| 9 | 10 | 367 |
| Ingredients | Minutes | Calories |
| Prep | Cook | Servings |
| 10 min | 0 min | 1 |
| 2 cup diced | Watermelon (WITH SEEDS) |
| 1 fruit | Persimmon, native (frozen) |
| 1/2 small | Papaya (frozen) |
| 1/4 cup | Dried goji berries |
| 1/2 cup | Silk Original Coconut Milk |
| 2 tbsp | Coconut milk, sweetened (for coconut whip) |
| 1 tsp | Monk Fruit Extract (for coconut whip - to sweeten and to taste) |
| 1/2 tsp | Vanilla extract, pure (for coconut whip) |
| 1 leaf | Mint, fresh (optional - for topping or blend in smoothie if you want a minty kick!) |
Blend the fresh and frozen fruits together with the dried goji berries and coconut milk in a high-powered blender.
Meanwhile, make the coconut whip topping by taking the top thick layer from the coconut milk can and mixing it with a hand mixer/stand-up blender along with the monk fruit and vanilla extract. You can let it harden up in your fridge or freezer depending on how much time you have. Personally I don't find making coconut whip rocket science and I just wing it every time and it works out just dandy, but if you prefer a step-by-step rundown, check out good old Angela Liddon's guide: http://ohsheglows.com/2012/08/30/coconut-whipped-cream-a-step-by-step-photo-tutorial/.
In case it isn't obvious - the last step is pouring your delicious smoothie into a glass and serving it topped with the coconut whip and a few mint leaves for good measure ;)
This recipe is JAM-PACKED-FULL of Lycopene. Lycopene is a carotenoid that is responsible for the red pigment in fruits and vegetables - it is actually five times more powerful than vitamin C as an antioxidant. It’s a tremendous protector of the DNA. BUT like all carotenoids, it is a fat-soluble compound, unfortunately, almost all the time, we’re getting SEEDLESS watermelon. That means we’re not getting any oil or fat with the lycopene, so we don’t absorb it. Instead, David Wolfe recommends getting a SEEDED watermelon (like, duh - natural!) and then BOOM blending that all up in a nutribullet! That way, we can truly absorb the nutritional powerhouse this fruit contains.
I decided to complement this recipe with other high-lycopene fruits such as persimmons and papayas, for a super rich Vitamin C and antioxidant boost.
This beverage is your sure-fire way to get an extremely high amount of lycopene into your system - and ACTUALLY have it be absorbed by the body thanks to 1. the fat from the watermelon SEEDS (as they were meant to be with the watermelon itself!) and 2. the BLENDING of the fruits (this has been scientifically proven to help with it's absorption by our system).
In case you don't believe me, check out the nutritional analysis provided by Meal Garden:
Remember, red foods = good for the heart and blood.
| Fruit | 6.2 |
