Beauty Kitchen: how to make your 1st green smoothie
Having green smoothies in the mornings before heading to school or work in place of popping a multi-vitamin pill may sound like too much hassle, but it will yield you tremendous health and beauty benefits.
For one, the nutritious combinations of fruits and vegetables loaded with antioxidants are especially good for your skin. And because many of the ingredients here are also alkalizing, that helps the body to release skin-irritating toxins. In fact, ever since I got started on green smoothies, my acne-prone skin got better and healed much faster.
Beneï¬ts of green smoothies
Instead of chowing down ten different types of vegetables and fruits, blending them and gulping them in one go is not only fast, it also gives you peace of mind that your body has all the nutrients it needs without stressing over what you can or cannot eat throughout the day.
Having them ï¬rst thing in the morning is the most efï¬cient way of maximizing all the nutrients in them, as that is when your stomach is empty and able to digest them quicker. Plus, eating vegetables raw enables you to have the full nutrients as compared to cooking them.
Raw vegetables also have enzymes in them that will aid in digestion, and this makes digestion not so taxing on our body and in return, not making us feel lethargic in the mornings (source from Kimberly Snyder’s book “The Beauty Detox”).
Deciding on ingredients and blender
What to include in your green smoothie is really your choice; it depends on what nutrients you would like to get from the vegetables and fruits. However, it’s best to not go more than 2 kinds of fruits because ï¬rstly, you do not want to up your sugar intake ï¬rst thing in the morning, and secondly, fruits and vegetables when digested together may form gas in the stomach (source: “Dr. Joshi Holistic Detox” book by Dr. Joshi). This gas will deï¬nitely not cause you gastric because fruits and vegetables are alkaline foods (source) but it may make you release more gas than what you’re used to.
As for your blender, some people highly recommend a good, expensive juicer. While I admit those juicers are expensive for a valid reason, I’d say a normal blender that can blend ice is good enough for those starting out.
Why organic is better for green smoothies
When you are eating vegetables raw you have to take note of how the farming is done. Most farms are known to have sprayed chemical fertilizers and pesticides and it is near impossible to wash pesticides off any vegetables and fruits.
The best and safest way is to get organic vegetables and fruits for your green smoothie. If you do not want to buy all organic, here is a rough guide on which fruits and vegetables absorb chemicals more easily, and which are ï¬ne to buy non-organic, according to Daily Green.
Foods you don’t have to buy organic:
Onions, avocados, corn, pineapples, mangoes, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwis, cabbage, eggplant, papaya, watermelon, broccoli, sweet potatoes.
Foods to buy organic:
apples, celery, peaches, spinach, nectarines, grapes, sweet bell peppers, potatoes, blueberries, lettuce, kale, collard greens.
How to make
This is a great smoothie for first-timers as there are only two fruits and two vegetables. I use one whole cucumber, two celery stalks, one cup of blueberries, and one banana. I then chop the cucumber and celery into small dices to blend. The blender may get choked up sometimes, but all you need to do is take a spoon and stir it around a little, and try blending again. Next, I add in the banana. Again, it’s easier if you break the banana into smaller pieces before putting it in to blend. And lastly, I add the blueberries.
The blueberries I got are frozen organic blueberries and because they are frozen, it makes the smoothie cold and more smoothie-like. If you are using fresh blueberries, you can add 3 to 4 ice cubes to blend, making the smoothie cold and icy. With these ingredients, it serves about three of the cups shown in the top picture.
Alternative ingredients for not so ‘cooling’ recipes
Some of you who understand Traditional Chinese Medicine might be concerned that this green smoothie is too ‘cooling’. Well, you can choose to mix and match the vegetables and fruits that aren’t so ‘cooling’.
An alternative ingredient list for those who don’t want it ‘cooling’ will be to add apples, celery, spinach and a table spoon of organic Manuka honey. Those fruits and vegetables are neutral so it is ï¬ne to drink. If you want less sugar because of the added honey, you can switch to green apples instead as it has lesser sugar than red apples.
