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I've been eating lots of raw foods and minimizing dairy lately, so when I bought some raw organic cashews at the market this week, I was inspired to use them to make a creamy dairy-free smoothie.

Cashews have a lot of magnesium, a nutrient which is beneficial for the cardiovascular system. They are also high in copper.

Like other nuts, cashews are high in fat, but it's "good fat" and this fat contributes to how satisfying this smoothie is- unlike smoothies which only contain fruit, this one should help balance your blood sugar and keep you from getting hungry anytime soon after you drink it.

I like blueberries in this smoothie (even the color makes me happy!), but you are welcome to try other berries instead. I happened to have dates around, so I threw some in for extra sweetness and was happy with the result, but you could skip them or try adding dried figs as an alternative.

If you want to turn this into an even more nutritious green smoothie, add a handful or two of chopped romaine lettuce or kale. The smoothie is really sweet so you don't really taste the greens...I promise!