Harmony in a Glass: The Ultimate Steady-Energy Berry Bliss Smoothie

Balancing blood sugar is not just about physical health; it's a key player in regulating mood and daily vitality. Hormones play a vital role in regulating various bodily functions, influencing everything from mood and energy levels to metabolism and sleep patterns. When you experience fluctuations in blood sugar, it can disrupt hormonal balance. Sometimes finding the right snack that both nourishes you and hits that sweet spot can be tough!

That is why I am sharing my simple and delicious recipe for a hormone-balancing smoothie that provides blood sugar balance! Packed with nutrient-rich ingredients, this smoothie is designed to nourish your body and contribute to stable blood sugar levels throughout the day.

I know what you’re thinking, just another nutritionist throwing a smoothie your way. Rest assured I take my smoothie making very seriously, I may have even earned the title of smoothie queen. I have a feeling you’re going to love this easy yet delicious formula that can be customized to include your own favorite items.

Ingredients

Leafy Greens
- Leafy greens are rich in vitamins A, C, K, and folate, as well as minerals like iron and calcium, providing a powerful nutrient boost to your smoothie.

Non-Dairy Milk or Coconut Water

Your liquid choice is going to come down to personal preference. Almond milk offers a milder, nuttier taste, while coconut water adds a rich, coconut flavor.
My go to almond milk is Malk, the taste is unmatched!

Berries

Berries are loaded with antioxidants, such as anthocyanins, quercetin, and resveratrol, which help neutralize free radicals in the body, reducing oxidative stress. Incorporating berries into your routine is a great way to combat inflammation and strengthen your immune system.

Flaxseeds

Flaxseeds offer various health benefits including that they are rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) (an omega-3 fatty acid), fiber, and protein. Research suggests that consuming flaxseed daily can decrease LDL (bad) cholesterol in just a few months (Toulabi et al., 2022).
The insoluble fiber in flaxseeds helps stabilize blood sugar by decreasing the rate at which glucose is absorbed in the blood. Increasing satiety and helping decrease that midday slump (Mohammadi et al., 2018).
They also have a potential positive impact on hormones as they contain ligans, otherwise known as phytoestrogens. The added benefit of daily bowel movements help excrete excess estrogen, which can be particularly helpful in women with estrogen dominance.

Avocado

Adding avocado to your smoothie provides you with that creamy texture, while also increasing satiety by decreasing the digestion of glucose- helping stabilize blood sugar.

Collagen or Protein Powder of Choice

My favorite collagen is Further Foods, it mixes well and doesn’t leave you with a gritty aftertaste.
Adding collagen or protein powder boosts the protein content in your smoothie, enhancing satiety. As we learned in my previous post on blood sugar balance, adequate protein intake helps stabilize our blood sugar levels leaving us feeling energized without that afternoon crash.

Nut Butter

Almond butter is my go to here! Feel free to switch it up with peanut, cashew, or sunflower butter as an alternative!
Adding in nut butter is giving you both the benefits of healthy fats (omega-3 and omega-6) and protein. While also providing you with fiber, antioxidants, folate, magnesium, niacin, zinc, vitamin E, and vitamin B6.

Ceylon Cinnamon

You may be wondering why you would want to add cinnamon to your smoothie, well let me tell you! Research suggests that incorporating cinnamon can help decrease insulin sensitivity and improve blood sugar levels (Zare et al., 2019).
Taking cinnamon as a complementary approach to blood sugar management was found to decrease insulin resistance in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), with an added benefit of decreasing LDL cholesterol (Hajimonfarednejad et al., 2018).
PCOS or not, cinnamon is a multipurpose spice known for its blood sugar lowering properties and antioxidant support. If you’re hesitant to try it in your smoothie, start out with ¼ of a teaspoon, you might be pleasantly surprised!

Measurements

Leafy Greens- 1 handful

Almond Milk or Coconut Water- ½ cup
Berries- ½ cup
Ground Flaxseeds- 1 tablespoon
Avocado- ¼
Collagen or Protein Powder of Choice- 1 scoop
Nut Butter- 1 tablespoon
Ceylon Cinnamon- ¼ to ½ teaspoon

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a blender.
• Add leafy greens, berries, flaxseeds, cinnamon, avocado, nut butter, collagen or protein powder, and your choice of liquid to the blender!
Blend until smooth.
• Blend until you achieve a creamy and smooth consistency.
• Adjust the consistency if needed.
• Add more liquid if the smoothie is too thick or more frozen ingredients if it's too thin.
Pour into a glass and enjoy!
• Pour your protein-packed Steady-Energy Berry Bliss Smoothie into a glass and savor the delicious and nutritious goodness.

Sources

Hajimonfarednejad M, Nimrouzi M, Heydari M, Zarshenas MM, Raee MJ, Jahromi BN. Insulin resistance improvement by cinnamon powder in polycystic ovary syndrome: A randomized double-blind placebo controlled clinical trial. Phytother Res. 2018 Feb;32(2):276-283. doi: 10.1002/ptr.5970. Epub 2017 Dec 18. PMID: 29250843.

Mohammadi-Sartang M, Sohrabi Z, Barati-Boldaji R, Raeisi-Dehkordi H, Mazloom Z. Flaxseed supplementation on glucose control and insulin sensitivity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 25 randomized, placebo-controlled trials. Nutr Rev. 2018 Feb 1;76(2):125-139. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nux052. PMID: 29228348.

Toulabi T, Yarahmadi M, Goudarzi F, Ebrahimzadeh F, Momenizadeh A, Yarahmadi S. Effects of flaxseed on blood pressure, body mass index, and total cholesterol in hypertensive patients: A randomized clinical trial. Explore (NY). 2022 Jul-Aug;18(4):438-445. doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2021.05.003. Epub 2021 May 24. PMID: 34119421.

Zare R, Nadjarzadeh A, Zarshenas MM, Shams M, Heydari M. Efficacy of cinnamon in patients with type II diabetes mellitus: A randomized controlled clinical trial. Clin Nutr. 2019 Apr;38(2):549-556. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2018.03.003. Epub 2018 Mar 11. PMID: 29605574.