Getting use to the taste of smoothie
I know that the smoothie may look disgusting to some of you but trust me, it is a matter of getting used to it. I used to really, really hate cucumbers; the smell of it made me sick. But now I crave for these green smoothies every morning! As you get more used to having it, you can throw in more vegetables. And if time is a concern, I would suggest getting a better quality blender that will blend your fruits and vegetables more efï¬ciently and faster.
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Hi Cassie! ? I’ve been into smoothies as well for the past few months. I do all fruit smoothies with milk and occasionally yogurt or fruit juice. I usually do a banana and milk smoothie. sometimes I presoak some baby oats in the milk overnight and blend it up. My skin has been clearing up quite a bit and liquid breakfast is great cos I can’t bring myself to eat much solid food in the morning. I shall try to incorporate some greens in my smoothie! Quite apprehensive though :p I love greens but I’m not sure about it in a smoothie.
I am an absolute fan of smoothies! ♥
Sadly I don’t make them every morning, but as often as possible! Cucumber with banana and blueberry is an interesting combination, I think I’ll have to try that. But yeah… smoothies are great!
Yes, liquid breakfast is good cause it actually makes u feel less sluggish in the mornings! I also started out with fruits and yogurt and slowly added vegetables. I eventually removed yogurt as dairy tends to break me out. ?
Drinking these smoothies at least 4-5 days a week should be more than enough. Or you can just throw in heaps of nutritious ingredients to maximize your smoothie days. :p Some ladies make smoothies in large batches and freeze it for the week. But i’m not sure if any nutrients will be lost in this way.
I love to buy organic corns and cherry tomatoes. They are such the nicest thing to eat. =) But I didn’t know there is not that much need to buy corn organic, as there is for apples.
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To be frank, some sources from the internet mentioned that it is best to get organic corn because it is one of the many foods that pesticides are heavily sprayed on. I think it comes down to where the foods are imported from. If it comes from the U.S. I guess it’s best to be more wary.
Hi cassie, thank you for the great tips. Well.. I tried to do green smoothies yesterday before i read your post. According the book written by epic beauty the vegetables is steamed first before u put it into blender. Well i used spinach and baby green bean which steamed for 5mins and i used half of banana ( coz its considered a sugary food and 1/4th of red apple) did i get enough nutrition with this portion? Or i need to add thr fruit portion ? And is it better to steam or just blend it raw? Thank you in advance ?
Hey Fevrier, it’s best to blend it raw because vegetables lose their active enzymes when cooked in high heat. And if you’re worried about the difficulty in blending, just cut it into smaller pieces. Give it a shot! Raw veg smoothies will taste better. .D
One last question cassie, i did make smoothies this morning with raw veges n fruits, i made it quite alot that i saved a glass for afternoon but when i wanted to drink it in the afternoon, the fresh green color turned abit darker. Is the smoothies still packed with vitamin or less compared to freshly made despite of the color ? Thank you..
I’m not sure how fast nutrients get lost after making them because depending on your blender, sometimes blending them for too long will produce a little heat thus making the nutrients just a little bit lesser.
And to play safe you can try freezing them right away after preparing and then put it in the warmer portion of the fridge about 2 hours before drinking. Either way it’s not a very good sign if it changed color as it is a result of certain chemical reaction taking place.
Great tip, Cassie! I freeze my leftover smoothies and juices, too. The reason why the smoothies change color is because the veggies/fruits have already oxidized which would not just make them useless but potentially cause tummy upsets, too. The taste would also be different.
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Awesome :). Definitely going to try your ingredients out. I make smoothies here and there but have just started freezing them to drink later in the day without having to deal with the mess all over again.
Ahh. I need to get my dose of calcium so I always include the milk. Poor you. I love avocado but it makes me break out so I have it once in a long while. I wonder how do people do green green kind of smoothies though with spinach celery and everything green. I’m thinking it’s very grassy :S I must have the fruit in the smoothie!
