Green Smoothie Tips

1. A big thing that I would recommend is getting a good quality blender. I bought my K-Tec (Blendtec) Blender about 3 years ago. I have used it almost every day since. I use it even more now with the green smoothies. I probably use it 4-6 times a day. A quality blender can blend any kind of food into a creamy consistency. So I never have any chunks of greens, ice, or fruit in the smoothie. I know how distasteful it can be to drink chunks through the straw. If you are interested in buying a good quality blender, I highly recommend the Blendtec Blender. If you do not want to invest in that high of quality, I do recommend another blender called the L’Equip R.P.M Blender. It is a very high power blender that will still grind nuts and seeds. Also, this blender will heat up soups just like the Blendtec. It is not as high quality as the Blendtec, but it is more than high the price. So you could buy two L’Equip R.P.M. Blenders for the price of one Blendtec Blender.
2. Now, if you cannot afford to invest in one of these blenders, you can also get a good quality department store blender. Try to purchase a blender that has a 600-watt (or more) motor. I would recommend you to blend the greens, water, and seeds first. After it looks like green juice add your fruit. That way the greens are fully pulverized.
3. Once you have blended up your delicious smoothie and poured it out, wash out the blender. I learned this at the very beginning. If I let the smoothie sit, it hardens up and is impossible to clean. Then, I get frustrated with the cleaning when I want to create another smoothie. So just avoid the stress and frustration all together and quickly rinse the blender out. Then later, I can make my next smoothie right away rather then having to wash and scrub it for 10 or more minutes.
4. I like to add a little bit of ice or use some frozen fruit just to make the smoothie cold. But you can do whatever you would like to drink. The ice does also prevent the smoothie from getting the foam on top. Which some people cannot stand to drink.
5. Raw flax/sesame/sunflower/pumpkin seeds. I put these seeds into my smoothies. They add even more fiber than what the smoothie already has. Flax seeds are filled with the wonderful omega-3 fatty acid. One cup of sesame seeds contains over 4 times the amount of calcium than one cup of milk. Milk has 8g protein, 0g fiber, no phytonutrients. While sesame seeds have 27g of protein, 17 grams of fiber, and lots of phytonutrients. Raw sunflower seeds are an excellent way to get Folic Acid and Vitamin E in your diet. Pumpkin seeds are pumped full of iron and magnesium. I mixed all these seeds in a bag/container and use it every day. Please make sure that your seeds are raw, since the high heat in the roasting process destroys a lot of the beneficial nutrients.
6. Greens. Currently I am using kale. But your options are endless. I recommend for beginners to use spinach. Spinach doesn’t have a strong flavor and can be mixed with most fruits. Once you grow to love and crave the flavor of green smoothies, add even more greens. I started out with 1 leaf of lettuce. But now I use up to a whole head of lettuce. We should always try to push our taste buds and get the most nutrition possible. You know your own taste buds. Some greens are better than no greens. Also, buy organic greens, if you can. The chemicals sprayed on the plants soak right into the leaves. With fruit you can buy non-organic if the fruit has a hard skin. But buy organic as much as possible, because they contain more nutrients than the conventional fruits and veggies. If you can’t afford to buy organic, please don’t let that deter you from buying produce. There are still a lot more nutrients and less toxic chemicals in a conventionally grown produce than in the candy bar that you would’ve bought instead as you wait in the check-out lane.
I hope that this article of information helps you in your journey to Radiant Living. Green smoothies have changed my health drastically. I only want others to feels as vibrant as I do. If you or others want to know even more about this or other topics on health, please contact me at the Contact Us page. Radiant living truly is a journey, because you must take one step at a time.

 

DaNae Johnson, M.H.

Radiant Living