What's in my blender most days
I've been making some version of this smoothie for years. The hero ingredient is wild blueberries — not regular blueberries, wild. They're smaller, more intensely coloured, and contain substantially higher concentrations of anthocyanins and other polyphenols than cultivated blueberries. Anthocyanins are the deep purple pigments responsible for much of their antioxidant activity, and to me, polyphenols are one of the real keys to healthy ageing. The deep purple colour that stains your lips tells you something about the potency of this little berry.
A note on organic: blueberries regularly appear on lists of the most heavily sprayed crops, and with their thin skin, I always go organic where I can (frozen is much cheaper).
I make this on warm days, as a mid-morning ritual after a beach run or workout — not a breakfast replacement for me.
The Wild Blueberry Smoothie
Serves 1
Ingredients
½ cup frozen wild blueberries
½ greenish frozen banana
3 tbsp Hemp Gold protein powder
2 tbsp coconut kefir
1 tbsp sea moss gel
1 tbsp ground flaxseed meal
1 tbsp PHGG (partially hydrolysed guar gum)
1½ scoops Endurocell sulforaphane powder
5g creatine
1 tsp raw honey
Handful of fresh organic parsley or coriander
¼ cup homemade almond milk
½ cup water
All ingredients organic where possible.
Method
Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth. Drink immediately.
Why these ingredients
Wild blueberries — the hero ingredient. This is the one I won't swap out.
Hemp protein — I choose it for its purity: one ingredient, nothing else added. It’s easy to digest, with a bonus dose of omega-3s and fibre. Yes, it’s lower in lysine than some protein powders — but I get most of my protein from food, not a tub.
Sea moss gel — for gut health, minerals and iodine, which supports thyroid function (use with caution if you have a thyroid condition).
Flaxseed meal — lignans, omega-3s and extra fibre. I like it for oestrogen metabolism and gut health.
PHGG (partially hydrolysed guar gum) — a gentle prebiotic fibre that feeds beneficial gut bacteria. I’ve been taking it for about 10 years.
Sulforaphane — activates the NRF2 pathway, supporting the liver's detox and antioxidant defences. My favourite functional addition.
Creatine — I include it for the methylation support, since creatine synthesis uses up lots of methyl groups the body would otherwise need elsewhere. The muscle and ageing benefits are a bonus.
Parsley or coriander — I rotate between the two, mostly just to get more fresh herbs and plant diversity into my day. An easy, underrated upgrade.
Raw honey — a little natural sweetness and antimicrobial properties.
Coconut kefir — adds creaminess and some live cultures.
Greenish banana — I freeze mine while it’s still firm, when it’s higher in resistant starch. That feeds the gut bacteria that produce butyrate, a key fuel for the cells lining your gut. Still a good source of potassium either way.
