It’s easy being green!
At least we’d love to make it as easy as possible, since green vegetables have so much to offer!
Juiced Up Greens
Everyone can benefit from going green. Richly coloured leafies like spinach, kale and broccoli give us minerals like iron and calcium, detoxifying compounds that help us release hormone-disrupting toxins, and are rich in antioxidants that nourish our blood vessels and keep our skin glowing!
Green veggies are also rich in fibre so they make great additions to support a healthy gut – which, as you’ll know if you’ve worked with us, helps you create the foundation of your entire health picture!
How to Make a Green Smoothie
We like the idea of using the whole food when preparing a “juice” – including all the fibre. On my many trips to Brazil I noticed that all fresh juices are blended with the whole fruit – from orange to mango to açai. This inspired me to keep as much whole fruit and veg in all my smoothies and juices. The fibre keeps the absorption of sugars from your juice slower. This means if you’re sensitive to blood sugar issues the whole food “smoothie” version of a green juice is going to be a great choice for you.
The basic template is to combine your favourite frozen fruit with a leafy green vegetable plus some water and blend. Total prep time, about 1 minute!
Kale is my favourite because it’s so rich in phytochemicals (those protective, detoxifying and anticancer compounds) and surprisingly neutral in the juice.
Need Coffee Less
Not that I don’t enjoy a great organic coffee from time to time, but sometimes that mid-day slump, caffeine or sugar craving is really a cry for nutrients. Your brain LOVES fruit- and veggie-derived antioxidants because brain cells use so much energy, and in doing so they create byproducts of their own metabolism. Plus, they’re getting exposed to all the environmental toxins we can’t escape in modern life. The key to a healthy brain, which helps every other system of your body feel and work well, is to clear out that inflammation because it’s literally toxic. Antioxidants help protect brain cells from inflammation, which creates damaging substances in the brain that kind of act like rust in your car’s engine – terrible for performance! (P.S. The other essential way your brain clears itself from harmful products of inflammation is during good, deep sleep.)
Here’s how I made these energizing little shots:
Ingredients:
1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
2 leaves dinosaur kale (a.k.a. lanceolata), thick stems removed (I like these because they’re the darkest green and the smoothest. Substitutions: 1-2 leaves curly edged kale, a small handful spinach leaves or 4-5 tbsp parsley)
3/4 cup filtered water
Directions:
Combine in blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy immediately for a delicious clean energy boost!