Green Smoothies to the Rescue

My journey toward better health continued, after doing the Master Cleanse, with learning from my sister about the importance and benefits of whole plant foods.  I had rarely if ever eaten kale, collard greens,  beet greens, mangos, spirolina, fresh dates, raw pumpkin seeds, broccoli sprouts.  Suddenly, a whole (somewhat overwhelming) world of foods opened up before me.  My sister shared one particular way of getting more raw foods, especially dark green, leafy vegetables, into my diet and that was the green smoothie. 

A green smoothie is a blended mixture of fresh or frozen fruits, green leafy vegetables and water or another liquid.  It may sound disgusting, but in reality it is a delicious way to start the day.  I began drinking green smoothies every morning and within a short time began to lose weight (20 pounds my first year from just my daily smoothie), my skin cleared up significantly and I had more energy.  My cravings for sugar and processed foods diminished, and I started craving fruits and vegetables which made making the change to a healthier diet much easier.

Do you know that green leafy plants contain more protein (amino acids) than meat, are low in calories and have an incredible nutritional profile?  There is a diverse variety of greens, from spinach to dandelion, from parsley to basil.  Blending greens with sweet fruits is easy, portable and great for all ages. My one year old grandson loves his green smoothies.  There are numerous testimonies of healing from serious, chronic, and irreversible illnesses, by those who have taken the green smoothie challenge.  Check out www.rawfamily.com or www.blendtec.com for recipes and ideas.

Making a smoothie is very simple, especially if you have a high-powered blender like a Blendtec or Vitamix.  Some people have used a Nutri-bullet.  I started with my old Oster blender and, after drinking a smoothie every day for 6 months, knew I was committed and purchased my Blendtec.  Two years later, I have used over 2500 cycles on the blender and it is still in perfect shape.  I make soups, hummus, homemade (dairy free) ice cream and other treats, so it gets daily use.  It was the best kitchen investment I have ever made.  And green smoothies are the best health investment I have made.  I still drink them today.

A basic recipe consists of about 2 cups of fresh and/or frozen unsweetened fruit, a cup or two of dark greens, one to two cups of water or almond milk.  Blend until smooth.  Dairy (milk or yogurt) is not recommended.  You can add spices (ginger, cinnamon, vanilla bean powder) or ingestible essential oils (I love Young Living tangerine, cinnamon, lemon EOs).  It is best to add some soluble fruit (banana, pear, strawberries, mango) to a smoothie to make it creamy.  Apples, berries and insoluble fruit will separate quickly if just mixed with greens.

You can even get a Green Smoothie App for iphone, android or computer or just invent your own concoctions and have fun!  Have you tried green smoothies?  Do you have a favorite raw food recipe?