I’ve got a new smoothie recipe creation for you to try!
Btw, if you didn’t realize it, I create these recipes myself and experiment with the ingredients in my kitchen. I have to say that it is truly therapeutic. Who knows, maybe I will get into some food recipes at some point. Of course, that would take me having to cook more in general, lol!
This smoothie is really creamy, which I like! It actually reminds me of a milkshake.
It has a fresh taste to it and you’ll experience the fruity hints of strawberry and peach as you drink it.
It is considered a green smoothie as well because it includes spinach.
Check out the ingredients below, make it yourself, and enjoy.
Btw, let me and the community know your thoughts on it once you try it. I would definitely appreciate your feedback sis!
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients I decided to use in this creamy green smoothie and how some of them have mental health benefits.
My smoothie ingredients measured and ready to blend. by Priscilla Henley
Spinach:
According to Science Daily, the following can be said about spinach:
“Something as easy as adding more spinach, kale, collards and mustard greens to your diet could help slow cognitive decline, according to new research. The study also examined the nutrients responsible for the effect, linking vitamin K consumption to slower cognitive decline for the first time.”
According to Medical News Today, I found the following about Greek yogurt (probiotic yogurt):
Research suggests that consuming probiotic yogurt is beneficial for a person’s mental health.
A 2016 study found that workers who ate 100 grams of probiotic yogurt a day or took a daily probiotic capsule experienced less stress, depression, and anxiety than those who did not.
This effect is likely due to to the relationship between the gut and brain, and the ability of the gut to make neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine (Burgess).
Flaxseeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a polyunsaturated fatty acid that can help fight inflammation and keep cholesterol levels in check. “Research has also shown that omega-3s can help boost your mood and help improve mood disorders like depression,” says registered dietitian Brigitte Zeitlin. “Use flaxseed oil as the basis for your salad dressings, and reap these mood-elevating benefits.”
Chia seeds have a high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, one tablespoon of chia seeds contains 1,769 milligrams of omega-3s. These nutrients play a role in the functioning of serotonin and dopamine, both critical to mood and mental health.
Furthermore, chia seeds contain magnesium, which is sometimes referred to as “the stress antidote.” Some doctors and scientists believe that depression rates are increasing because we no longer get enough magnesium in our diet. “Top 10 Foods You Should Eat Every Day.” Newport Institute, 7 Aug. 2020, https://www.newportinstitute.com/resources/mental-health/top-10-foods-you-should-eat-everyday/
Almond Milk
Organic Agave Nectar
Prepped Smoothie
I use a single serve Ninja with Nutrient & Vitamin Extraction.
Prepped Smoothie by Priscilla Henley
RECIPE with nutritional facts
Peachy Green Mental Health Smoothie
This healthy and delicious green smoothie is creamy with a sweet taste of peaches and strawberries. Grab it in the morning as a quick breakfast to go.
Single Serve or Large Blender
1 cup spinach (I use baby spinach)
1/2 cup peaches (Frozen)
1/2 cup strawberries (Frozen)
1/4 cup vanilla greek yogurt (I use the brand Chobani)
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (I use Almond Breeze)
1/2 tsp organic agave (I use Organic Agave In The Raw)
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tbsp flax seed
Place every ingredient into your blender. Blend the mixture until smooth.
Serve & enjoy your smoothie immediately.
Breakfast
American
anxiety & depression smoothie, health smoothie, mental health smoothie, smoothie, smoothies for mental health
Recently, I have been trying to find more ways to care for my mental health.
I’ve always loved a good smoothie and I thought to myself that smoothies could be a great way for me to include certain foods in my meals throughout each day.
With that in mind, I decided to begin creating a smoothie with mental health benefits.
I also have to mention that I am a creative person who loves to make and put together different projects. So to scratch, the creative itch I’ve been having lately, crafting a smoothie for my husband and me was a win.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients I decided to use in my first smoothie and how some of them have mental health benefits.
My smoothie ingredients measured and ready to blend. by Priscilla Henley
Oatmeal:
According to Eating Well, whole grains like oatmeal are identified as,
beneficial for depression in the Nutritional Neuroscience study. Plus, another study published more recently revealed that women who ate moderate amounts of whole grains were less likely to experience anxiety (Horton).
Horton M.S., RD, Brierley. “5 Foods to Eat for Better Mental Health.” Eating Well, 13 May 2021, https://www.eatingwell.com/article/7902827/foods-to-eat-for-better-mental-health/.
