wellnessinspired

A healthy mesS!

wellnessinspired

Who would think mixing all this together would taste good, but it does!
The fruits and veggies combine together great.... and the possibilities are endless. As you can see, in the bowl it's only partially emulsified. Obviously not the finished product. With my old blender it looked kind of like that. Now, I use a high powered blender to get a real smoothie. For this particular smoothie I used a combo of fresh spinach, fresh kale, strawberries, frozen blueberries and organic canned pineapple. I rarely use canned, but on occasion I'll use canned pineapple or canned peaches.

Finished product that was completely emulsified in my blender

♥

It's a smooth thin version with the color and flavor of the berries. I alternate with lots of different fruits and veggies. I also like to add some kind of fat for better absorption of the fat soluble vitamins, A, D, E, and K. In this drink I used golden flax seeds as the fat source. Sometimes I use chia seeds, mila, which is a highly absorbable form of chia seeds in powder form, or shelled hemp seeds. Everything gets thrown in in a high powered blender and that's it...juice!

wellnessinspired

Above is another combo I used and it turned out great also. This time I used less water so it was a thicker version and verrry green. I've been using a lot of kale lately. I was under the impression for a long time that kale would be too bitter for my taste. Much to my surprise I really like it. There are many different varieties of kale to choose from too, and they all vary in taste a bit. Here I used rainbow kale, which is nice and light tasting. Kale is referred to as "queen of the greens". It's got tons of health benefits. It's high in iron, calcium and vitamins A, C, and K. Vit. K is essential for normal blood clotting. If you are, however on a blood thinner, you need to be consistent with the amount you consume. Needless to say all these fruits and veggies have health benefits.

green smoothie

I love the creaminess of the avocado.

Since digestion starts in the mouth, it's suggested to swish the juice in your mouth and even simulate some chewing to release enzymes needed for digestion.

Remember kids benefit from these too. When my son's one friend comes over he'll ask if I have any of that "swamp juice". (lovely term originated by my husband:) I get so excited when I see kids drinking my smoothies. I found if you go heavier on the fruit the kids like it better. (that's no surprise!) My son isn't a big fan, I must admit, but I'm able to sneak in some spinach leaves in a fruit smoothie or even orange juice. Every little bit adds nutrition.

With just a little bit of effort the rewards will be priceless. The energy boost and protection you'll receive from all the antioxidants alone are enough. Juicing daily has definitely given me energy I otherwise wouldn't have. I can honestly say these drinks have also given me back some of the health I lost during an illness. I first became inspired 3 years ago after I read a book called "Green for life" by Victoria Boutenko. Shortly after, I purchased my vitamix, (super blender).. and I guess you could say I'm hooked now because of the way they make me feel!

www.greenforlife.com

Here's the recipe for the green smoothie

1 1/4 cup chopped rainbow kale

few carrot shreds

1/4 avocado (fat source)

1 kiwi

about 20 grapes

1/2 cup mango

1 1/4 cup water

This is just a guideline. Experiment and replace water with ice for a frothy drink. That's wonderful too. I focused on using a lot of fruit in these smoothies but sometimes I do a more veggie shake. You can amazingly enough use onions and strawberries in the same drink and they meld together beautifully. I do think adding some kind of green leafy vegetable along with whatever else you choose should be a key ingredient. I find a lot of people always use bananas in all their smoothies. I'm not a big fan but it does add a good amount of sweetness and texture. Just a little suggestion to get you started! Another key thing is to use a high powered blender to completely emulsify all the ingredients. Experiment a little and when you hit it right, the flavors will pop...

and you'll be amazed how good it tastes!

Can't finish without a little philosophy:)

"Shall I not have intelligence with the earth? Am I not partly leaves and vegetable mould myself."

Henry David Thoreau