Twitter connects great people to great causes… and that’s how renowned “foodie” Tess Masters found Thrive Alive Foundation (& vice versa!). The lovely Ms. Masters has created six specialty vegan smoothies just for Thrive Alive Foundation, all featured on the Thrive Alive Foundation blog, + her famous (and favorite) Raw Vegan Tropical Smoothie. Now that’s love!

So who exactly IS this smoothie goddess?

Tess Masters is an Australian actor, presenter and voice over artist working in Film. TV and Radio in Los Angeles, California. She has voiced hundreds of commercials for some of the world's leading brands, and presented several TV Shows and Corporate Videos.

Tess's alter-ego, The Blender Girl, writes a quirky food blog, Healthy Blender Recipes, where she shares quick easy allergy free vegetarian recipes that can all be made in a blender, mixer or food processor. All of the recipes are gluten free, and many are dairy free, egg free, nut free and soy free. You can easily search for recipes by dietary restriction or recipe type by using the handy clickable icons beside each recipe.

Tess writes the new eco food blog for Go Green America TV, and is a regular contributor to Raw Super Life Magazine and Super Living. Her recipes have been featured in Chow, Epicurious and Glamour, as well as numerous other publications around the world. Tess recently filmed a series of blender-inspired videos for Chow as part of their Chow Tips series.

Try out her delicious Thrive Alive Foundation smoothies at home… you will be addicted, guaranteed (but in a very good way). Thank you Tess for your thoughtful and healthy smoothie recipes… we look forward to sharing more of your kitchen creations!

Vegan Green Tea Ice Cream Smoothie

2 cups strong green tea (4 green tea bags steeped in 2 cups of boiling water)

1 cup silken tofu

½ of an avocado

4 or 5 Tbsp agave nectar depending on taste preference

½ cup ice

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of Celtic sea salt

Throw all the ingredients in your blender and puree until smooth and creamy.

I love a hot cup of green tea. I also love a delectable Japanese meal. I must have been Japanese in a former life. I just love Japanese food; and no self-respecting Japanese feast would be complete without a generous helping of green tea ice cream. But after rubbing my belly on way too many Japanese feasting occasions I decided to look for a healthy vegan green tea ice cream recipe that would enable me to feed my green tea ice cream addiction without the need to coat-check my liver!

So, when I was asked to create some healthy anti-cancer smoothies for The Thrive Alive Foundation I decided to create a vegan green tea smoothie where green tea and green tea ice cream lovers could get their fix in a more decadent way in minutes!

Now, this smoothie will not be for everyone. If you are not a green tea lover, you might want to move on to the next smoothie. It does have a strong green tea flavour. But I can’t get enough of this smoothie. It is delicious! What I love the most about it is that is not too sweet.

But besides the delicious flavour, green tea has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells, because it contains powerful antioxidants known as polyphenols (catechins), which have shown in some studies to prevent cancer cells from dividing.

I have used organic tofu to thicken and flavour this dairy free smoothie. But soy is a little controversial. Some studies suggest that organic soy products like tofu contain pythonutrients (isoflavones  like genistein and safonins) that can inhibit that tumour growth, and contain powerful anti-carcinogenic properties. Then other studies suggest soy contributes to cancer. I will let you and your medical advisors decide if soy is a responsible choice for you and your health. I only include a little bit of soy in my diet. I do not overload on it because of the estrogenic properties. I find adopting the “Everything in moderation” philosophy creates nice dietary balance for me. If you do decide to include soy in your diet, always purchase organic tofu that does not contain genetically modified soy beans.

If you want to make this smoothie soy free, you could thicken this smoothie with more avocado. I have added ½ an avocado for a subtle green colour. But you could always add more. Avocados are my favourite way to add a beautiful creamy texture to smoothies. I think avocados are god’s butter. They are rich in a powerful antioxidant called glutathione, that can attack free radicals in the body. They also contain more potassium than bananas, without the high sugar content, and are also a good source of beta-carotene.

