I feel like I need a reset – so I’ve decided to do a 3 day green smoothie challenge. Who’s joining me?!
I’m warming up to it by stocking my fridge full of a variety of greens (I’ve got cos lettuce, kale, silver beet and also wheatgrass powder). Yesterday I started with a green smoothie of cos lettuce, frozen banana, frozen mango, flaxseeds, chia seeds and some bee pollen sprinkled on top.
Today I plan to have another delicious mix of greens and fruit for lunch…perhaps along the lines of berries, banana, pear and silver beet.
I’ve have done this challenge once before with a group of around 48 people, online and it was a real hit! It was incredibly motivating for all involved as the comments back and forth, of what everyone was experiencing and seeing results from, really kept the group going.
I just want to remind you of the benefits of green smoothies in your day. They are an incredibly alkalising drink that also contains a high amount of iron, magnesium, chlorophyll, protein, calcium and a whole spectrum of other vitamins and minerals depending on what fruit it contains. Bananas are high in potassium to support your heart, muscular and skeletal (bone) health, as well as containing serotonin & norepinephrine which help to reduce depression. The happy fruit!
I personally find them incredibly cleansing to my internal ‘pipes’ and really refreshing. They are a fabulous meal replacement, energising and light breakfast or perhaps you may choose to simply snack on them in between meals, instead of snacking on cake, biscuits, etc.
The beauty of green smoothies, unlike juice (which I love equally) is that they can be made the night before and last up to 2 days in the fridge. So there is no excuse for not having enough time in the morning to prepare a nutritious breakfast, as you can make it the night before. I also find that clients who tend to have a wine while making dinner and fall into the trap of snacking during this ‘preparation’ time, benefit greatly from having a pre-made nutritious drink in the fridge to sip on while dinner is being prepared.
With this green smoothie challenge you can choose to have JUST green smoothies along – 1 for each meal of the day – or you may choose to add them to your daily food intake – having it for breakfast (highly energising and a cleansing way to start the day) and lunch or perhaps as a snack in between meals. You can choose. It’s just fabulous to INCREASE YOUR GREENS!
An easy guide to follow if you are new to green smoothies is to remember the basis of them is green leaves/green vegetables, fruit and water. Some ideas of greens are: baby spinach, kale, silver beet, parsley, mint, coriander, basil, cucumber, celery, etc. Some ideas of fruits are: banana (frozen bananas always create a thicker, creamier texture), mango, pear, persimmon, kiwi fruit, apple, berries, avocado, etc. The amount of water added depends on how thick you like your smoothies – coconut water may also appeal and boost your electrolytes if post work-out. Optional extras include 1 tbsp chia seeds, linseeds, cacao powder, wheatgrass powder, hemp seeds, bee pollen,
Here is an example of a recipe:
4 large cos lettuce leaves + 10 mint leaves + small pinch parsley
1 frozen banana
1 pear
1/2 avocado
1 cup water.
I then also chose to add 1tbsp chia seeds, 1tbsp linseeds and bee pollen sprinkled on top.
Keep me posted on who is joining me tomorrow? I’d love to know
Janelle.