Mild Morning Smoothie

During our retreats we start every day with an extensive unit of yoga and meditation. Before that, of course, we don’t eat anything, just drink warm lemon water and a smoothie. Since a green smoothie with lots of spinach and herbs can be a burden for sensitive stomachs, especially before exercise, I have developed a smoothie that is very mild, only slightly sweet and yet pleasantly filling. Even beyond our retreats, I really enjoy starting the morning with this soft green smoothie made from avocado, cucumber, melon, lemon and mint.

Not only is it stomach-friendly, it also provides the body with valuable plant water, which is so important at the beginning of the day to nourish and hydrate all of our cells and skin. There is a lot of water in cucumber and melon in particular, which is naturally enriched with numerous vital nutrients. The bitter substances in the cucumber activate the digestive juices and enzymes in the liver, gall bladder and pancreas right in the morning. The melon provides the preliminary stage for the beauty vitamin A, which makes our skin glow (who doesn’t need that in the early morning?). However, vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin and needs a fatty carrier in order to be absorbed by the body. And that’s where the avocado comes into play, because it’s rich in healthy fatty acids. Its potassium is essential for our nerve and muscle cell function, which is beneficial for people who want to exercise in the morning .

And then we haven’t talked about the lemon juice yet. It not only gives the smoothie a pleasant freshness, but also supports the body’s cleansing process, gently detoxifies, strengthens the immune system and provides an alkaline environment. Did you know that vitamin C not only makes you healthy but also beautiful? Vitamin C is essential for a clear complexion, because it repairs damage to our collagen and is therefore one of the most important natural anti-wrinkle active ingredients. Especially in summer, when our skin’s own collagen is suffering from sun exposure, we need to consume enough vitamin C to prevent skin aging. By the way, humans are the only species on earth (apart from guinea pigs and a special kind of monkey) whose bodies do not produce their own vitamin C. Evolutionary biologists assume that our food originally contained so much vitamin C that our body no longer produces these special genes. However, this is exactly what can become a huge problem with a diet low in vitamin C and cause us to age prematurely. We should prevent this in a pleasant way … and just drink a smoothie.

And now my question for you: what are your favorite morning rituals? And do you have certain wellness and health tips for a perfect start into the day? I look forward to your comment below!

MILD MORNING SMOOTHIE

Servings 2 people

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 avocado peeled and pitted
• 250 g ripe honey or Galia melon pulp weighed without peel
• 100 g cucumber peeled
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 10 mint leaves
• 300 ml water

Equipment

• blender

Instructions

• Puree all ingredients in a blender until creamy and serve immediately.

Wellcuisine-Tipp

The smoothie is very mild and not particularly sweet. If you want a more intense taste, you can add some pineapple or kiwi. If you like it sweeter, swap the water for coconut water or add a piece of banana.

Wellcuisine Stefanie Reeb