Orange Dreamscicle Smoothie

The days are going to be longer & it won't be too much longer till warmer weather is here to stay! I don't know about you but I am READY! Ready for shorts, tank tops & flip flops! Summer dresses & sandals & pretty flowers! Grilling out & hanging out..... cleaning house with the windows open while the smell of Spring fills the air! Ahhhhh....... I'm getting Spring Fever! Can you tell?! Anyway, all these thoughts of Spring have been filling my head lately & it got me thinking about  how many people (including myself) have been sick this year! The flu, sinuses, allergies........ I even had strep throat twice & I never get anything more than sinus stuff! Ugh! There has been much hand washing & sanitizing but, you can't live in a bubble & sometimes you inevitably just catch something, no matter how hard you try & how many times you wash your hands & Lysol any & everything in your breathing space! So, we need to be knowledgeable with the foods that we eat! Learn what foods & vitamins can do for our bodies & use them as our weapons! Healthy foods not only help us fight off common colds, viruses & infections & give us energy, but eating clean & healthy can actually help strengthen our organs & fight off major diseases like cancer & heart disease just to name a couple! Healthy food makes your hair & skin prettier & makes you look younger! What we eat matters! Foods are made  to work for us, not against us! Eat simply, eat pretty....... & eat smart!

So, with that being said.......let's talk about the orange.  Did you know that  An orange packs over 170 different phytonutrients and more than 60 flavonoids, many of which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour and blood clot inhibiting properties, as well as strong anti-oxidant effects?!! Add on that they are also an excellent source of vitamin C & One orange (130 grams) supplies nearly 100 % of the recommended daily dietary intake of vitamin C. They also are a great source of fiber!  Leave in the albedo (the white matter under the peel) as much as possible as it contains the highest amount of valuable bioflavonoids and other anti-cancer agents. In addition to all that (as if we can take anymore......), oranges are a good source of vitamin A, the B vitamins, amino acids, beta-carotene, pectin, potassium, folic acid, calcium, iodine, phosphorus, sodium, zinc, manganese, chlorine and iron. Pretty impressive statistics for the pretty, beach ball looking fruit if you ask me! And, they are sooooo good!!!  

So....... I'm thinking that not only would coming up with a dreamy tasting orange smoothie be a yummy treat for my tastebuds....... but my body would be super grateful as well!

Orange Dreamscicle Smoothie

1/2 large orange (peeled)

1 container of vanilla carb smart yogurt

1/4 c unsweetened almond milk

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1tbsp oats

1 tbsp stevia

1/2 c ice

Blend it all up till ice is all blended &

everything is whipped up nice & smooth, garnish 

with an orange wedge & enjoy!