Hi… thanks for the post… i definitely have to try it out…. off the topic i have to ask any remedy for stretch mark & cellulite? I’m in my mid-20 and i don’t even have kids yet i’m having this problem…. i can’t quite tell whether it’s more stretch mark or cellulite…. the white line is noticeable especially during summer swimsuit season & even on my thigh… definitely not smooth the area on my thigh where the lines are…. any tips would be greatly appreciate it…
I have never tried freezing my smoothies personally though. I get paranoid about losing those nutrients in the vegetables and fruits! haha! How long do you normally keep those frozen batches of smoothies?
I’ve always been intrigued by people who are able to drink green, green smoothies! I keep thinking of ALL the nutrients in one cup! (O_O)! But I don’t think I’m that brave yet so I also do need the fruits in my smoothies. Hehe.. I’m slowly adding more vegetables to it though.
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Yes, it’s a solution for busy people isn’t it? I’m starting to add more vegetables to my green smoothie and hopefully incorporate more in future! ?
Cassie last post is: How getting enough greens can save your life
Hi L, you can check out this link in regards to your question. ? http://www.livestrong.com/article/27810-rid-cellulite-diet/
Cassie last post is: How getting enough greens can save your life
Hey L: You might need to use some body oils to help you. Search around for those with vitamin E and are suitable for stretch marks. If you’re in US, Sweetsation has something.
https://www.vivawoman.net/2012/01/05/review-sweetsation-therapy-face-care-products/
thank you both….
malic acid in apples breakdown the oxalic acids in greens.. so its a good idea to add 1 apple to your green smoothies.. however, spinach and other dark greens should at least be slightly cooked or have to be mixed with more fruits.. as spinach and dark greens have too much oxalic acid/oxalates.. follow the Gerson Green Juice recipe for better results (however this is pure juice without the pulp)… if you are new to greens.. smoothies can cause you gas and bloating.. so perhaps starting with juice is the best way to start.. use the pulp as compost or face scrub….
http://nanaymiriam.wordpress.com/2011/05/21/gerson-green-juice-and-malunggay-juice-moringa-oleifera/
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Great post! I always wanted to try the green smothies! But some info online seemed to me like its was a little confusing. Some sites said to add nothing but veggies and fruit (40/60), and others to add nuts, honey or other kind of stuff. I liked this recipe because it’s simple and great tasting. I personally liked the flavor that banana gives to it. Wish you can post some other recipes, specially combinations to improve skin tone, radiance, and fight those angry hormonal breakouts haha. Also is good idea to add not green veggies like carrots?
hi viv,
sorry if I added to the confusion.. yes, its really very confusing..
here is my experience on carrots and beets
if I mix either or both carrots and beets to greens.. it turns into a disgusting brown color.. I still drink it though, but try not to look at it ?
lately I usually drink either carrot/beet with apple or orange.. and try not to mix with greens,, this way I get to enjoy them…
happy juicing..!
regards,
lanie
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Hi Larnie, thank you for your advice. And yes I do realize spinach are iron blockers and did a little read up on them, and find them to be really ironic (no pun intended!) creations! I usually just avoid spinach if possible. Cooking is quite a hassle in the mornings.
Cassie last post is: Tips for starting on eating healthy
I’m glad you tried this combination and liked it! I think for the smoothie ingredients, it’s entirely up to you what you want to add. Some people add honey and nuts to add to the taste and to sometimes musk the veggie taste and colour I think (because I added yogurt in the beginning to ease myself into drinking it :P). And yes you can definitely add veggies that are not green into it. I wouldn’t advise drinking carrots every morning though, you might turn out looking orangey. :S I have added beetroot to my smoothie for the past week and it makes it look more purplish, easier to drink and really helped in my bowels.
Cassie last post is: Tips for starting on eating healthy
how does that taste
We hear how important getting your daily dose of vitamin and mineral rich
fruits and vegetables are for proper body functioning and overall health.
Thus, it is important to remain at top shape
so that you can succeed despite the occasional glitch in life.
You might think that taking the time to juice your own fruit is
time consuming and wasteful.
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