Ryu Hadouken Orange Smoothie Energy Blast

The Final Day, Day 5 of the 5-Day Smoothie Challenge, Street Fighter Edition, is a delicious beta-carotene loaded smoothie for improved cardiovascular health and disease immunity. Two of the ingredients that make this smoothie so powerful are carrots and sweet potato.  Yeah, you heard me correctly – sweet potato.  Sweet potato is loaded with antioxidants and can be used as a great base for smoothies.  While it is not harmful for you to eat raw sweet potato, many studies suggest that cooked sweet potato may be optimal since in the raw form it is more difficult for your body to digest and cooking helps destroy enzymes that may interfere with optimal nutrient absorption. However, small amounts of raw sweet potato – like in this smoothie – are generally ok for you.

In the video game Street Fighter,  Ryu is arguably the most popular player, most known for his iconic Hadoken (or Hadouken) energy ball . Channeling as much energy as possible, Ryu would thrusts his palms towards his opponents to create a powerful energy wave to immobilize opponents. Similarly, the beta-carotene, vitamins and antioxidants will deliver a punch to keep diseases at bay!

Remember, to play you must recreate and drink the smoothie, take a picture, share it with friends & family on your social media channel with the #fitmencook hashtag and give your thoughts about the smoothie. What did you like? What would you change?  How do you feel?

Some quick benefits of this smoothie:

• Immunity from and prevention of cardiovascular diseases and cancers
• Ease stress and anxiety
• Loaded with  potassium, vitamin K, vitamin C, folate and fiber
• Anti-inflammatory properties due to content of anthocyanins found in sweet potatoes
• Vitamin A for lung health, which may be beneficial for smokers since smoking has been known to cause Vitamin A deficiencies
• Stabilize blood sugar by incorporating cinnamon to encourage healthy weight loss