It has been a VERY hot week. The prolonged heat can rob you of your appetite, but as any health conscious, self-aware person knows, it still essential to get enough nourishment. One of my favourite ways to stay on top of good dietary habits in the middle of the summer, is to add a green smoothie to the daily menu.
I absolutely love this healthy treat after yoga or a hike and it keeps my body happy. If you are looking for truly sustainable snack to help you maintain your energy even in the deep heat of summer, this might be just the thing for you.
We are so happy to have our dear friend and colleague Amy Jo Gengler of Flourish Boston share her 5 Tips on Making the Perfect Green Smoothie to get you started and expand your repertoire of options in your post-yoga snack. Amy Jo is a true nutritional master and Chinese Medicine Practitioner and I have never tasted anything she created that I didn't like, so it is my pleasure to have her contribution on our site.
Check out her tips, and please add your questions and favourite combinations to the comment section below!
5 Tips on Making the Perfect Green Smoothie
by Amy Jo Gengler of Flourish Boston
Photo by Sarah Cairncross 1. Use organic ingredients.
2. Use organic kale as your base. Kale will provide a nutrient dense foundation that is full of fiber & antioxidants. You can also add spinach, chard, beet tops, or other greens you have in the fridge or garden.
3. Add nutrient dense items such as chia seeds, powdered greens, spirulina, coconut butter, high quality cocoa or goji berries.
4. Watch your fruit & fruit juice content. It’s good to add a little fruit to balance the bitter taste of the greens, but fruits like bananas, dates, oranges/orange juice, can be too sugary or cloying, making it hard on your pancreas, and also hard to digest. Instead, opt for organic apple, pear, papaya, berries or small amounts of peach, mango, or nectarine.
5. Invest in a good machine. Invest in a blender that has a good, strong motor—also known as ‘high-wattage’. We bought a Vitamix Pro 750 last year, and it has changed my life. If you need to save up for such an investment (you won’t regret it, I promise!!), look into Breville, Omega, or Hamilton Beach for a 750-watt blender.
Basic Smoothie Composition:
Greens: Kale, Spinach, Chard, Beet Tops, Collards, Watercress, Arugula.
Mild Veggies: Fennel Bulb, Cucumber, Celery, Avocado.
Fruit: Apple, Pear, Fresh or Frozen Berries, Apricot, Peach, Mango, Nectarine, Cantaloupe, Cherry, Kiwi.
Protein: Sunflower Seed Butter, Almond Butter, Chia Seeds, Nuts & Seeds.
Liquid: Coconut Milk, Almond Milk (unsweetened), Kombucha, Filtered Water.
Add-Ins: Chia Seeds, Flax Seeds (good for constipation), Powdered Greens, Spirulina or other Algae’s, Wheat Grass, Hemp Seeds, Cocoa Nibs, Raw Cocoa, Goji Berries, Coconut Butter, Matcha, Herbs & Spices.
A Few Favourite Combinations:
Cocoa Nibs & Cherries
Strawberry, Cocoa & Almond Butter
Mango-Coconut-Cardamom
Peach-Coconut-Cinnamon
Apricot-Ginger
Avocado, Apple, Fennel, Cayenne & Lemon
I absolutely love this healthy treat after yoga or a hike and it keeps my body happy. If you are looking for truly sustainable snack to help you maintain your energy even in the deep heat of summer, this might be just the thing for you.
We are so happy to have our dear friend and colleague Amy Jo Gengler of Flourish Boston share her 5 Tips on Making the Perfect Green Smoothie to get you started and expand your repertoire of options in your post-yoga snack. Amy Jo is a true nutritional master and Chinese Medicine Practitioner and I have never tasted anything she created that I didn't like, so it is my pleasure to have her contribution on our site.
Check out her tips, and please add your questions and favourite combinations to the comment section below!
5 Tips on Making the Perfect Green Smoothie
by Amy Jo Gengler of Flourish Boston
Photo by Sarah Cairncross 1. Use organic ingredients.2. Use organic kale as your base. Kale will provide a nutrient dense foundation that is full of fiber & antioxidants. You can also add spinach, chard, beet tops, or other greens you have in the fridge or garden.
3. Add nutrient dense items such as chia seeds, powdered greens, spirulina, coconut butter, high quality cocoa or goji berries.
4. Watch your fruit & fruit juice content. It’s good to add a little fruit to balance the bitter taste of the greens, but fruits like bananas, dates, oranges/orange juice, can be too sugary or cloying, making it hard on your pancreas, and also hard to digest. Instead, opt for organic apple, pear, papaya, berries or small amounts of peach, mango, or nectarine.
5. Invest in a good machine. Invest in a blender that has a good, strong motor—also known as ‘high-wattage’. We bought a Vitamix Pro 750 last year, and it has changed my life. If you need to save up for such an investment (you won’t regret it, I promise!!), look into Breville, Omega, or Hamilton Beach for a 750-watt blender.
Basic Smoothie Composition:
Greens: Kale, Spinach, Chard, Beet Tops, Collards, Watercress, Arugula.
Mild Veggies: Fennel Bulb, Cucumber, Celery, Avocado.
Fruit: Apple, Pear, Fresh or Frozen Berries, Apricot, Peach, Mango, Nectarine, Cantaloupe, Cherry, Kiwi.
Protein: Sunflower Seed Butter, Almond Butter, Chia Seeds, Nuts & Seeds.
Liquid: Coconut Milk, Almond Milk (unsweetened), Kombucha, Filtered Water.
Add-Ins: Chia Seeds, Flax Seeds (good for constipation), Powdered Greens, Spirulina or other Algae’s, Wheat Grass, Hemp Seeds, Cocoa Nibs, Raw Cocoa, Goji Berries, Coconut Butter, Matcha, Herbs & Spices.
A Few Favourite Combinations:
Cocoa Nibs & Cherries
Strawberry, Cocoa & Almond Butter
Mango-Coconut-Cardamom
Peach-Coconut-Cinnamon
Apricot-Ginger
Avocado, Apple, Fennel, Cayenne & Lemon
