Warm Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

I’m a Holistic Nutritionist and I’m addicted to smoothies.

While most people can’t start their day without their coffee, that’s me with a smoothie. I have two favourites I rotate between, my Busy Mama Spirulina Smoothie and this guy. My Warming Chocolate Cherry Smoothie literally tastes like the most creamy and decadent chocolate milkshake ever.

Why Warm?

I first discovered the idea of warm smoothies way back before I was a nutritionist and accidentally left my Vitamix running a little too long one morning. I popped the lid off and steam came billowing out. To my surprise, it wasn’t half bad and actually pretty yummy (but maybe not the best option for mid-July).

I’m always cold in the wintertime and hated drinking icy smoothies, so this little life hack was perfect! Shortly after this new warm smoothie movement, I began seeing a Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner. She told me my digestive system was too damp and I should avoid having anything cold or raw.

“Cook your salads,” she kept saying to me.

My body was instinctively telling me it wanted warm foods – even my smoothie. As I delved deeper into the world of warming foods, I found Ayurvedic philosophy had a similar outlook.

Cold and raw foods damp and weaken your digestive fire, called “agni” in Ayurveda. People with weak digestion should avoid raw and cold foods (which is totally me). Eating warming foods in the fall and winter is important to keep your body both healthy and balanced. Cold foods like salad and smoothies can pull energy from the body because our metabolism has to work harder trying to keep us warm. Our body is then left more vulnerable to winter illnesses.

If you want to take a deeper look into the warming food philosophies of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, check out Hot Detox by Julie Daniluk. Her book is filled with metabolism-boosting spices and hearty recipes to reduce bloating, heal digestion and reset your vitality.

Warming Foods

My Warm Chocolate Cherry Smoothie was inspired by many of the smoothies found in Julie Daniluk’s Hot Detox. The combination of warm coconut milk and spices are a perfect way to keep enjoying your smoothie in the colder months. Plus, it’s going to keep your immune system strong and happy.

• Cherries: Ayurveda recommends sweet, sour, and heavy fruits in the wintertime, making cherries a perfect choice. Cherries are also full of antioxidants!
• Raw Honey: raw honey has a heating and drying effect, which can clear mucus brought on by a cold or flu.
• Cinnamon: warming to the digestive system and has natural antimicrobial, antibiotic, antifungal and antiviral properties.
• Ginger: keeps the immune system healthy and helps fight off infections.

Spice Swap

I’m a big fan of using high-quality essential oils in my recipes. Being heavily diluted in a smoothie is a great way to safely enjoy the internal benefits of essential oils. Bonus? The flavour is next level good.

Cinnamon essential oil supports healthy metabolic function and helps maintain a healthy immune system. Ginger is best known as a digestive aid and for helping to ease occasional indigestion and nausea.

There are two things you need to take note of when using essential oils in recipes.

1. Not all essential oils are created equally. Quality varies greatly from brand to brand. Always make sure the essential oils are labelled on the bottle for internal use. The only brand I trust and use is doTERRA. Learn more here.
2. Less is more. For a more subtle flavour, apply a drop to the back of a spoon and let it run off into the blender. You’ll get about ½ a drop that way.

PS. Did you know I’m a Board Certified Essential Oil Practitioner as well as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist? So delicious ways to combine oils and food is one of my fav things to share!

Warm Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

Creamy and decadent chocolate smoothie with a hint of cherry and spice.

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Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 .5 cups

Author: Katie Stewart Wellness

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups warm unsweetened non-dairy milk
• ½ cup dark cherries
• 2 tbsp raw cacao powder
• 1 tbsp raw honey
• 1-2 tbsp nut or seed butter of choice
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon or ½ - 1 drop doterra cinnamon essential oil
• ½ tsp ground ginger or ½ - 1 drop doterra ginger essential oil

Optional Boosters:

• 1 cup baby kale
• 3 tbsp Manitoba Harvest Hemp Yeah! Vanilla Protein Powder
• 1-2 tbsp collagen powder

Instructions

• Add all ingredients to the blender, including any boosters, and blend on high until well combined.