Carrot, Mango & Avocado Skin Smoothie

Why it works

Carotenoids are the orange and yellow pigments in carrot, mango, and sweet potato, and they are fat-soluble: eaten without fat, most of what you swallow passes through. Adding avocado is not garnish. Controlled feeding studies have shown that avocado alongside carotenoid-rich food raises absorption of beta-carotene several times over. Once absorbed, carotenoids accumulate in the skin, where they contribute a measurable warmth to complexion and a small amount of internal photoprotection, which is a supplement to sunscreen and nowhere close to a replacement for it. Vitamin C from the orange and mango is separately necessary for collagen synthesis: without it the enzyme that stabilises collagen simply cannot work.

Ingredients

• 150 g carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
• 150 g frozen mango chunks
• 1/2 ripe avocado (about 70 g)
• 120 ml fresh orange juice
• 120 ml water
• 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger

Method

1. Pour the liquid into the blender first, then add the soft ingredients, then anything frozen or hard on top. Blending in that order keeps the blades in liquid instead of spinning against a frozen block.
2. Raw carrot needs a strong blender. If yours labours, steam the carrot for five minutes and cool it first, which also makes the beta-carotene easier to absorb.
3. Blend on low until it breaks up, then on high for 45 to 60 seconds, until no flecks remain and the texture is even.
4. Taste and adjust: a splash more liquid if it is too thick to pour, a squeeze of citrus if it tastes flat, a few more ice cubes if you want it colder.
5. Drink it soon after blending. The texture separates within about ten minutes, and the colour dulls as the cut surfaces oxidise.