ZZZZZZZ Smoothie

Having trouble sleeping?  In Suzi's World, unfortunately, sleep doesn't come easy.

Let's see if this helps... 

What do you to help you sleep? 

Cucumber Mint Smoothie

Today we are talking about cucumbers.  In the same family as squash, pumpkin and watermelon; and like watermelon, they are made up of mostly water.  So, again like watermelon, cucumbers taste like summer and are crisp and refreshing on a hot summer day.  They also contain more "good for you stuff" than just water.

Cucumbers are very low in calories and contain no saturated fat or cholesterol.  They are high in fiber, a good source of potassium, and are a natural diuretic.  They contain anti-oxidants, act as a natural anti-inflammatory agent, and have a high amount of vitamin K.  They can even help control bad breath!

And they are delicious in smoothies!  With their mild flavor and high water content, they blend well with solid or creamy fruits such as bananas, apples and mangoes.  The Cucumber Mint Smoothie combines cucumber and mango, spinach and mint.  It is surprisingly refreshing!  I used 1/4 cup of fresh mint leaves, but will double that when I make it again.  I really liked the minty cucumber and melon flavor.  And it was the most beautiful shade of green!

Cucumber Mint Smoothie

6 oz Fat Free Greek Yogurt, Vanilla Flavor

1 ½ c Cucumber chunks, peeled and de-seeded

1 c Spinach, frozen

1 c Mango chunks, frozen

¼ c Mint leaves (or more)

½ c Cashew Milk, unsweetened

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

(19 g Protein, 2.5 g Fat, 6 g Fiber)

Watermelon Spinach Smoothie

I have always loved watermelons.  They taste like summer.  When I was a child, my grandparents always had several large gardens and Granddaddy would say he planted an extra row of watermelons just for me.  Some summers we would have so many watermelons that they were literally served with breakfast, lunch and dinner every day.  I never complained!  And it turns out that these sweet delicious gifts from the earth are good for you!

Watermelon Nutrition and Health Benefits

While watermelons are low in most vitamins and minerals, they are a good source of vitamin C and beta-carotene (which your body synthesizes into vitamin A). Watermelons with red flesh have more lycopene than tomatoes, which is a nutrient believed to protect against prostate cancer.  Since watermelons are primarily water, they also provide necessary hydration.

Watermelons do contain two interesting nutrients which are found especially abundant in the edible rind: citrulline and arginine. Citrulline has been shown to boost heart health, the immune system and help with weight loss and type 2 diabetes. Arginine boosts nitric oxide in the body which helps relax blood vessels and can treat and prevent erectile dysfunction. Some say watermelon is nature’s answer to Viagra! Arginine also removes toxins from the body.

Today's smoothie combines watermelon with other super foods like mango, pineapple and spinach, all rich in fiber and other vitamins and nutrients also known to improve eye sight, lower blood pressure and help prevent cancer.  So, enjoy the health benefits along with the delicious tastes of summer in this watermelon green smoothie.

Watermelon Spinach Smoothie

8 oz Fat Free Greek Yogurt, Vanilla Flavor

1 c Watermelon, chunks

½ c Mango, chunks frozen

½ c Pineapple, chunks frozen

1 c Spinach, frozen

½ c Cashew Milk, unsweetened

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

(20 g Protein, 1 g Fat, 4 g Fiber)

Belly Blaster Smoothie

As I near the end of my Six Week Challenge, I find that I have really been missing my smoothies.

While I do believe that a diet including nutrient rich smoothies is healthy and can be conducive to weight loss, I have been largely avoiding sugar during this challenge.  However, even with the natural sugar from the fruit and the yogurt, the balance of vitamins, nutrients, protein and fiber make this particular smoothie a good weight loss tool.  Antioxidant rich raspberries and pineapple both aid in digestion and help prevent bloating, spinach and whole oats add fiber, yogurt and whey powder pack a protein punch, the cashew milk and banana give a great sweet flavor, and all together it will keep you full and satisfied for hours.

Belly Blaster

4 oz Fat Free Greek Yogurt, Vanilla

½ c Unsweetened Cashew Milk

1 c Raspberries, frozen

½ c Pineapple, frozen

½ Banana, frozen

1 c Spinach, frozen

2 T Flax Seed, ground fine

½ c Whole Oats, ground fine

2 T Whey Protein Powder, Vanilla flavor

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

(60 g Protein, 10 g Fat, 22 g Fiber)

The Antioxidizer Smoothie

They may be little, but berries bring on big beautifying benefits to your skin.  Berries are full of antioxidant compounds that neutralize damaging free radicals which lead to skin cell damage and premature skin aging.

Antioxidants are nutrients (vitamins and minerals) and enzymes (proteins inside your body) that can help to prevent and repair damage to your body's tissue. Antioxidants do this by slowing or preventing the effects of free radicals in the body.  When it comes to caring for your skin, antioxidants can help to protect your skin from the damaging effects of the sun.  Unlike sunscreens and moisturizers, antioxidants can protect your skin from the inside out by guarding your cells from damage.

Vitamins A, C and E and the mineral selenium are thought to be particularly helpful in skin care. In addition to helping fortify cells against free radicals, vitamins A and C also encourage cell and tissue growth, helping the body to repair itself. This is very helpful to the skin, which is constantly shedding and regrowing cells. For this reason, any antioxidants that protect cells and encourage cell growth could be helpful in an anti-aging regimen, as they may help fight fine lines and wrinkles [source: WebMD].

This smoothie contains 2 whole cups of colorful, antioxidant rich berries, as well as peaches, another fruit known for it's substantial antioxidant content. Berries and peaches are also loaded with hydrating water and are chock full of vitamins C and A, all of which are crucial for a healthy complexion.  And, if that's not enough, these colorful superfoods help the body manufacture collagen, which makes skin soft, smooth and youthful.