Blueberries:
Also, according to Eating Well, blueberries are identified as,
In the world of berries, wild blueberries deserve a special shoutout: just a half cup of wild blueberries delivers more than a day’s dose of manganese. Manganese may be a lesser-known mineral, yes, but it’s one that seems to be important for mental wellness. In a study published in 2019 in the journal Nutrients, Japanese adults who consumed the lowest levels of manganese were more likely to have symptoms of depression and anxiety, compared to their counterparts who got more manganese into their diets (Horton).
Horton M.S., RD, Brierley. “5 Foods to Eat for Better Mental Health.” Eating Well, 13 May 2021, https://www.eatingwell.com/article/7902827/foods-to-eat-for-better-mental-health/.
bananas may play a more indirect role by shoring up the amount of serotonin the brain is able to produce.3 The body needs other nutrients to properly make and use serotonin, including vitamin B6,4 and bananas are an especially rich source of this vitamin.
If a diet inadequate in vitamin B6 is contributing to low levels of serotonin, dietary changes may help—but that doesn’t mean eating one banana a day will be enough to improve your mood (Schimelpfening).
Schimelpfening, Nancy. “Does Eating Bananas Improve Your Mood?” Very Well Mind, 10 February 2022, https://www.verywellmind.com/bananas-increase-serotonin-fact-or-fiction-1066923
If you aren’t aware of the importance of serotonin, read what Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School says about it:
Serotonin can stave off depression and provide a feeling a euphoria.
When you feel happy and all seems right with the world, you’re feeling the effects of serotonin. This hormone is responsible for boosting mood, as well as a host of other functions (Watson).
Watson, Stephanie. “Serotonin: The natural mood booster.” Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School, 20 July 2021, https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/serotonin-the-natural-mood-booster
Yogurt:
According to Medical News Today, I found the following about Greek yogurt (probiotic yogurt),
Research suggests that consuming probiotic yogurt is beneficial for a person’s mental health.
A 2016 study found that workers who ate 100 grams of probiotic yogurt a day or took a daily probiotic capsule experienced less stress, depression, and anxiety than those who did not.
This effect is likely due to to the relationship between the gut and brain, and the ability of the gut to make neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine (Burgess).
Burgess, Lana. “8 health benefits of Greek yogurt.” Medical News Today, 25 September 2018, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323169
Almond Milk
Vanilla Extract
Last Saturday
I jumped into my kitchen with my notepad of ideas and started making my first smoothie creation. Studying foods for mental health and sketching ideas were all worth it because my first smoothie was complete and the only thing left to do was to try it.
My very first smoothie recipe was a hit in my house for my husband and me. We found that the single-serve blender did the best blend job. This beautiful purple drink was smooth to drink.
It was refreshing and I look forward to seeing if drinking smoothies consistently will contribute to improvements to my mental health and overall wellbeing. This is just the start!
I’d love for you to try this recipe at home.
Once you’ve tasted it, come back and let me know your thoughts.
The recipe is below!
Enjoy.
Blueberry, Banana, & Oats Smoothie
This healthy and delicious purple smoothie is great for treating anxiety and depression with food. Grab it in the morning as a breakfast to go.
Single Serve or Large Blender
1/4 cup rolled oats (I prefer organic rolled oats)
1/2 banana (Fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup blueberries (Fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/8 cup vanilla greek yogurt (I prefer the brand Chobani)
Place every ingredient into your blender. Blend the mixture until smooth.
Serve & enjoy your smoothie immediately.
Add chia seeds for omega-3 fatty acids which combined with tryptophan, an amino acid could leave you in a better mood and sleeping pattern.
Breakfast
American
anxiety & depression smoothie, mental health smoothie, smoothie
The fear and anxiety that we experience are not of the great God we serve. Many times our anxieties are imaginations that we think up to ourselves. We fester on them and eventually begin to believe them.
This is a snare. It’s a trap orchestrated by Satan. He doesn’t want us to trust God. He definitely wants us to believe that we are all alone. The enemy desires for us to be webbed into bondage by the thoughts and things that we are fearful of.
Have you ever thought of your anxieties this way?
Anxiety is not a God thing. It’s a tool to disable us from fulfilling God’s will for our lives.
Take Moses for instance. He was fearful of a speech difficulty that he struggled with. He actually didn’t believe he could effectively travel into Egypt and command Pharaoh to let the Lord’s people go.
