HAPPY SMOOTHIE BOWL

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Active Blendie

• 2 bananas

• ⅓ cup milk/soy milk

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• Cacao nibs or dark chocolate(60% + cocoa solids), for garnishing

• ¼ cup Fresh red Currants/raspberries

EQUIPMENT:

• blender

METHOD:

Combine ingredients in a blender and blitz on the lowest setting until smooth. Pour into a bowl and decorate with cacao nibs, chocolate and extra fresh berries.

NOTES:

• Tryptophan is an essential amino acid which is used to make serotonin – the happy chemical. Chronically increasing tryptophan in the diet may help increase serotonin production https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2077351/   more serotonin can help improve your mood

• Cacao – contains polyphenols which can improve your mood and make you feel calm

• Magnesium – also in cacao, when we are chronically stressed we can use too much magnesium. Magnesium helps us de-stress. Too little magnesium in the diet has been linked to anxiety and depression.

• B12 – animal foods like meat, milk, yoghurt and eggs – deficiency makes you grumpy and irritable – kind of like iron deficiency. If you are vegan or vegetarian make sure you talk to your GP about getting regular blood tests to check your levels. You can get tablets or injections from your GP to up your B12 level.

• Banana contains an array of vitamins and minerals, as well as tryptophan, mentioned above.

• Red berries contain antioxidants and anti inflammatories which can help reduce stress and improve mood