I
make my own green smoothie with core ingredients that never fail to result in
the best drink ever. Fizzy drinks and beverages do not compare. The great thing
about green smoothies made from fresh, raw vegetables is that it is just about
the healthiest food you can have. It is packed full of vitamins, minerals,
flavenoids, enzymes and much more that traditional vitamin pills (or cooked
dinners) cannot compare. Above raw veg provides the best prebiotic - feeding ground for your good gut flora.
The
Healthiest Drink in the World
 |
| Chlorella in your Kitchen: Avocados, Greens and More |
Cooking
kills a lot of the goodness in the food. Juicing also strips the plant of fibre
and extra goodness of the whole plant. This is why I drink the whole food raw.
It has a better texture and is more satisfying. It is great for you gut and guards against cravings indicative of candida - one of the reasons I now incorporate a green drink into my day.
But
not all green foods make tasty smoothies. Here is what I use to create
the healthiest smoothie you are ever going to make in the average kitchen.
Ingredients
for Green Smoothies
Include
a few shavings of avocado in your smoothie. Don’t be fazed by the fat content.
Avocados are packed full of essential fats that actually help you lose weight.
If you can’t get your hands on avocados, substitute with a few slices of green
(unripe) pear flesh, apple or kiwi. You can also add a little natural Greek
yogurt to your smoothie to promote a smooth blend. This will help guard against
the sensation of drinking sludge or a weedy part of the garden.
Texture
is everything when it comes to a great smoothie. Having said that, I like my smoothie
to have a little texture so long as it is soft and mealy.
Shave
off a little avocado flesh (or your chosen green fruit) and store the rest of
the fruit in clingfilm in the fridge for future smoothies. Make sure the fruit
you use is low in sugar and underripe – green and bitter is the aim. This will
complement the green, freshness of your smoothie and keep it low in sugar.
Secret
to a Perfect Smoothie
 |
| Wheatgrass Powder is Like Drinking Green Chocolate |
You
have to add fluid to make a smooth blend. Add three-quarters of a mugful any of
the following: water, almond milk, rice milk or oat milk. I don’t use cow’s
milk or sweetened milk. Coconut milk tends to be oversweet and I have yet to
find hazelnut milk that hasn’t been sweetened.
Other
core ingredients I use are endless.
Any
leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, celery, cabbage (which might be red
cabbage, Savoy or Cavolo Nero a black cabbage is particularly good), lettuce,
collard greens, mustard greens, broccoli, cucumber, watercress, most herbs, such
as parsley, basil, coriander, oregano, mint, fennel, dandelion leaves, etc., root
vegetable tops such as turnip tops, beetroot tops, carrot tops. The darker the green,
the better.
Once
chopped up, aim for roughly two hands of the green stuff to create an average
mug of goodness.
Place
the fluid and the chopped greens into the receptacle of your blender. I don't use anything special, just your average hand blender.
Nuts
and Seeds for Smoothie Making
You
can add a sprinkling of raw seeds and/or nut butters such as: pumpkin seeds,
sunflower seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, Tahini, pumpkin seed butter or almond
butter. Nuts and seeds are packed with essential fats, calcium and minerals.
You
can also add a splash or two of lemon or lime juice.
Experiment
with a sprinkling of spices to give it punch, such as turmeric, cayenne pepper,
paprika, ginger, cinnamon or cloves. Most spices have health benefits.
To
turn your smoothie into a superfood, add half a teaspoon or so of green powder you
can get from any health shop. Green powders keep for weeks in sealed packs in a
cool, dark place such as the back of the larder.
I
use spirulina, a lovely, velvety dark blue-green algae powder that is packed
with goodness. I also used wheatgrass powder, a yummy green-yellow powder that
smells like cocoa, and adds a fantastic, chocolately velvety feel to your
smoothie. Other powders include chlorella powder, barley grass powder, raw
cacao powder and others. Aloe vera juice, a plant beneficial for the gut, is
also great to use.
But
Don’t Add These to Your Green Smoothie
Don’t
spoil your beautiful green smoothie with the addition of fruit juices or fruits
that are high in sugar. In fact, don’t include any fruit except a few slices of
green bitter fruit such as apples, pears, kiwi or avocado. Avoid any sweet
fruits such as mangoes and bananas and those that are overripe.
Ensure
your ingredients are not out of date or wilted. Get good quality ingredients
from your supermarket and always wash well under the tap before using.
Don’t
use sweetened milks or sweetened yogurts in your smoothie. Fruit yogurts,
even low in fat contain sugar and will ruin the taste and health benefits of your green smoothie.
Avoid
using cashew nuts, peanuts and especially nuts that have been roasted, salted or old. I also found cashew nut butter sickly which could ruin the
flavor of your smoothie.
Above
all, don’t add salt, sugar, sweeteners or artificial flavors to your smoothie.
Healthiest
Ingredients for your Smoothie
Articles on Healthy Foods
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Why I began the candida diet
