Green Drinks Are Golden For Your Health

Green Drinks = Gold

Remember the story by Dr. Seuss, Green Eggs and Ham?  There is Sam, and his friend…at least I think he was Sam’s friend.  If he wasn’t his friend, then Sam was a very creepy neighbor… In any case, Sam invites his “friend” to eat green eggs and ham.  Sam follows his friend many places and puts many possible ways and places to eat green eggs and ham; in a box, with a fox, in a house, with a mouse…yet Sam is rejected multiple times.

Finally as one last plea, while in the water says “You do not like them, so you say.  Try them! Try them! And you may, I say!”  And so Sam’s friend tried them.  And he then found that he LOVED green eggs and ham so much that he was then willing to eat them in a box, with a fox, in a house, with a mouse…

This is my recipe for The Ultimate Green Drink.

(I prefer to have all of the ingredients organic because they taste better and it ensures that you aren’t eating foods that have been genetically modified or have pesticides. That is just my preference, but isn’t necessary.)

• 1-2 handfulls of Organic Spinach
• 3 leaves of Organic Kale – or – 1 handful of Organic Baby Kale
• 1/2 avocado
• 1 orange
• 1 mango
• 1 apple
• 1 frozen banana (this helps make the drink thicker)
• 1 handful of strawberries
• 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1-2 organic free-range raw eggs

I add about 1 cup rice milk and 1/2 cup water to help get things blended.  I sometimes add 1-2 cups of ice to make the drink a bit better consistency.  I ALWAYS add the eggs after everything else has been blended.  I found that if you add the egg early then it makes the drink too frothy.

If you would like, or if you can handle it, consider decreasing the amount of fruit that you put in your green drink.  I put all of that fruit in there so that my kids drink it too, and I’m happy to say that they ASK for green drink.  You can also add other greens, like chard or swiss chard, but do NOT add mustard greens or you may want to punch yourself in the face after one sip.

NUTRIENTS GALORE

Kale – Kale contains fiber and antioxidants, and is an amazing source of vitamin A, which promotes eye and skin health.  Furthermore, it helps strengthen your immune system.  One cup of kale has as much vitamin-C as an orange, and the calcium equivalent of a cup of milk.  Kale contains 9 of the 9 essential amino acids that form the proteins within the our bodies (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine).  Other nutrients include: vitamin-B, iron, indole-3-carbinol (protects against colon cancer), and both lutein and zeaxanthin which help protect against macular degeneration.  (See THIS article for more bragging about kale)

Spinach – If it was good enough for Popeye, it’s good enough for me!  In all seriousness, spinach has vitamin k, which is essential in keeping your cardiovascular system healthy and maintaining strong bones.  It also has manganese and copper (which help with the regulation of antioxidants), magnesium, zinc (which helps in growth and development, sperm generation, and digestion), and finally Omega-3 fatty acids.  Yep, spinach has fat!  Oh my goodness, FAT, run away!!  Forget it.  You need this stuff.

Organic Raw Egg – Eggs have 9 essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein), vitamin B12 (helps increase energy levels), choline (assists in brain and nervous system health), and proteins that help improve your immune system.  The proteins also repair your organs, muscles, and skin.  Eggs are best consumed  raw.  The protein in the egg changes when the egg is cooked.  This change of protein shape can cause allergies.  If you feel you have been allergic to eggs, try eating raw eggs and you will find that your allergy disappears.  I know this because I am allergic to eggs when they are cooked (my head starts to hurt a little and my mind feels a bit fuzzy), but when I eat them raw I don’t have any of those symptoms.

Avocados – Avocados are amazing!  They have about 20 essential health promoting nutrients, some of which are fiber, vitamin E, Potassium (2x the amount of a single banana), and folic acid.  Don’t fall into the myth that the fat content in avocados is bad for you.  It’s simply not true.

And so you have it!  While you may be hesitant to try a green drink, I think you will find in the end that you love them.  So lets skip the hesitation and get to it!

If you have any questions, feel free to comment below, or find us on Facebook and start a discussion there.

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