Fertility Smoothie Challenge Day #2

Today’s Fertility Smoothie is a really pretty and a healthy one. Berries are some of the most antioxidant rich foods we can eat and they are available fresh or frozen almost all year round.

Serves 1

Antioxidant Blast

1/4C Blueberries
1/4C Strawberries
1 Banana
1 handful Spinach
1 T Maca
1 Alpha Lipoic Acid (open capsule and empty contents into smoothie)
1 Date (pitted)
1 serving Protein powder
Water

-Add all ingredients to a blender and blend. I add a little water to begin with and add more as needed. As I am sure you have noticed that there is spinach in this smoothie. Don’t fear, just try it. When I first started adding spinach to my smoothies I was scared that it was going to taste weird and bitter, but is doesn’t. For some reason the spinach just disappears into the smoothie and you can’t taste it at all.

What makes this a “Fertility Smoothie”?
This smoothie is an antioxidant powerhouse. Blueberries, strawberries, spinach, and bananas are all high in antioxidants. One of the main roles of antioxidants is in protecting cells from free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage cell structures and lead to numerous illnesses. When an antioxidant encounters a free radical, it engulfs it, and creates a weaker free radical that can not do further harm. A sister antioxidant then reactivates the spent antioxidant so it is available to go on protecting. This amazing cycle is continuously happening in your body without you thinking about it. So feeding your body a wide variety of the antioxidants it needs to do this miraculous job makes it all the better.

Now you may be asking, what does this have to do with fertility? The answer is everything. All of the organs, fluids, and players in the reproductive system are made up of cells which need protecting. Health cells = healthy fertility.

The good news is cells are turning over all of the time. The antioxidant rich foods that you eat and antioxidant supplements that you consume can all have an impact on the health of your cells. One area that we want to nourish and protect is the egg. During the cycle of an egg from “storage” to ovulation there is an opportunity for the egg to be impacted by toxins or nutrients. Antioxidants can provide protection from these free radicals so the DNA is intact and you have a health egg for conception.

The Alpha Lipoic Acid in this recipe is one of my favorite antioxidants. Alpha Lipoic Acid helps to reactivate all of the other antioxidants and also rejuvenates itself. It also turns bad genes “off” and boosts glutathione which is critical for liver detoxification (and helping your liver to get rid of toxins and excess hormones). To use Lipoic Acid in smoothies just open a capsule and dump the powder into the smoothie (throw the empty capsule away). It doesn’t have much of a taste to it.

Maca is also in this smoothie and will be a part of every smoothie in this challenge as the best results are seen when it is taken over a period of time.

Question of the day: What did you think of the spinach in your smoothie?