Vegan Carrot Ginger Smoothie

2 cups fresh carrot juice

½ Tbsp or 1 Tbsp freshly minced ginger

1 cup silken tofu or 1/2 cup raw cashews

½ avocado

½ cup ice

2 Tbsp agave nectar, a pich of stevia or ½ whole chopped apple

pinch of Celtic sea salt

Throw all the ingredients in your blender and puree until smooth and creamy.

I absolutely love the combination of carrots and ginger. I love the contrast between the natural sweetness of the carrots and the mild spicy heat of the ginger. Carrots are loaded with beta-carotene that can help combat cancers by boosting the immune system.

I have juiced the carrots to make this smoothie more palatable to most people. However, if, like me, you have a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix, you can throw a few carrots in whole with some filtered water and puree until well combined. You can also juice the ginger with the carrots. But I used my porcelain ginger grater and threw the whole ginger in to get the most out of the ginger flavour.

I have used tofu or raw cashews to thicken and flavour this smoothie. If you want to make this smoothie nut free or soy free, you could thicken this smoothie with a whole avocado. Organic tofu is a wonderful way to thicken vegan smoothies. But soy is a little controversial. Some studies suggest that organic soy products like tofu contain pythonutrients (isoflavones  like genistein and safonins) that can inhibit that tumour growth, and contain powerful anti-carcinogenic properties. Then other studies suggest soy contributes to cancer. I will let you and your medical advisors decide if soy is a responsible choice for you and your health. I only include a little bit of soy in my diet. But do not overload on it because of the estrogenic properties. I find adopting the “Everything in moderation” philosophy creates nice dietary balance for me. If you decide to include soy in your diet, always purchase organic tofu that does not contain genetically modified soy beans.

I am a food combiner and do not combine fruits and root vegetables. So I used a little stevia or agave to sweeten this smoothie. But you could always throw in half a whole cored apple unpeeled. This tastes delicious too.

Vegan Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie

1 ½ cups mashed cooked orange sweet potato or yams

2 cups almond milk

½ cup ice

1 fresh or frozen banana

3  or 4 Tbsp maple syrup depending on your taste preference

1 tsp natural vanilla extract

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

pinch Celtic sea salt

Throw all the ingredients in your blender and puree until smooth and creamy.

I love sweet potatoes any way I can get them – steamed, baked or roasted. Sweet potatoes are soft, fibrous vegetables that are sweet and decadent, and are high in beta carotene which boosts immune defenses and may protect DNA in cells from cancer-causing chemicals.

One of my favourite ways to enjoy sweet potatoes is in a good piece of sweet potato pie. I make a delicious crustless sweet potato pie. But on the days when I am not inclined to bake, I like to blend up a quick vegan sweet potato smoothie to satisfy my cravings without the need to coat-check my liver!

This vegan sweet potato smoothie hits the spot for me, and I hope it will for you too. I will attach a disclaimer right here and say that this smoothie is very rich! A little goes a long way for me. I always share it with a friend, but my mother could happily devour the entire blender full in one sitting. So, see how you go.

This vegan sweet potato smoothie is fantastic if you feel like something decadent during your healthy eating regime. It tastes like a treat without being too naughty. I like to use orange sweet potatoes or yams to get a really nice depth of flavour. The maple syrup adds to the mixture beautifully, and the spices round out the flavours nicely. You could always add a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to make this smoothie more affordable if you don’t want to purchase each individual spice.

**Similarly, with the almond milk, you could use soy milk or rice milk to accommodate people with nut allergies.

Either way, this vegan sweet potato pie smoothie is divine!

Raw Vegan Tropical Green Smoothie

4 cups organic spinach

2 cups organic fresh or frozen mango

2 medium organic bananas

2 cups organic coconut water

1 cup ice cubes (optional if you use fresh mango)

1/4 inch small cube of organic creamed coconut (optional)

Throw all your ingredients into your blender and puree until smooth and creamy.

