This Vanilla Fig Smoothie Benefits Your Body in 10 Different Ways

All-hail the season of figs – my favourite fruit on the planet, besides mango.

This vanilla fig smoothie tastes like creamy caramel marshmallows, whilst floating on a cloud of taste-bud popping awesomeness (there is no other way to describe it, really).

Thankfully, it also benefits your body in more ways than one. The health benefits of figs are largely over-looked, so to give you a brief overview, they:

– Strengthen the immune system (rich in antioxidants, vitamins & minerals)
– Stabilize insulin release thanks to high concentrations of potassium and magnesium
– Lower your risk of heart disease (high in phenolic antioxidants)
– Reduce inflammation and redness of the skin and help reduce acne
– Reduce your risk for macular degeneration
– Help support and strengthen our bones, thanks to high calcium and magnesium content
– Are high in fibre, which is essential for digestion and proper bowel function
– Control hunger levels and reduce cravings
– Reduce cancer cell growth in the breast, colon and prostate
– Reduce issues of hypertension (thanks to high potassium levels)

Is that not convincing enough to start eating figs? Start by making this smoothie! I prefer to make it with any type of green fig variety, but black mission figs would also make a very flavourful, rich smoothie.

Vanilla Fig Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients:

– 4 cups fresh figs (I prefer calimyrna or adriatic – the green ones with pink syrupy insides)
– 2 pitted medjool dates
– 1/2 tsp. fresh vanilla bean powder
– 1 cup young coconut water
– Optional: add in 1-2 cups of tender leafy greens like butter leaf lettuce