Green Smoothie Experience – Countdown Part 3
Fabulous Formulas and Tricks of the Trade
JOIN OUR 3 DAY – “GREEN-IN” EASY BREEZY CHALLENGE – WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 3- FRIDAY OCTOBER 5TH 2012. MORE INFO AT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE
Greetings! We are just two days away now from our Green Smoothie Experience. Have you set your intentions for this week? Whatever your goal may be — fasting, detox, nurturing your body, learning a new healthy habit, enhancing your lifestyle or just experimenting – WELCOME and we look forward to sharing this experience with you.
In this blog we’ll focus on the basic Green Smoothie recipe with lots of trips and tricks to find the fabulous formulas that are sure to make you a Green Smoothie junkie for life!
A bit of my background: I’ve been teaching classes nationwide on raw foods, raw fusion living, healthy food preparation and green smoothies for the past 3 1/2 years after having rebounded from a series of debilitating and chronic health challenges. Green Smoothies have played a huge role in my recovery and the truly achievable phenomenon of “youthing” (as opposed to “ageing : -) My family members have all become fans of the Green Goodness. When prepared correctly, a Green Smoothie is like a transfusion! They are true nutraceutials , free of drugs, preservatives, stimulants and additives.
Ultimately, you are the chef when it comes to blending your own Green Goodness, but below is a formula for the original, unadulterated Green Smoothie per the woman who invented them, Victoria Boutenko (Green for Life). I was honored to have Victoria write the Foreword to my book series Raw Fusion: Better Living Through Living Foods (Quantum Mind Press 2010).
Here’s the perfect formula for a green smoothie:
40% Leafy Greens (see list below) placed in the blender first, closest to the blades +
60% fruit and or vegetables of your choice or combination of them (of course you can always have one ALL green) +
about 2 inches of filtered water +
Ice – they always taste better and go down more smoothly when nice and cold.
TRICK: You can blend the greens first with a little filtered or coconut water to break them down first. This works well with the Ninja system.
DR. LJ’S PHILOSOPY: If you review the Fans’ smoothie postings on our Facebook Page you will find a lot that list ingredients like yogurt, protein powder, nut milk, nut butters, soaked nuts, dried fruits. I feel pretty strongly that we need to flood our body with the incredible micronutrients and phytochemicals found in pure fruit, veggies and leafy greens. From my research I feel that adding concentrated foods (nuts, nut butters) and protein (dairy, nut milk, protein powders) interfere with this. At the very least your first smoothie of the day should be simply leafy greens plus veggies and/or fruits plus water and ice (coconut water can be subbed). We will discuss acceptable EXCEPTIONS on the Facebook page and future blogs.
TIP: If you are new to Green Smoothies adding 1/2 to 1 banana or some mint leaves does wonders for camoflauging the “green” taste. If you need to sweeten it up a bit, some stevia, xylitol (birch-derived is best), honey, agave, coconut nectar maple syrup or even a few dates.
LIST OF GREENS:
Beginner: Baby Spinach, Green Chard, Beet Greens, Spring Mix, Mint leaves (these are the least “green” tasting)
Intermediate: Kale, Cilantro, Parsley, Bokchoy, Swiss chard, Romaine, Cabbage, Tatsoi, sprouts
Advanced: Collard Greens, Watercress, Dandelion Leaves, Arugula (you may find them bitter at first)
TIP: Try at least 3 of them throughout the week for micronutrient diversity.
THIS IS GREEN CHARD: 
Feast or Fast – It’s Your Choice
My intention is to have only smoothies – about 4 or 5 a day– for the full week. I may add some herb tea at night. Some people are planning on doing that kind of fast for a day or two or three. some people will drink smoothies throughout the day and have a light dinner. Others will be trying a green smoothie every morning. Participate at what ever level you are comfortable with — and remember, just take it one day at a time!
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