Brain Health - Brain Boosting Smoothie with Functional Foods for a Healthy Brain

Brain Health. Who doesn’t want to think quick on their feet and get all the things done in life at a high level. This Brain Boosting Smoothie is the perfect way to start your day. It contains functional foods that are known to support brain health so it can function optimally.

Perhaps nootropics are new to you? Nootropics are a substance found in certain whole foods that are considered as ‘smart’ cognitive enhancers to specifically support executive function in the brain, memory, creativity, motivation and nerve health; yeah, brain power. There has been extensive research done on what is considered to be the most powerful nootropic food of them all, Lion’s Mane mushrooms ¹. It is has amazing regenerative quality to support the growth and connection of brain cells which is knowns as grey matter or neuroplasticity for better brain power. If you wish to learn more about them and other health promoting mushrooms, Paul Stamets is the most well regarded mushroom mycologist.

If you’ve never seen a lion’s mane mushroom in the wild, you should checkout what they look like online (Hint: They look a lot like the brain!). It’s really interesting how mother nature has created edibles for us that actually look like certain body parts. I guess it’s her way of saying, ‘hey human, eat me, I can help with the health of that part of the body’. The best source of lion’s mane is a wild harvested mushroom and/or certified organic. There is various companies that specialize in these products. Our favourite is Harmonic Arts located in Cumberland, British Columbia Canada.

Another great food is Walnuts (Is it coincidence that these nuts also look like the brain?). They are rich in omega-3 fatty acids a significantly high concentration of DHA that has been shown to have beneficial effects on brain function such as protecting the brain and improve cognitive performance ².  Cacao is also a great food for brain health. It has high levels of flavonoids which are phytonutrients found in whole foods which reduce oxidative damage and improve cognitive function ³. In addition, cacao is a good source of magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron, copper and zinc which are minerals crucial for the health of the brain. They support memory, nervous system, thinking, concentration and blood flow to keep the brain healthy.  

Blueberries were added to this recipe as well, they are packed with polyphenols which is an amazing antioxidant that reduces oxidative stress and inflammation to support the health of neuronal communication to support brain health ⁴. Oh! and Avocados are also effective dietary strategy for cognitive brain health ⁵.

We’ve also included our PureFood A to Z,  PureFood B and PureFood C as optional nutritional boosters for this recipe to enhance the nutritive support required for your brain so you can be stronger healthier you. 

Food for thought, right!

This recipe was created by our in-house Holistic Nutritionist, Kari Fraser CNP, Hons.

References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3924982/
2. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11130-011-0260-2
3. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/flavonoids-modulators-of-brain-function/9AB7C1E220A094F510D8D6A84FD4DC44
4. https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/341101
5. https://www.fasebj.org/doi/abs/10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.32.8
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2649700/

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Brain Boosting Smoothie with Foods for Brain Health

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Keyword

brain, health, functional, foods, smoothie, booster

Servings

Serving MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

• ½ cup Blueberries, frozen or fresh
• 1 tsp Lion’s Mane mushroom, powder
• 1 tbsp Cacao powder
• ¼ cup Pumpkin, puree (baked pumpkin or canned)
• 1 stick celery
• ½ small to medium sized Beet, raw
• 1 medium sized apple (Gala or Red Delicious)
• ¼ cup Walnuts soaked (15 minutes) and rinsed
• ¼ medium Avocado, ripe
• ½ Lime, freshly squeezed
• 1 tsp Chia Seeds
• 1 one Medjool Date, pitted
• 2-3 cups Water, filtered

Nutritional Boosters

• 2 tbsp PureFood A to Z (essential vitamins and minerals from food like B-Vitamins, Calcium, magnesium, zinc) all essential vitamins and minerals needed daily to support the overall health of your body.
• 1 scoop PureFood B for B-Vitamins (known to support brain, nervous system health, energy production)
• 1 scoop PureFood C Vitamin C (rich in vital antioxidants to reduce reduce oxidative stress specific to brain and neuron function (reference #6)

Keyword brain, health, functional, foods, smoothie, booster Servings Serving MetricUS Imperial Ingredients ½ cup Blueberries, frozen or fresh 1 tsp Lion’s Mane mushroom, powder 1 tbsp Cacao powder ¼ cup Pumpkin, puree (baked pumpkin or canned) 1 stick celery ½ small to medium sized Beet, raw 1 medium sized apple (Gala or Red Delicious) ¼ cup Walnuts soaked (15 minutes) and rinsed ¼ medium Avocado, ripe ½ Lime, freshly squeezed 1 tsp Chia Seeds 1 one Medjool Date, pitted 2-3 cups Water, filtered Nutritional Boosters 2 tbsp PureFood A to Z (essential vitamins and minerals from food like B-Vitamins, Calcium, magnesium, zinc) all essential vitamins and minerals needed daily to support the overall health of your body. 1 scoop PureFood B for B-Vitamins (known to support brain, nervous system health, energy production) 1 scoop PureFood C Vitamin C (rich in vital antioxidants to reduce reduce oxidative stress specific to brain and neuron function (reference #6)

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Instructions

1. Add all main ingredients into a high speed blender, blend until smooth.
2. Add in suggested nutritional boosters, add more liquid if required for desired consistency, blend until smooth.
3. Bottoms up! Enjoy.
4. To get the most nutritional impact/benefit, enjoy immediately and at the start of your day.

Recipe Notes

This recipe was researched & written by our in-house Holistic Nutritionist, Kari Fraser, CNP, Hons.

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