The Green Smoothie Challenge!
Drink a pint of green smoothie each day for a month and see what happens to your health…
What is a green smoothie?
A green smoothie is a raw smoothie (a thick, blended drink) which is green in colour. The green comes from green leaves and vegetables, such as spinach, lettuce, parsley, or celery.
You start by making a fruit smoothie, and then add some greens.
How will green smoothies help my health?
Here are some of the many benefits of green smoothies:
- more energy
- more regular and frequent bowel movements
- less craving for unhealthy foods
- more desire for health-giving raw foods
- clearer skin and sparkling eyes
- helps you achieve your optimum weight
- decreases many symptoms of dis-ease
- a delicious food, you’ll want more of!
Why ‘green’ smoothies?
- Greens contain an abundant supply of vitamins and minerals. Blending the greens breaks down the tough cellulose cell walls to release these nutrients far more effectively than
chewing, so you receive more nutrients. - Surprisingly, greens are rich in essential amino acids, the building blocks of protein.
- Greens help make the blood alkaline, thus diminishing the many symptoms of an over-acid body.
How do I make a green smoothie?
When shopping, stock up on:
1. Your favourite fruits
eg banana, mango, kiwi, apple, pear, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, pineapple, oranges, melon ….
2. Greens, particularly leafy ones
eg baby spinach, kale, swiss chard, lettuce (romaine is good), rocket, parsley, celery, watercress, avocado ….
Organic produce has more nutrients, and fewer toxic pesticides, so it’s good to buy organic when you can. Be sure to use ripe fruit.
The best smoothies are simple; using 2-3 raw or frozen fruits and 1-2 fresh greens.
Green Delight
- Coarsely chop a banana/mango, an apple, and a kiwi
- Place the chopped fruit in the blender.
- Add some water up to a third of the level of the fruit (more if you prefer a ‘thin’ smoothie).
- Blend until smooth.
- A little at a time, add up to a handful of baby spinach, and perhaps a celery stick.
- Blend.
- Taste, and add another fruit or green if you think it’s needed.
You will find yourself adding progressively more greens as you get used to the added ‘green-ness’.
You may need to stop and push the greens down if they don’t get caught up in the blender. If it’s still not blending, add a little more water.
Enjoy!
I often use mango, banana or avocado as the base, to give my
smoothie the thickness I like.
Play with your ingredients, and create your own unique, yummy, green smoothies!
Tips for using green smoothies
You can keep your green smoothie in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can take your smoothie out with you in a bottle, just as you would a bottle of water.
I recommend having your green smoothie at the start of a meal, and then eating what you would normally eat.
The Delicious Nugget: A green smoothie is a delicious, nutritious, easy-to-make, food (or drink), with surprising health benefits. Simply blend 2-3 fruits with 1-2 leafy greens and water. Enjoy!