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This naturally "sunblocking" skin-protective smoothie is a tasty tropical burst of sunshine and the perfect way to kick-start your day.

The calendulas and daylilies are currently blooming in flaming yellow and orange on our roof terrace (you can see a bunch of our harvested calendulas drying on their rack in the background), so it feels fitting to make a matching morning smoothie.

Orange is also the colour of the sacral chakra, which is located below your navel, at the centre of your lower abdomen. It is connected to your creativity, your sexuality, sensuality, and intuition. Orange-coloured fruits and vegetables such as oranges, carrots, mangos, pumpkins, papayas are said to help balance an imbalanced sacral chakra, so if you are suffering from extreme mood swings, overwhelm, a lack of creativity and passion, low libido, and feeling overly needy and dependent, this smoothie might do its bit in terms of healing. 💛

If you're not into this energy stuff, this smoothie is packed on a molecular level with immune-boosting vitamin C, and also contains natural sun protectors due to the skin-rejuvenating vitamin A, skin-damage-fighting beta-carotene, vitamin E which is essential for preventing photodamage as well as keeping the skin hydrated, UV-shielding lycopene, beta-carotene which also provide natural sun protection, and high amounts of antioxidants that protect against wrinkling, sun damage, and even skin cancer.

It also gives you the necessary boost of energy to carry on with your day, and it nourishes the entire organism. Plus, it is inspired by the yogic "Warrior Pose". Which is, by the way, entirely peaceful 😉

So if you want to do something good for yourself, start with breakfast! (That is, a glowing smoothie and the yogic sun salutation sequence which also entails the warrior pose)

 
SUN WARRIOR SMOOTHIE

Preparation time: 3 mins
Main ingredients: pineapple, melon, mango, carrot
difficulty level: easy
serves: 2
suitable for: vegan, lactose-free, gluten-free, oil-free, sugar-free, yeast-free, nut-free, paleo, raw food

Ingredients

1 medium banana, fresh or frozen
1 large orange, peeled
1 cup pineapple pieces, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup mango pieces, fresh or frozen
1/4 of a cantaloupe melon (about 1 cup)
2 small carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup to 1 cup almond milk (or 1/4 cup coconut milk + 1/4 cup to 3/4 cups water)
about 1 tsp fresh ginger
1 tsp hemp seeds
a pinch of turmeric powder
(optional) 1 tsp of vegan vanilla protein powder (I use this one by Alpha Foods, but you could also stay true to the name of this smoothie and use the classic Sunwarrior vanilla protein blend)

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend for about 1 minute until smooth. Serve immediately.


TIPS:
- Depending on your preference and blender performance you may want to thin the smoothie with a little extra liquid (milk, water or orange juice). For a thicker smoothie, use less liquid. Adjust until desired thickness is reached!
- Using a combination of fresh and frozen fruit keeps this smoothie thick, creamy and refreshing.

♥

Maisy