This Power-Up Pomegranate Smoothie was inspired by the research I did for a recent webinar on Brain Health for one of my corporate clients. Our brain is akin to the “wizard behind the curtain.” It regulates activities we rarely give any thought to-heartbeat and respiration, wakefulness and sleep and digestion. It directs our thoughts, actions, and emotions, And, give it the right energy because it utilizes 20% of the entire energy supply from the body!
Honestly, if we all were vigilant about taking care of our brain health, everything else would fall in place. What’s good for the head is good for the heart, body, and every other organ that supports us on a daily basis.
While we’ve got great research on single nutrients and brain health, such as omega-3’s and vitamin D – we don’t eat single nutrients, we eat food!
Looking to start your day off with a brain-boosting bang? Look no further than than this Power-Up Pomegranate Smoothie.
Brain Super Foods
Pomegranates: Let’s start with some animal research: Mice with Parkinson’s symptoms where given pomegranate juice for 6 months. After the six months, mice not only performed learning and memory tests better than the control group, but they had 50 percent less plaque in their brains. (1) Scientists believe that Alzheimer’s is the result of the build up of plaque in the brain called Beta Amyloid.
People research: In a study done on adults undergoing heart surgery, they gave half the patients pomegranate pills one week before surgery and six weeks after. Not only did the individuals who took the pomegranate pills have no memory loss, but their memory actually improved. On the other hand, the patients who did not receive the pomegranate pills had memory deficits as expected (2).
Beets: Beets are well-known for their ability to increase blood flow to the brain. Much research has been done showing that their nitrates in beets might help combat the progression of dementia.
Dark Cherries: Cherries are loaded with brain-boosting capabilities. The anthocyanins in cherries are thought to boost cognitive function (3), prevent memory loss and protect against Alzheimer’s Disease (4). In the mood for a better mood? Cherries are a rare food source of serotonin (5) a hormone known for regulating mood and anxiety.
And, of course, this smoothie has nutrients (fiber and protein) to help stabilize blood sugars and brain energy!
Check out our other smoothie recipes!
Power-Up Pomegranate Smoothie
- Prep Time: 5
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: blend
Ingredients
- 1/2 c. pomegranate juice
- 1 c. plain greek yogurt
- 1/2 banana
- 2 pickled beets
- 1/2 c. frozen cherries
- small piece of ginger root (optional).
Instructions
- Blend.
Notes
And, as our sitter Charlie says, “It’s Heat.” I don’t know what that means, but I think it means, “it’s good.”
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 389
- Sugar: 51.8 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 0.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 90.4 g
- Fiber: 5.2 g
- Protein: 9.9 g
- Cholesterol: 7.4 mg