Part of healing and moving forward from loss or anything traumatic is taking care of yourself. It’s important we take care of our mental health as well as our physical health. Admittedly, I am a work in progress however, I can attest to some tips and tricks I know work and practice in my daily life. One of the challenges of the daily 9-5 grind is finding ways to add in fresh fruits and vegetables to my diet. I’ve learned that there are easy ways to mix in fruits and vegetables in your daily routine, but you just have to be creative. One of the easiest ways I incorporate fresh veggies is by making green smoothies.
Green smoothies essentially are composed of blending a mix of dark leafy green vegetables such as spinach or kale, combined with fruit and blended so you come away with a green smoothie with natural vitamins and nutrients from the fresh produce ready for consumption. Ideally you want to strive to use organic produce, or the next best option would be using conventional produce to reduce exposure to pesticides and chemicals. I often like to buy frozen and/or organic fresh fruit as it is pre-cut, easy to blend, and keeps the drink cold when ready to serve.
Some fruits, like bananas, have a higher glycemic index than others which can cause a spike in your blood glucose. Alternatively, it is ideal to use low to medium sugar fruits like strawberries, pineapples, and lemons in the smoothies to avoid such complications. This will help to ensure your green drink is actually a better option than one full of too much sugar which could end up spiking glucose levels. For optimal health, it is wise to have balance. An additional option to add extra minerals, vitamins and antioxidants to your drink is to add a superfood like wheatgrass or spirulina. Superfoods like these help give the body added nutrients such as vitamin E & K, Iron, and Zinc to support good health. You can find these options at your local health food store, GNC or even online at Amazon.com.
With that said, one of my go to easy recipes for a green smoothie is my Pineapple Mango Spinach Smoothie. The recipe is below if you want to give it a try.
Pineapple Mango Spinach Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 large handful of Fresh Organic Baby Spinach
- 3/4 Cup Frozen sliced Pineapple
- 3/4 Cup Frozen Organic cubed Mangos
- Approx. 2 C. Unsweetened Almond Milk (Trader Joes)
- 1 Packet of Stevia (optional)
- 1 scoop of Organic Wheatgrass (optional)
- 2 Ice cubes (optional)
Tools:
- Nutribullet with Large Nutribullet Blender cup OR High Speed Blender
- Cutting board & Knife (optional if cutting fresh fruit)
Instructions:
- Add washed fruit, greens, ice and dry ingredients into blender cup.
- Next add almond milk. Fill until you reach the horizontal line pre-marked on the Nutribullet cup or about 1.5 to 2 inches from the top rim. If you are using a high-speed blender use approximately 2 cups of unsweetened almond milk.
- Nutribullet users: Seal blender cup with blade attachment and blend for at least 20 seconds or until smooth. High Speed blender users: Cover tightly with top and blend until smooth.
- Serve and drink.
*Serving size is for 2 people or for one person as a jumbo smoothie/meal replacement option.
You can check out more green smoothie recipes to try here.
Give it a try! Do you drink green smoothies? What’s your favorite combination? Share your thoughts!
Sources:
“Green Smoothie Recipes – Simple Green Smoothies.” Simple Green Smoothies. Simple Green Smoothies LLC, n.d. Web. 24 Aug. 2016. <http://simplegreensmoothies.com/recipes>.
“The 10 Best Leafy Greens for Green Smoothies.” GreenBlender. Web. 23 Aug. 2016. <https://greenblender.com/smoothies/777/smoothie-greens-guide>.
Mehta, Rhea, Dr. “Is Your Green Smoothie ACTUALLY Healthy And Balanced?” Mindbodygreen. 12 Apr. 2013. Web. 23 Aug. 2016 <http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-8715/is-your-green-smoothie-actually-healthy-and-balanced.html>.