Exodus 4:10But Moses said to the Lord , “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.”
Many times like Moses, all of us allow our shortcomings to disable us into fear.
But Proverbs 29:25 says, “whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.”
Do you believe that today? God’s Word is true and never lies.
The next time you are fearful or overcome by anxiety, remember this promise of God. We don’t always know how He does it, but God protects His children. He is graceful, merciful, and kind in heart.
We can trust Him over any anxiety.
I encourage you to break free of your anxiety trap today. Go forth and persevere in the things God has called you specifically to do.
Be not afraid and remember that God remembers us in our fear. We can be reminded by that in scripture when we read that Aaron was sent with Moses to be his spokesman.
Exodus 7:1
And the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet.
God is always for you and will not forget you. He is your safety.
Pray this week:
Dear Lord,
Please help me to overcome my fears and anxieties. Please correct my way of thinking and remind me that you are my safe place. Build my trust in you and my resistance to any snare.
In Jesus’ Mighty Name,
Amen
Do you need someone to pray for you? Send me your prayer request here.
Do you want to become a believer today? I’ll show you how here.
Anxiety is quite a struggle for women and men alike. Many of us are constantly working to overcome overwhelming anxiety. Anxiety is very inconvenient and takes no thought of what I’m trying to accomplish. Come to think of if it is an invasion of my peace.
I also find that anxiety shows up whether I’m ready or not. I have felt it creep up on me in moments like during or after time with family or friends.
That is out of line, right?!
Next, it’s important for you to know that anxiety often presents itself as quick-moving thoughts, a restless leg, upset stomach, tension headache, shortness of breath, you name it!
CIRCUMSTANTIAL or relationship driven anxiety
Most commonly, my anxiety stems from a circumstance involving other individuals. By this, I mean that it is as a result of a person or persons attending an event or person(s) involved with certain news.
These are a few examples of how anxiety can be brought on as a result of interaction with someone.
These circumstances can produce panic.
Example 1 – I’m attending an event/gathering with family and/or friends. A conversation triggers me, sending me to a place of insecurity or offense toward another person(s).
Example 2 – I’m attending an event/gathering with family and friends. A person walks in the room who triggers my insecurities or changes my comfort level.
Example 3 – Watching the news or having a conversation with someone sends me into a whirlwind of emotions.
So, do any of these examples resonate with you? If you seem to encounter anxiety as a result of your circumstances with others, I want to share some hope.
What Would God Have me do To overcome overwhelming anxiety?
God’s will is that we would serve him and that his sons and daughters would love, honor and respect one another. As we serve God and are being filled with the Holy Spirit, he wants three things from us.
Number one, as believers we should walk this earth always remembering the bright future we have ahead of us. We can always take joy in the certainty we have of the second coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and the eternal glory we will experience.
Secondly, life on this earth is difficult even for believers. This is not our home. Heaven is our home. We face situations that cause us to become frantic and stressed. But the word of God says for us to be patient in distress. Patience requires us to take a deep breath and dial the intensity back. We may not receive an answer immediately or solve a problem instantaneously with a brother or sister, but having patience allows us to endure as we wait on God to have his way.
Finally, we must stay committed to prayer. God wants to hear from us about everything. As scripture mentions, he wants us to come to Him for wisdom, guidance, and strength. We must not stop praying, even when it’s hard to. Prayer ultimately assists us in our relationships and interactions with others. Call out the name of Jesus, even if you cannot manage to utter the prayer you desire. He will hear your cry, guaranteed.
So, you may be wondering why there is a connection between anxiety and the circumstances/people related to it. Staying hopeful, patient, and prayerful will lower the heightened response that often turns into anxiety and panic.
Wrap up
The anxious thoughts and the physical feelings of distress may come, but I have found that when I focus on what gives me hope, become patient and pray tirelessly that my anxiety begins to lower.
For example, the other night, I was in a lot of pain from stomach spasms brought on by stress. The stress came about after obsessing over what others may think of me. It was so intense. Instead of suffering in pain, I practiced hopefulness, patience, and prayer. Ultimately, God took my pain away. Not only that, he placed me into a state of peace.
It’s is amazing!
Above all, the next time anxiety arises in your life due to your interactions and responses to other people, slow your thinking down and try out these biblical practices. They will assist you in your desire to overcome overwhelming anxiety.
Before you go, do you need prayer? If you feel led to, submit your prayer request here.
Weekly Scripture
“Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” Romans 12:12
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