SMOOOOOOTHIES

Hmmm...did I say I would be neglecting my blog over the 4th? Scratch that...how about the month of July. But now I am back with a vengeance with a list of wonderful topics that have been marinading in my brain for a month now...lets hope this is a worth it...without further ado...

LETS TALK ABOUT SMOOTHIES...
Most people think, "Oh wow, smoothies are healthy, I'll just go to Jamba Juice and get one of those 32 oz raspberry wonderfuls and I'm good for my fruits and veggies for the day." WRONG...My recommendation is to STAY AWAY from Jamba juice all together...you are better off at McDonald's as far as caloric intake is concerned. What people don't realize that that those suckers are FULL of sugar, high in calories and most of them are lucky to have fruit as a main ingredient.

The truth is Smoothies CAN BE healthy; it just depends on HOW and WHAT you grind up. I will give you some great morning smoothie recipes at the end of this post BUT FIRST...let's talk about materials...

SHAMELESS VITA-MIX PROMOTIONAL SEGMENT
Everyone, regardless of your budget, should have one of these things. If you have to lie, steal, cheat or kill...(or just use a budget) get yourself a Vitamix. I use this machine 2-3 times per day. I puree soups, make smoothies, grind grains, makes salsa, make ice cream, etc....What is a VITA MIX?

It is a SUPER powerful blender. 2 horse power engine (go-cart, people). The benefit of the Vitamix blender is that you can put the entire piece of whole fruit, veggie, etc etc in the blender and it can be blended seeds and all. So, you don't lose the fiber that you do when juicing. You can sometimes find these on sale at Costco. Otherwise they run in the high $300's. Expensive, I know. But if you think about it, a cheap blender is like $50, a cheap juicer is like $200, and food processor runs about $100+ so there is your vita-mix. 3 in 1. I hear the Blendtec blenders are fairly comparable.

WHY EAT GREEN VEGGIE SMOOTHIES?
Green vegetables are high in alkaline, which your body needs to neutralize its acidic state. In the morning it great to give your body a big boost of nutrients (as well as lots of water) because it has been starving and dehydrated from the long night without food. Here are some of my favorite smoothies.

GREEN/VEGGIE SMOOTHIES:

EVERYONE should go out and buy some kind of a greens powder right now and add it to every shake. Most people will rave about their greens powder saying "It's the best on the market" but the truth is, how creative can greens combos get? Most greens powders at Whole Foods are fine. I would stay away from Trader Joe's brand supplements, period. They taste totally nasty and you will burp vitamin all morning. Gross. I currently use a greens powder from pHMiracle diet, which I like. I also recommend the Body Ecology Vitality Super Greens, as friends of mine swear by it. Again, I think any number of greens powders will do.

Don't be afraid of the color, just because you are used to bright pinks and yellows in smoothies, doesn't mean that you can't enjoy a great veggie smoothie. And the trick is add Stevia or Xylitol to make the green drink sweet.

Some of my favs:
PH Miracle Green Drink (from the same cookbook I mentioned before) I altered portion size for to my liking:

1 lime
2 handfuls of Spinach
1/2 avocado
1/2 english cucumber
1 scoop of greens powder
1 pckg stevia for sweetness
1 tomatillo (optional)
5-6 ice cubes
1 Tbsp of Flax seed oil

Options: I also add in mint, parsley, or cilantro for a more zingy taste.
Coconut water (not milk) and lemon can be tasty too. But I wouldn't add all the options in with the recipe... it could get a little swampish.

Blend and enjoy. This tastes very limey, you hardly notice the cucumber or spinach, avocado makes it creamy.

Body Ecology Good Morning Greens Smoothie

1 granny smith apple
4-5 stalks of celery
2 cups of romaine lettuce
1/2 large avocado
1/2 bunch of cilantro or parsley
2 cups of water.
1 scoop greens powder
variations: add lemon or lime, sea salt, and/or cayenne pepper.

Butternut Squash morning shake

1 scoop greens powder
package of frozen butternut squash
stevia to taste
cinnamon to taste
tsp vanilla extract (frontier brand..alcohol free)
1/2 cup almond milk
ice

Blend and enjoy!

Here were some suggestions from Chris Prieto, who wrote in to offer up some great healthful hints: These smoothies help him to detoxify, purify and get his daily servings of fruits and vegetables and vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals and digestive enzymes...

These should be made in a Vitamix or high powered blender.

First, there are some basics that you will want to put in to every shake:
Purified water

Flax seed oil and/or Omega-3 oil mixes

Jay Robb's Egg White Protein (or not, I haven't been lately...if you want to add protein)

Green Vibrance or Miracle Greens powder (I prefer Green Vibrance and if you have not been using it YOU NEED TO!) You can get it at Whole Foods.

Beyond that, just throw in any combination of fruits and vegetables that you want. I use some combination of the following: (ALL ORGANIC OF COURSE)

1 apple

1 banana

Fresh ginger root

3 - 5 romaine lettuce leaves

Celery

Whole cucumber (plus skin)

Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries (I purchase frozen at Wild Oats/Whole Foods - cheaper)

Carrots

Every once in a while I get a crazy streak and try some new stuff such as: sprouted nuts, Raw Rolled Oats, melons or pears.

Thanks for the great ideas. Remember if you have any tips just email me at hilshealthblog@gmail.com
Now go forth health junkies and Alkalize!