Self-Care starts from within: Immunity, beauty, anti-aging, and more!

The focus on beauty and self-care must always begin within. Starting with a clean, tasty, and satisfying foundation for your smoothies, you can add ingredients that will serve any category of wellness.

Flooding your body with nutrients to carry out and purge toxins will help you feel cleaner on the inside, and glowing on the outside. Leading up to long days of travel, you may want to build up your immune system by capping off daily smoothies with simple immune-boosting ingredients. Choosing 22 Days Nutrition powders for clean, organic, plant-based protein will start you off on the right foot, and make smoothie time something to look forward to.

Learning how to make the most out of these substantial beverages, will give you all of that and so much more.  

Beauty

Here are ingredients you can add to your smoothie to bring a vibrant glow to your skin and life. It's time to shine! 

• MSM: MSM is a form of dietary sulfur that aids in strengthening connective tissues, hair, skin, and joints. This supplement comes in powder form and also has the ability to assist the body in detoxification 
• Omega 3's: Omega 3's, particularly EPA, has the ability to increase moisture to the skin, reduce acne, and as a result prevent wrinkles from forming. We love ground flaxseed, chia seeds, sacha inchi seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds for this reason. If you are already using 22 Days Nutrition protein powder, feel free to check off ground flax, and sacha inchi seeds- we have you covered! 
• Vitamin A (Beta Carotine): Beta carotene is the form of vitamin A that is found in plants, converted by the body into Vitamin A. This nutrient aids in healing, helps keep the skin stay hydrated, and contributes to a natural, healthful glow. Try adding kale, sweet potato, or carrots to boost beta carotene levels. 
• Zinc: This mineral has anti-inflammatory capabilities, which come tremendously in handy when rebounding from acne fair ups. Try adding ground pumpkin seeds to your smoothies. Pre-grinding them yourself will yield a better texture in the final product. 
• B-Complex: These vitamins have the ability to strengthen hair and prevent skin aging. 

Immunity

Whether in times of pandemic, travel, working, or stress, it is always important to support your bodies first line of defense.  

• Vitamin C: Vitamin C is the most commonly known vitamin for immune support and can be found in abundance in camu powder. This fruit powder also pairs very well with MSM, giving greater power to its ability to be absorbed and assimilated. If you can't find this food supplement at your local health food store, you can always add kale, oranges, strawberries, or oranges to your smoothies for a vitamin C boost. 
• Zinc: This mineral assists in the development and function of cells responsible for immunity. Grinding pumpkin seeds and adding them to your smoothies, as well as adding the blue, green algae, chlorella, will boost zinc levels nicely. 
• Mushroom Powder: Reshi mushrooms are extremely beneficial in the production of white blood cells. These tiny friends are our body's front line defense against outside invaders. We recommend adding a serving of this mushroom in powder form to your immune focused smoothies. 

Anti-aging

Oxidation is a chemical process that occurs in the body resulting in the production of free-radicals. A free-radical is an atom, molecule, or ion that has the potential to damage healthy cells, thus accelerating the aging process. Antioxidants are substances that inhibit oxidation and when consumed in abundance on a regular basis can be incredibly beneficial to the protection of your body. 

• Green Tea: matcha powder: This powder form of green tea can be added to smoothies to boost antioxidant levels and give you a nice energy boost also. 
• Cacao Powder: Also an incredible source of antioxidants and perhaps the most guilt-free indulgence of them all! 
• Blueberries (Berries in general): Blueberries are incredible powerhouses of nutrients to fight oxidative stress, boost brainpower, and balance blood sugar. We recommend adding them, frozen, to as many of your smoothies as possible. 
• Kale: Kale, especially organic, is a dark leafy green rich in antioxidants and minerals waiting to supply the body with what it needs to perform optimally. Let's not forget fiber to keep the colon clean and sulforaphane to help prevent the most common diseases plaguing Americans today.   

Detox

As hard as we try to eat healthy and avoid stress, life and all of its challenges, will always find ways to surprise us. Have no fear, the cleanup crew is here! 

• Brocolli (Brocolli Sprouts): Brocolli provides the detoxifying organs of our bodies with compounds that aid in their abilities to keep us clean and healthy. Most people don't have the time or the money to do expensive juice cleanses. Consider broccoli your super saver coupon to internal cleanliness. 
• Chlorella: Chlorella is a blue-green algae that helps flush heavy metals from your system. Unfortunately, many foods today have small amounts of heavy metals that you would benefit from flushing from time to time. 
• Dandelion: This plant has the amazing ability to support your liver, kidneys, and digestive system in their elimination of toxins. If you find this plant to be too bitter and a party pooper in the prospect of flavor, feel free to start with smaller amounts, or experiment with its root in powder form. 

With a new perspective on how you can optimize daily smoothies to fulfill your goals and enhance your body's basic functions, the more manageable life becomes. We can stress less about getting temporarily sidetracked from our goals because we know we have easy, applicable solutions waiting for us at home.

Do your best to implement these supercharged smoothies in your daily routine and know that your body is being regularly enriched and becoming more than capable of handling occasional missteps. The easier it is to commit to healthy habits on a day to day basis, the greater chances we have to live long, healthy, and happy lives.