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!
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
