Green Winter Smoothies

Who’s craving more comfort foods?

You’re not alone!

The weather is so cold this year, and the days are so dark, and the comforting holiday treats are everywhere. If you're planning a juice cleanse in January, you might be put off some of the more generic programmes refreshing summery flavours, but don't give up on your liquid breakfast too quickly.

A smoothie or a juice can be a perfect meal to start your day, even in the winter. The crucial factor is that you have to choose nourishing, warming ingredients.

So how do you create a warm winter smoothie?

Here's my super simple guide:

• First of all, don't use frozen ingredients. Icy cold beverages will not only make you feel chilly and unpleasant, they can cause digestion to slow down, which leads to bloating, gas, and prolonged transit time. If you are using frozen ingredients, get them out ahead of time to thaw.

• Choose a vegetable base from ingredients that are rooted in the ground and such as squash, carrot, or pumpkin. Hard vegetables like these juice well and make an excellent base for a drink, whether you are having a juice or a blend.

• Add some seasonal, warming herbs and spices! You could try: ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, rosemary or chilli

• Make it green - juices and smoothies are a great way to enjoy nutrition packed vegetables with even more bioavailability. Spinach and kale are great additions and they have a fairly neutral flavour, so you can add them to your beverage for some great benefits, without overpowering the flavour you were aiming for.

• Finish with a good dose of fat. Adding saturated fats will help you feel satiated and keep snacking at bay. My favourite options include coconut butter, avocado or MCT oil. You could also add chia seeds to improve your omega 3:6 ratio.

So now you know the basics, here's a quick recipe that you can make, even if you don't own a juicer, to get your started.

Warm Winter Smoothie

1 cup hazelnut milk (or coconut or other nut milk)

1/2 cup butternut squash, peeled and chopped

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled

2 handfuls of spinach

3 leaves of mint

1 tbsp ground chia seeds

1 tsp cinnamon or 1 drop food grade cinnamon essential oil

1/4 tsp nutmeg or 1 drop food grade nutmeg essential oil

1/4 tsp vanilla

Blend it all together and enjoy.