Smoothies and Green Juices

Morning Sunrise Smoothie

By Laurie on Thursday, May 21, 2020

This is a recipe from Michael Symon’s new book, Fix it with Food. He provides some delicious recipes to do a 10-day “reset” eliminating meat and dairy products.

This smoothie is so good, I’ve made it multiple times already. It’s sweet, tart and slightly spicy from the fresh ginger. It tastes just like an orange slushy, even though there are no oranges in it! Very refreshing and healthy on a warm summer day.

It’s so easy to make. You just need 2 carrots, 1 cup of frozen pineapple chunks, the juice from 1 lemon, 1 small chunk of fresh ginger, peeled, 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric, 1 tablespooon of coconut or avocado oil, and about a cup of water.

I use a high-speed blender (NutriBullet) to ensure that everything gets pureed evenly. I highly recommend this recipe for an easy and refreshing smoothie. You can have it for breakfast, or a mid-day pickup, perhaps after a workout. Enjoy!

Morning Sunrise Smoothie

Servings: 1

2 medium carrots, diced
1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple chunks
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon coconut or avocado oil
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup water

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a high speed blender cup, such as the Nutribullet, process until smooth.

Smoothies and Green Juices

Apple Pie Smoothie

By Laurie on Thursday, January 2, 2020

Happy New Year!

After all of the holiday treats, you may be looking for some healthy and nutritious recipes. This smoothie is the perfect thing to get you back on track. Not only is it healthy, but it’s delicious! It tastes exactly like apple pie. And it’s so quick and easy to throw together.

I like to make smoothies for breakfast, but you can have it as a snack before or after a workout, or even as a dessert.

You can use kale or spinach, along with an apple, some raw nuts, ground flaxseed, a dash of cinnamon and natural protein powder.

I use the NutriBullet high speed blender which works really well to puree everything, even apple peels and nuts.

Just add your greens to the container, then the apple slices, flaxseed, nuts and cinnamon, along with about a cup of water. Blend thoroughly, then add a scoop of protein powder and blend again, just until combined.

I find that if you add the protein powder in the beginning along with everything else, sometimes the mixture can expand too quickly and start leaking out of the container before everything else is fully pureed. So it’s best to have a fully blended and uniform mixture before adding the protein powder.

After blending, pour into a fresh glass and enjoy!

Apple Pie Smoothie

Servings: 1

1 cup (packed) raw organic kale or spinach
1 small granny smith apple, sliced
2 tablespoons raw walnuts, pecans or almonds
1 tablespoon ground golden flaxseed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 scoop natural vanilla whey protein powder (sweetened with stevia)

Directions:

Add the first 5 ingredients to a high speed blender cup, such as the Nutribullet. Add 1 cup of water and blend until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Add protein powder and blend for a few more seconds. Serve.

Smoothies and Green Juices

Immune Booster Green Juice

By Laurie on Wednesday, November 20, 2019

As winter approaches, along with cold and flu season, you may want boost your immune system with a healthy green drink. This one is refreshing, slightly sweet and sour, but balanced.

I know that when I start to feel a dry, scratchy throat, sneezing or a stuffy nose, I immediately take extra vitamins to ward off a possible virus. This drink provides essential vitamins, minerals and fiber to help keep your system running smoothly.

I find that using a high-powered blender (like the NutriBullet) is essential when making this kind of drink. Otherwise, you just end up with juice and lose all the fiber.

Here’s everything that I included in my drink (except the lime is not shown in this photo). Below I’ve listed a few of the health benefits of each ingredient.

Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C and folate as well as being a good source of manganese, magnesium, iron and vitamin B2. Vitamin K is also important for maintaining bone health.

Parsley can reduce cancer risk, reduce inflammation, protect blood vessels and boost your immune system.

Mint is a calming and soothing herb that has been used for thousands of years to aid with upset stomach or indigestion. Mint is thought to increase bile secretion and encourage bile flow, which helps to speed and ease digestion (and which may also support healthy cholesterol levels).

Ginger can aid in digestion, provide cold and flu relief, pain reduction, reduce inflammation and promote cardiovascular health.

Granny Smith apples can help combat against chronic inflammation, which can lead to diabetes, and are an excellent source of fiber and vitamin C.

Celery is rich in vitamins and minerals with a low glycemic index. It contains vitamins A, K, and C, plus minerals like potassium and folate; it’s also low in sodium.

Lemons and limes are high in vitamin C, an important antioxidant that helps protect cells from damage. Vitamin C also helps the body absorb iron from foods and supports the immune system.

To make the drink, wash the greens, then stuff them into the NutriBullet container. Add roughly chopped celery, peeled ginger, and (unpeeled) apple, as well as the juice from half of a lemon or lime, and a small amount of water.

Note that once everything is blended, it will be very thick. Feel free to thin it with more water, but I find that it helps to stir it a couple of times while drinking to keep it mixed properly. (The fibrous elements tend to rise to the top.)

Immune Booster Green Juice

Servings: 1

1 handful fresh organic spinach leaves
1 handful fresh parsley
1 handful fresh mint leaves
1 inch chunk of fresh ginger root, peeled
1 small granny smith apple, cored
1-2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
The juice from half of a lemon or lime
1/2 cup water

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients in a high-powered blender, such as NutriBullet. Blend until everything is liquefied, adding additional water, if necessary, to achieve the desired consistency.

Smoothies and Green Juices

Refreshing Pear-Ginger Cooler with Lemon-Lime

By Laurie on Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Here is another healthy smoothie made with fresh organic greens, cucumber, pear, ginger and citrus juices.

Ginger has many beneficial properties. It can help with digestion, nausea, cold and flu relief, pain reduction, inflammation, and cardiovascular health. It gives the drink a spicy kick!

