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It’s cooling and fruity, with just a slight hint of beet, and I mean slight… the perfect, herbaceous counter to the sweet raspberries and coconut. The color….. a hue of magenta that jumps out and glistens. It nearly makes my heart nearly skip a beat each time I watch it transform from raw ingredients to pink smoothie heaven.
Beyond knowing that the raspberries and beets would create such a glorious color, I choose them for their blood boosting, iron rich properties. Deeply pigmented red foods such as beets, cherries, raspberries, goji berries are rich in iron*. For our bodies to absorb plants sources of iron, we need to take in Vitamin C at the same time. In this smoothie, it’s the coconut milk!
I also added MegaFood Daily Energy Boost, the powder being made of B12, beets from , green leaf tea, ashwaganda root, bacopa root – a combination that supports balanced blood sugar levels and energy, and mental clarity.* All things we can surely use throughout our day.
And there are no bananas or greens hiding out – typical “healthy” smoothie components. Just berries, beets, and a boost! Cheers to blood building, energizing, magenta joy in a glass.
We all have those friends. The ones that probably wouldn’t be in your life had you not been open to learning more about them after your initial encounter. The ones you didn’t think you had much in common with, or made you a little hesitant because of the crowd they ran with. But then you dug a little deeper, and soon discovered that their values, intentions, and what brought them joy, was exactly the kind of person you wanted to be around.
Similar to those kinds of friendships, my new relationship with MegaFood, a New Hampshire company who has been making farm to tablet supplements since 1973, is not one I had planned on.
Yes, supplements. Something I was as skeptical of as you. The reports of companies mislabeling their products, not testing them for safety, unproven health claims and in some instances selling products contaminated with potentially harmful unlisted ingredients…. that’s enough to scare me away from it all.
So when I was approached by MegaFood, I pushed the email aside. I didn’t really fit into “that crowd”. Ironically the same day I was walking through Whole Foods and saw their MegaFlora for Women on the shelf, cranberries on the front of the label, and James Lake Farm stamped right next to it. I knew that farm. It was one I passed by many times when I lived in Wisconsin. As I spun the bottle around, eyes locked on the ingredient list. First cranberries, then their prebiotic blend of beet, burdock, and dandelion roots, and multiple strains of probiotic bacteria.
I walked away, and decided I needed to dig a little deeper, do some research, and have a few conversations before making the assumption that they were just like all the other companies.
And I’m so glad I did. Not only did I research, but I spent two days at their headquarters, seeing with my own eyes how they do things so drastically different throughout the entire process, from their culture, to the farms they work with, to the slow process it takes to produce the tablets/powders to keep them as nutritionally sound as possible – nearly 236 hours for one, single batch. When we live a world where fast means dollar signs, this is a big commitment to you, me, and our bodies.
Even myself, a person who’s in good health and eats mostly whole, unprocessed foods…… may still have deficiencies {iron, Vitamin D, and calcium/magnesium}. Of course I believe in food first to get as much as I can, but sometimes it’s not enough. So having the option to fulfill my needs through more whole foods, is something I feel really good about.
The process starts with whole foods, like organic oranges, fresh cranberries, kale, beets, turmeric, carrots, and more. Over a half million pounds of produce and herbs bought each year from farmers which is then cold-milled, so heat does not kill the nutrients, and slow-dried on a very delicate window refractory dryer. (When I was there, I watched organic oranges from Uncle Matt’s go through the process!)
This preserves all the color, and the aromas too, so when you open your bottles, you’ll smell food, which is pretty cool. The nutrients then get crushed into powders, some vitamin C is integrated into the food matrix, and finally becomes a tablet.
And now, your body not only recognizes the whole foods, but it allows the super fresh nutrients to be readily absorbed as food.
Our beliefs in “real” match, from the farmer, to the food, to doing what we can to live well. Bottom line – MegaFood is different, and I say that with all honesty. They’re incredibly passionate about bringing real food, from real farmers, to real people, in the form of supplements to help us get the most authentic nourishment when we can’t do it all ourselves. I’m excited about sharing more throughout the year, and I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.
SCALE:
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Very interesting post, Amanda! I absolutely love how the smoothie turned out!
i’m right here with this gorgeous smoothie, amanda. cosmic because it was sometime recently that i queried in my mind if raspberry and beet would do it – and you’ve given proof that they totally do. i really, really like this combination. not to mention the hue! beautiful.
cosmic. i love that word, but rarely use it. beet love to you danielle!
MegaFood sounds like a great company! I love when I fine a company that fits within my food philosophy. This smoothie’s color is out of this world. No need for lipstick after drinking this! Sounds lovely.
I’m so glad you enjoyed reading this! I think it’s so important to find the companies that meet your needs, in a way that meets your philosophy too. The combination can sometimes be a struggle, so I’m grateful for Mega Foods. I’ve been taking their Adult B Centered as well, which I know I lack because I eat a smaller amount of meat compared to vegetables. all the love! xo
I too have always been skeptical of supplements, but I love that you did your research and have found one that fits a different category – real food. Thanks for sharing! Also these photos are ridiculously pretty! i can’t get over the little glisten on the top by the berry – swoon!
I will have to try the Daily Energy. I routinely take MF’s Blood Builder and love it. And you must know that these photos are just killing me right now. Super stunning, Amanda!
I love the vibrant color of this smoothie – beautiful!