Green Warrior Smoothie
Description
My Green Warrior Smoothie Recipe is incredibly nutrient-dense and delicious! It’s nicely balanced with fiber, protein and healthy fat to ensure the natural sugars aren’t metabolized so quickly, thereby preventing a spike in blood sugar. This blender full of goodness is equivalent to eating a humongous salad, that one surely wouldn’t be able to consume in one sitting. But since it’s pre-chewed by our genius friend, the high-speed blender, we can easily take in the healing goodness in a form that’s accessible and absorbable by our digestive tract. Score!
Ingredients
3 cups water 2 cups of spinach 1/2 cup mixed berries 1 celery stalk 1/2 medium-sized cucumber 1 tbsp ginger 3 tbsp hemp seeds or 1 scoop raw, sprouted protein powder 1/2 tsp spirulina, chlorella or superfood greens powder 1 tbsp flax oil Optional: 1/2-1 ripe banana, 1 tsp lemon juice, pinch sea salt
Instructions
Step 1
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend on high for 15-30 seconds.
Step 2
Empty blender contents into a mason jar or cocktail glass (why not?!) and enjoy the green Warrior goodness.
Tips and Techniques
- Blend your greens first and then add the remaining ingredients and blend again. This creates more room for other goodies.
- Chew your smoothie! Digestion starts in your mouth, so the chewing action will activate those salivary enzymes.
- If you’re hooked on smoothies, consider investing in a high-speed blender. It will turn your smoothies into pure decadence, and will take care of protecting those healing nutrients, unlike other blenders which often slice the produce in such a way as to harm the cells. High-speed blenders include the Vitamix and Blendtec.
- To really benefit from the iron content in spinach, squeeze some lemon into your smoothie!
- Rotate your greens! This holds true for all smoothies and dishes with cruciferous veggies. Keep spinach on rotation with other greens, like kale, collard, bok choy, dandelion and romaine.
- To prevent smoothies from oxidizing, store them in tightly sealed mason jars, and fill smoothie to the top of the jar to keep as much air out. They’ll store for 2-3 days, but it’s always best to drink within 24 hours for maximum nutrition.
Why I Love My Recipe
My Green Warrior Smoothie, once you get the hang of it, is so easy to prepare! It’s my go to smoothie recipe when I’m looking for a quick but uber-nutritious fix, like before a night out, or when I know I’ll be away from home all day and want to take something light and energizing on the go. In the case of the latter, I always bring extras to share, for the curious and daring. Once people get past the green color, they very quickly open up to the world of green smoothies, almost immediately feeling the natural buzz. This is my favorite base smoothie, to which I will often add different combinations of superfoods, depending on my daily requirements. Balance is bliss!
Benefits
- Hemp seeds and nut/seed butters are rich in essential fatty acids and protein
- Ginger supports digestion and reduces inflammation
- Sea greens, spirulina and chlorella, contain over 60 nutrients (minerals, vitamins, enzymes) and are the highest plant-based protein source on the planet
- Celery contains alkalizing minerals, like magnesium and sodium, as well as insoluble fibre, which supports the passage of stool
- Berries contain powerful antioxidant flavonoids (anthocyanins), which protect the body from free radical damage
- Spinach is rich in multiple nutrients, including zinc, iron, folic acid and calcium
- Powerful antioxidant vitamin C in both zucchini and sauce, which protects your cells from free radical damage
- Cucumbers are enriched with B vitamins and most notably, silica, which promotes joint health
- Bananas contain high levels of Vitamin B6, potassium and tryptophan, thereby promoting balance, energy, happiness and digestion
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