Pink Power Smoothie. Lycopene-Rich.

Thanks to Valentine's Day, February becomes a month of love, hearts and pink! Well start crushing on yourself (and someone special) with this frosty pink sip. This "I Heart You & Me" Pink Power Smoothie is a sweet, citrus-infused blend that is rich in lycopene, potassium, fiber and vitamin C. This heart-healthy blend is a sunny way to start your day or energize in the afternoon. Learn more about lycopene and get the recipe!..

Lycopene is an antioxidant in the carotenoid family that has been studied to improve prostate health, guard against breast cancer and improve heart health - among other things. Lycopene is commonly known to be found in tomato-rich foods like marinara sauce. But lycopene is also abundant in other red-pigmented foods like pink grapefruit and watermelon. Tomatoes may not be your favorite breakfast food, so enjoying lycopene-rich fruits is a yummy way to include lycopene in your AM meals and snacks!

Here are the breakdowns for lycopene in fruits and veggies - source:

1 cup of watermelon, 6.89mg
1 cup of tomatoes, 7.30mg
1 cup of grapefruit, 2.61mg
1 cup of guava, 8.59mg
1 cup tomato puree, 54.39mg

Experts, like Dr. Weil, seem to advise 9-10mg of lycopene a day for general health benefits. So if you drink both servings of today's recipe, you are covered! And even one serving will have you at about 7-8mg. This is a refreshing, low-calorie smoothie so you could easily drink up the whole blender-ful. (Or share it with your favorite smoothie sipping companion!)

When selecting these foods, look for pieces rich in their pigments.

Eat the rainbow is always good meal-planning advice.

I Heart You & Me Pink Power Smoothie with sprouted pumpkin seeds
1-2 servings

1 ½ cups pink grapefruit flesh, rind removed
1 ½ cups watermelon cubes, chilled or frozen
1 banana, frozen
¼ cup coconut water (or try guava juice for more pink power!)
1 teaspoon liquid sweetener (optional)
2 teaspoon sprouted raw pumpkin seeds, salted

spicy version: add cayenne or some raw grated ginger

Directions: Add grapefruit, coconut water, optional sweetener and watermelon to blender. Blend until smooth - high speed will be needed to puree smoothly. Add in the frozen banana and blend until frosty and smooth. Pour and add pumpkin seeds over top to serve.