Recipes: Chlorella Beauty Smoothie with Ashley Neese

Posted by Claire Ragozzino

One of the greatest parts of food blogging is being able to connect with incredible artisans, makers and culinary creators  from around the world.  And if there’s one thing I’ve seen in this community – there are some seriously talented women out there shaping the way we eat, think, and feel about food! This year, I decided to launch a new series on the Vidya blog to highlight some of the kitchen goddesses out there who inspire me each day with their ingenuity of ingredients and artful presentation of nourishing cuisine.  This monthly “Seasonal Recipe Share” series will give us a peek inside each bloggers home recipe box and the many ways they each connect with their health through seasonal eating and living.

This month I’m honored to present to you the incredibly talented Ashley Neese of Ashley Neese Wellness. Last fall, we caught up over big macrobiotic bowls at Cafe Gratitude in Venice, chatting life in our worlds and plotting dreams for the future. In a way, I feel like Ashley is my other half holding healing space for women out in LA. From creating nourishing recipes, to leading healing breathwork circles and yoga classes, and offering coaching where holistic nutrition and energy work overlap, this is a woman with some seriously vibrant energy to share!  Her recipes are the kind I come back to daily, and I dream of the time we can create side-by-side together. I’m grateful to have her wisdom on the blog today, sharing her perfect late spring/early summer Chlorella Beauty Smoothie recipe…

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This smoothie is one of my favorite smoothies for getting the glow from the inside out. It’s loaded with skin enhancing minerals, nourishing fat and just enough banana to round out the flavor. I love sipping this in the afternoon when I need an energy boost, to stabilize blood sugar and keep me steady until supper.

Smoothies get a bad rep for being loaded with sugar. If you know how to balance your ingredients they can be excellent boost of nutrition and provide a wealth of healing to your body. My favorite time to enjoy a smoothie is after an intense yoga session or tennis lesson. Yes! I’m playing tennis again after a 20 year break 😉

Spinach is packed with antioxidants which help protect our cells from damage. It is considered an anti-inflammatory green and has high amounts of iron which helps oxygen move around your body to keep you from looking washed out. Spinach is also high in the beauty vitamin E and calcium.

Chlorella is an algae that is very similar to Spirulina which I often recommend to my fertility and pregnancy clients because it nourishes on the cellular level. These algaes are deeply mineralizing, contain high levels of protein and are rich in antioxidants which support egg health.

Peppermint adds a welcomed freshness to smoothies and is a great digestive aid.

Tocos are a must in your beauty food regime. According to my Sun Potion friends it is the ultimate skin food and I totally agree with them. I’ve been adding tocos to smoothies and breakfast porridges for over and year and it is truly an amazing food. Tocos are made from the bran of organically grown brown rice. They are super high in vitamins E and D which supports healthy skin, our joints as well as assists our body’s ability to detox. Bonus, tocos makes smoothies creamy and has a mild, sweet flavor.

Coconut. Yes, it’s a beauty, fertility, healing, pregnancy, all of the above food! Coconut has so many amazing uses it is crazy. I like to use fresh coconut in my smoothies when I have it. These days it’s pretty easy to grab it in the frozen section of organic markets too. Feel free to use coconut butter if that is easier to get.

Banana are a smoothie staple as they are delicious and loaded with potassium. Feel free to omit the banana if you aren’t eating any sugar. In a typical day I don’t eat much fruit so a banana isn’t going to send my hormones into a tail spin. A great alternative is adding more coconut and spinach. You really can’t go wrong with this combination.

In addition to being a delicious beauty smoothie these ingredients also support fertility and women’s reproductive health. I make a version of this for my pregnant mamas too and they love it! xoa

CHLORELLA BEAUTY SMOOTHIE

1 cup filtered water
1/2 ripe banana
1 big handful fresh spinach
4 oz. fresh/frozen coconut meat
1 tbsp tocos
1/2 tsp (~2g) chlorella
5 fresh mint leaves
1/4 tsp ground vanilla

Put all ingredients in a high speed blender and process until smooth. Drink slowly and enjoy!

Makes 1 serving