Green Smoothie Love
The average American eats less than the recommended amount of whole fruits and veggies each day. Even more unfortunate is the fact that the RDA is under the amount of fruit and veg a person should be eating. As a result, the amount of fruits and veggies that people eat each day doesn’t even come close to what their body really needs to have cells that are nourished.
One way I purpose not to be part of this statistic is to drink green juice and lots of smoothies. Not only is it a way for me to increase my fruit and vegetable intake but when the food is juiced or blended into a smoothie it is easier for my body to digest. And for someone who struggled with Leaky Gut, that’s a good thing!
If you can drink a smoothie or green juice 3-4 times a week, I know you will notice a difference in how you feel because you will have increased the nutrition to your cells which will help to reduce inflammation.
Whoa There, Easy on The Fruit in That Smoothie!
One thing I have noticed with my clients is that, when making a smoothie, they put too little vegetables in a smoothie and way too much fruit.
I used to do the same thing eons ago!
Before my healing journey, I never would have thought of putting vegetables in a smoothie! Things like greens, cucumber, fennel, carrots, or even lettuce would have never crossed my mind as wonderful additions to this cold meal.
However, fast forward to the present and I can’t even imagine drinking a smoothie that doesn’t have some sort of vegetable in it!
With an anti-inflammatory, whole food diet, your sugar sensors will change because you will be eating less sugar and won’t feel like you need your food to be as sweet. That being said, you shouldn’t be making smoothies that are all fruit with added sherbet or ice cream. That’s just not going to do your body good. It’s not a healthy choice.
It’s just too much sugar.
The 4 Essential Components of a Truly Healthy Smoothie
My rule of thumb is that a smoothie needs to have four essential components to make it filling, satisfying and most importantly, healthy.
- The first component is that it must have a healthy fat. I accomplish this by adding any of the following – coconut milk, avocado, olive oil and even coconut oil.
- The second component for a healthy smoothie is vegetables. There must be at least an even ratio of vegetables to fruit, if not more veggies than fruit.
- The third component is that there must be whole fresh fruit, that’s not canned, in the smoothie, in the correct proportions. For instance, one-quarter of a banana is a serving, not a whole banana. Berries are some of the best additions to smoothies because they have a lower glycemic index (less sugar.) Also, consider lemon as an excellent fruit to add for helping cleanse your liver.
- The fourth component for a healthy smoothie is that is must contain protein. For added protein, there are two options I really love. You can add powdered bone broth protein or collagen peptides.
Let’s Talk About Ingredients for the Green Glory Smoothie
- Spinach is one of the veggies that I use but there are two really important things you need to know about it. Spinach is ALWAYS on the top of EWG’s dirty dozen list so it’s crucially important for you to buy only organic spinach. The non-organic is coated in pesticides and herbicides that cause disease. The second thing I want you to know is spinach is high in oxalates so if you have kidney pain or a history of kidney stones, I want you to substitute this low oxalate veggie powder instead. That way you’ll still be getting your greens but without the kidney issues.
- Bananas are loaded with sugar but I like to use them in smoothies occasionally for added potassium and sweetness. Only use one-quarter of a banana per serving in your smoothies.
- Green Apples are a great addition to this smoothie because of the added fiber. Please use green apples only to keep the sugar content down as green apples have less than Fuji, Gala apples and the like.
- Filtered Water is part of the liquid for your smoothie. Please make sure it’s filtered or you are ingesting more chemicals that are harmful to your health. If you want to learn more, check out my Comprehensive Guide for Clean Water.
- Organic Coconut Milk is the other portion of liquid in this green smoothie. When buying coconut milk, stay away from the kind with added gums as they are irritating to the gut. Instead, just buy coconut milk that has the ingredients – coconut and water. I like this brand which I buy by the case and this brand which is less expensive.
- Collagen Peptides is essential for your drinks. I use it in tea, smoothies, AIP Buttered Coffee and even my green juices. It adds a clean protein boost and works wonders on your hair, nails and skin.
- Organic Liquid Stevia was the last ingredient I want to talk about. Don’t just go out and buy any Stevia. Some of them are processed with chlorine! This is my favorite, safe brand of Stevia. A little goes A LONG way and it will last you for many months.
- High Powered Blender Although this is not an ingredient, it is a must-have to make this smoothie. If you don’t have a high powered blender, then skip making this because it will turn out chunky and not good. I have had this high powered blender for over 20 years now and I absolutely love it and use it almost every day.
Green Glory Protein Smoothie Recipe
- ¾ C. Organic Coconut Milk
- 1 C. Organic, Baby Spinach, packed (try my recommendation in the post for low oxalates)
- ¼ Banana
- 1 Organic Green Apple, cored
- 1
Scoop of Collagen Peptides - 5 2 inch pieces of Pineapple
- 1 Whole Organic Lemon, peeled and seeded
- 5 Drops of Organic Liquid Stevia
- 1 Whole Avocado, peeled and pitted
- ¼ C. Fennel Fronds, chopped
- 1 C. Ice
- Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth.
For Your Next Meal
When you need a nutritious meal packed with vitamins, minerals and good fat, make this your go-to choice. Remember, smoothies don’t have to be loaded with a ton of fruit and ice cream to taste good. Instead, make yours with the proper ratio of veggies, fruit and fat and you’ll never go back to the inflammatory smoothies again. Enjoy!
I’ve been brainstorming ways to help my hubby lower inflammation naturally to help heal a chronic injury, and had totally spaced the green smoothie option. I’m not sure he’d like it, but he’d probably be able to get it down. 😉 Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome Sarah! Praying your hubby heals quickly.