I have been drinking green smoothies daily for about six months now and truly cannot imagine my life without them. I was first inspired by my friend Lynn, who was telling me about her improved health and how easy it was to incorporate green smoothies into her routine. Even while talking about it at my dining room table my body was saying “YES, PLEASE!” so I knew that the time was right to incorporate a healthy new habit into my life. I had been drinking various fruit smoothies occasionally as a treat but this felt a little more hard core for me, having to overcome the thought of leafy greens belonging in a salad bowl and not in my smoothie!
There has been some hype around green smoothies over the past few years. When I first heard about them in the past it was mainly from people in the media who had been diagnosed with a fatal illness and made sudden and radical changes in their diets, dramatically cutting back on animals fats and proteins and increasing the amounts of raw fruits and vegetables in their diets. Green smoothies are one of many delicious ways of getting these vital nutrients into one’s diet, even on the go. I make a large batch fresh each morning and drink one large smoothie slowly as I drive the hour in to work. In the evenings, when I arrive home tired and hungry, I reach for the second smaller glass (leftover from the morning) and almost immediately feel revived and energized.
Today, many people drink green smoothies in order to maintain their health, boost their immune systems, get that boost of energy in the mornings, or simply because they taste great! There are so many different combinations of fruits and vegetables that work well together and there are countless videos and articles online with recipes and tutorials if you need some extra help getting started. Once you do get going, you’ll see how simple it is, how little time it actually takes to blend one, and how amazing you feel with this one to two extra servings of fresh raw fruit and vegetables everyday.
The only equipment you will need is that blender in your cupboard that you’re currently hardly using! (Note: you can buy fancier, more powerful blenders specifically for raw food blending, but start with what you have.)
Start by adding your fruit- if you’re putting any in. Some days it’s nice to have a pure vegetable juice but on most days I like to add a banana and a ripe apple or pear. Then I add fresh water to the blender and whatever green I am using that day. I blend all of this up and add more water if it’s too thick. There you have it- a basic green smoothie! Easy.