Pears are a great source of fiber, are a low-glycemic fruit, a good source of antioxidants, including potassium, which helps to flush out excess sodium from the body, and can also help reduce high blood pressure. In addition to vitamin C, pears contain electrolytes, magnesium and copper, an antioxidant that helps the central nervous system and boosts brain power.

Parsley provides a concentrated source of nutrients. It’s rich in vitamins A, C, and K, may improve bone health, protect against chronic diseases, and has antioxidant benefits.

Fresh lemon and lime juice: loaded with vitamin C which boosts the immune system, helps prevent asthma, increases iron absorption, contains collagen which improves the complexion, lowers risk of stroke, lowers blood pressure, assists nervous system, relieves constipation, highly alkalizing (once metabolized), anti-viral and anti-inflammatory.

The great thing about high speed blenders like the NutriBullet, is that you don’t have to peel any fruits. It grinds everything up so you get the added fiber and nutritional benefit contained in the peels. (A traditional juicer removes all the fiber.)

I don’t like drinks that are too sweet, so this one has just a hint of sweetness from the pear, a spicy kick from the ginger, and the tart flavor from the lemon and lime juice gives it a nice balance. It turned out very thick when I first made it, so I just added water. Feel free to add as much water as you like to get the proper consistency. You can also add crushed ice to make it super cold and thick. Enjoy!

Refreshing Pear-Ginger Cooler with Lemon-Lime

Servings: 1

A handful of organic baby spinach leaves
A handful of organic parsley
1 medium pear, cored and cut into large pieces
1/4 of a seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
The juice of 1/2 lemon
The juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 cup filtered water

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender, such as NutriBullet. Blend until everything is completely smooth. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add additional water.

Smoothies and Green Juices

Spicy & Savory Vegetable Juice

By Laurie on Thursday, August 1, 2019

Everyone could benefit from eating more vegetables, but with busy schedules, we don’t always succeed in doing it. This green juice is a quick way to add healthy vegetables along with fiber, vitamins and a bit of healthy fat.

The juice contains spinach, tomato, celery, cucumber, cilantro, lemon, and some spices to make it delicious! It reminds me of a V8 or a virgin Bloody Mary.

Here are just a few of the benefits from the ingredients in my recipe:

The calcium in spinach can help strengthen your bones to fight against injury, and vitamins A and C, fiber, folic acid, and other nutrients fight against colon and breast cancers. Spinach also helps to lower damaging protein levels in the blood and can protect against high blood pressure and heart disease.

Celery is a great source of antioxidants, reduces inflammation and aids digestion.

Tomatoes contain lycopene, which has been linked to many health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease and cancer. They are also a great source of vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin K.

Cucumbers are low in calories and contain a good amount of water and soluble fiber, making them ideal for promoting hydration and aiding in weight loss.

Turmeric and especially its most active compound curcumin have many scientifically-proven health benefits, such as the potential to prevent heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer. It’s a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant and may also help improve symptoms of depression and arthritis.

Black pepper is high in antioxidants, has anti-inflammatory properties, may benefit your brain, improve blood sugar control, lower cholesterol levels, and has cancer-fighting properties.

So give it a try and let me know what you think!

Spicy and Savory Vegetable Juice

Servings: 1

A handful of organic baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1 medium organic tomato, quartered
1 large stalk organic celery, chopped
1/4 of a seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped
The juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon good quality extra virgin olive oil
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
A few dashes hot sauce, such as Frank’s Red Hot
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender, such as NutriBullet. Blend until everything is completely smooth. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add a small amount of water.

Smoothies and Green Juices

Berry Banana Blast Smoothie

By Laurie on Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Smoothies are a great way to get a lot of fruits, vegetables and protein into your system quickly. Especially when you’re rushing to work or need a quick snack after a workout, it’s the perfect thing to drink on the go.

I prefer the NutriBullet blender to make smoothies, because of the high powered motor, and the ease of cleaning compared to a regular blender. I can throw in apples with the peels, nuts and seeds, and it all blends together smoothly, making it easier for your body to absorb the nutrients.

My husband was skeptical when I first make him a smoothie, due to the green (or in this case, purple) color. But once he tasted it, he was hooked! He said that he definitely felt more energetic during his workout after drinking it. To this day, he still calls it “green slop.”

When I make smoothies, I always add either spinach or kale (organic), a bit of fruit, as well as flaxseed and nuts, and some kind of protein powder. In this case, I’m using egg white protein.

This time I had some fresh bananas on hand, but I also like to use frozen berries to make the smoothie cold, thick and creamy, like a shake.

I find that blending the spinach, fruit, nuts and water first works best, then I add the protein powder last. I have had some protein powders expand once I added them to the liquid, which would loosen the lid of my container during blending and start leaking. Not good!

So just add the first bunch of ingredients, blend thoroughly, open the lid and throw in the protein powder, and blend once again for a few seconds.

You can even prepare it the night before if you find that you are too busy in the mornings.

Berry Banana Blast Smoothie

Servings: 1

1 cup (packed) raw organic spinach (or kale)
1 cup mixed fruit (bananas, strawberries, blueberries), preferably frozen
1 tablespoon ground golden flaxseed
1 tablespoon raw walnuts
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 scoop (3 tablespoons) vanilla egg white protein powder, (naturally sweetened with stevia)

Directions:

The smoothie can be prepared the night before and stored in the refrigerator for breakfast. Just stir and enjoy.

Variations: You can substitute any fruits that you prefer, such as blackberries, raspberries, apple or pineapple. Use whey or pea protein powder, as long as it doesn’t contain sugar or artificial sweeteners. Instead of walnuts, use almonds, pecans or cashews.