Natural Living: Get your green smoothie on!

Summertime is a great time to focus on health and get back on track with your weight. Typically we tend to exercise more and eat lighter foods, which guide us in the right direction toward balance. However, many people skip breakfast because they are on the run or they just don’t feel hungry in the morning. Unfortunately this is not the right way to start the day as breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It gives us healthy fuel to complete our day unlike loads of coffee that keep us afloat only to “bonk” later in the day!

So let’s start with a green smoothie. Sounds delicious, right? We have to overcome our intimidation of greens and learn it’s all what you put in the smoothie that makes it both delicious and healthy! You can be artistic and make up your own smoothie. Here are a few things to get you started.

First you need a good high-speed blender, like the Vitamix or Blendtec, to assure the vegetables are pureed. To prepare your nutritious delicacy, start by washing the fruits and vegetables, pre-cut them and start adding them to the blender one by one.

It’s best to add food with the highest water content first. Make sure you have enough liquid (water, almond milk, rice milk, coconut milk or hemp milk) for blending. Usually most of the food will be covered by liquid. Then blend long enough so your foods will be really smooth, but not warm.

If you’re not feeling so artistic and just need some recipes to follow, here are some to get you started. For each recipe, add all the ingredients to a blender, blend, and enjoy.

Kale and Banana Smoothie

1 banana

2 tablespoons hulled hemp seed

1 cup of frozen blueberries

1 1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon super foods of your choice (spirulina, chlorophyll, acai, maca, raw chocolate, bee pollen, etc.; you can blend a few of these as well)

5 leaves of kale, spinach, chard or a blend.

Carrot Ginger Smoothie

1 bunch of carrots with some if its greens

1 avocado

1/2 of a lemon

1/3-inch fresh ginger

Pinch of sea salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Spring water

Dr. Oz Green Drink

2 apples

Juice of 1/2 of a lemon

2 cups spinach

2 cups cucumber

1 head of celery

1 bunch parsley

1/2-inch or teaspoon ginger root

Juice of 1 lime

Smoothies are a great way to eat your vegetables. Greens are the most alkalizing, mineralizing and healthiest foods. For some they’re not always the most palatable, so by blending them you can combine them with fruits and herbs for a delicious taste.