GREEN Smoothies

In honor of  St. Patrick's Day, I wanted to share with you the power of GREEN smoothies.  Everyone needs more greens in their diet becaue they are so full of minerals.  From colds to cancer, greens are powerful healers.  Greens consist of the leaves of plants such as lettuces, spinach, collards, kale, chard, dandelion, arugula, watercress, parsley, sorrell, cilantro, etc. The problem, however, is that most of us don't LIKE the taste of greens! No need to fear! Using a blender to combine lucious ripe fruit with the greens, you can create amazing, delicous, antioxidant rich smoothies to enjoy every day.
What do Green Smoothies do for you?  They -

• boost your immune system, helping to preventing and heal disease
• improve digestion and elimination (who wants to be constipated?)
• support weight loss
• boost your mental and physical performance
• reduce cravings
• support your liver and kidneys
• balance your body pH to help reduce aches and pains
• increase energy and focus
• hydrate your cells creating clearer and smoother skin

How do we make a Green smoothie?
You start with a blender. (Depending on it's strength you may find you need to put the greens in at the beginning with the liquid rather than at the end.)  Have your greens and fruit washed and ready to go. In the blender you will put:

• 1 cup of either water,  juice, or nondairy milk
• 1 medium banana; the riper the sweeter. (You can use frozen ones too.)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh or frozen fruit (frozen makes it thicker so you may need more liquid)
• 1 scoop of plant based protein powder (optional).  I like to use Juice Plus Complete Powder.
• 1 handful (about 1 cup) of  torn up fresh or frozen greens (spinach, kale, chard, or frozen wheat grass cubes). The more you make these the more greens you are able to add.
• some people find if they need more sweetness they can add a pitted Medjool date.  I also sometimes add a dash of cinnamon or other spice.

Put the lid on the blender and start low and then go to high and blend it until it is smooth, but not so long that it gets warm.  Depending on the blender, you may need to stop and push down the greens to get them all mixed in.  This will make about 16 ounces.  You can easily double or triple the recipe depending on how many hungry people you have standing by.  Below are a few of my recipes.  There are more in my book, The Busy Mom's 10 Minute Guide to a Healthy Happy Family.

Pineapple Escape 
1 cup water or coconut water
1 tip of fresh ginger (1/2 tsp)
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
1/2 cup strawberries
1 cup spinach leaves
1 scoop vanilla powder

 Berry Yummy

   1 Banana
   ½ cup strawberries (or 1/3 cup raspberries)
    1 hand size piece of Romaine or spinach
    1 cup water, soy, rice milk, or coconut water
  

 Minty Melon Medley

  1 cup water

     1 or 2 sprigs of fresh mint
     1 cup chunks of cantaloupe
     1 scoop of protein powder
     1 cup spinach

    Peanut Butter Sip
     2 cups water
     2 Tb all natural smooth peanut butter
     1 banana
     1 cup berries of choice
     1 scoop chocolate or vanilla protein powder
     1 cup torn kale leaves (stem removed)
   
DISCLAIMER:  The information in these pages is presented for educational purposes only. The publication of this information is not intended as medical advice nor does it constitute the practice of medicine.  Any changes you make in your diet or lifestyle due to this information is your personal privilege and your responsibility to discuss with your health care provider.

 

Is Your Diet More Acid or Alkaline - and what does that mean anyway?

      Our body is like a swimming pool.  If you've ever worked at one, you know that the pH of the pool has to be checked daily.  The right amount of chlorine mixture must be added to keep the pool from growing algae or, on the other end, to keep it from burning people's eyes.  In the same way, our body pH has to be kept in balance so we don't get too acid or too alkaline. 
       Regular exertion and normal wear and tear cause our body to get more acid.  We can balance that out each day if we consume foods that are alkalizing.  What happens with the typically lousy American diet, however,  is that it makes us even more acid.  In order to keep our blood at the exact pH necessary to stay alive, our body will try to eliminate or neutralize the acids.  If we are habitually eating poorly,  we will get an excess and we will begin to store the toxins in our fat cells and as far away from our organs as possible. An example of this is gout.  Gout is uric acid crystals that usually gather in a person's big toe after they develop a toxic acid overload, usually from consuming rich fatty, high protein foods and/or excessive alcohol. 
      What we want to eat plenty of then, are alkalizing foods - our luscious fruits and vegetables.  What are the acid forming foods?  The worst ones include chemical additives (preservatives, colors, sweeteners, and especially monosodium glutamate - MSG), animal products (dairy, meat, poultry, fish), and junk food (sugar, caffeine, hydrogenated oils); not to mention the obvious drugs and alcohol.
      To keep your body running smoothly and in the proper balance, begin substituting healthier choices such as green tea instead of coffee, ginger ale instead of caffeinated soda, and if you are really inspired, you can quit soda all together and just drink water! 
      Some of the key alkalizing foods include: pineapple, cherries, berries, fresh ginger, avocado, celery, and green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach, leaf lettuces, etc).  If you are feeling sluggish and run down, make a real effort to eat these along with a wide variety of fruits and veggies in all the colors of the rainbow and it won't be long until you will, once again, overflow with vibrant health!!