We noticed our friends at Offgrid Clothing blog a lot about smoothies. We asked them to create a smoothie fit for Ernest and the curious and adventurous – a concoction to keep the brain focused and body primed for spontaneous revelry...
Photos: Offgrid Clothing
Why do we at Offgrid love smoothies so much? The health benefits have to be at the top of the list of reasons. They can improve the body’s immune system, increase energy, improve digestion and boost brain capability to get through tough and demanding days. Plus, they are quick and easy to prepare – so there is no excuse for not getting your recommended daily intake of fruit and veg. Plus it's fun to create new concoctions - just see yourself as a sort of modern day alchemist!
Slow adventurers and curious minds were the inspiration behind our Ernest Smoothie – something full of energy with a bit of a creative twist on the usual ingredients you find in many recipes. It is delicious. Get blending and perhaps try out some variations of your own.
Ingredients (quantities can vary to your own personal taste)
Raspberries (approx 100g)
Baby spinach (large handful)
Banana (1 ripe banana - frozen works best)
Nut milk (approx 300ml)
Cacao nibs (1 tbsp)
Chia seeds (1 tbsp)
Cashew nuts (1tbsp)
Maca powder (1 tsp)
Cinnamon (1/2 tsp)
Honey (2 tsp)
Blend all the ingredients together until smooth.
The health benefits of an Ernest Smoothie
We wanted to make a smoothie packed with enough energy to keep people going through their adventures. Each of the ingredients have quite a list of health benefits in their own right, but they were chosen mostly for their energy punch and keeping the blood sugar levels constant.
Raspberries are a source of vitamin C (good to ward off colds at this time of the year) and are one of the fruits that don’t send the body into a post-sugar crash due to the fact they don’t spike the blood sugar.
Baby spinach leaves have a remarkable ability to help restore energy levels. Popeye can vouch for that! This green leafy marvel of a food is packed with so many healthy attributes, it’s hard to list them all.
Bananas pack an energy punch and help sustain blood sugar levels. Your adventure partner will certainly appreciate the fact that they improve mood and reduce stress as they are also a good source of one of the amino acids tryptophan, which the body converts to serotonin – the happy hormone.
Cacao nibs - chocolate without any of the guilt, who wouldn’t say yes to that! Cacao nibs also contain theobromine which is a stimulant similar to caffeine.
Chia seeds are an unprocessed whole-grain food that are a huge source of slow-burning fuel for our bodies. They're rich in plant based Omega-3 fatty acids - reported to have 8 times more Omega-3 than salmon!
Maca powder, as with most superfoods, it boasts plenty of health benefits. Maca powder is known for its energising properties and the ability to balance hormone levels. It also heightens the body’s 'feel-good' factor endorphins.
Cinnamon, not only deemed to regulate the bodies blood sugar levels, it has been reported that even just smelling cinnamon actually enhances cognitive processing (good news for all out there that may not be fans of the taste), and consuming it significantly increases brain function.
Honey, or “liquid gold” as some call it, due to its nutritional and medicinal properties that have been used for centuries. That aside, it is a notable source of all-natural energy with the unprocessed sugars delivering a quick energy boost.