I’ve always known the benefits of incorporating fruits and vegetables into my diet… cancer fighters, cholesterol busters, vitamin providers, etc… you get the point. Yet, what I’ve recently begun to research, are the affects they have on beauty. Which I’ve found to be pretty robust.

It’s funny. I spend a lot of time and money investing in the right beauty products for me, yet, when I get down to the research, a lot of the benefits can be found in the food items I have on my counter and refrigerator. So, when I returned home from Hawaii, I felt inspired to try my hand at an avocado smoothie. I had heard of the benefits of an avocado face and hair mask, as well as their abilities to make a pretty darn creamy chocolate cake (maybe the most important fact here…)… so I decided to give it a whirl in a smoothie. I used the base recipe of one of my all time favorite smoothies, and simply added a little bit of avocado, protein powder, and honey. The result was a creamy, delicious, beauty boosting, mid-afternoon snack… which kept me plenty satisfied until dinner.

Here’s why I choose the fruits and veggies I did:

Spinach: The vitamins found in spinach can assist in skin repair, anti-aging benefits, reduce under eye circles (yes, please for this momma!), and help give you that rosy glow we pay lots of money for in a compact of blush!

Avocados: This healthy monounsaturated fat will help reduce the appearance of wrinkles (making your skin more supple and plump), provide a glowing complexion by reinvigorating dull skin, and can assist in digestion (which, based on what I have read, ultimately has a direct impact on facial complexion).

Banana: The benefits here are pretty robust. Due to all the vitamins jam packed in those little yellow things, they help to hydrate the skin, increase elastcity (pretty much keeps the skin strong… read: reduce wrinkles), can reduce puffy eyes (again, yes please!), and fight off dryness.

I opted for a vanilla protein powder I found at Trader Joe’s (it had biotin in it, which I figured could help with my most recent hair loss…), yet realized it had dairy products in it (I try to minimize dairy in my diet). Next time I am going to be using this protein powder.

I hope you enjoy the creamy goodness… I’m sure your skin and hair will (if you try, let me know if you like it or made any substitutes!). Recipe below + I also shared a few favorite workout pieces that recently went on sale at the end of the post.

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{Outfit Details || Tank (can’t stop wearing it!) | Leggings | Sweater | Blender}

The Beauty Smoothie:

1/3 Avocado
1/2 Banana (I recommend that it be chilled)
1 cup of spinach
1/4 cup of cashew milk (any nut/coconut milk will work, just be sure it is unsweetened)
1 scoop of protein powder
A little bit of honey (I really only used a little)
6-8 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in the blender, in the order above, and blend on highest speed until ingredients are combined well. I poured mine into a glass with a few cubes of ice, since I prefer all my juice beverages very chilled.

I love this mesh crop top and this open back tank (which I literally wear all the time that I own 2). I own this pullover in pink and toss it on after a morning workout. I love this grey tank, stripe sports bra, and color block legging combo… and these pants look perfect for a yoga session or simply eating popcorn on the couch.