GREEN SMOOTHIE RECIPES
You’ve probably seen other people drinking them—glasses of what appear to be pureed yard clippings. Before you turn your nose up at the idea, let’s get a few things straight. To begin with,the only reason it’s called a green smoothie is because something in it makes it green. That doesn’t necessarily mean spinach: remember that delicious produce such as apples, grapes, kiwi, and cucumbers are green as well. You can use other fruits and vegetables, too. A smoothie made from kiwi, cucumbers, bananas, and oranges is still a green smoothie—just look at the color!
You’ve learned about all kinds of ways that smoothies are good for you, but green smoothies really take it to the next nutritional level. The element that makes them green is in fact at the heart of what makes them so beneficial for your health: chlorophyll. This is the green pigment responsible for signaling photosynthesis, the process that uses light to convert water and carbon dioxide into glucose, the plant’s energy source.
The reason many professionals think chlorophyll is so good for humans is because it’s nearly identical to hemoglobin, the part of your blood that transports oxygen. It hasn’t yet been proven that chlorophyll provides the same functions as hemoglobin, but preliminary research strongly suggests it. Chlorophyll offers several other health benefits as well, including:
• Acting as an antioxidant to protect you from free radical damage
• Boosting your body’s healing abilities
• Improving your skin tone
• Increasing alkalinity
• Preventing brain fog
• Providing steady levels of energy
• Removing heavy metals from your blood
• Stabilizing blood sugar
• Supporting weight loss
The thing about chlorophyll is that it’s damaged or even destroyed by the cooking process. Once the produce loses that bright green color and turns olive, you’ve already lost all of chlorophyll’s health benefits, so drinking smoothies is a perfect way to ensure you’re getting all of the good things your greens have to offer!
Kale Cocktail xxx
Talk about a glass of nutrition! This smoothie is bursting with chlorophyll as well as vitamins A, C, E, and K. The varied supply of antioxidants will help fight disease, and the green flavor and generous quantity of fiber will keep you full for hours. If it tastes too “green,” just add a cucumber.
• 6 kale leaves
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 cup collard greens
• 1 green bell pepper, de-stemmed
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cup water
Blend all ingredients together. If you’d like, add a pinch of sea salt or black pepper to really bring out the individual flavors.
Yield: About 2 cups.
Cucumber Carrot Cocktail xxx
Don’t let the bizarre color of this one fool you; it’s refreshing and delicious. It’s also packed with vitamins A and C, as well as chlorophyll and a whole host of other goodies.
• 1 cucumber, quartered
• 1 carrot with greens
• 1 apple, cored and quartered
• 1 lemon, peeled
Blend all ingredients. This one is OK to take with you for lunch, because the lemon juice helps prevent oxidation from taking place.
Yield: About 2 cups.
Broccolichoke Juice xxx
If you’re the average person, the name might put you off, but give it a shot. The garlic adds an Italian flavor and blends well with the other ingredients to provide a nutritional powerhouse of a smoothie. If the flavor is too strong, just add another cucumber or a banana.
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 artichoke heart
• 1 carrot with greens
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 small cucumber, quartered
Blend all ingredients together. You should probably add 1 cup water with this recipe unless you like it really thick.
Yield: About 2 cups.
Green Beast xxx
This is a nice, smoothly textured smoothie that’s outstanding for digestion and disease prevention. It tastes fairly light and just a bit fruity.
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 banana, peeled
• 3 stalks celery
• 1 cucumber, quartered
• 1 carrot
Blend all ingredients together. This juice packs a nutritional punch you won’t find in many other combinations, yet still tastes really good. If you want to spice it up a bit, throw in some black or cayenne pepper after you’ve poured it in the glass.
Yield: About 2 cups.
Pepper Zing xxx
This is a pleasantly refreshing juice that has a wonderfully saucy taste. It’s great for lunch because it offers a nice, nutritional boost without feeling heavy.
• 2 green bell peppers, de-stemmed
• 1 tomato
• 4 stalks celery
• 2 basil leaves
• 1/2 jalapeño pepper, de-stemmed (optional)
Blend all ingredients together and enjoy.
