Smoothie extravaganza!

It’s day 8 of  31 Days of Healthy Ways to Enjoy the Holidays More.  Hopefully, you are in fact, finding ways to enjoy the holiday season more!  Before we get to the tip for day 8, here’s a little refresher of our first week’s tips:

1.  Schedule time for self care
2.  Do something nice for someone else, every day
3.  Say Yes to the Holiday Parties that you want to go to, say no to the rest
4.  Commit to movement twice a week
5.  Indulge a little
6.  Cook healthy once a week
7.  Be okay with doing less

Don’t fret if you haven’t been able to do all of these.  It’s okay to work them in over the month.  Small changes make a big difference over time!

Okay, back to the tip for Day 8.  Cultivate a green smoothie habit.

You’re weirded out by green smoothies, I know. Look.  They all lie.  Your green smoothie doesn’t actually have to be green.  It just has to be mostly vegetables.  One of my favorite nongreen smoothies to make is a bold bright red one.  It’s 1 peeled beet,  a big handful of parsley, 1 carrot, 2 stalks of celery, 1 tsp cinnamon, a few green leaves (dandelion or kale) some fruit (a few grapes, a banana OR a green apple) a little water and 1tbsp sunflower seed butter.  Blend away.  It’s sweet, creamy, has a nice balance of protein and fat and it’s incredibly energizing.

Why get drinking the “green” smoothies?  Your skin will be clearer, your waistline slimmer, your cells nourished and energized.  They’re especially helpful during a busy time like the holidays when we may not be getting the best nutrition.  Starting your day with a glass of pureed vegetables and fruit ensures that you at least get a serving of veggies in before you are tempted by something at the drive through.  They’re also great for giving your digestive system a little break.  If you’ve been a little too indulgent lately, a smoothie first thing in the morning is like a little refreshing shower for your hard working organs.

If you have a blender, experiment!  I like to do what I call “Cleaning out the Fridge Smoothie”.  Any veggie or fruit in the fridge that needs to go (half of a napa cabbage? cherries? soaked almonds? omg, amazing!), toss it in and see what you can come up with.  Dark Greens are going to add a earthier, more bitter taste so if you aren’t used to them, it’s best to go slowly adding them in.  Over time, you’ll find you need less sweet stuff in your smoothie and you’ll feel comfortable adding in the nutrient rich dark veggies!

For some great smoothie & juice recipes, check out Organic Eats online magazine.  You can get a free subscription and they have lots of fun recipes to try.