Image of green smoothies on a gray and white marble countertop.

Today I’m sharing my favorite green smoothie recipe, packed with delicious ingredients that nourish your skin! Click here to jump directly to the recipe.

Why share a recipe on an acupuncture blog?

I always talk about diet with my skincare patients, whether they come in for wrinkles or acne. What you eat is so important, because it is literally transformed into your body’s cells, tissues and hormones.

You have to eat nutrient-dense foods to support the production of new protein (such as collagen) and to help balance blood sugar (which is essential for both wrinkle-fighting and acne healing).

In particular, patients undergoing a series of cosmetic acupuncture treatments need to make sure they’re eating enough protein.

The goal of cosmetic acupuncture is to create tiny microtraumas in the skin, which the body “fills in” with collagen, thereby reducing and preventing wrinkles.

If you’re not eating enough protein, then acupuncture can create those microtraumas but you won’t get as much benefit. (Read more about how cosmetic acupuncture works here.)

Why do I recommend this smoothie for skin nourishment?

High-quality foods support your skin from the inside out.

  1. Smoothies are an excellent way to get several servings of leafy greens, protein, antioxidants, fiber, water for hydration, and healthy fats – all of which support skin health and resilience.
  2. Smoothies with sufficient fats and protein (like this one) balance blood sugar and hunger hormones to keep you feeling full longer. This helps you avoids a blood sugar crash, which can have you reaching for sweets and processed carbs. We now know sugar damages collagen, so balanced blood sugar is essential to youthful looking skin.
  3. New research on the science of hydration states that drinking water with veggies and fruits increases the absorption of water into your cells. (Read about it in the book Quench by Dr. Dana Cohen.) Smoothies increase hydration efficiency, and adequate hydration is essential for smooth, glowing skin.

Smoothies are a one-stop-shop to keep you full and nourish the skin for a natural glow.

Is there anyone who should avoid smoothies?

In general, cold, frozen or raw foods like smoothies and salads are recommended with caution in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The reason is that each patient has a particular constitution – warm or cold – and patients with cold constitutions may find that cold foods like smoothies are hard on their digestion. Cold foods are thought to dampen the “digestive fire” that in TCM is responsible for maintaining a strong digestion as we age.

I find that diet is very individual. Instead of adhering to doctrine, do what works best for you. Try different approaches to eating and see what makes you feel good and fits into your life.

If you try smoothies and they work for you, great! If you get some digestive symptoms like bloating, gas, or discomfort, then they may not be a good fit and you’ll need to get your veggies and antioxidants another way.

How can you “warm up” your smoothies?

I only recommend smoothies if they contain warming herbs and spices and do NOT contain ice. You’ll notice in this smoothie recipe I recommend adding cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, and a pinch of black pepper – these are considered warming foods in TCM and should not be skipped!

Plus the only frozen item in this smoothie is 1/4 cup of blueberries – no ice!

You can also “warm up” your smoothie by:

  • Substituting a cup of hot ginger tea for the cup of water
  • Letting your smoothie warm up to room temperature before drinking
  • Drinking a cup of hot tea before your smoothie to “set the stage” for a warmed digestion

Can I skip the fats in this smoothie and add more fruit?

No. Fats are your friend and research shows that fats do not necessarily make you fat. They are a necessary building block for the cell membranes of every of cell in your body. As I mentioned above, in combination with protein, fats keep you full. They slow the absorption of carbohydrates and balance the blood sugar.

As for increasing fruit – I do not recommend it. Fruits tend to be high in natural carbohydrates. If you reduce the fats in this smoothie and add more carbs, you’re very likely to spike your blood sugar. Once your blood sugar crashes, this will make you feel both fatigued AND ravenously hungry. Not a good combination!

In my experience with my patients, smoothies that are primarily based on carbohydrates (like those made of only fruit and yogurt, for example) with no fats added should be avoided for these reasons.

The moral of the story: Don’t be afraid to add healthy fats, and keep fruit to 1/4 cup or less in your smoothies.

This recipe is adapted from Body Love: Live in Balance, Weigh What You Want, and Free Yourself from Food Drama Forever, by Kelly LeVeque.

Kelly is a nutritionist who’s worked with tons of celebrities, including Jessica Alba. Her goal is to help women balance their hormones and blood sugar in order to help them lose weight.

Body Love Healthy Eating and Green Smoothie Cookbook for Beautiful Skin by Kelly LeVeque

I love her approach. The idea is that increasing healthy fats, protein, fiber, & antioxidants while reducing refined carbohydrates keeps you full and balances your blood sugar.

