7 reasons to whip up a green smoothie

Who doesn’t love smoothies? The confection of fruit, yogurt/milk, seeds, and nuts works well, either as a power breakfast or an anytime snack.

But these days – especially in these times of festive (over)eating, going green is in! Even with smoothies.

Green smoothies are easy to make, flavorsome and healthy. They’re trending across the world.

In The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Green Smoothies, Bo Rinaldi writes that the green variety offers “a rainbow of flavors and textures. And they always make delicious, super-nutritious, whole-food meals”.

Isn’t it time you whipped up a green concoction today? For breakfast, as a pre-workout snack or as an afternoon pick-me-up?

1. Green smoothies are chockfull of vitamins and minerals and are extremely low in calories.
2. They provide the body with living enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.
3. Research has shown that vegetables are more easily digested blended. Juicing breaks open the cells in the greens and fruits, making it easier for the body to absorb nutrients.
4. Going green means- you will get a wallop of veggie nutrition – you would never consume so many vegetables in a day otherwise.
5. Smoothies don’t strain out the fiber (unlike juice), which means you’re getting in a punch of that essential too.
6. Green smoothies – extremely neutral in nature – can help the body restore itself to a state of healthy alkalinity.
7. Green drinks can help curb cravings for junk food, sugary foods, and processed foods, which may lead to weight loss.

Create your own blended drinks by combining leafy greens with fruits, veggies and healthy fats such as almonds, hemp seeds, flax and coconut. Come winter, do toss in a few leaves of Sarson ka saag, mustard greens, too!

Get started with these recipes and go on to create your own:

• Basic Green Smoothie

1 cup green grapes, 1/2 cup pineapple, 2 cups fresh spinach, 1/2 ripe banana, peeled, 1/2 cup water, 1 cup ice cubes

• Dr. Oz’s Green Smoothie

2 cups spinach, 2 cups cucumber, 1 head of celery, 1/2 inch or teaspoon ginger root, 1 bunch parsley, 2 apples, juice of 1 lime, juice of 1/2 lemon

If you like your drinks with dairy but want to keep an eye on the calories, try these:

• Green Machine

1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves, 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh honeydew, 1/3 cup nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt

Calory Count: 162 CALORIES

• Berries and Beets

1 cup fresh blueberries, 1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries, 1/3 cup sliced, cooked beets, 1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup fresh orange juice, 1 teaspoon light agave nectar

Calory Count: 219 CALORIES

• Peanut Butter Berry

1/4 cup 1% low-fat milk, 1/2 medium ripe banana, 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter, 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries, 1/2 cup crushed ice

Calory Count: 237 CALORIES

• Watermelon with a Hint of Mint

2 cups seedless watermelon, 2 tablespoons fresh mint, 1/3 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt

Calory Count:98 CALORIES

• Peaches & Cream

1 1/2 cups sliced fresh peaches, 1/2 cup nonfat buttermilk, 1/2 medium banana, 2 teaspoons honey, 1/2 cup crushed ice

Calory Count:231 CALORIES

Recipes courtesy Super Skinny Me and Cooking Light

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Written by Alpa Momaya

You are what you eat, believes Alpa Momaya. So with the right diet, anyone can achieve optimal mental, physical and spiritual health.

Alpa has first-hand knowledge of this – she battled various issues with her own health and weight, but by incorporating good eating habits and regular exercise, she has reclaimed her fitness levels today. She offers the advice she took to HealthifyMe users — make the right lifestyle choices daily, sticking to a nutritious diet, regular exercise and adequate sleep. Don’t think of it as having to solve a problem, instead see it as a way to achieve long and happy life.

After a PG diploma in dietetics from Mumbai University, Alpa did a diploma in holistic nutrition in Canada and is a Certified Nutritional Practitioner today. Along with having worked in various weight-loss clinics and as a consultant for a natural pharmacy, she’s helped her family control ailments like diabetes and hypertension, and hopes to help her HealthifyMe clients do the same. “I can proudly say my daughter happily eats any vegetable or fruit without ever making a face,” Alpa claims, and she is determined that those who consult her will go back similarly impressed.