Green smoothies are one of the most wonderful ways to improve your health. I started making green smoothies with fruit to get used to the taste of all of the different greens and wild edibles, and then I slowly transitioned into pure vegetable green smoothies that were more alkalizing and did not contain as much natural sugar. I would suggest starting with fruit smoothies and then gradually reducing the amount of fruit in the blend every day. Green smoothies are so easy to make. Just throw in some leafy greens and the fruits or vegetables of your choice. Experiment with the flavours that work best for you. If it is too sweet, add in some more greens. If it is not sweet enough, throw in more fruit.

For the more savoury green smoothies, a top tip is to throw in an avocado instead of a banana and you will get a creamy raw smoothie that would make anyone green with envy. I also like to throw in some organic creamed coconut and ice, which tends to take the bitterness out of some of the wild edibles and greens that are not as palatable to some people.

This is my favourite green smoothie. It makes a wonderful introductory green smoothie. I love using spinach in smoothies because it is loaded with nutrients. It also has a mild flavour that is easily masked with fruit, which makes this smoothie enjoyable for even the most green-skeptic drinker. Trust me, if it weren't for the green colour, you would never know this smoothie had spinach in it. This tropical green smoothie tastes just like a mango banana coconut fruit shake. Go green and you won't be sorry. It will literally change your life!

The best thing about this green smoothie? It is raw, vegan, and allergy free. It is gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free, soy free, sugar free, and absolutely delicious.

Salty Vegan Alkaline Kale Smoothie

2 cups firmly packed curly kale

2 cups fresh tomato chopped roughly (about 2 large tomatoes)

1 large cucumber chopped roughly

1 whole avocado pitted and chopped

2 whole limes peeled and quartered

1 cup ice

2 cups filtered water

½ cup broccoli sprouts

1 inch piece of creamed coconut (purchase in a box)

4 cloves of garlic

1 tsp Celtic sea salt

Throw all the ingredients in your blender and puree until smooth and creamy.

Now, I will say right off the bat that this salty alkaline savoury smoothie will not be for everyone. If you are new to green smoothies, I would suggest starting with a sweet fruity green smoothie to ease into the idea and taste of blended greens. But for those of you who are more adventurous, this smoothie is a delicious healthy alkaline smoothie to include in your weekly eating regime. I think it tastes like liquid guacamole! YUMMO!

I love cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower for boosting immunity and fighting carcinogens and free radical damage. My favourite dark green leafy vegetable to include in green smoothies is kale. Kale is absolutely loaded with nutrients! Kale contains powerful phytochemicals and antioxidants that are thought to suppress tumor growth and block cancer-causing substances from damaging cells. Kale also helps protect cells from stress, and contains vitamins A, B, C and folate, which work together to help prevent cancer growth.

I have also added in some broccoli sprouts. These little sprouts are powerful! Broccoli sprouts are loaded with goodies and powerful antioxidants that can help combat cancers. I love sprouts because they are living whole foods that supply live enzymes to a healing body. Broccoli sprouts are a rich source of the phytochemical, sulforaphane, which is thought to aid in preventing some types of cancer by deactivating free radicals and carcinogens.

I have also added a couple of raw tomatoes to take advantage of the vitamin C and the flavanoid, lycopene, which prevents cellular damage and attacks free radicals. The tomatoes also add a gorgeous rich flavour to this smoothie. I always include a whole unpeeled washed cucumber to my salty smoothies for texture and water content. Cucumbers are also one of the most alkalizing foods you can put into your body. I eat a cucumber every single day.

I have thickened this smoothie with a whole avocado. Avocados are my favourite way to add a creamy texture to any kinds of green smoothies. You also get the added benefit of the healthy oils and the powerful antioxidant called glutathione that attacks free radicals in the body. Avocados also contain more supply more potassium than bananas, and are a strong source of beta-carotene.

The final vital ingredient that makes this smoothie special is some fresh garlic. I swallow a few cloves of raw garlic every day to take advantages of the powerful anti fungal, anti bacterial, and antiviral properties. Garlic also acts as a probiotic that helps eliminate toxins and heavy metals from the body; contains quercetin and sulfur compounds that can help protect cells from free radical damage and inhibit tumor growth; and is a powerful blood cleanser.

