Green smoothies

by Debra Garner
Guest blogger

The holiday season is upon us. For many the calendars are already filling up with dinner parties, office parties, family gatherings, lunch dates after shopping trips. How do you stay healthy during this busy season? My answer . . . Green Smoothies. I believe that green smoothies should be an addition to everyone’s diet. I start my day with one quart of green smoothie every day. Not only does it keep me healthy during the cold and flu season but it gives me energy and helps me to keep my weight under control (and during the holiday season this is important).

In spite of all the spinach, this smoothie is not green.

My advice to everyone is that on those days when you will be going to a dinner party and you want to partake in all the goodies, then start your day with one quart of green smoothie and have a big salad for lunch. If you are hungry between meals, eat an apple or a handful of raw almonds. Make sure you are not starving — eat enough during the day, but make it a veggie and fruit day until you get to dinner. Then you can enjoy yourself at dinner. Another tip is to take little bits of all you would like to have. Seriously — one or two bites of each item if there is a variety of food items that catch your eye. Only make one trip to the food table for savory foods and one for desserts — and if more desserts catch your eye than savory then eat less of the savory dishes (aren’t you glad you ate so much fruits and veggies during the day?) so that you can enjoy the desserts completely.

All other days start with a green smoothie and eat “real” unproccessed foods the rest of the day. This will keep you healthy through the holiday season.

My favorite “Green Smoothie”
3-4 cups of raw baby spinach washed well
3.5 bananas
1.5 cups frozen blueberries
1.5 cups of frozen strawberries
water

Put spinach in blender with enough water to blend it. Add bananas, blueberries and strawberries and enough water to fill blender (after fruit has been added). Blend well. If not sweet enough add other half of banana. This recipe makes a whole blender full of smoothie.

There are many recipes online for green smoothies- sweet and savory. Do a google search and try a few different recipes.

Happy Holidays!

Debra is a stay at home mom of seven children whom she homeschools. She is a former vegan who now enjoys locally raised organic animal products. She uses her knowledge as a certified raw food chef as a tool to teach others how to get more fruits and veggies into their meat/dairy based diets. She is also a weaver. You can find her shawls and more information about her life at home, product reviews, recipes and more at http://myvintagehome.com