With the fad of celery juice cleanses taking the internet by storm and the green juice and smoothies not far behind I thought I would give it a try. I decided that I would have a green smoothie for breakfast for a week and see how I feel. This was about 3 weeks ago. I have had a green smoothie about once a day but not always at breakfast. There were a few days that I did not manage to have one but on the whole I have been doing pretty well. For this week I decided that I would truly dedicate breakfast to the smoothie.

The recipe I have been making is inspired by a smoothie that my sister had over winter break at home in Oregon. We have tried to replicate it as best as we can.

Recipe (yields enough for 2 people):

1/2 banana

1 cup frozen pineapple

a small chunk of ginger (to taste)

big handful of frozen spinach

big handful of frozen kale

1/4 cup of unsweetened vanilla coconut milk

about 1/2 cup of water (enough to blend)

I decided I would try to find out if there is any true effects that this can have or if it is just the idea of it being green that makes it seem healthy. Through some research the potential benefits of consuming the green smoothies are:

  • Increase daily fruit and veggie intakeĀ 
  • Can cause weight lossĀ 
  • Adding water to smoothie can help increase water intakeĀ 
  • Improve digestionĀ 
  • Chlorophyll
    • ā€œprevent anemia, assist with dental problems, reduce symptoms of sinusitis and even help treat insomnia. Other than this, chlorophyll improves the immune systemā€Ā 
  • Prevents against free radical damageĀ 
  • Folic acid helps w/ depressionĀ 
  • Helps skinĀ 
    • ā€œGreen smoothies are high in vitamin E and vitamin C, as well as fiber and antioxidants.ā€

There has been some controversy over green smoothies, but it depends on who you talk too. On the whole most people say they are good. The things to note are try to keep the high sugar fruits included to a minimum, switch up what greens are included every once in a while and don’t over do it.

Overall I actually really enjoy this smoothie and have started to crave it in the morning and throughout the day as well. Greens have always been the thing that I have the hardest time trying Ā to consume enough of. I love green beans (like really love them), asparagus and several other non-green vegetables, but I have a hard time getting in the leafy greens. My main want is to increase this and having them in a smoothie hides a large amount of fruits and veggies that I would not consume all in one day. It makes it easier to get my daily vitamins and nutrients without feeling like all I am eating is fruits and veggies, because let’s be real, they are not the best part of most meals. I have felt that it gives me more energy in the morning than my normal breakfast, but it has not changed my world so much that I will drink a green smoothie for breakfast for the rest of my life. It is useful for consuming more greens but it is not an earth shattering experience.

 

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/8-ways-green-smoothies-fo_b_12892426