I also LOVE the taste! In my opinion, you can never get enough garlic. An injection of garlic took this salty smoothie from simple to sublime. Garlic gives your antioxidant defense system a kick and tops the US Cancer Institute’s list of anti-cancer foods.

So hop into this anti-cancer liquid guacamole and ward off the vampires at the same time! YUMMO!

Raw Vegan Fruity Green Smoothie

2 cups tightly packed raw baby spinach

2 cups filtered water

1 peeled orange chopped roughly

1 apple cored, seeded and diced

1 cup fresh, frozen or tinned (in natural fruit juice) pineapple

1 cup red grapes

½ avocado

Throw all the ingredients in your blender and puree until smooth and creamy.

I try to include as many raw fruits and vegetables in my daily diet as I possibly can. I like to get all of the benefits of the phytochemicals which can boost health. Green smoothies literally changed my life, and I now start my morning with a different blend of greens every day.

If you are new to green smoothies and a little “green phobic”, this fruity green smoothie is a wonderful introduction into what I would consider the greatest boost to your health. Trust me, this raw vegan green smoothie tastes just like a fruit smoothie. You would never know it contained handfuls of gorgeous green spinach. I choose raw baby spinach to make fruit smoothies for green smoothie newbies as it has such a mild flavour that is masked and hidden by fruits. This smoothie is a wonderful way for the whole family to sneak more greens into their bodies.

Popeye’s favourite vegetable is a nutritious delicious dark leafy green that is a rich source of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and potent antioxidants like lutein, which has been found in many studies to combat cancers. To this, I have added in some whole fruits. I like to throw in whole fruits instead of juices in order to boost the fibre content, which helps clean out the body and improve intestinal health.

You can use any fruits you have in your kitchen to make delicious fruit green smoothies; but I have chosen some fruits that are known to have powerful anti-cancer properties.

Firstly, red grapes, that contain powerful antioxidants such as bioflavanoids, that can work as cancer preventives. Grapes also contain other powerful substances such as anthocyanins that help repair and protect DNA.

I have also thrown in a whole peeled orange that contains the pith as well as the fibre. We all know oranges are well known for their vitamin C content, but oranges also contain other anti-cancer compounds such as limonene, which can stimulate cancer-killing immune cells (lymphocytes etc).

I have also added a whole unpeeled apple that has been cored and quartered. That way you get the benefit of the fibre, as well as the pectin which can help with intestinal health. Apples are a wonderful addition to green smoothies because they are relatively inexpensive, come in all kinds of varieties, and are widely available all year round.  Apples add a gorgeous sweetness to green smoothies, but they also contain many anti-oxidants and vitamins such as quercetin, which has been effective in protecting against some cancers.

I have also included a cup of pineapple to this green smoothie blend. I absolutely love the gorgeous tropical flavour of pineapple. I used fresh pineapple, but you can also source frozen or tinned pineapple very easily in grocery stores. Tinned pineapple is great to keep in your pantry for use in smoothies. You can pick it up cheaply with coupons and specials. Just make sure you purchase pineapple in natural fruit juice and not sugary syrup.  Besides being delicious, pineapple are rich in the enzyme bromelain that can inhibit the growth of malignant cancer cells.

I have also added ½ an avocado. I actually use a whole avocado, but this might not be for everyone. Avocados are my favourite way to add a beautiful creamy texture to smoothies. I think avocados are God’s butter. They are rich in a powerful antioxidant called glutathione that can attack free radicals in the body. They also contain more potassium than bananas, without the high sugar content, and are also a good source of beta-carotene. But this smoothie tastes delicious without the avocado for those of you wanting to make this smoothie a bit more affordable.

Either way, this fruity green smoothie is delicious.