So, remember, getting a gorgeous, glowing complexion doesn't only mean slathering on the sunscreen or the latest pricey serum.  It also means paying attention to your diet.  By tossing nutrient rich fruits and veggies into your blender, you can nourish your skin from the inside out.

The Antioxidizer

6 oz Fat Free Greek Yogurt, Vanilla

½ c Raspberries, frozen

½ c Strawberries, frozen

½ c Blackberries, frozen

½ c Peaches, frozen

1 c Spinach, frozen

2 T Flax Seed, Ground

1 c POM Wonderful Pomegranate Juice

½ c Water

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.(18 g protein, 5 g fat, 12 g Fiber)

Flat Belly Smoothie

Since I've been on this Six Week Challenge, I have been avoiding smoothies simply because I was trying to avoid sugar as much as possible, even fruit.  But, today I am craving a smoothie!  So, let's try this one that is loaded with ingredients to aid in weight loss and digestion.

Greek yogurt is high in calcium and protein, both shown to aid in weight loss.  Blueberries have been shown to help reduce belly fat specifically, and pineapple contains an enzyme that helps aid digestion and reduce bloating.  The spinach adds fiber, and along with the water, helps prevent constipation and helps clean you out.  Adding ground flax seed provides essential omega 3 fatty acids, protects the lining of the digestive track, and helps keep you feeling full and satisfied longer.

Flat Belly Smoothie

6 ounces vanilla nonfat Greek yogurt
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup frozen pineapple
1 cup spinach leaves
3/4 cup water
1 T flax seed, ground

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
(24 g Protein, 3 g Fat,  11 g Fiber)

Choppin' Broccoli

One of the things I love most about smoothies is how flexible they are. There aren't any real rules and I can be creative...and use up left-overs. The other night I had cooked too much broccoli for dinner, so it went into tupperware and the refrigerator.  Next day, I went looking for smoothie ingredients, and there it was.  

This is definitely not the prettiest one I've ever made!  But, it was delicious and kept me full for hours.

Choppin' Broccoli

6 oz Greek Yogurt, Vanilla Flavor

1 c Broccoli, chopped

1 c Spinach, chopped and frozen

1 c Blackberries, frozen

1 Banana, frozen

2 T Whey Protein Powder, Vanilla Flavor

2 T Flax Seed, ground

1 c Apple Juice, not from concentrate

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

56 g Protein, 8 g Fat, 10 g Fiber

Pumping Iron

A diet rich in vegetables does not have to be lacking in essential nutrients like iron.  In fact, many vegetables are iron rich.  

Dark green veggies like spinach and kale are great sources of iron.  Other dark color vegetables such as beets, carrots, red bell peppers and tomatoes are good sources as well.

This smoothie contains many iron rich ingredients, providing 60% of your daily recommended intake.  

And it's delicious!

Pumping Iron

5 oz Greek Yogurt, plain

1 c Carrots, shredded

½ c Red Bell Pepper, chunks

½ c Beets, cooked sliced

½ c Tomato, chopped

1 c Spinach, frozen chopped

¼ c Beet Juice

¼ c Orange Juice

1 T Whey Protein Powder, vanilla flavor

½ c Oats, finely ground

1 T Flax Seed, finely ground

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

(44 g Protein, 7 g Fat, 13 g Fiber, 60% DV Iron)

Super Green Smoothie

I tried using avocado in my smoothie for the first time.  What a wonderful addition!  It adds a smooth creamy texture, while imparting just a hint of flavor.  It does add quite a bit of fat to the total nutrition, but it's the "good" fat... almost 2/3 of the fats avocados contain are the heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, like those found in olive oil. 

This smoothie also has flax seeds, which add a nice nutty flavor, a bit of fiber, and lots of those wonderful antioxidants including a high concentration of Omega 3.  I bought natural whole flax seeds from my local health flood store and ground them in a coffee grinder. 

There are also oats added for fiber and extra protein.  The oats were also ground fine in the coffee grinder along with the flax seeds.

Recently, I discovered cashew milk.  If you know me very well, you know that I am a skim milk girl. I love my milk!  I have tried soy milk, but really didn't like it.  But, if you know me, you also know how much I love nuts!


So, I had to try cashew milk, and it is so delicious.  As a smoothie ingredient, it provides a great nutty flavor and is actually lower in calories than skim milk.


Add in some spinach, tropical fruits and protein powder, and voila you have a Super Green Smoothie, beautiful in color, tasty and very filling.

Super Green Smoothie

½ Avocado

1 Banana

1 c. Pineapple (chunks, frozen)

1 c. Spinach (chopped, frozen)

1 T. Flax Seeds (ground fine)

½ c. Oats (ground fine)

2 T. Whey Protein Powder, Vanilla flavor

1 c. Cashew Milk

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth.

(45 g Protein, 16 g Fat, 15 g Fiber)

Summer Garden Smoothie

This one is chock full of summer veggies and fruit.  For something a little different, cottage cheese replaces the usual yogurt or milk.  You might notice that this is really a yellow smoothie, but that little bit of spinach definitely overpowers any other colors.  Either way, yellow or green, it was delicious and energizing, and very filling.

Summer Garden Smoothie

½ c. yellow summer squash, sliced

½ c. cucumber, peeled and sliced

1 c. carrots, shredded

½ c. yellow bell pepper, chunks

½ c. spinach, chopped (frozen)

½ c. mango, chunks (frozen)

½ c. peaches, sliced (frozen)

½ c. cottage cheese

¼ c. orange juice

1 ½ T. Whey protein powder, vanilla flavor

1 t. honey

Blend ingredients in a blender until smooth.

(42 g Protein, 4 g Fat, 4 g Fiber)