green smoothie starter kit - nina...

Green Smoothie Starter Kit Easy Recipes, Guidelines & Shortcuts

Nina Manolson SmokinHotMom.com Copyright © Nina Manolson 2012 No part of this document may be reproduced without written consent from the author

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This is my favorite Green Smoothie Rec

By Nina Manolson Certified Health Coach, M.A.

SmokinHotMom.com

Congratulations on walking into the delicious, easy, healthy world of Green Smoothies!

You know that miracle diet-pill or diet-drink that everyone’s looking for, the one that’s going to effortlessly help you lose weight and glow? You kind of know it doesn’t really exist, but you still keep looking, right? Well, here it is, you found it! Seriously, I have the thing that will start to make all your food struggles ease up. Nope, it’s not speed or some other non-pronounceable appetite-suppressant; it’s real honest-to-goodness food.

It’s the Green Smoothie!



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Green Smoothies are green & leafy vegetables & fruit, blended with water. So simple, but so powerful! Green Smoothies will:

• Boost your energy • Make your skin glow • Tame your cravings for sweet or salty foods • Help you release excess weight.

They certainly do sound like a miracle drink and here’s why (they are)! Green Smoothies are: Fiber filled: Fruit and green leafy vegetables are packed with healthy fiber. Fiber helps digestion and eases elimination issues. Fiber also makes you feel full, which keeps you from making unhealthy food choices out of desperation. Nutrient Dense: So many of us are carrying extra weight and eating a bit too much, but our body is still starving - not starving for more calories - but starving for nutrients. Green Smoothies are nutrient rich. They’re packed with vitamins, minerals, amino acids (what protein is made of), and antioxidants (which help fight disease). The nutritional power of green smoothies does more than feed your body - it heals your body. Alkaline: Helping your body have an alkaline Ph level fights inflammatory-based diseases such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis and auto-immune diseases. Because Green Smoothies are made of fresh fruits and vegetables they are an ideal anti-inflammatory food.



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Let’s get you started making the best and easiest green smoothies so you can feel your best!



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Guidelines

1. There’s no “right” way to make a green smoothie – only what’s right for you. You want to be making green smoothies you love to drink. Yes, it may take a bit of getting used to drinking a glass of greens, but you’ll love the way it makes you feel and you’ll get hooked!

2. The point of a green smoothie is to incorporate a boat-load more greens (super nutrient dense food) and more fiber into your diet.

3. There are a lot of smoothies out there in the blogosphere that are

called green smoothies. However, many of them are fruit smoothies with a small handful of baby spinach thrown in. I encourage you to make your green smoothies very green, like the recipes below.

4. It may take a bit of experimenting to make your ‘just-right’ green smoothie. Have patience and experiment a bit.

5. Want your green smoothie to be sweeter? Add more fruit.

Bananas and pineapple are creamy fruits that make lovely rich smoothies.

6. Want your green smoothie to be even creamier: add 1-2

tablespoons of coconut milk or avocado.

7. Green smoothies come out super smooth in a high-speed blender (like a Vitamix - my favorite kind…for free shipping at Vitamix.com, use my code: 06-002799…ask me if you need help figuring out which Vitamix is right for you). However, you can make your green smoothie in a regular blender. You just may need to cut up your veggies smaller and blend them for longer.



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Recipes

use organic produce whenever possible Nina’s Favorite Green Smoothie Watch me make it here: http://www.smokinhotmom.com/?p=404

• 1 cup of organic green veg - I like spinach and bok choy • 1 large organic celery stalk • ¼ cup parsley • 1 cucumber (peel if it’s not organic or the peel is bitter) • 1 peeled lemon • 1 – 2 bananas depending on how sweet you like it. • 2 cups of water

Blend it all up in a Vita-Mix or powerful blender



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Tri-Fruit Green Smoothie • 11/2 cups water • 2 big handfuls of any kind of lettuce (except iceberg) • 2 big handfuls of spinach • 2 stalks of celery • 1 apple • 1 pear • 1 banana • ½ lemon peeled

For an added zing add some fresh herbs: cilantro, mint, basil - yum

Super Creamy Green Smoothie • 1 avocado • 1 large cucumber (peel if it’s not organic or the peel is bitter) • 2 cups spinach • 2 large bok choy leaves • 2 leaves of kale • 1/2 cup pineapple • 1.5 cups water

Blend well



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Ginger Green Smoothie • 3 -6 leaves of kale • 1 cucumber (peel if it’s not organic or the peel is bitter) • 1 banana • 1 apple or pear • ½ inch fresh gingerroot • 2 cups water

Blend Well



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Green Smoothie Shortcuts: 10 Ways to Fit Green Smoothies Into A Busy LIfe

Now you know the benefits of consuming green smoothies and juices, but you may not know how to prepare these nutritional powerhouses in the midst of busy lives. Getting into the green smoothie habit is so much easier with these time-‐saving strategies: 1. Have the basics on hand Ensure that the basic ingredients of green smoothies are around, by including them on your weekly grocery list. Participating in a farm share or CSA will also keep your refrigerator loaded with greens. 2. Keep some bananas in the freezer Peel ripe bananas, place them in a bag or container, and freeze them. Frozen bananas ensure that you always have fruit on hand to sweeten your green smoothie. 3. Invest in good tools A large chopping board, a sharp knife, a salad spinner and a top-‐notch blender make green drink preparation a pleasure. (My favorite is the Vitamix. You can get free shipping with them by using the code: 06-‐002799 at Vitamix.com) 4. Prepare the night before Load the blender with the desired ingredients the night before making a smoothie. Store it in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, add water and blend. 5. Create smoothie packs To prepare for several days of green drinks, assemble a bunch of smoothie packs or containers. Fill each one with all the ingredients needed for your green drink, except the liquid. All that’s left to do is add liquid and blend, or juice.



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6. Make two while you’re at it Of course fresh is best and tastiest, but having a green drink in the fridge that’s ready for the following day is much better than no green drink at all. 7. Use pre-‐prepped fruits and veggies Fresh, local produce offers the highest nutritional value, but, for those “in a pinch” moments, a container of pre-‐washed spinach or a bag of frozen organic berries will do. 8. Clean up as you go Make cleanup part of the flow when preparing green drinks. It’s much easier to wash vegetable and fruit particles off appliances when they are still moist and fresh. 9. Embrace imperfection Let go of getting the recipe just right, or having the perfect ingredients. Just go for it, and the second one will be even better. 10. Get one recipe down, and repeat Become familiar with one recipe. Repetition builds speed and confidence and, before you know it, you’ll be creating new and unique green drink recipes.

Let me know how your green smoothie turns out. I’d love to hear from you!

Would you like support with

feeling your very best? Let’s chat! Email me:

mailto:[email protected]

green smoothie starter kit - nina...

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