Feeling sluggish? Try Susan Jane White’s liver-loving grown-up slushie!
Raw chilli is my go-to for 2025. Cheap, fabulous and fun!
This time of year there are hundreds of green, liver-loving smoothie recipes doing the rounds across social media. But these viridescent
drinks often look and taste like a tall glass of sneeze. Here’s what I make instead.
Think of it as a grown-up slushie with more kick than a bunny in heat. Chilli is a talented defibrillator, making your pulse go giddy up. It’s fiery sting delivers more than just a tingling sensation across the lips. Neuroscientists tell us that this same sting can help initiate a cascade of messages to the brain (thank you capsaicin). It’s as if a stadium of neurotransmitters gets to play with walkie-talkies in our heads.
The brain responds by releasing endorphins, known as our body’s own natural way of relieving pain and boredom. Bonkers, right? Our call centre for reward and pleasure in the brain also starts riffing on dopamine. This chemical messenger seems like the darling of health podcasts and neuroscience right now, involved in a myriad of important pathways from lust to addiction. So our brain is boozing on dopamine when we eat chilli!
I feel a poem coming on. But in the meantime, this badass slushie will do.
Ingredients
- 2 grapefruits, juiced
- Pinch of cayenne chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- Large handful of ice
Method
- In a powerful blender, show these ingredients who’s boss.
- Serve with thick milkshake straws, or wait a few minutes for the ice to dissolve and slurp straight from the glass.
- Feel free to add a sachet of collagen powder into the blender too, if that’s your thing.
For more, follow Susan Jane White on Substack @susanjanewhite