We know that diet and excercise are the keys to a healthy life. Together with my commitment to yoga and its holistic benefits I am a firm believer in using food as medicine, supporting health and encouraging healing through a good quality diet of appropriate foods. To keep our bodies in top form we need a diet rich in anti-oxidants*, and these are often signalled in Nature by the strong colours of the foods in which they are found – think tomatoes, lemons,  blackurrants, broccoli and you’re very much on track.

‘Nature’s Plus’ have developed a range of five powders to boost your anti-oxidant intake. They are each packed with a variety of foods in the same colour spectrum,  and I have created a delicious Yoga Smoothie recipe for each of the formulas. To chose the formula that’s right for you, have a look at the recipes and see the notes below. To see all the recipes click HERE, or below for individual recipes. Click on the pictures for more about each Nature’s Health product.

Green Yoga Smoothie – for an energy and brain boost, delivers a combination of algae including chlorella, spirulina and kelp, giving high-quality protein and helping to smooth out blood sugar fluctuations. This is the best fomula for a full day ahead – especially if you need both mental and physical energy.
Click HERE for more info and HERE to print the recipe.

 Bright Yoga Smoothie –  think of this as the magic formula – it smells lovely. These ingredients have been shown to gently tone a weak digestive system whilst strongly toning the immune system.
Click HERE for more info, and to HERE print the recipe. 

 Blue Yoga Smoothie – cooling and soothing, these fruits have high levels of anti-oxidants plus Vitamin C.
Click HERE for more info, and HERE to print the recipe.

 Red Yoga Smoothie - rich and fruity, these fruits have been  shown to be beneficial for the heart and arteries, and helping to manage cholesterol levels.
Click HERE for more info, and HERE to print the recipe. 

Yellow Lightning Smoothie – like warm sunshine, if you are feeling sluggish, this could be just the boost you need.
Click HERE for more info, and HERE to print the recipe.

• Use the Green Yoga Smoothie as a breakfast booster, for supercharged brain power and energy through the day.
• Choose a different colour Yoga Smoothie for later in the day, based on the specific properties of each. For instance, you might want the occasional anti-oxidant boost if you have put your system under some strain and want to undo the effects of a blow-out weekend or a fish-and-chip supper! Or recovering from an illness, your appetite and vitality may be low and in need of gentle restoration.
• For fussy eaters, the Yoga Smoothies are also a great way of delivering important anti-oxidants and vitamins! (The smoothies are not recommended for children or anyone with a medical condition.)

The basic recipe for each Yoga Smoothie has banana for natural sweetness, for its detoxifying and lubricating properties. Easily digestible and rich in potassium, bananas are used universally for hypertension. Use soya milk and soya yoghurt. This is a great way to get your ’soya fix’, rich in tryptophan to help serotonin and melatonin production in the body. And of course, use live yoghurt for your all-important intestinal flora. To these, add nuts – either coconut for flavour or almond for its alkalising properties. You can of course experiment, but always use organic ingredients and never add sweetners! (And please buy good quality vanilla essence…….it makes the world of difference.)

*Anti-oxidants are a vital element in protecting our bodies from the damage caused by free radicals, the highly reactive molecules associated with degenerative diseases and early ageing. If you would like more basic information, click HERE or read my favourite book on the whole subject, ‘Healing with Whole Foods’ by Paul Pitchford. ‘Over the past 12 years Paul Pitchford has been a key lecturer with the prestigious Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. His work has become a primary impetus behind the most fundamental, clinically effective and innovative dietary movement today, widely known as “whole foods nutrition.” He sees a universal shift to whole foods nutrition as essential for overcoming ecologic ravages to the Earth as well as quelling pervasive disease and degeneration among her peoples.’ I thoroughly recommend his book to anyone with an interest in the subject.