With the holidays coming up soon I am doing what I can to take it easy on my caloric intake and give my digestive system a bit of a break before things get hectic. Sundays are always a great day for me to stick to juices, smoothies and raw food as my schedule resembles that of a sloth…and it’s my only day off from strenuous exercise. Lately I’ve been giving my healthy recipes kitchy names based on pop culture and fashion (you can check out my Kale Lagerfeld salad here) and couldn’t help but use a play on words from Dr. Dre’s “Beats by Dre” headphones for this beet and blueberry blended smoothie.

Beet root is one of my favourite veggies. Its delicious raw, steamed, picked, or juiced and contains a naturally occurring compound that converts to nitrate during digestion and then begins to circulate through your blood stream. During times when oxygen availability is low, for example during intense exercise or a race, nitrate can be converted into nitric oxide which enhances vascular function. Most people ditch the leafy green stems of fresh beets, but this is a huge mistake as they are full of nutrients as well. Beet greens are rich in vitamin A & C, both super powerful antioxidants and are a good source of potassium and magnesium (the latter are two key electrolytes for cardiovascular function).

3 ideal times to consume my Beets By Dre smoothie are:

1. During the day for a plant based boost
2. A minimum of 90 mins prior to exercise/training.  Ideally 2-3 hours before due to the high protein content
3. Thirty minutes after a work

What You’ll Need:

• 1 cup of coconut water (I like to use Jax Coco or Coco Libre)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup of frozen or fresh blueberries
• 1 medium raw  beet root (or two small beets) , diced into small cubes
• 1/4 cup of beet greens
• 1 serving of Progressive VegEssential All-In-One Natural Berry Flavour (or your choice of protein/performance powder)
• 2 tablespoons of dried or flaked unsweetened coconut (optional)

Add the liquid ingredients into the blender first, followed by protein powder and dry ingredients. Mix in your blender or Vitamin on high until blended smooth. I like to add 1-2 handfuls of ice cubes as well. *Makes 4 servings.