This Balancing Maca Green Smoothie is a great sip to start the day for women 40+.
This post is sponsored by MegaFood
Recently, I had an annual physical exam, and my doctor told me that women go through more hormonal changes than men over their lifetime. Puberty is the first time hormone levels change in females. Then, when women become pregnant, their hormone levels change once again. And finally, when a woman becomes pre-menopausal and goes through menopause, her hormone levels change yet again.
Male hormone levels change just once, during puberty. Doesn’t sound quite fair, does it? I joke with my husband that I’d love to see him experience everything a woman has to go through in her lifetime in one day…just once. He doesn’t find this joke funny at all.
MY HEALTH MAINTENANCE PLAN
As women age, they need to take even better care of themselves, with the goal of staying vibrant, active and pain-free. I’ve been making some changes to my “health maintenance plan” over the past year to improve my energy level and general health. This program is specific to my current health status, so I encourage you to schedule an annual physical exam with your doctor and discuss what your personal health maintenance plan should be.
- Getting 7-8 hours of sleep each night on a consistent basis
- Exercising 5 days/week and doing more strength training to keep my bones strong
- Eating more non-starchy vegetables and less starch vegetables/grains/meat (picture a dinner plate with 1/2 non-starchy vegetables, 1/4 starchy vegetables or whole grains, 1/4 lean protein)
- Eating more fish rich in omega-3’s
- Cutting way back on pasta and bread (I’m loving zucchini noodles) to keep blood sugar levels in check
- Eating less cheese (this is really hard because I love cheese!) to keep cholesterol in check (as estrogen levels decline, cholesterol levels increase**)
- Taking MegaFood Multi for Women 40+ to fill in any nutritional gaps (e.g., vitamin D) and MegaFood Turmeric Strength™ for Whole Body turmeric supplements to support a healthy inflammation response.*
- Adding MegaFood Daily Maca Plus Women Over 40™ to my smoothies to support hormone balance as it relates to (peri)menopause.*
HEALTH BENEFITS OF DAILY MACA PLUS WOMEN OVER 40™
Maca is a plant that grows in the high mountains in Peru that’s been used for many years for healthy energy.* MegaFood’s Daily Maca Plus Women Over 40™ is specially formulated to support women in their 40’s and beyond who are experiencing the everyday hormonal imbalance and discomforts related to perimenopause and menopause.* This nutrient booster powder contains Maca, Chaste Tree Berry, Ashwagandha, Black Cohosh and other herbs, which are time-honored botanicals known to help maintain a healthy hormonal balance and to support a smooth transition through the various stages of a women’s life, including occasional hot flashes and night sweats, associated with menopause and perimenopause.* These ingredients combine to support cardiovascular health and stress response, as well as healthy mood and sleep. *
Women don’t talk much about perimenopause or menopause. I’m sure it’s because no one wants to be the bearer of bad news to come. Sleep disturbances and hot flashes are just some of the things that you can look forward to. It’s not easy being a woman! But, women are resilient; it’s just another phase in life you have to go through.
Consider adding MegaFood Daily Maca Plus Women Over 40™ to your smoothies as a proactive approach for moving through peri-menopause and menopause smoothly by keeping hormones balanced.*
Balancing Maca Green Smoothie
I came up with this “Balancing Maca Green Smoothie” for women 40+, which is geared to help manage all the aforementioned shifts a female will begin to experience at this stage of life. There is no added sugar, just the natural sugar found in strawberries and mangoes. Oats, almonds and kale contribute fiber and protein, and additionally, the kale also contributes calcium.
This balancing morning maca green smoothie is refreshing, just sweet enough and a great way to start the day. It’s also vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free.
Hormone Balancing Green Smoothie
Ingredients
- ½ cup strawberries cut up
- ½ cup mango chopped
- 1 cup kale tough ribs removed, chopped
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free oats
- 2 tablespoons almonds
- 1 scoop MegaFood Daily Maca Plus Women over 40™
- 1 cup ice water
Instructions
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Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
Disclosure: This blog post was sponsored by MegaFood as part of my participation in their Ambassador program. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, and this product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Sommer @aspicyperspective says
Perfect way to start my morning!
Jeanette says
Thanks Sommer! I totally agree!
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
Love maca! This is a great smoothie to kick start the day.
Jeanette says
Thanks Angie – maca is so good for you!
Carly @ FitLiving Eats says
I am a huge maca fan! I love adding it to smoothies.
Jeanette says
Awesome to find another maca fan!
Muffy says
I have hypothyroidism, and kale is one of those goitogen foods that we should steer clear of raw. This smoothie sounds like a much needed addition to my health regimen. Can you suggest beneficial options for those of us who can’t do kale?
Jeanette says
Can you have spinach or romaine lettuce? If you can tolerate other leafy greens, you can try them in place of kale.
Julie Saldana says
I fully support your point of view. Older women need to take better care of themselves. I appreciate your health maintenance plan. You are a smart person. But on the other hand, green drinks, not the attractive color. but okay. I will try, because it has a very high nutrient content