Did you know there is a National Green Smoothie and Juice Day?

Let’s explore some benefits and recipes!

 

One of the main benefits of adding in some green smoothie and juice into your diet is that it is an easy way to get more veggies and greens in!

To get the full health benefit of the green smoothies you want to make them in a blender that liquefies all of the ingredients. It’s not necessary to have a juicer, we are making smoothies, not juicing. Any commercial blender is adequate. We love the Vitamix or Ninja blenders.

Another benefit of smoothies is that they make easy snacks as they always make 2-3 servings!

Therefore, we also suggest that you purchase 4 – 6 500mL (1 pint) glass jars to hold your smoothies. It’s always best to make them fresh. Sometimes that isn’t an option so you can make a smoothie ahead of time and carry it with you in your glass jar. Green smoothies can last up to 48 hours as long as you store them in the fridge or on ice.

The recipes we provide are only guidelines. You can always swap out the fruits or greens for your favorite ones. If you have type II Diabetes, hypoglycemia or are sensitive to blood sugar swings please choose low glycemic fruits.

To learn more about low glycemic fruits, read our previous post here.

Choose Your Greens for your green smoothie

 

Here’s a shortlist of 10 different green vegetables you can choose from. Feel free to pick a green veggie from the list if the one given in the recipe doesn’t suit your taste buds.

Kale:  Offers everything you want in a leafy green! It’s an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K. It has a good amount of calcium for a vegetable, and also supplies folate and potassium.

Collards:  Similar in nutrition to kale but they have a heartier and chewier texture and a stronger cabbage-like taste.  A half cup has 25 calories.

Turnip greens: Are more tender than other greens. This sharp-flavored leaf is low in calories yet loaded with vitamins A, C, and K as well as calcium.

Swiss chard:  With red stems, stalks, and veins on its leaves, Swiss chard has a beet-like taste and soft texture. Both Swiss chard and spinach contain oxalates, which are slightly reduced by cooking and can bind to calcium, a concern for people prone to kidney stones. Chard contains 15 calories in one-half cup and is a good source of vitamins A and C.

Spinach: Has 20 calories per serving, plus it’s packed with vitamins A and C, iron as well as folate.

Mustard greens: Have a similar nutrition profile to turnip leaves and collards. Mustard greens have scalloped edges and come in red and green varieties. They have a peppery taste.

Broccoli: With 25 calories a serving, broccoli is rich in vitamin C and is also a good source of vitamin A, potassium, and folate.

Cabbage: Although paler in color than other leafy greens, this cruciferous vegetable is a great source of cancer-fighting compounds and vitamin C. One-half cup cooked has 15 calories.

Smoothie Blending Instructions:

Place your fruit into the blender with 1-2 cups of filtered water and blend for 25 seconds.

Add your leafy greens and blend until very smooth (30 seconds in a powerful blender and longer if your blender is not as powerful).

The recipes we are giving you for your green smoothies are just guidelines. You can choose to try the recipes provided each day, or use your favorite recipe for the entire challenge.

Bananas are common in smoothies but do know there are alternatives. Bananas, be it they are tasty, do contain lots of sugar/high glycemic in nature. So, they are not for every one’s diet plan. Therefore, check out the banana substitute list below and swap them out for a different fruit.

Banana Substitutes:

• Mango
• Papaya
• Pear
• Fresh Dates
• Avocado

The important thing is that you are using in 2-3 large handfuls of leafy greens and fruit and that you are enjoying the experience!

Green Smoothie Recipes:

Brain Fuel Smoothie

Packed with plenty of good fats and fiber to get you thinking good thoughts all day long.

2 cups spinach

2 cups ripe pears

1 cup frozen mango

½ avocado

2 cups water or coconut water

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Warrior Smoothie

Nutrition in a glass. Enough said.

3 stalks kale, discard the tough stalk and use the leaves

3 leaves Cos lettuce

½ frozen banana or substitute

2 cups water or coconut water

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Bonus: Recipe (soaked almonds): Almond Vanilla Latte Smoothie

Serves 1

¼ cup almonds, soaked overnight & rinsed

½ cup coconut milk

½ cup strong coffee, cold (or chai tea if you prefer)

½ banana, frozen

1 tsp vanilla extract

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend on high until almonds are smooth.

Add ice, if desired

Serve & enjoy!

Tip: By using soaked almonds, they tend to blend up smoother than hard and crunchy dry almonds do.

There are other tools we can use to improve digestion, boost energy, and decrease pain. Ask me to find out more and how we can help you achieve optimal wellness.

Give our office a call,  (425) 686-4498 to schedule your consult today at our Bothell Office!

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Dr. Ellie Heintze, ND, LAc, is a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist in Bothell, WA at her practice Starting Point Acupuncture. She is a pain specialist, seeing people who suffer from chronic pain, migraines, as well as digestive issues. Offering pain relief injections, acupuncture, facial rejuvenation, and nutrition consults. Most insurances accepted. Dr. Ellie Heintze is also the author of the book, A Starting Point Guide to Going Gluten-Free on Amazon.