This spa-like blackberry ginger smoothie is perfect for lazy summer afternoons.  Made with fresh ginger, berries and honeydew melon it’s packed with antioxidants and is cheerfully purple.  Seriously, I don’t think it’s possible to be sad while watching a blender transform ordinary fruit into a crazy vibrant purple smoothie.  The ingredient list is also refreshingly simple and banana-free!  We go through bananas like crazy at our house since discovering green smoothies so it’s nice to change it up. Using melon instead results in a lighter cocktail-esque drink.  Virgin blackberry ginger-tini anyone?

Blueberries normally get all the credit for being antioxidant powerhouses but blackberries surprisingly come out on top on a number of nutritional areas.  Blackberries have almost double the amount of dietary fibre and Vitamin A when compared to blueberries and rank slightly lower on the glycemic index.   The intense deep purple colour of blackberries is indicative of their nutritional power.  Fruits and vegetables that are purple, red and blue get their colour from antioxidants known as anthocyanins and blackberries have one of the highest concentrations of anthocyanins of all fruit.  These antioxidants help to reduce your risk cardiovascular disease and cancer by absorbing free radicals responsible for disease.  Combined with the anti-inflammatory healing properties of ginger this is one drink you can definitely feel good about!

 

 

xo. Jessica