Do you pay attention to the color of foods when you’re out shopping for produce? It’s not just about pretty colors, but it’s about our health! Try to make your basket as colorful and vibrant as possible, to gain all the benefits from the variety of nutrients that are packed into each mouthful!
A key ingredient in my Pear ‘n Date Smoothie Bowl Recipe is the Medjool date, which is a dark purple color, containing antioxidants that will help protect your brain and nervous system—add some sweet-spicy Bosc pear and a little spinach, and you’re halfway there to all the colors of the rainbow!
Let’s learn more about two of these ingredients…
Beauty Fruit: Pears
From Bosc to Bartlett, and Green Anjou to Seckel, the choices are endless when it comes to choosing pears. But which is best? No need to worry about missing out on nutrients when you choose one over the other- these guys are all packed with tons of health benefits.
Here are just a few of my standout benefits of pears:
- Keeps skin smooth and supple: Sugar spikes can damage collagen—a protein that keeps the skin smooth and supple. Pears help prevent fluctuation of sugar spikes with their fiber rich nutrients.
- Relieves stomach pain or discomfort: Pears contain phytonutrients, which are known to have anti-inflammatory properties—aiding our guts in functioning at their optimum best.
- Better memory: In just one medium-sized pear there is about 15% of our daily recommended copper requirement—an essential mineral required for a healthy central nervous system. What’s pretty amazing is how the copper ions affect the component that is responsible for making the neural synapses stronger or weaker. The end result? This change can affect our ability to not only learn, but remember.
- Packed with vitamins: A, B1, B2, B3, B6, C, and K.
- Contains minerals like: calcium, iron, chromium, magnesium, potassium, and zinc
- Low in: fat and calories (but whose counting?)
Fun fact: There are a whopping almost 3000 varieties of pears found across the world!
Buying Organic
Yes, pears are on the list of most toxic residue when purchased from farms that apply conventional farming methods. If you’re unable to buy all organic, at least add pears to your list of beauty foods you purchase in the organic version.
Here is the most recent Shopper’s Guide that will help you identify the smartest place to put your budget- because I do realize how tight your food budget might be- but at the same time, we want to avoid the vast majority of pesticides. Your gut and overall well-being will work at it’s best for you when you treat it well, with better food choices.
Beauty Fruit: Dates
In my Beauty Detox Power book, under the “Foods and Practices to Balance the Individual Chakras”, I provide suggestions that will improve your overall health and get you to your ideal weight.
This is where the third eye (sixth chakra OR Ajna), comes into play and is all about energy. This energy is associated with higher intuition, perception, insight, wisdom, dreams and psychic abilities. It also has a connection to our visualization, focus and concentration.
In addition, Medjool dates are also rich in copper—an important mineral that the body uses to help absorb iron, form collagen and red blood cells—creating a healthy nervous system and generating energy.
Dates are a good source of various vitamins and minerals. It’s also a good source of energy, sugar, and fiber. Essential minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium and zinc can be found in them. They also contain vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin A and vitamin K.
These dates are also great in controlling addiction for sweet foods. Their high fiber content helps to keep you full longer- curbing the cravings. Unlike empty white cane sugar, they contain fiber and minerals and are a natural, unprocessed food grown in nature.
With all that being said, yes, dates should be included as a part of a healthy diet, but you should not eat just dates throughout the day. If you are trying to lose a bit of weight, then limit your intake to 1-2 a day, or choose to use them sparingly, only 1-2 times per week.
However, if you are trying to increase your weight (or build muscles), then adding dates is a great way to gain healthy weight and all the other health benefits listed above.
I think it’s about that time…let’s check out these simple step-by-steps and get some energy to face the rest of our afternoon!
Prepare ingredients.
Add the chopped pears to the blender.
Add the fresh spinach.
Add the dates.
Add the water and blend until smooth.
Add more sliced pears for your topping. Enjoy!
See full recipe below…
Pear ‘n Date Smoothie Bowl Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Bosc pears
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 cup water
- 2 dates
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was on Instagram!
Let me know what your favorite smoothie bowl creation is, and don’t forget to add this recipe to your Pinterest Smoothie board!
All love,
Kimberly
Bubby, me and Lolo (Grandpa/my dad!) grabbing some beach and earthing time together. Lots of love xoxo
This looks so good. Do the dates mess up the blades of the blender though? That’s my only concern, since it’s like a sticky dense fruit?