Green Smoothies

Ew... nasty, right?

Well, what if this drink:

- is easy to make

- is one of the best natural liver cleanses out there

- can dramatically calm, if not cure IBS 

- keeps your immune system boosted

- lowers cholesterol

- is a multivitamin

- eliminates constipation

- provides a much needed morning energy boost

- curbs your appetite for junk food

- detoxifies your body of harmful chemicals and residues that are consumed daily

- helps to lose weight

- reduces the risk of cancer

- minimizes morning sickness, swelling, and other pregnancy blues

- promotes healthy lactation in breastfeeding mothers

- plus TONS of other added benefits

and...

What if it tasted amazing????

Ever try these?

 They taste great, don't they?

News flash: The one I'm about to show you how to make is cheaper and better for you. 

The basic idea behind the green smoothie is to combine this...

With this...

And maybe a few other ingredients  (Wheat grass, carrots, ginger, etc):

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Now I will answer the question on everyone's mind: "How can something that looks so nasty taste so good?"

In a nutshell: the secret is in the fruit you use.  While leafy greens are quite bitter, the natural sugars inside the fruit completely overpower any taste the greens have, so by the time it is all blended together, all you taste is fruit... so why not sneak in some extra nutrients, eh?

So why not just eat a salad? 

You don't need to consume the extra additives and fat that is contained in salad dressings.  It is also easier on our digestive system if the greens are already finely chopped (blended) for us, due to a low level of hydochloric acid within our stomachs (also, if more plant cell walls are broken, more nutrients can be absorbed).  It also forces you to have your daily dose of fruits... more nutrients at once! 

Basically, if you had to choose between a salad and a green smoothie, a green smoothie is more efficient, and just makes more sense. 

Here is the founder of green smoothies, Victoria Boutenko, to do a little showin' and tellin':

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So here's how I do it:

Sidenote: I prepare all my food the night before so that all I have to do when I wake up in the morning is throw it in the blender... because I 'aint no morning person. 

Rinse your greens if they don't come pre-rinsed. Rinse and chop your desired fruit:

Place all your chopped fruit into a bag.  I also add in some shredded carrot (you can't taste this either), and some grated ginger (which lowers cholesterol and has been great to eliminate morning sickness... because I be with child right now).  

Tear your greens into similarly-sized pieces and store them in their own bag (all those greens in that bag will last me 2-3 green smoothies, so don't freak out).  Then I put them in the fridge and go to bed!

**ZZzzzzzzzzz.....**

Morning: place a handful or two of greens into the blender, with enough water to cover the blades.  (This is how you do it if your dad isn't Bill Gates and only have a regular blender and you can't afford a Vitamix, like Victoria has in the video).  Then blend until pulpy.

Add your fruit, a handful at a time. Blend, then repeat until all your fruit is blended. (You can see the shredded carrot, grated ginger, and wheat grass that I included with my fruit)

Do a little taste test with your finger. If it's not as sweet as you like, add more fruit, or a little bit of raw honey/ stevia. You can also add yogurt for some probiotics if you would like. This blender is larger than normal, so I made a lot of green smoothie all at once. This will be good for my husband and I for a couple days.  

In a hurry in the mornings and don't have time to blend everyday? Green smoothies don't begin to oxidize and break down for 2-3 days, so make them ahead of time in grab 'n go glasses!

**People have asked me if it's okay to use frozen fruits, or juices. Yes, it's okay, but use raw food as your first option. Fresh foods will always have the most nutrients, which is the whole point of the green smoothie.  The same goes with canned ingredients. But, if you are in a pinch, sometimes the fresh takes too much time. So if you can't use fresh, use frozen as a second choice, and canned as a last resort, because canned fruit has to be boiled for a short period of time first, killing many of the nutrients you need. 

**Tip: While drinking your green smoothie, make sure to take a fish oil capsule, or another source of Omega 3  fatty acids... this is because your body needs the help of this essential fatty acid to absorb all those nutrients into your body... thereby maximizing your green smoothie experience!

**There is so much to cover about green smoothies that I'm sure I left some vital information out. Leave a comment if there are any questions and I'll answer them!

Happy drinking!