drink yourself healthy with green smoothies

Lately, my mornings are all smoothies all the time. In the last several months, I've been working out hard and have made serious changes to my diet. One of the main changes has been swapping out my morning bagel (I literally would eat a bagel with cheese for breakfast every single morning) for a smoothie. It has made a huge difference! I have more energy, sleep better at night, and I've lost weight. So today I wanted to break from my usual makeup and fashion related posts for something a little bit different: a post on green smoothies.

What exactly are green smoothies? These are plant-based smoothies made up of blended vegetables and fruits. The combination is thought to increase mineral consumption and improve overall health because each drink is packed with immune-boosting nutrients. Believe it or not, green smoothies are actually thought to be better than just eating greens just on their own. How is this possible? Well, for starters, you are more likely to drink an entire glass than you are to eat a massive plateful of greens. Additionally, green smoothies are easier for your body to digest.

This type of smoothie is commonly full of ingredients like collard greens, kale, spinach, or even mint and parsley. They can be mixed with fruits like bananas, blueberries, strawberries, fresh juice, coconut water, or almond milk for added flavour and texture. To make sure you actually enjoy the smoothie (this is a must. If you don't enjoy it, you are unlikely to continue drinking it) you’ll need to find the right balance. An unbalanced smoothie may result in a flavour that is too strong. If you have trouble getting it down or enjoying the taste, put in less greens at first. Add more as you get used to the flavour. While a green smoothie may not sound appealing to everyone, it can actually be quite delicious! It’s all about finding what suits your taste buds. Try different fruits and play with the greens ratio until you find a recipe that works for you. 

Adding a smoothie into your diet as a snack or for breakfast can help you feel your best. Smoothies can give you extra energy throughout the day thanks to all of the wonderful nutrients. If you want to try it out for yourself, there are countless recipes to try. Here is one of the easiest and most basic to get you started:

Collard Greens Smoothie With Fruit:

Start by putting in your liquids. For this recipe, you will need 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice and ½ cup of water. Next, it’s time to add in your greens. Include 2 cups of chopped collard greens (you can also substitute spinach, if you’d prefer).

The fruit comes next. The type that you choose is totally up to you, but something like mango, green grapes, pineapple, coconut, apples, or berries will add a dash of sweet flavour to the smoothie. Start blending slowly and build up the speed as you go to create an even consistency. If you find your smoothie is too thick, add more water. This easy recipe has just 180 calories and will help you to start eating and living a little bit greener.

Have you embraced the green smoothie yet? Now is the perfect time. They don’t take long to prepare and are full of essential nutrients. Going green is a great way to feel better and improve your overall health…. so get blending!