I thought I would share with you how to make an easy healthy smoothie, since I am beginning my weight loss and better health journey today in earnest. I am about to give you some easy fruit smoothie recipes–actually a fruit and greens smoothie recipe that can be changed into any number of recipes to fit your tastes and the ingredients you have on hand.  Also, eating a variety of healthy foods helps insure that you are ingesting a variety of needed nutrients.

(I am basically going to be following Yuri Elkaim’s Eating for Energy program. I will be adding some probiotic foods, including milk kefir, because I am using these to rebuild my gut health.  The Eating for Energy program focuses on eating 80% or more raw foods as well as moderate exercise and other healthy lifestyle practices. Its goal is to enable you to become healthier and gain more energy while losing weight, if needed. It includes over 40 smoothie and juice recipes. I will be documenting my progress as I go through the program. The last time I lost a significant amount of weight, I used this program. I sure wish I had kept it up then, but I am determined to make this a permanent lifestyle change for my better health.)

Smoothies

Smoothies are a great way to include many healthy fruits, vegetables, and other health-promoting foods into your diet.  Smoothies taste great, are usually low in calories and high in fiber and nutrients, and are very filling. You can consume many more raw fruits and vegetables in a smoothie than you can by just eating them.  All of these  smoothie benefits are great for both your health and for weight loss.

You want to make sure the largest proportion of your smoothie is made up of raw fruits and vegetables with a healthy amount of one or more green, leafy vegetables. Then you can add other ingredients for extra nutrition, added fiber, and taste. Some ingredients, such as flax seed meal, hemp seeds (hemp hearts), and chia seeds, add thickness and some creaminess.  Avocado also adds creaminess to smoothies. A small amount of avocado is all that is needed.  Although is is high in healthy fat, it still adds extra calories. A handful of raw nuts can also add some creaminess. I like to add some milk kefir (made from raw goat milk) for the probiotic benefits, but you could substitute other probiotic foods such as water kefir or kombucha. Don’t forget some sprouts, too, which are fresher than any produce you buy in the store, as long as you make them yourself.

The Basic Recipe that I Used Today

Ingredients:

1/2 mango

1 banana

1/2 carrot

1/4″ slice of raw beet

1 and 1/2 cups leafy greens (combination of spinach and leaf lettuce) [I usually use about double this amount.]

1/4 cup of clover sprouts

1/4 cup raw goat kefir

1 tbsp. ground flax seed

1 and 1/2 tbsp. hemp seeds

1/4 cup water

2 drops of liquid stevia

1/2 tsp. erythratol

about 10 ice cubes

Directions:

This makes about 2 to 3 cups of smoothie, depending on how thin you make it.

1. Place all ingredients into a VitaMix or other high-speed blender container.  If not using a high-speed blender, make sure to cut all pieces very small, especially the hard ones like carrot and beet. Add softer ingredients first and greens last. The liquids will run down to the bottom to help the blending process get started.
2. Blend all ingredients, except ice until smooth.  Add ice cubes and blend until smooth.  These will cool the smoothie and thin it down to a drinkable consistency. Add more water if it is still too thick.
3. It is best to make and drink this right away, but you can make extra and drink it within 24 hours.  It is most nutritious when first prepared.

 

Variations:

• Substitute any fresh or frozen fruits. Be sure to eat a variety over time in order to get a variety of nutrients.
• Substitute any other fresh vegetables, leafy greens, and sprouts. Be sure to eat a variety over time.
• Add or substitute any other raw seeds and/or nuts.
• Substitute another probiotic ingredient, such as yogurt, kombucha, water kefir, or even fermented vegetables (or leave it out).
• Add other superfoods, such as goji berries, greens powder, maca powder, or others you desire.
• Add other ingredients for taste, such as cinnamon, coconut, cacao powder, coconut wate ror milk, etc.
• The sky is the limit with different combinations.  Use what you like, but do eat a variety of foods over time.
• Substitute other liquids for some of the water, but watch your calories if you are trying to lose weight.
• Use any healthy sweetener of your choice, or leave them out. (Please avoid artifical sweeteners such as aspartame. acesulfame potassium, and sucralose, as they are very toxic to our bodies. Research them to find out more.)
• Leave out or substitute ingredients that you are allergic to.
• If using a written recipe, feel free to substitute and/or leave out ingredients according to your taste or what you have on hand.

Possible leafy greens include any kind of leafy lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, kale, dandelion greens, collard greens. You may use any sprouted seed, grain, or legume. Sprouted or at least soaked nuts are healthiest, because soaking removes the enzyme inhibitors that make them more difficult to digest.  Sprouting increases the nutritional value of seeds, grains, legumes, and nuts.

When to Drink Smoothies

You can drink smoothies at any time of day.  They are great for breakfast, especially if you need a breakfast to take with you on the way to work.  They also make a great snack because they are nutrient dense, full of fiber, and low in calories. The more vegetables and greens you use, the lower the calorie count. You can also use them as a meal replacement or as part of a meal.  They are very versatile.  You can even make them with a little more fruit or using a combination like banana with cacao to make a dessert smoothie that is healthy.  Just experiment.  The only way you can do it wrong is by not making them.

Please comment below and tell me what your favorite smoothie or smoothie ingredient is. Also comment on weight loss issues.  Please feel free to leave other comments or questions, too. Let me know if there is a topic you would like for me to address.

Thank you for stopping by!  Have a fantastic day!