Juices and smoothies are a perfect summer refreshment, and they can be very beneficial to our health too!
They’re a great way to boost our daily intake of vitamins, minerals, and superfoods, and because they’re easily digested, the body can absorb the nutrients more easily too.
Green juices and smoothies in particular can help us to detox, as green vegetables are packed with antioxidants. Detoxing can help boost and strengthen the immune system, restore balance to the body’s systems, improve energy levels, and can help to promote weight loss, and healthy skin and hair.
Below is the recipe for one of my favourite smoothies. It’s quick and easy to make, and it’s refreshing and tasty too! I add wheatgrass to my smoothie for just that extra boost of energy, plus wheatgrass is also a super alkaline food.
My energy-giving green smoothie recipe:
Put a good-sized handful of raw kale and raw spinach into your blender. Add a banana and a teaspoon of wheatgrass. Add some milk, according to thickness preferred. I use coconut milk, but you can also use dairy milk or any other milk alternative too such as almond or oat milk. Just blend all the ingredients together and add some ice too. It’s as simple as that!
There are so many different combinations of fruits and vegetables that you can use for your smoothies. Just experiment until you find something that suits your palate.
Try combining any of these fruits, vegetables, fresh herbs, superfoods, or seeds:
- Kale, spinach, cucumbers, broccoli, beets, carrots, celery, zucchini, avocadoes. Berries, lemon, lime, apples, bananas, pineapple, cherries, honey-melon, watermelon, grapes, kiwis.
- Fresh cilantro, parsley, mint. Ginger, wheatgrass, spirulina, chia seeds, flaxseed, hemp seeds.
Or alternatively, give one of the following suggested smoothies a try:
- Carrot, mango, apple, and grated ginger, blended with orange juice
- Green apple, banana, and fresh mint, blended with pineapple juice
- Strawberries, almonds, and spinach, blended with dairy milk or other milk alternative
Juice and smoothie tips:
- Fat-burning fruits and vegetables include strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, lemons, apples, grapefruit, kale, broccoli, and chilli peppers.
- All ingredients should be raw
- Keep your ingredients as natural as possible. Avoid using artificial ingredients, sugar, sweeteners, syrups etc…
- Drink your juice or smoothie the same day you’ve made it
- Opt for more vegetables rather than fruit. Fruit is higher in natural sugar and calories, whereas vegetables are more filling because they are higher in slow-digesting fiber (leaving you feeling full for longer). Aim for 60-70% veg and 30-40% fruit
Find out more on healthy living in ‘The Survival Guide on Aging Healthily!’ www.lifedoesntstopat50.com
Thekla Coumas is a Naturopathic Nutritionist, Alkaline Diet Adviser, and Life Coach.