Not So Green Smoothie
I started on the Green smoothie craze about 8 years ago while recovering from some nasty digestive issues that were more related to the stress that I was going through at the time trying to find some work life balance.
I started researching juicing and shortly thereafter came across Rhea Mehta excellent Facebook Group RAWjuvenation Community Cleanse with Dr. Rhea. When I joined the group in 2010 - 2011, my focus was mostly on cleanses and the group and it's members were a great help to me on my journey. She and the other members shared a lot of Smoothie recipes. I did my first week long cleanse and was hooked.
I have been making and drinking smoothies at least a few times each week since then. Here is my favorite recipe. A word of caution - The color is never Green . A good friend calls it Sludge but they do taste great!!
10 oz Coconut water / Filtered water
2/3 cup frozen Mixed Berries
1/2 frozen banana
2 cups Power Greens ( Baby Kale, Spinach and Chard)
1 Tbsp Hemp Seeds
1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
1/2 inch Ginger
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
2-4 oz Water - If needed.
Optional ( select 1-2 of the ingredients mentioned below)
1/2 Avocado
1 Tbsp Flax seeds
1 Tbsp Coconut
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Maca Powder
1 tsp Moringa Powder
1/2 inch turmeric root
1 cup Protein powder ( Use the cup measure that comes with the Protein powder)
Method:
Add the ingredients in the order mentioned above to your blender. Blend till smooth. Usually 1-2 minutes depending on your blender. Enjoy!! You may need to add 2-4 oz water to thin out the mixture.
Makes 2.5 servings .
Notes:
It helps if you have a good quality blender like a Vitamix or even a Ninja but haven't had much success getting a smooth texture with a Black and Decker.
You can substitute Coconut water with Almond milk or Coconut milk. But watch out for the calories especially with Coconut milk and if needed thin out the mixture with water.
You can substitute Any type of Frozen Fruit . I prefer frozen pineapples and mangoes in smoothies for taste. However I don't use them often as berries. as mangoes, bananas and pineapples are High GI foods. It doesn't make sense to use these in a smoothie on a regular basis
You can also add cucumbers, celery and other vegetables as you start getting used to the taste.
Be adventurous!!
Try different types of greens - Arugula gives a sharp bite, Chard and Lettuce work well. Try herbs- A little bit of mint or Basil can refresh the smoothie like nothing else. You can even try different Seed and nut combinations - A handful of raw cashews or almonds soaked in water overnight is all you need!
