As I live in Inverness, Scotland next to the shores of Loch Ness, I thought this was quite a fitting name for this smoothie. Here I am at Loch Ness last year looking for monsters.
This Loch Ness Monster Smoothie contains Spirulina which is a blue green algae reported to be very good for you. I’m going to tell you why I started eating spirulina and about the amazing health benefits of spirulina.
What is Spirulina Powder?
Spirulina is a natural algae made into a powder that is very high in protein and nutrients. It is possibly one of the most dense nutrient sources available. It is mainly made up of protein and essential amino acids, and is especially high in natural iron.
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Spirulina Nutrition
Health Benefits of Spirulina
Dried spirulina contains about 60% protein. It is a complete protein containing all essential amino acids. Protein is essential for building and repairing your body and general health.- Spirulina contains Omega 3-6 and 9s which are good for brain function.
- Spirulina is very high in Chlorophyll, which helps remove toxins from the blood and boost the immune system.
- Spirulina is also extremely high in calcium with over 26 times the calcium in milk. Calcium is essential to build strong bones.
- Spirulina can also increase fat burning during exercise.
Is Spirulina Safe?
Some people may be worried about the safety of Spirulina as it’s a natural substance, but the evidence suggests spirulina is probably safe.
In a 2009 study, 550 malnourished children were fed up to 10 g/day of spirulina powder, with no adverse effects. This page tells us that dozens of human clinical studies have similarly shown no harmful effects to spirulina supplementation.
Where to buy Spirulina
You can usually find spirulina in most health foods or if you want to get some spirulina from the comfort of your own home you can buy a good source of Spirulina here.
Loch Ness Monster Spirulina Smoothie
A lot of people don’t like the taste of spirulina but I actually really like the taste in a smoothie. This smoothie is sweet enough to mask the taste of spirulina if you don’t like it.
Spirulina makes your smoothie turn a beautiful shade of blue/green. I don’t normally like to add too many powders and so called ‘superfoods’ to my diet but here in the UK we struggle to get hold of many types of leafy greens and I needed more variety of them in my smoothie. So I add spirulina now to my smoothies on a regular basis.
Loch Ness Monster Smoothie and Health Benefits of Spirulina
Ingredients
Fruit Smoothie Ingredients:
- 2 Cups Water
- 1/4 cup of Raisins Dates, or use your own healthy sweetener to taste
- 1/4 cup of Dried Coconut
- 1/4 cup Sunflower Seeds
- 1 Mango
- 2 Bananas
- Juice 1 Lemon
To make into a Fruit Thickie add:
- 1 Cup Oats Like this (or one cup of Quinoa like this)
To make into a Green Thickie add:
- 1 tablespoon Spirulina Like this
- 1 Cup Oats Like this (or one cup of Quinoa like this)
Instructions
Blend the ingredients in the following order:
- Blend the dry ingredients and liquid first for a short time
- Blend the greens next for a short time (if using)
- Blend the fruit and the rest of the ingredients until smooth (or as smooth as your blender will allow. High speed blenders may need 2 minutes for a Green Thickie, less powerful blenders may need a lot more, sometimes 5-10 minutes)
More tips:
- Blending this way allows the dry ingredients to be blended for longest, it means the greens will fit in your blender and your fruit gets less blending so it doesn’t become too hot.
- Add more water if required to thin it out.
- Substitute any of the ingredients for whatever you already have.
- If your smoothie is too warm, you can cool it down in the fridge or freeze some of your ingredients before blending. You can also replace half of the liquids with ice. Add the ice at the end. It is better to add frozen ingredients at the end to cool the smoothie down.
Notes
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Hi, I’m Katherine. I lost 56 pounds and recovered from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome by replacing meals with Green Thickies – my original smoothie concept.
Rena @ No Way That's Healthy! says
Yum i am going to try this! do you ever take spirulina in pill form?
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies says
Hi Rena. I have in the past and I guess this would get rid of the need to add it to your smoothie at all.
Suzanne @ hello, veggy! says
Spirulina is the ingredient I love and hate at the same time. It smells kind of gross and I’m not a fan of the shade of green it turns my beautiful smoothies. On the other hand, it’s great for iron (and many other things) which I am deficient of. Check out my recipe for pesto with spirulina! http://helloveggy.com/2013/08/02/iron-packed-pesto/
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies says
Yes I know what you mean Suzanne. I do love the colour of smoothies but taking it in pill form is another way to get just as much spirulina.
Heather Williams says
I use this same brand of spirulina in ALL my smoothies. It has honestly given me the biggest boost of mental clarity, my hair is growing for the first time in a long time, and I just FEEL better. It’s my miracle food:)
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies says
Hi Heather
Great to hear from you! I’m so glad you enjoy this same brand. Did your hair stop growing? I wanted to grow my hair long but it got to a certain length and wouldn’t grow any more. So I got it cut short. I’m so glad it’s working so well for you. Maybe I should eat it every day! :)
Heather says
Yes!:) It is still growing!:) I use 1/2 teaspoon on my morning and evening shake for one serving a day, or you can use 1 teaspoon at a time. I never taste it once I add the stevia in:) You won’t believe the benefits I’ve gotten from it. I but the 5 ounce jar on iHerb for about 12 dollars and it includes 147 servings I think.
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies says
Wow, I’m going to give this a try. Thanks for letting me know about this!
Rachael Orise says
This was absolutely delicious! I am trying to follow in your steps and use the green thickies/smoothies for weight loss. Not only is it working, but with recipes like this one, I don’t even feel that I am depriving myself! I didn’t really taste the spirulina, and the color green is gorgeous. Thanks for this recipe, as well as all the rest!
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies says
Hi Rachael. Thank you so much for sharing that. I’m so glad you made it and liked it. Congratulations on your success so far.
Jennifer says
I made this smoothie this morning. It was delicious. Sweet and fruity.
Katherine Natalia @ Green Thickies says
That’s great Jennifer. I’m so glad you liked it. Thank you so much for letting me know :)