Green Beauty Smoothie

This time I’m sharing a green, nutrient-dense smoothie recipe with fresh ginger. Smoothies are a great way to add vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to your day in one hydrating drink. I prefer smoothies to juices. For a smoothie whole fruits and vegetables are blended, and thus, all the fiber will end up in the body too. The insoluble fibre keeps you satisfied and is good for digestion. Juices are stripped of fiber, and nutrients and sugar go directly into the bloodstream. For me that’s too much sugar too fast. Smoothies allow for a slower, more sustained energy release. Smoothies are super fast and simple to make. You don’t even need to invest in expensive high performance blenders. A simple hand blender works just fine.

Green Beauty Smoothie

MAKES ABOUT 3-4 CUPS

1 cup room temperature water

1 head bok choy

1 cup spinach

1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger

1 banana

1 apple chopped

1 pear chopped

Juice of 1/2 lime or 1/4 lemon

1. Wash all produce well.

2. Add the water and the greens to the blender. Blend until smooth.

3. Add the apple, pear and ginger. Blend until smooth.

4. Add the banana and lemon juice. Blend until smooth.

5. Pour smoothie into a glass. Please do not gulp it down, take a mouthful at a time and let it mix in your mouth with saliva. Enjoy with gratitude.

I recommend making smoothies and juices at home. Most pre-packaged, pre-bottled smoothies and juices are pasteurized, which means the fruits and vegetables have been heated and this process kills and denaturates most enzymes and nutrition. On top of that, they often come with artificial flavors, additives and preservatives to extend shelf life. Also, when you make them at home, you can make sure that fresh, organic produce has been used - and you will save money too! If you have no choice but to buy, look for words raw, organic, unpasteurized.

Digestion can take more energy than any other internal function in the body. Different foods require different enzymes to be broken down. The simpler the meals are, the easier and faster they are to digest, and less energy is used for digestion. Less energy for digestion means more energy for other bodily functions, like growing strong nails and hair, renewing skin cells, and getting the toxic waste out of the body.

When it comes to ingredients, I use whatever greens are available or in season. The same goes with fruits. I highly recommend buying organic greens, vegetables and fruits. It’s often a little more expensive, but an investment in your health, which pays off long-term. Depending on the season and mood, I may add fresh herbs or spices, like fresh ginger. Ginger is known for anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and can help to boost your immunity. Fresh ginger brings a nice fresh taste to green smoothies. I say always ”no” to ice cubes, and use room temperature water since it’s better for digestion than cold water. I don’t typically add superfoods.There’s no need to go bankrupt by buying fancy, trendy powders. These dehydrated powders do not provide vital energy - prana - like fresh, hydrating foods. Fresh fruits and vegetables provide you all the vitamins and minerals in their natural form and it’s hard to overdose with them. I’m not against superfoods but I don’t recommend replacing whole foods with them. Just keep them as an additional benefit or use them as a flavoring.

Bless the earth for providing us everything we need to be happy, healthy, and free.