Jump Start the New Year with a Green Smoothie!

---

Hey All--I'm reposting  my daily kale smoothie recipe from 2014, as many of you have asked for it, and with Nutrition info this time! See below.

Yes, the New Year is here! Looking for a healthy way to kick off 2015? Try integrating  green smoothies into your diet!

I’ve been drinking green smoothies regularly for over 3 years now. It’s become such a part of my morning routine that I can’t start my day without one. I literally go crazy if I skip one! It’s become my meal replacement for breakfast, and is also a great source of energy. I often get asked if I go hungry with just having a smoothie for breakfast, but I find that it really fills me up due to all the fiber that is incorporated into the smoothie, which is one of the key benefits of drinking smoothies over juice. 

I also pack all my vitamins in it so it helps with getting all my vitamins in the morning. Here’s my daily green recipe below. I typically go for a 80/20 ratio (80% veggies and 20% fruits) in my smoothies. Remember, you want to drink your veggies and eat your fruits, due to all the natural sugars in the fruit.  

This ratio may be a bit bitter for some, but I find I like my smoothies less sweet. My brother always tells me to make his smoothies sweet than my regular when he visits me! If you find you like your smoothies sweeter, you can play around and switch up the ratios to meet you palate (like, 70/30 or 60/40). It’s really about making something you will want to drink so it can be sustainable and eventually become a natural part of your diet. Consistency is the key. I’m all about making things sustainable, if its too much hassle, I’m less likely to do it regularly.  Enjoy!

My Daily Green Smoothie: 

• 1 1/2 cups of kale
• 1 large cucumber (or two small Persian cucumbers)
• 1/2 cup of pineapple (two large slices) ** try substituting 1/2 mango or 1/2 apple with the pineapple
• 1/4 cup of parsley 
• 1 tablespoon of ginger (1/2 piece)
• 1 cup of almond milk 
• Serving:  One 16oz smoothie  

Want an extra boost? Try adding vitamin C capsules and calcium. I typically have 1000mg Vitamin Cs capsules that I break up and put in the blender. I also add a tablespoon of chia seeds, or flaxseed oil to get my Omega-3s. Chia seeds also help thicken the smoothie. 

---

---

*Nutrition Tracker*
Why drink it? 

kale- super powerful leafy green, high in vitamin K and vitamin A; great for your liver and metabolism

cucumber-low-calorie vegetable with great cooling properties (great way to beat the heat and calm inflammation in the skin; good source of potassium and vitamin K 

parsley-this is one of my favorite detoxifying herbs that I can’t get enough of! its great for cooking and juicing; rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber and high in vitamin C and vitamin A

pineapple-great source of antioxidants anti-inflammatory, high in vitamin C  and B

ginger-great anti-inflammatory herb, good for digestion and nausea; packed with minerals like potassium, manganese, copper, and magnesium.

---

*This nutrition data is provided by https://www.fitwatch.com. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the data presented at https://www.fitwatch.com; I provide it as a courtesy.