So, who knows what antioxidants are?

Magical compounds that kill cancer and make us live forever?

Not quite, but they do have quite a few health benefits!

Antioxidants prevent and repair damage caused by free radicals in cells.

Free radicals are the body’s equivalent of a bunch of rabble-rousing anarchists. They are created from natural processes in the body, including “healthy stress” such as exercise and not-so-healthy stress like exposure to chemicals such as pollution and cigarette smoke. They wreak havoc in the cells, and if that damage is not repaired, it can lead to long-term consequences including cancer.

Antioxidants stop that damage in its tracks. So antioxidants are pretty important!

The more deeply colored a food is, the more antioxidants it contains. (Think dark chocolate here.)

And this smoothie is chock full of them!

For the fruit, I used Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice, frozen wild blueberries, frozen raspberries, and half of an açaí packet (from Trader Joe’s), all of which are super high in antioxidants.

I added 1 scoop of pea protein powder for protein and 1 tablespoon of raw cacao powder (for more antioxidants as well as taste).

And I used unsweetened coconut milk for the base (feel free to use any non-dairy milk here).

The açaí gives this smoothie a slightly tart taste and the cacao powder is a touch bitter, but the fat in the coconut milk balances it out. If it’s not sweet enough for you, a drop or two of stevia should do the trick!

Enjoy!

 

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