Drinking my Greens…Cheers!

I’ve been on a green smoothie kick for couple of months and joined a Green Smoothie Challenge 
group on FB offered by Lisa Zahn Life Coach.  It’s a great way to get my 5 daily servings of 
vegetables, fix my afternoon hunger pangs or start my morning off healthier.  Green
smoothies take a few minutes to make and you can make it ahead of time since it will keep the fridge
for up to 3 days. 

A general guide in making green smoothies is to use 60% greens and 40% fruit.  Use seasonal 
produce as much as possible and I highly recommend organic produce.  Chop up your produce, 
place liquids in first, blend  in a high powered blender (I use a Vitamix) and enjoy! 


For my green smoothies, this is my basic recipe : 
        * 1 cup liquid: filtered water, coconut water, tea, nut milk
        * 1 cup green leafy vegetable: spinach, arugula, kale, romaine lettuce
        * 2 Tbls Organic Raw Hemp Protein Powder by Navitas Naturals ( 8 grams of protein)
        * Raw Turmeric Root about 2 inches long or Raw Ginger Root
        * 1 med size fruit or 1/ 2 C fruit:  Low sugar~granny smith apple, pears, berries; higher
           sugar~ pineapple, cherries, mango, papaya. 

Get creative and add variety to increase nutrition and taste!  Add different types of vegetables
 and herbs such as celery,cucumber,tomatoes, beets, mint, cilantro, parsley, basil, thyme.  Chia 
seed and flax also offer extra vitamins and minerals. Make savory or sweet smoothies.  Spice it 
up with sriracha, chile peppers, jalapeno peppers, black pepper.

Here are a few of green smoothie recipes I have enjoyed.  Use your creativity and 
have fun!

Tropical Pineapple Green Smoothie: pineapple, arugula, ginger, hemp protein powder, turmeric, fresh lemon juice, coconut water, and filtered water.

 

 

 
 
Spicey Veggie Green Smoothie: arugula, celery, plum tomato, fresh lemon juice, parsley,
 turmeric,filtered water, sriracha, and black pepper. 
 
 
Beet Power Smoothie: red beets, beet greens, arugula, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, raw hemp protein powder, sriracha, fresh lemon juice, and filtered water.

Some great benefits of increasing greens and veggies in your diet~ healthier gut, healthier skin, stronger immune system, weight loss, improved cardiovascular health, and decreased cholesterol.
10 Health Benefits of Green Smoothies:
http://life.gaiam.com/article/10-health-benefits-green-smoothies