Sleepytime vanilla tea smoothie (ACD friendly)

Staying with a low-carb, low-glycemic diet for life is an ongong battle I face as someone who is extremely sensitive to carbohydrates and prone to candida reoccurrence. I'm constantly monitoring how many carbs I eat and what kind of carbs. There's a fine line for me between too much and too little. Too many carbs and my symptoms return; too little carbs and my brain and body don't function properly.

I also long for an occasional treat. My newest reward is Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Vanilla Tea. It's a new offering in the tea aisle. I love this herbal tea hot, iced and made into a tea-protein smoothie.

I like to combine a Sleepytime Vanilla Tea smoothie with my breakfast which is the most important meal of the day for me. I need to replenish my glycogen. If I skimp on breakfast, I won't have the energy I need for the day so I add a bowl of hot quinoa to my morning meal.

I take 2/3 cup cooked, whole-grain quinoa and mix it with 1/2 cup unsweetened hemp milk, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon and some stevia for sweetener. I microwave this mixture for about 1 1/2 minutes. I top my cereal off with 1 T. of toasted pumpkin seeds. Pairing this cereal with a tea smoothie is the perfect mixture of carbs, protein and deliciousness.

Sleepytime Vanilla Tea Smoothie

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup extra-strength, brewed Sleepytime Vanilla Tea
2. 1-2 scoops vanilla rice protein
3. 1 tsp. guar gum powder
4. alcohol-free stevia to taste
5. 1 T. alcohol-free vanilla extract optional
6. 2 cups crushed ice
7. smidge of hemp milk for additional creaminess (optional)

Directions:

1. Brew Sleepytime Vanilla Tea. Use 2-3 bags per one cup of hot water.
2. Chill the tea in the fridge.
3. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend on high until the mixture reaches a soft-serve ice cream-like texture.

Note: Makes a generous amount. You can store extra in the freezer for a treat later but it will need to be thawed out slightly before eating.