VEGGIE SMOOTHIE REcipe

It was a serious up-level in my vegetable intake when I learned to swap out fruit for veggies in my morning smoothie. Most days by 9 am I’ve had three servings of vegetables. Sometimes if I chose something else for breakfast, the smoothie is my afternoon snack. On Sundays I shop and steam/chop/prep to make sure I have what I need on hand for the week. 

Step 1 : Almond milk base

Homemade almond milk. If you don’t want to make your own, buy unsweetened and unflavored, and make sure there is no carrageenan in the milk (it’s hard on digestion and it’s inflammatory).

Recipe for almond milk:

1.     Soak 1 cup raw almonds for 12-24 hours in filtered water. Why soak almonds in water? It neutralizes phytic acid and makes it easier to digest. 

2.     Drain and rinse. 

3.     Place 4 cups filtered water into a high speed blender, add soaked almonds, and blend for 2 minutes.

4.     Pour into a jar a refrigerate. Or, if you prefer a smoother consistency with no pulp, strain in a cheesecloth bag. 

5.     Use within 5 days.

Step 2 : Choose your veggies first

1.     Always 2 cups of greens : spinach, chard, baby kale, even romaine.

2.     Beets in smoothies? Butternut squash in smoothie? Yes! For beets, peel raw beets and chop them into small pieces. These last for over a week in the fridge. Use about ½ - ¾  cup per smoothie. Butternut squash can be peeled and chopped into large pieces, then steamed. Carrots too! Use about ½ - ¾  cup per smoothie

What are beets’ benefits for health? They’re surprisingly highly nutritious and support the health of your brain, heart, and digestive system. They boost athletic performance, help alleviate inflammation, and possibly slow the growth of cancer cells. Best raw. 

Step 3 : Choose a fruit, but keep it minimal

1.     No need to follow a recipe. Think about what would go well with your veggies of choice that day. If you’re using beets and greens…maybe a cup of frozen berries. If you’re using squash, maybe a ¼ banana and a half cup mango. 

Step 4 : Choose supplements

1.     Protein powder : I am a big fan of Four Sigmatic plant-based mushroom-packed protein powders. No they don’t taste a bit like mushrooms. They contain 7 functional mushrooms and adaptogens, help immunity, inflammation, stress, and all tissues in the body. I love them all.  Sometimes I’ll use the coffee one with a banana, greens, a little cacao. So delish for a afternoon boost. 

2.     Ground flax : I am working with my doctor to help methylate estrogen, and she recommended ground flax each day. Every few days I ground some up in the coffee grinder and keep it in a glass jar. 2-3T per smoothie. 

3.     I always add 1T of MCT oil. It helps the body make ketones, an energy source for your brain that doesn't have carbs.

 Add a little ice and filtered water, and off you go. I think of this as total fuel for a good day. What we put into our body sets the tone for how we experience life through our body and mind.