Yield: About 2 cups.
You’ve probably seen other people drinking them—glasses of what appear to be pureed yard clippings. Before you turn your nose up at the idea, let’s get a few things straight. To begin with,the only reason it’s called a green smoothie is because something in it makes it green. That doesn’t necessarily mean spinach: remember that delicious produce such as apples, grapes, kiwi, and cucumbers are green as well. You can use other fruits and vegetables, too. A smoothie made from kiwi, cucumbers, bananas, and oranges is still a green smoothie—just look at the color!
You’ve learned about all kinds of ways that smoothies are good for you, but green smoothies really take it to the next nutritional level. The element that makes them green is in fact at the heart of what makes them so beneficial for your health: chlorophyll. This is the green pigment responsible for signaling photosynthesis, the process that uses light to convert water and carbon dioxide into glucose, the plant’s energy source.
The reason many professionals think chlorophyll is so good for humans is because it’s nearly identical to hemoglobin, the part of your blood that transports oxygen. It hasn’t yet been proven that chlorophyll provides the same functions as hemoglobin, but preliminary research strongly suggests it. Chlorophyll offers several other health benefits as well, including:
• Acting as an antioxidant to protect you from free radical damage
• Boosting your body’s healing abilities
• Improving your skin tone
• Increasing alkalinity
• Preventing brain fog
• Providing steady levels of energy
• Removing heavy metals from your blood
• Stabilizing blood sugar
• Supporting weight loss
The thing about chlorophyll is that it’s damaged or even destroyed by the cooking process. Once the produce loses that bright green color and turns olive, you’ve already lost all of chlorophyll’s health benefits, so drinking smoothies is a perfect way to ensure you’re getting all of the good things your greens have to offer!
Kale Cocktail xxx
Talk about a glass of nutrition! This smoothie is bursting with chlorophyll as well as vitamins A, C, E, and K. The varied supply of antioxidants will help fight disease, and the green flavor and generous quantity of fiber will keep you full for hours. If it tastes too “green,” just add a cucumber.
• 6 kale leaves
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 cup collard greens
• 1 green bell pepper, de-stemmed
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cup water
Blend all ingredients together. If you’d like, add a pinch of sea salt or black pepper to really bring out the individual flavors.
Yield: About 2 cups.
Cucumber Carrot Cocktail xxx
Don’t let the bizarre color of this one fool you; it’s refreshing and delicious. It’s also packed with vitamins A and C, as well as chlorophyll and a whole host of other goodies.
• 1 cucumber, quartered
• 1 carrot with greens
• 1 apple, cored and quartered
• 1 lemon, peeled
Blend all ingredients. This one is OK to take with you for lunch, because the lemon juice helps prevent oxidation from taking place.
Yield: About 2 cups.
Broccolichoke Juice xxx
If you’re the average person, the name might put you off, but give it a shot. The garlic adds an Italian flavor and blends well with the other ingredients to provide a nutritional powerhouse of a smoothie. If the flavor is too strong, just add another cucumber or a banana.
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 artichoke heart
• 1 carrot with greens
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 small cucumber, quartered
Blend all ingredients together. You should probably add 1 cup water with this recipe unless you like it really thick.
Yield: About 2 cups.
Green Beast xxx
This is a nice, smoothly textured smoothie that’s outstanding for digestion and disease prevention. It tastes fairly light and just a bit fruity.
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 banana, peeled
• 3 stalks celery
• 1 cucumber, quartered
• 1 carrot
Blend all ingredients together. This juice packs a nutritional punch you won’t find in many other combinations, yet still tastes really good. If you want to spice it up a bit, throw in some black or cayenne pepper after you’ve poured it in the glass.
Yield: About 2 cups.
Pepper Zing xxx
This is a pleasantly refreshing juice that has a wonderfully saucy taste. It’s great for lunch because it offers a nice, nutritional boost without feeling heavy.
• 2 green bell peppers, de-stemmed
• 1 tomato
• 4 stalks celery
• 2 basil leaves
• 1/2 jalapeño pepper, de-stemmed (optional)
Blend all ingredients together and enjoy.
Yield: About 2 cups.