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‘Tis the season to start thinking about how in the world to stay healthy, fit and energized during the now-upon-us hectic holidays. The solution? Simple green smoothies.
Whether you are into clean eating or not, the simple green smoothie solution is still something you can absolutely do. And doing it will do wonders for your body….both inside and out!
If you have our most recent book, Clean Cuisine: An 8-Week Anti-Inflammatory Nutrition Program that Will Change the Way You Age, Look & Feel (Penguin, 2013), then you already know making the commitment to drink a daily green smoothie is something we ask you to do in week one. Without a doubt, simple green smoothies are the fastest, easiest and tastiest way to remedy the number one biggest diet mistake people make.
And now there’s a new book that will help make your daily simple green smoothie commitment more doable and more delicious than ever before….
The Ultimate Guide to Making the Perfect Simple Green Smoothie Every Single Day
Some green smoothies taste so good you could practically have them for dessert! How is that possible? You just have to know a few basics…
The key to making green drinks taste delicious is knowing how to make them and adding the right combo of creamy (such as raw nut butter or avocado), the perfect amount of sweetness from natural fruit (fresh or frozen), the right liquid and the creative use of certain flavor “boosters” in the form of spices, herbs and superfoods (Note: the flavor “boosters” all work double duty to boost the overall antioxidant and phytonutrient profile of your smoothie too!)
The Simple Green Smoothies book is the ultimate guide to making the perfect smoothie every time. Written by two expert green smoothie masters (that’s what I call them!), long-time friends Jadah Sellner and Jen Hansard, who also happen to run the wildly successful blog, SimpleGreenSmoothies.com, the book does of course provide plenty of recipes (over 100!), but more importantly, the authors outline absolutely everything you need to know about how to make your own simple green smoothies without a recipe. This is actually really important because if you are serious about making green smoothies part of your daily routine, then you will definitely want to be in on the secrets of how to make a tasty one without having to follow a recipe. That’s because many times you will want to just use the ingredients you have on hand rather than make a trip to the grocery store for items you don’t have (trust me, too many trips to the grocery store can be a major drag!)
There’s a chapter that covers just about every green smoothie need including kid-friendly, natural beauty, fitness fuel, lean and green, energy boosting, healing and immunity and even desserts! The book also offers plenty of practical and easy to digest nutrition tips too. For example, even though the raw juice craze is still the hot trend of the moment, Jadah and Jen get down to the nitty gritty and explain why blending “whole foods” is a more nutritious option than juicing (by the way, blending is also easier and less expensive too.) I actually did a video HERE a while back explaining why blending “whole foods” is much healthier than juicing. I also love that the book is filled to the brim with information that is sure to both motivate and inspire.
2 Simple Green Smoothie Solution Success Stories
Authors and founders of SimpleGreensSmoothies.com, Jen and Jadah (in the photo above) are long-time friends who now share a mutual passion for health and wellness….but that wasn’t always the case!
It wasn’t until Jadah was introduced to the concept of blending veggies that she was able to start meeting (and even exceeding!) her fruit, veggie and overall nutrient quota for the day. She soon realized her simple green smoothie habit was faster than fast food and before long her food cravings, “moody” mornings and 27 pounds were gone. By adopting the daily simple green smoothie solution, Jadah got the kick-start she needed to make other lifestyle changes that have had a major impact on her overall health, energy and body.
Although Jen had been a vegetarian since the age of 14, she detested veggies and salad. She was more of your typical not-so-healthy bean burrito and grilled cheese kind of vegetarian. Jen slowly started introducing fish into her diet in her college days and although she tried to add in some greens, she admits to throwing out countless bags of spoiled spinach simply because she couldn’t figure out how to prepare spinach—or any other greens, for that matter—in a way that actually tasted good. It was Jadah who introduced Jen to her first green smoothie and it was love at first sip. As soon as she started fueling her body with the essential nutrients it needed and craved she lost her craving for junk food. Jen insists her 5-minute daily green smoothie solution has changed her life…and her body (she dropped 10 pounds without even trying!)
And of course these days neither Jen nor Jadah have to worry about foods like spinach, parsley and kale rotting in their fridges—they have come up with a solution to getting a powerhouse of greens and nutrients that is every bit as good tasting as it is quick and easy.
Did You Know?
Did You Know?Technically a green smoothie does not necessarily need to be green in color to be classified as a green smoothie. However, all green smoothies DO need to include at least a handful of a dark leafy green (such as romaine lettuce, kale, collards, spinach, Swiss chard, parsley, dandelion greens, watercress, etc.) per serving—and this criteria is one of the things that make the simple green smoothie solution one of the absolute healthiest daily habits you could ever adopt.
What makes sipping a handful of blended greens such a healthy idea? Well, calorie for calorie, dark leafy greens pack in more nutrients than just about any other food on earth. Not only are dark leafy greens incredibly nutrient-dense, they are highly anti-inflammatory, super rich in detoxifying chlorophyll, an excellent source of fiber, and they pack in a mind-blowing array of anti-aging and disease-fighting antioxidants and phytonutrients. This is the one food group where more really is better. Unfortunately, most people do not come anywhere even remotely close to getting the amount of dark leafy greens their bodies really need, and this includes the people who think they are eating healthy.
So this year, why not start your healthy eating kick before New Years Day?
Unlike other healthy habits you might have tried in the past, the simple green smoothie solution is one I am confident you will actually look forward to sticking with. Why? Because green smoothies truly taste amazing. Not only will you enjoy drinking them, but they will make you feel vibrantly energized and they will give your skin a radiantly healthy glow.
Simple Green Smoothies to Power You Through the Holiday Season
Note: Recipe below is courtesy of the Simple Green Smoothie book
PrintHealing Simple Green Smoothie
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups kale (stems removed)
- 1/2 cup broccoli florets** (see notes)
- 1 cup water
- 1 large tomato (halved (Note: I eliminated this ingredient because I don’t like raw tomatoes!))
- 1 green apple (halved and cored)
- 1/4 cup chopped avocado
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Dash of ground pepper
Instructions
- Blend the kale, broccoli and water until smooth.
- Add the tomato (optional), apple, avocado, lemon juice and red pepper and blend again.
Notes
This recipe can be found in chapter 10 on page 186 of the Simple Green Smoothie book. Also, note that this is a room-temperature smoothie; if you prefer it chilled, use frozen broccoli or avocado. You can also add 4 ice cubes or set the blended smoothie in the fridge to chill.
Some of my favorite holiday-inspired simple green smoothies include the Cranberry Kale Cooler , Pumpkin-Green Smoothie and Thanksgiving in Your Mouth.
Do YOU Have a Favorite Simple Green Smoothie Recipe?
If so, we would love to hear about it in the comments below!
What’s for Dinner?
Check out our month’s worth of healthy dinner recipes in our new Clean Cuisine Dinners e-cookbook!
Like clean recipes? You’re going to love our new popsicle ebook!
Looking for more smoothie recipes?
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