Heart Healthy Smoothie

7 Reasons to Drink This Smoothie

1. It’s a good way to eat more greens. Add some spinach, kale, or romaine lettuce and you’ll be on your way to having your daily dose of greens. Don’t be afraid to use steamed or add a handful of raw.
2. The blender does the chewing for you and helps release all the goodness in your food.
3. Cranberries contain polyphenols and they may boost heart health by alleviating arterial stiffness.(1) And, blueberries help reduce atherosclerosis. Not to mention that both of these antioxidant rich berries help prevent urinary tract infections by blocking bacterias ability to bind to the bladder’s wall. (2)(3)
4. Oatmeal can lower your cholesterol. It’s soluble fiber binds to cholesterol and ushers it out of the system. (4) Use cooked or raw.
5. Clinic studies have shown pomegranates to be heart healthy. From Dr. Fuhrman, Pomegranate “not only lower cholesterol, but also lower blood pressure and increase the speed at which heart blockages (atherosclerosis) melt away.”
6. Flax seeds, which need to be ground to be bioavailable, are rich in lignans and omega 3 fatty acids and “scientific studies have confirmed that flax seeds have a positive influence on everything from cholesterol levels and constipation to cancer and heart disease.” (5)
7. “Soy’s lunasin peptide is “nutritional magic” for your heart. Lunasin is a naturally occurring peptide found in soy that disrupts production of cholesterol in the liver and clears LDL from bloodstream.” from news-medical.net.

If you’re concerned about soy, you can substitute unsweetened almond milk.

I'd love to hear your feedback in the comments below for this Heart Healthy Smoothie! If you have a photo, post it on my Facebook page, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking in your caption, and I won't miss it!