Green Smoothies Promote Healthier Eating

Let’s face it. It’s almost impossible to eat the required 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables recommended by the American Cancer Society every day. But when transformed into a green smoothie, it’s much easier and more enjoyable to consume the nutritious leafy green vegetables your body needs. Green smoothies provide a tasty way to stockpile the fiber, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, chlorophyll and other nutrients found in raw fruits and vegetables.

Green smoothies are amazingly easy to prepare. A green smoothie is nothing more than a fruit smoothie with fresh green vegetables added. If no fresh vegetables are available, powdered greens can be used.

Green smoothies are packed with nutrients. You can make them sweet or savory. These healthy drinks can increase your consumption of greens significantly. Also, they block out your cravings for unhealthy foods because your body is already receiving adequate nutrition. In addition, consuming a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables can help people fight many diseases including diabetes and cancer. Green smoothies are also effective if you want to lose weight.

To make a green smoothie, all you need is a good blender and a variety of fruits and vegetables. For a simple recipe, place about 1-1/2 cups of liquid such as water, coconut milk or fruit juice in a blender. Add a few handfuls of spinach, chard, celery, kale, collard greens, romaine, parsley, etc. Throw in some fruits such as bananas, pears, berries, pineapple, avocado, kiwi or any fruit in season. Blend well until smooth.

You can start with 40% dark greens and 60% fruits. If desired, add honey or your sweetener of choice. Later, you can gradually increase the amount of greens until you have a blend of 60% greens and 40% fruits.

Green smoothies are rich in fiber and help in the elimination of waste. They are also rich in chlorophyll which helps purify blood and fights bad breath and body odor. Green smoothies are also high in cancer-fighting phytochemicals and antioxidants.
For more variety, you can add nutritional supplements like spirulina, hemp seed, bee pollen, protein powder, ground flax and goji berries.

There are endless variations to the basic recipe given above, based on your personal preference and availability of ingredients. Any fresh or frozen fruits can be added to greens. You may want to try spinach and romaine first as they have a milder taste than beet greens or kale. Green herbs like parsley and cilantro are packed with nutrients. Dandelion greens are also very nutritious and effective in deep cleansing the body. Green smoothies provide many health benefits, including weight loss, clearer skin, improved mood, stronger bones and teeth, improved digestion and more energy.