December 23, 2024

At Home with GCH: “All Things Green” Month!! — Green Smoothies

March 6, 2013 by

Just for the month of March, every Wednesday here on At Home with GCH, I will be blogging about “All Things Green.”  I hope you enjoy it!

Today, I want to share my all-time favorite Green Smoothie recipe.  If you’ve never had a Green Smoothie before, don’t let the color scare you off!  Green Smoothies are not only healthy for you, they taste delicious, and are a GREAT way to get your fruits and veggies in for the day!  God gave us these awesome fruits and vegetables, so why not put them to good use!

Let’s start by talking about Green Smoothies and why they are so good for you!  My dear friend Sandra Castillo turned me onto these deliciously healthy smoothies.  She is the Green Smoothie guru that I go to if I have any questions about them!  She has been drinking Green Smoothies for nearly 4 years and has not been sick one time during this time.  When everyone else is suffering from the flu, colds, sinus infections, and more…Sandra is like the Energizer battery and just keeps going, and going, and going!  She has taught me so much about these delicious drinks, and I can’t wait to share some of what I have learned from her!

ToYourHealth

The benefits of Green Smoothies:

  • Promotes blood purification
  • Cancer prevention
  • Improves circulation
  • Strengthens immune system
  • Promotes healthy intestinal flora
  • Promotes extra energy
  • Lifts spirits and reduces/eliminates depression
  • Improves liver, gall bladder and kidney functions
  • Clears congestion, especially in lungs by reducing mucus

This is what you will find in each Green Smoothie:

  • protein
  • calcium
  • folate
  • iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper
  • vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A
  • vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6
  • vitamin E
  • omega 3 fatty acids
  • potassium
  • tryptophan
  • dietary fiber
  • and much more!

My favorite Green Smoothie recipe:

  • 1 large frozen banana
  • 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
  • 1 tbsp ground flax seed
  • 16 oz of purified water
  • 2 handfuls of fresh kale
  • 6 ice cubes

Blend until smooth and enjoy.

I always use kale in my smoothies.  I’m not much of a fan of spinach, but I can tolerate it if I have to.  But my favorite for my Green Smoothies is kale.  Kale has a ton of health benefits, too! 

Here are just a few of the health benefits of kale:

  • very versatile and nutritious green leafy vegetable
  • low calories
  • high in fiber
  • zero fat
  • high in iron
  • high in vitamins A, C, and K
  • filled with powerful antioxidants
  • anti-inflammatory
  • great for cardiovascular support
  • high in calcium
  • great detox food
  • strengthens immune system
  • binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of heart disease
  • can reduce the overall risk of developing or dying from cancer, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
  • notably good in many B-complex groups of vitamins such as niacin, vitamin B-6(pyridoxine), thiamin, pantothenic acid, etc., that are essential for substrate metabolism in the body
  • believed to protect from cardiovascular diseases, and colon and prostate cancers

One warning that I have found on kale:

  • Because of its high vitamin K content, patients taking anti-coagulants such as Warfarin are encouraged to avoid kale since it increases the vitamin K concentration in the blood, which is what the drugs are attempting to lower. This effectively raises the dose of the drug and causes toxicity.

For more information on the benefits of Green Smoothies, check out GreenSmoothieGirl.com.  You can also read more information from my friend Sandra on her Facebook page.  Pinterest also has a ton of great Green Smoothie recipes!  I have gotten many of the ones I use today from Pinterest!

I hope this blog will entice you to give Green Smoothies a try!  They truly are delicious, and oh so healthy for you!!

Come back next week, when I cover another topic that includes “All Things Green“!!  🙂

 

Go Green!!

Christi

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If you would like to email Christi in regards to this blog, you may send it to:

Christi@GirlfriendsCoffeeHour.com

 

 

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At Home with GCH: Focus on Health

January 23, 2013 by

kale saute

When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, I am a champ.  Every year, I swear I’m going to lose weight, exercise more, and eat healthier.  This year, so far, I’ve done really well on one front—eating better.  There probably isn’t anyone in the world who couldn’t stand to give their daily diet a tune-up, and one of the biggest improvements we can make is to eat less “bad stuff” and more “good stuff.”  What’s the good stuff?  Vegetables, of course!  (Don’t roll your eyes at me!)

Let’s introduce the star of this show:  KALE.  It’s a hearty green vegetable in the Brassica family, related to cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.  Any veggie you eat in the Brassica family is going to help you. Kale is the the best, and most-studied, of the group.  Kale has been shown to reduce the likelihood of many different types of cancer, and is now being investigated as a treatment for cancer and other diseases as well.  If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, imagine what a serving of kale can do!

Where I live, kale is in season now.  I’ve seen it at my local farmer’s market lately, as well as at my regular grocery store.  Whole Foods and other health food stores will always have it in stock, and if you are lucky enough to live near a Trader Joe’s, you can find it stemmed, cleaned, and bagged, all ready for your culinary prowess!

Here’s what you need to know to cook with kale:  the stem, which goes all the way up the middle of each leaf, is too tough to eat.  Your best bet is to wash it, then hold the stem in your hand.  Fold the leaf in half and hold the stem with one hand, and pull off the leafy part with your other hand.  Then rip the leaf into bite-sized pieces.  Now what?

Kale is a hearty leaf, and can stand up to long cooking and strong flavors.  Because it is an excellent source of Vitamin K, it is best served with a little fat to aid absorption of  the important nutrients.  Use either olive oil, butter, or (get ready for it)—BACON!  But don’t boil it to death.  Saute it, add it to soups, toss it into salads, or, my favorite, kale chips.  Are you ready for some inspiration?  Let’s go!

kale bag

 

Let’s start with my favorite, and the most “snacky,” Kale Chips.  (You can probably get your kids to eat these!)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/crispy-kale-chips-recipe/index.html

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Here’s one from me, featuring sautéed kale, sun dried tomatoes, and almonds:

http://frugalgirlmet.blogspot.com/2012/08/superfoods-salad-warm-kale-and-oven.html

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Kale plays well with others!  Try it in Coleen’s yummy soup recipe:

http://girlfriendscoffeehour.com/2013/01/07/gch-whats-on-your-plate-souppalooza-part-two/

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Here’s a salad, for you hearty souls who are ready to take it to the next level and EAT.  YOUR.  GREENS!  (PS: I make a salad similar to this once a week and it is delicious and filling!)

http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/1835410-Emerald-Sesame-Kale

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Here is another great way to get your greens in!  It will also work for the kids, too! A lot of people think Green Smoothies are going to taste bad.  Not at all!  Especially when you add  fruit to your ingredients!  I always add a banana, or strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, an apple, and more.  Once all of the ingredients are blended together, the main thing you will taste is the fruit!  So don’t be afraid to try this recipe!  I think you’ll be glad you did!

GREEN SMOOTHIE

Green Smoothie

1 handful of kale or spinach ( I use a combination of both)

1 tbsp of almonds

1 tbsp flaxseed

2 scoops of your favorite protein powder

1 banana

16 oz of filtered water

6 ice cubes

Directions

Using a high-power blender, blend all ingredients on high for at least 1 minute.  If you are using a lower power blender, you will want to blend on high for at least 3 to 4 minutes.  Ingredients should smooth and creamy!  Pour yourself a glass of this delicious drink, and keep the rest of it stored in a Mason jar until you’re ready for your afternoon Smoothie!  Makes just over 1 quart.

 

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

Please visit me at Frugal Girlmet for more unique recipes!

If you would like to contact Dana in regards to this blog, please email her at Dana@girlfriendscoffeehour.com

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