Smoothies: What? Why? Where? How? Plus, Tips & Tricks
WHAT?
What kind of smoothies do I make? I base all of my smoothies on dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, dandelion greens, herbs like parsley, mint, basil... Of course I add in fruit to make them sweet and good to eat!
What NOT to do? I do not recommend mixing dairy with fruit and greens. If you think about it, greens and fruit digest way too quickly. By mixing in dairy, it will slow down the digestion process, it will inhibit the absorption of vital minerals and nutrients, and it will cause more inflammation; the total opposite of what greens and fruit do, they reduce inflammation. Instead, just use plain water, or at times, use a milk alternative like almond or coconut milk. Use the alternatives sparingly unless you are making your own from scratch. The kind you buy in the store have too many unnecessary and potentially dangerous ingredients if consumed frequently. I personally don't have time to make my own right now, so I do buy the from the store... I just use them sparingly ;)
What kind of smoothies do I make? I base all of my smoothies on dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, dandelion greens, herbs like parsley, mint, basil... Of course I add in fruit to make them sweet and good to eat!
What NOT to do? I do not recommend mixing dairy with fruit and greens. If you think about it, greens and fruit digest way too quickly. By mixing in dairy, it will slow down the digestion process, it will inhibit the absorption of vital minerals and nutrients, and it will cause more inflammation; the total opposite of what greens and fruit do, they reduce inflammation. Instead, just use plain water, or at times, use a milk alternative like almond or coconut milk. Use the alternatives sparingly unless you are making your own from scratch. The kind you buy in the store have too many unnecessary and potentially dangerous ingredients if consumed frequently. I personally don't have time to make my own right now, so I do buy the from the store... I just use them sparingly ;)
WHY?
Why should you make smoothies with dark leafy greens? That is the whole point - to get in your system and absorb all of the essential vitamins, nutrients and enzymes that are contained in raw, dark leafy greens.
Why should you make smoothies with dark leafy greens? That is the whole point - to get in your system and absorb all of the essential vitamins, nutrients and enzymes that are contained in raw, dark leafy greens.
WHERE or HOW?
Where/How do you start? First, you need a good blender. A lot of my recipes use ingredients that will not blend well in a normal household blender (i.e.: one that you would purchase for under $100. I recommend a VitaMix or Ninja or NutriBullet. I personally use a VitaMix and love it. Check out my Products and FAQ page for those I recommend!
If you're new to green smoothies or even new to eating greens, I recommend you start with adding baby spinach. Why? Because you can't even taste it!! Once you get that down, you can experiment with Kale, Collards, Chard, Dandelion greens... all are much more bitter than baby spinach, so that's why I suggest you start with the least bitter green.
Where/How do you start? First, you need a good blender. A lot of my recipes use ingredients that will not blend well in a normal household blender (i.e.: one that you would purchase for under $100. I recommend a VitaMix or Ninja or NutriBullet. I personally use a VitaMix and love it. Check out my Products and FAQ page for those I recommend!
If you're new to green smoothies or even new to eating greens, I recommend you start with adding baby spinach. Why? Because you can't even taste it!! Once you get that down, you can experiment with Kale, Collards, Chard, Dandelion greens... all are much more bitter than baby spinach, so that's why I suggest you start with the least bitter green.
TIPS & TRICKS:
- FRESH is ALWAYS best, but sometimes it's just not feasible. So, don't feel bad about using frozen fruit or frozen chopped spinach!! Keep in mind, frozen spinach is more bitter than fresh baby spinach. Keeping frozen products on reserve is key, especially if you run out of fresh and you need your daily green boost!
- FREEZE what you can: Buy grapes or pineapple fresh and then freeze them. It is way more economical that way.
- LEFTOVER GREENS? Leftover Spring Mix salad or romaine? Don't feel like making a salad to eat? Throw those greens in your smoothie!
- SWEETNESS: Best fruits to sweeten a smoothie: banana, green grapes, ripe pears, pineapple, frozen sweet cherries.
- ORGANIC? Always try to eat seasonal... buy organic whenever possible, local whenever possible.
- QUICK and EASY: Buy pre washed and/or pre cut produce. It's more expensive, but if you're always pressed for time and willing to spend the extra few dollars just so you can get your greens, do it!!
