[RECIPE] Peanut butter and jelly green smoothie

This is one of my favorite smoothie recipes when I want a sweet snack on a hot day as breakfast before volleyball practice. Peanut butter and jelly smoothie is my go to smoothie for these cravings. I also whip up this recipe as a post-workout smoothie by adding a scoop of strawberry flavored protein powder for an effective recovery drink.

Green smoothies like this one are great for helping the body eliminate toxins from the cells, tissues and blood.  This recipe below is included in my 3-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse because the ingredients help the body detox.  This recipe calls for spinach but any leafy green will help cleanse your body of toxins.  Chlorophyll is the green pigment found in plants and provides many benefits to those that consume it. 

Among many things, it is an anti-oxidant, skin healer, red-blood cell booster, toxin neutralizer, and pH balancer.  Dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale and collard greens have the highest amount of chlorophyll in their leaves so they are better than light-colored greens (such as Romaine lettuce and Bibb lettuce) for detoxifying the body. 

Also Read: 10 Backed by Science Healing Foods to Enhance Recovery

I like using baby spinach in my smoothies because it has the mildest taste and is the easiest to blend.  But any dark leafy green will do.  Try experimenting with other phytonutrient-rich dark leafy greens such as cilantro, swiss chard, or dandelion greens.  

Berries are another food that is rich in phytonutrients that help to protect cells and tissues from inflammation, free radicals, and DNA damage. Two types of phytochemicals found in berries are flavonoids and phenolic acids which are both powerful anti-oxidants that help to prevent oxidative damage that leads to disease.   

If you are sensitive or allergic to peanuts, you can also swap out the peanut butter with another delicious nut butter such as almond, macadamia or sunflower butter.