Vegan Brazil Nut Berry Blast Smoothie

1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

1 cup or fresh or frozen blueberries

2/3 cup Brazil nuts

3 cups filtered water

½ cup ice

2 large fresh or frozen bananas

1/8 cup chopped pitted prunes (about 3)

1 Tbsp flaxseeds

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

pinch of Celtic sea salt

Throw all the ingredients in your blender and puree until smooth and creamy.

By Tess Masters:

This berry nutty smoothie is one of my all-time favourite raw vegan smoothies. I make it every week because it is loaded with anti-cancer goodies and tastes absolutely delicious.

I don’t know about you, but I welcome any opportunity to throw berries of all colours and shapes into my smoothies. Berries are small, but mighty! Berries are full of anthocyanins that can help repair and protect DNA. They are also rich in cancer-preventing antioxidants. Each colour contains different phytochemicals, so mix it up and try to include as many different varieties as possible.

Berries look and taste divine! Berries are available all-year round fresh or frozen. I have chosen raspberries, blueberries and strawberries for this smoothie, as these berries are the most widely available in most countries. But feel free to use cranberries, blackberries, cherries or any other berries that take your fancy. Different blends will yield smoothies of slightly different personalities, but I haven’t tasted a blend I haven’t enjoyed yet! They are all berry good!

I understand that berries can get expensive. To save money, buy when berries are in season, look out for price specials at the store and stock up  and freeze them. You can also find fantastic deals on frozen berries at bulk stores.

Now for the raw nuts and seeds. I love to include raw nuts and seeds in my diet way to boost my immunity. Raw nuts are not only delicious and an extremely versatile way to add flavour and texture to smoothies, but they also contain essential oils and nutrients that boost the immune system and help prevent cancers from forming.

Most of us are familiar with raw almonds, cashews and macadamia nuts. But have you ever tried the more exotic Brazil nut? If you haven’t, let me introduce you to one of the best kept secrets in the raw nutty world!

Brazil nuts are the jewels of the Amazon. They are rich and creamy and contain the antioxidants quercetin and campferol that may suppress the growth of cancers; as well as methionine, which promotes antioxidant production and combats free radical damage which can help with premature aging. Brazil nuts are also one of the richest sources of selenium - about 2500 times more than any other nut. In fact, just two raw Brazil nuts account for the daily requirement of selenium. Brazil nuts are also a fantastic complete vegetarian protein with a full amino acid profile. They are also a good source of calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium and Vitamin B.

Things to be aware of when purchasing Brazil nuts: the shells contain aflatoxins, which have been linked in some studies to liver cancer. The EU have strict importing regulations for whole Brazil nuts for this reason. Always purchase raw shelled Brazil nuts from a health food store with a high turnover to ensure maximum freshness and quality; and always store Brazil nuts in a sealed glass container in the fridge, as these nuts are even more susceptible to rancidity due to their very high fat content.

I absolutely love to use raw Brazil nuts to make delicious creamy vegan dairy free milk when blended with filtered water. This “milk” adds a delightful depth of flavour to this berry smoothie. I love the selenium boost that these Brazil nuts bring to this smoothie, but feel free to use raw cashews, raw almonds or raw macadamia nuts, which also make this smoothie taste fabulous.

*If you are allergic to nuts or just want to make this smoothie more affordable, use soy milk or rice milk. These vegan milks also taste berry good in this smoothie.

The final blast of goodness in this smoothie is the addition of the flaxseeds. I add flaxseeds (also known as linseeds) to most of my smoothies. Flaxseeds are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids that help to produce cancer-fighting phytonutrients such as lignans. Flaxseeds blend beautifully into smoothies. I try to include one or two tablespoons of ground flaxseeds into my diet every day. You can also add flaxseed oil to your smoothie, but I prefer ground flaxseeds as they contain both the fibre and the oil. You can grind your own flaxseeds in a coffee grinder that is not being used for coffee or use a spice grinder.

The cinnamon is optional in this smoothie. This shake tastes wonderful without it, but I think the cinnamon adds a little kick that elevates this smoothie from wonderful to superb!

Either way, this nutty fruit smoothie is berry, berry good!