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When life gets really busy I need my three essentials first thing in the morning:  a nourishing snack to fuel my cells with energizing nutrients, a few minutes of meditation to help me focus and a freshly roasted coffee.

Sometimes I don’t find the time to prepare something proper to eat and if this is missing I know it’s going to be chaos all day long. Smoothies are a game changer when you’re in a hurry, if you use the right ingredients they will keep you fueled until you actually find the time to sit down over a meal.

This iced coffee protein shake has three strong points – 1. keeps you satiated until lunch and 2. gives you energy for the first part of the day and 3. it’s packed with healthy fats to support your hormone production.

Coffee isn’t exactly your best friend when it comes of hormone imbalance, especially if you’re having a stressful life, with cortisol levels oscillating like a roller coaster throughout the day.

With a moderate consumption and serving it in the first part of the day, without the danger of jeopardizing your night sleep by having it late in the afternoon, you can benefit from the quick energy boost without hijacking your hormone production.

And yes, there are also some health benefits associated with coffee. Caffeine provides your body with much needed antioxidants that help to heal damaged cells by driving out free radicals caused through a poor diet, chemicals in our food, persistent stress and pollutants.

While its short-term stimulating effects on the central nervous system are obvious for everybody, coffee also has long term impacts on the cognitive function. This includes protecting against degenerative brain disease such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

Ensuring your protein sources are complete proteins is something that is essential if you’re on a vegetarian diet. Hemp powder contains 20 amino acids, including the nine essential ones our cells need for building the protein blocks. It’s also an excellent source of magnesium, iron and essential fatty acids by way of omega-3.

Fibers found in hemp powder help to improve digestion, along with flushing toxins from the body. I like to scoop it to my smoothies because it keeps me satiated and nurtures my hormone production with healthy fats.

Coconut oil is packed with magnesium and B-vitamins, which increases metabolism. As coconut oil nutrients are quickly absorbed into our blood stream, adding it to a this shake recipe will give you a quick energy boost soon after ingestion.

Your brain is made up of around 60% fat, therefore it’s important to up your intake of healthy fats, like those found in the coconut oil. Along with the essential fatty acids found in hemp powder and also those of flax seed, the additional coconut oil will be sure to boost your cognitive performance, memory and concentration.

If you want to try more healthy home-made drinks, check out my Protein Smoothie with Berries, these DIY Vegan Milks or my super popular Turmeric Golden Milk for a Better Sleep.