health and wellbeing

3 clean green smoothie recipes

posted on: July 14, 2016

by: Ceres Organics

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Did you know you can fit up to half a kilo of green vegetables in one green smoothie? That’s a lot of nutrients, and one very happy body.

 

Smoothies are a super simple way to eat more greens. No matter how busy you are, if you’ve got the basic building blocks you can blend one up in five. We’ve got 3 green smoothie recipes, one for glowing skin, another to detox your body and a third that is fibre loaded – the cleanser. Blend, because you’re worth it!

Get glowing skin

This green smoothie recipe is loaded with skin foods – rich in vitamin A, vitamin E and vitamin C, zinc and antioxidants. Getting your greens can also help minimise inflammation and other skin related issues.

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cucumber
  • handful of spinach
  • handful of kale
  • ½ grapefruit
  • ½ inch piece of fresh ginger
  • mint, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon Ceres Organics Ground Flaxseed
  • 1 cup ice

 

Blend all ingredients on high until creamy.

Hydrate and replenish

Water is essential, and many of us don’t get enough of it. We really should be able to down around 2.5 litres a day - and no this doesn’t include the water in coffee, and let’s be honest we’re probably not getting enough.

 

There are loads of benefits in eating your water – cellular water found in vegetables and if you want to know more about that, check this blog post out here.

 

Unfortunately, water doesn’t taste as great as kombucha but smoothies made with water can. Your body will thank you for it. Go ahead and give this replenishing smoothie recipe a go.

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1-2 cups water
  • 2-3 celery stalks
  • 1 cucumber
  • ½ lemon
  • ½ lime
  • handful of spinach or kale
  • handful of lettuce
  • ½ inch piece of fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon Chia Seed
  • 1 tbsp Organic Spirulina Powder
  • 1 cup of ice

 

Blend everything until smooth. Done.

Detoxify

All your green veggies are loaded with something called chlorophyll, and chlorophyll rids the body of environmental toxins, heavy metals, herbicides, and pesticides. Essentially it is nature’s detoxifier.

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 frozen banana or a handful of frozen broccoli
  • ½ cup low GI fruit like mango or pineapple
  • ½ avocado
  • 2 handfuls fresh spinach
  • small handful of basil
  • ¼ cup almond milk or just water
  • 1 tablespoon Ceres Organics Ground Flaxseed

 

Blend everything until smooth.

Green smoothies can improve your digestion

Of course there are loads of other reasons as to why you would want to get more greens in you. Besides a more efficient bowel, hitting your daily fibre requirements – daily, can also reduce the risk of stroke, hypertension, and heart disease.

 

Beyond fibre, more recently research published in Nature Immunology suggests greens could play an important role in controlling immune cells vital to a healthy digestive system.

And provide antioxidant support

Apart from the chlorophyll content – which is also an antioxidant, green leafy vegetables also contain many other antioxidant properties and so additional health benefits.

 

Reason why you’d want more antioxidants in your life is that these compounds protect your body from free radical damage. Free radical damage creates unstable molecules within your body’s cells, and this leads to things like ageing and disease – which no one wants. Smoothies are a super convenient way to cram in loads of antioxidants. For more inspiration, check these out.

Limit the fruit and where possible opt for low GI fruits

If you’re starting out and a bit overwhelmed by the taste of pungent or bitter greens, halve the amount and substitute with low GI fruits until you work up your tolerance. Spinach is probably going to be your best bet for a more tolerable green to begin.

 

Low GI fruits include apples, pears, grapefruit, kiwi, oranges, strawberries and plums, while medium GI fruits include bananas, mangoes, papaya and pineapple, to name a few.

Load up on the alkalising greens

If you want your smoothie to be healthy, make your alkalizing greens the main event – over half your smoothie. Get them in, mask them with some of the low to medium GI fruits above.

 

Alkalising greens include, kale, collards, chard, lettuce, spinach, arugula and all other leafy greens qualify. Other alkaline green vegetable options would include celery, cucumbers and frozen broccoli in place of banana if you’re watching your sugar content.

Wing it and create your own smoothie recipes

Most of all, make sure you get lots of green in your smoothies -- leafy greens, alkalising vegetables, and where possible extras like chlorella and spirulina. Go forth and blend!