Start Your Day Right Smoothies

 Good morning, friends!  I thought today I’d let you in on one of my favorite “secrets” to improving your health and feeling great all day–green smoothies.

I can’t even tell you what a difference it makes in my whole day when I begin it with a green smoothie. I’m happier, I have more energy, my mind is focused and clear and I’m far less likely to make poor food choices throughout the rest of day. If I don’t take time to have a smoothie with breakfast or AS my breakfast, it’s bad news for the rest of the day. I’m more likely to be tired and crabby, I have less energy, I’m more prone to brain fog and I’m much more likely to give in to cravings and snack on unhealthy food choices which make me feel even worse. It starts a bad downward spiral for the day.

How, you might be asking, can one tiny little habit like a morning green smoothie do ALL of this?

Smoothies are packed with nutrients. Most nutrition experts currently recommend that we eat at least 9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, which isn’t always easy.  I work hard at it and I don’t always achieve this. Unless I start my day with a green smoothie that gets in 4-6 servings right off the bat. These phytonutrients, especially first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, go straight into your blood stream and fuel every single cell in your body. Your body will say: “Yes!  Thank you!!  THIS is the fuel I need to perform my very best and feel great today.”  No really, it will. You can almost hear it.

Imagine what would happen if I filled my car up with Diet Coke or Gatorade instead of gasoline. You would look at me and think, “You idiot. No wonder your car won’t start.” And yet that’s exactly what we do with our bodies. We try to fuel our bodies with sugar and processed junk and then we wonder why they don’t run well.  Why we don’t feel good and why we, as individuals and as a society, are getting sicker and sicker.

A recent study validated my own personal green smoothie experience, finding that in addition to all of the other amazing short and long term health benefits, people who eat more fruits and vegetables are actually happier and have greater psychological well-being!

Smoothies are high in fiber, but partially-digested (the blender does some of the work for you) so it’s easy on your digestive system. And all of this fiber keeps things moving. Did you know you should have at least 2 bowel movements per day?  (Sorry, but it’s really important!)  This helps you avoid bloating, gas and constipation, which gives you a flat tummy and helps you feel great. And when your elimination system is working properly, it is promptly removing toxins that make you feel bad and cause inflammation and harm to your health. This is a critical part of your body’s detoxification, or “garbage removal” system.  Smoothies literally help move toxic waste from your waist.

I always add 2 tablespoons of good fat to my smoothies. Coconut oil, flax oil, flax seeds, chia seeds, avocado or a nut butter. It’s a great way to get in those brain-boosting and oh-so-important Omega-3 fatty acids. Healthy fats are essential because every single cell in our body uses them for energy. Your body doesn’t store good fats, a healthy balanced body burns good fats for energy. (Sugar and simple carbs are actually what your body primarily stores as fat.) Healthy fats are released slowly into your bloodstream, giving you sustained energy. And healthy fats make our foods taste better and more satisfying.  If you’re trying to loose weight, sipping on a smoothie for breakfast and throughout the morning as a snack is a great way to satisfy your hunger and nutritional needs without a lot of calories.

So, here are my favorite Start Your Day Out Right Smoothies. These are the recipes I recommend for green smoothie beginners because they’re mild tasting, delicious and kid-friendly. If you already love green smoothies, or as you acquire a taste for them, you should up the nutritional value even more by adding stronger greens like chard, kale, collards and dandelion greens and using more vegetables and less fruit.

Try it every day for a week and see if it revolutionizes your day!  I’d love to hear what you think if you do!  And if you have a favorite green smoothie recipe please share in the comments!