I recommend Kelly’s book and her website to my patients all the time >> bewellbykelly.com

Every ingredient in this yummy smoothie contributes to overall health and boosts the skin’s natural radiance. Below the recipe, I explain how each ingredient positively impacts the skin!

Glowing Green Smoothie Recipe:

Instructions: Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend for 1-3 minutes. Viola! That’s it!

Recipe Tips:

  • Pepper: You won’t be able to taste it, I promise! It’s an important ingredient, so don’t skip it; see below.
  • Grind your chia seeds in a small, clean coffee grinder before adding them to the blender. Chia seeds swell in size and have a bit of a gelatinous texture, and some people don’t love that. Grinding them beforehand makes them much less noticeable in the smoothie.
  • I don’t recommend substituting kale for the spinach – unless you have a very high-powered blender or use baby kale. Kale is a bit too tough to blend in properly.
  • Option: Substitute avocado for either of the fats (the coconut oil or almond butter)
  • Option: Try 1/4 cup raspberries instead of blueberries.

How does each of these ingredients improve your skin?

Spinach:

Spinach is excellent for supporting skin health because it supports whole-body health from many angles. It’s high in fiber, skin-protective polyphenols, vitamins and minerals, including B Vitamins, potassium and magnesium, as well as antioxidants. Antioxidants are an important part of preventing aging because they eliminate free radicals, which cause cellular damage.

Blueberries:

Blueberries are high in Vitamin C, Vitamin K, fiber, and antioxidants called flavonoids. Antioxidants help protect the skin and other tissues from damage by free radicals. In fact, blueberries are thought to have some of the highest antioxidant levels of any fruit. And as we’ll talk about later on in this article, Vitamin C is essential for repairing damaged collagen.

Chia seed:

High in fiber, protein, healthy fats (especially Omega-3 fatty acids), and antioxidants, chia seeds are a nutritional powerhouse. The proteins and fats help balance the blood sugar, fiber feeds the microbiome (essential for skin health, we’re now learning), and of course the antioxidants help protect the skin from free radical damage.

Protein powder:

The amino acids in proteins are necessary building blocks for creating collagen. Collagen is the most common protein in our bodies. It contributes to the structure of the skin, nails, hair, ligaments, tendons, and more. Adequate collagen is necessary to reduce and prevent wrinkles.

I recommend choosing a vegan protein powder. Non-vegan protein powders are typically based on whey, which is a milk protein that often aggravates acne-prone skin. Best to avoid! My favorite (that I drink almost daily) is PlantFusion Complete Plant-Based Vanilla Protein Powder.

Coconut oil:

Coconut oil is high in healthy saturated fat, which keeps you feeling full. (Most of us were taught that saturated fats are bad for us – check out this article about why that’s not actually the case.)

Eating sufficient healthy fat is important because fats contribute to the skin’s natural oil barrier, which keeps the skin hydrated, plump, and younger looking.

Almond milk and almond butter (both unsweetened):

Almonds are high in anti-oxidants and protein. Antioxidants protect the skin from free-radical damage, and protein contains necessary building blocks for collagen.

I always recommend unsweetened almond milk and nut butters because excess sugar contributes to aging. Byproducts of sugar (called advanced glycosylation end products) attach to collagen molecules and damage them. The less sugar you add to your diet, the better.

Lemon juice:

Lemons are high in Vitamin C, which is necessary for building and repairing collagen. For example, the sun’s UV rays damage the collagen, creating wrinkles. You can’t repair the collagen if you don’t have adequate Vitamin C. Even if you have enough amino acids (collagen protein building blocks), your skin needs Vitamin C for the repair process.

Cinnamon:

Cinnamon is loaded with powerful antioxidant polyphenols. Antioxidants help trap free-radicals which can damage tissues, including the skin.

Cinnamon is also anti-inflammatory and thought to help balance blood sugar. Since we know that excess sugar in the bloodstream is associated with collagen breakdown, balancing the blood sugar is essential for beautiful skin over time.

Ginger:

Like lemons, ginger is also high in Vitamin C, which is necessary for collagen repair and wrinkle prevention. Ginger is also very high in antioxidants and is anti-inflammatory.

Turmeric:

Yet another spice high in antioxidant compounds, as well as anti-inflammatory! Turmeric is high in the antioxidant curcumin, which has been extensively researched for its health benefits. Turmeric is also thought to help prevent heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and generally support longevity.

Pepper:

Why pepper in a smoothie?! Most of the curcumin in turmeric is not bioavailable – meaning your body can’t use it. But adding a dash or two of pepper has been shown in research to increase the bioavailability of curcumin up to 2000%. That means WAY more antioxidant power to protect your skin!

Have you tried this smoothie? What did you think?

We’d love to hear from you. Email us at info@senecafallsacupuncture.com!