We’ve all heard the saying: “You are what you eat!” Well, that’s got to be one of the truest things I’ve ever heard; however, I only learned the true meaning of that saying about eight years ago when I started implementing a healthier diet rich in whole foods. Although I took baby steps towards a healthier diet, such as drinking a green smoothie EVERY DAY (I would crave this stuff…), I started noticing the benefits right away. Not only did I feel healthier and more energized, but I felt more confident as my skin started to show improvements (I always felt a tad insecure about my skin, due to a constant flow of tiny breakouts). As I continued making incremental upgrades to my diet (because this stuff just doesn’t happen overnight!), in conjunction with drinking a green smoothie every day, my skin started to glow. With that being said, as far as non-toxic beauty products go, you couldn’t get any cleaner and greener than the green smoothie!
Nutritional Benefits: Green smoothies deliver an abundance of nutritional benefits all in one go! They are loaded with magnesium (a mineral most people are highly deficient in), vitamin C, non-dairy calcium, and carotenoids (antioxidants that may help guard against cancer and heart disease). All of these combined nutrients also improve the appearance of our skin, promote optimal digestion, and help to strengthen our immune system (just something to consider introducing into your diet during this Covid-19 fiasco)!
Recipe:
The ingredients that I include in my green smoothie have been inspired by the many recipes that I’ve come across in the past. Also, I like to keep the ingredients organic (who needs glyphosate?!), simple, minimal, and not too sweet. While each ingredient I put in my green smoothie offers a wealth of nutrition, I’ll only highlight a few nutritional benefits of each ingredient. Here is the recipe that I use:
2 handfuls of spinach (rich in iron, magnesium and vitamins A, C, and K)
2 baby cucumbers or 1 full cucumber (offers an abundance of antioxidants and fibre)
3 celery stalks (high in vitamin A)
1 cored pear (rich in vitamin C)
Juice of half a lime (a source of vitamin C which strengthens the immune system)
2 pitted dates (a great natural sweetener that helps to reduce inflammation in the body)
1 teaspoon of cinnamon (contains powerful antioxidants and regulates blood sugar levels)
2 -2 1/2 cups of water
Just as a side note, it is recommended to rotate your greens frequently, so that you diversify the nutrients you absorb. Also, some greens may not be easy to digest for everyone, so it takes a bit of experimentation to see what works, and what tastes good to you!
Smoothie Prep:
I have a beautiful toddler who keeps me very busy, so in order to make my healthy routines as effortless as possible (I know you hear me on this one, mamas!) — I smoothie prep. Prepping and chopping all of the ingredients to make a green smoothie daily can be time-consuming, so after purchasing my fresh ingredients, I chop them all up, place them in freezer bags, and throw them in the freezer for later. When I’m ready to make a smoothie, all I need to do is just pop a bag out of the freezer, dump the ingredients in the blender, add some water, dates, freshly squeezed lime, and a teaspoon of cinnamon and — voila — I just made a green smoothie with a toddler hanging off my hip! Therefore, smoothie prepping is a task that goes a long way, and it allows you to stick to those healthy routines on the go!
Packed with essential nutrients, the green smoothie is the perfect immune system booster, energizer, and it is no beauty secret! If you haven’t already, give green smoothies a try! They are, what I consider, a gateway drink to a much healthier and beautiful you!
Cheers!
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