If there was one thing I would recommend adding to your diet… it would be the green smoothie. As my clients will attest, I am a firm believer in the infamous drink that more often than once been dubbed as a “salad with a straw.”
You are probably wondering why drink a green smoothie and what the heck is it, am I right? The first answer is 3 fold: drink it to get your 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies a day, which is recommended as part of a heart healthy diet; drink it because it is very low calorie and starts your day off with health first; sip it to cleanse your system of the junk you may be used to filling your body with in the am (coffee, donuts, cereal, nothing… etc.). The answer to the second question can be variable depending on your creativity with the green smoothie. I will provide you with the basic recipe, then share some modifications that can keep this drink on the morning menu long term.
The key to getting the benefits of the ‘green goop’ (another client’s pet name for it) is being consistent with making it almost every day. The idea is to make it a habit to pack those veggies in before your day starts and then reap the benefits of having more energy, feeling more regular and maybe even losing weight (depending on the rest of your diet of course). So what are you waiting for? Once you go green, you’ll never go back!
Here are the basics:
Step 1: Shop for supplies ( buy a weeks worth of supplies at once so that you are ready to go)
Step 2: Put the following into your blender to make a 20+ oz. green smoothie
1 apple cored and chunked
1 pear cored and chunked
1/2 cup green spinach
1-2 leaves of chard or collard greens
1-2 leaves of kale
small chunk of ginger root (peeled)
1 cup of water
4-6 ice cubes
Step 3: Blend
Step 4: Explore your green smoothie with the following options (choose one to two at a time to add to the mix).
1/3 cup of flax seeds
1/3 cup blue berries
sliced mangos
kiwi fruit
mint leaves
[insert creative option here]
If you have tried the green smoothies before, please comment and tell others your experience. For some reason, it is intimidating to make a salad like drink, so give people support by sharing your recipes and variations. Once you try it, you’ll love it and the way your body feels.
If you have a powerful blender you can also blend up carrot for some added vitamin A and sweetner, but it takes a little while to get totally smooth.
Otherwise, cabbage adds vitamin C and beta-carotene without changing the flavor at all!
Note: flax seeds will fold in better overall if you grind them first in the blender (turning them into a flour), then add your other ingredients.
Hi there Summer,
I would just like to add that if someone is new to green smoothies a frozen banana and or blueberries is a nice touch because it makes it taste more like a milk shake and less like a “green” drink. My parents are now hooked on their morning “milk shakes” and getting much more nutrition every day because of it. Also,raw almond butter gives you protein and a yummy nutty taste. Chlorella is another option if fresh greens are hard to come by.
Sweet website!
Marlene
Hi! For clarity and digestion, I wish to make some suggestions. First, more is not always better. Keep the smoothies simple like fruit and greens. Flax seeds, ginger, coconut (or other healthy fats) oil, etc all have their place. But our tendency seems to be more is better or throw everything into the blender. Not optimal. Better to rotate what you eat and have more variety on a regular basis than to attempt to cram it all into a single blended drink. Also, food combining is very important. Although carrots, cabbage, etc are great suggestions, they do not mix well with fruits. Greens are not starchy vegetables and therefore combine well with fruits. Don’t think of greens as veggies (or like other veggies) and it will be fine for digestion…
Hi-
My name is Maria and I am the creator of http://www.thegreensmoothiechallenge.com I agree with the above post. Starchy vegetables should be eaten separately from smoothies, but feel free to add vegetable fruits such as cucumber, celery, bell peppers, and tomatoes. I also like to use parsely or cilantro. All of these add an extra large cleansing effect to your smoothie which is essential for weight loss and vitality. Feel free to visit my site for lots of free recipes!
Maria