin from UV damage. 

Mixed Berries: Berries are a great source of vitamin C and antioxidants. The healthy dose will protect you against free radicals in the environment.

Avocado: Avocado is packed with antioxidants like vitamin C and E, alpha carotene, beta carotene, beta cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin and lutein. They also have a great amount of mono saturated fatty acids which help to maintain moisture in the epidermal layer of the skin.  

Coconut Water: Healthy skin needs one thing above all: good hydration. Coconut water will hit you with electrolytes and give skin all the drink it needs.

DIRECTIONS:

- Throw ingredients into a blender and drink as soon as possible.

salmon wild rice

Easter Sunday rolled around. I am not a Christian, but I wanted to make something nice. After all, it was a holiday, it was Sunday, and I had the time and ambition to cook something good. To get started, I picked up salmon, peas, and chives at the grocery store. I paired it all with wild rice whose dark color would allow for the pinks and greens to pop. I treated it like a risotto, although not Arborio, and cooked the rice slowly with a stock. To make it creamy like risotto, but in a healthy way, just add in some almond milk and coconut oil at the end. Finally, everything gets a nice drizzle of lemon juice to brighten up the flavors. It's a healthy, tasty, and let's face it, beautiful!, spring-time dish.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Wild Rice

2 Cups Water

12 oz Salmon

1 Cup Frozen Peas

1 Vegetable Bouillon Cube

2.5 Tbsp Chives, chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

3/4 Cup Almond Milk

1 Tbsp Coconut Oil

Juice from 1 Lemon

Directions:

1. Add your wild rice, water, and vegetable bouillon cube to a pot and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce heat and let the rice cook down. 

3. Once almost all of the water has evaporated, add a spoonful more. Do this three times or so. On the last time, add almond milk and peas, then let everything finish cooking down.

4. Stir in chopped chives, minced garlic, and coconut oil, then set rice aside. 

5. Heat up oil in a skillet, and quick cook your salmon.

6. Tearing the salmon apart with a fork, stir it into your rice mixture. Squeeze lemon over it all and finish stirring.