Posts Tagged ‘spinach’

Beet Greens and Baby Spinach: Recipes from the 3-Day Green Smoothie Challenge

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010 by stacey

banangoberry blast green smoothieMy name is Tanya and I read about the Green Smoothie Queen for the first time on the Raw Diva’s website.

Now I have to say I was more sucessful with the 3 day challenge than with the first challenge I with the Raw Diva 7-day detox I did.  (heheh… Unfortunately I had a few slip ups my first time around, but it got things in motion!)  It has been an interesting process incorporating more raw foods and yummy green smoothies into my diet.

My boys (5 and 3) are very accepting and willing to try the smoothies (even the not so tasty ones).  Even my husband has also joined me on my journey, so I am very excited that this may work!   Since the Raw Diva challenge three weeks ago,  I have planted a garden for fresh produce and I’m making small changes daily.  I know myself and if I go totally whole banana, I (more…)

10 Reasons Why You Should Eat Spinach at All Ages and Stages!

Monday, July 19th, 2010 by stacey

- by Zannie Rose

spinach - healthy for all ages

One of my early food  memories is helping my grandmother in her kitchen by popping pea pods and collecting the peas in her colander. At home, we had boiled carrots and tinned peas, at school we had over cooked cabbage  and at my auntie’s I discovered the more exotic kidney bean.

Nowhere did spinach feature on the menu. The closest I got to spinach was watching Popeye. Even when I lived in  a vegetarian household in my 20’s where we shared an evening meal, spinach never appeared. With all its health benefits, it is a wonder I got this far in life without major problems due to insufficient consumption in the first half of my life! (more…)

The “Green” on Spinach: History, Use, Benefits, and Nutrition!

Thursday, May 13th, 2010 by stacey

- by Echo

spinach - history nutrition benefits

Green history of spinach

Spinach, the Queen of the garden patch, is an original vegetable of the East and many believe its origins to be from Persia. Spinach grew wild in Europe, where it was appreciated for its medicinal characteristics; however, it was the Arabs who introduced the cultivation of spinach in Europe around 1000 BC. (more…)

Green Smoothie Video - Orange Apricot Yum!

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 by stacey

Here is a submission from one of our FREE 3-Day Green Smoothie Mini-Course Graduates, where we feature the original green smoothie recipes from our community of slurpers! Debra opted to send us a video rather than a photo, and we hope you enjoy!

Orange Apricot Yum!

By Dr. Debra Tibbitts
(makes about 32 ounces)

Ingredients:

  • 3 oranges
  • 4 apricots
  • 3/4 cup water

Directions:

Blend… and then add:

  • 2 large leaves of kale
  • 1 handful baby spinach (optional)

Blend again.  This is one of my favorite green smoothies!

Day 2 Green Smoothie Testimonials - You Like Me! You Really Like Me!!

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 by stacey

I’m soooo looking forward to sending out diplomas to all the green graduates who complete our 3-Day Green Smoothie Mini-Course practicum when they share with us their own experiments and photos of their green smoothie creations.  Once they’re submitted, I’m going to create a new page on our website dedicated just to those… AND the great thing about it will be that we share more fantastic and free green smoothie recipes with the world!

And I happened to pop into the Emerald Lounge a few minutes ago, and I saw even more great posts!  I’m so flattered and pleased by the positive response so far!  And I hope all those bodies out there are humming with green energy and optimism!  I myself am on a high that I think involves a lot of gratitude… gratitude that I can spend my days doing work I love and that makes other people feel better and positive.  It’s WIN WIN!!

And though there are dozens of great posts to choose from, I hope you don’t mind if I select a couple from our Day 2 live program to share with you:

My name is Julie. This is my second Green Smoothie class! I LOVE all of the BEAUTIFUL art work on the Green Smoothie Queens/Raw Divas colorful web pages, E-letters and E-books! (Art work is very inspiring!) I find the Queens and Divas to be very enthusiastic, offering such wisdom/logic and encouragement! The Queens and Divas offer SO MUCH information - we simply cannot fail!!! This is a wonderful web site!

Looking forward to joining the group this time around and getting on the Green Smoothie bandwagon full time! I am a Vegan, but would like to drink more Green Smoothies, lose some pounds, and learn more about raw foods.

I made a big “Green” jug up yesterday morning and another jug last night — to be ready and waiting for me this morning!

I had a big glass for breakfast. Then my husband and I left on errands all morning. It was LATE afternoon when we returned home. As soon as we returned home, thinking it would not take long, my husband made a business call to try to straighten out some red tape! He was put on hold for 30 minutes and I know he was very, very hungry by this time! I quick poured him a glass of my Green Smoothie and he commented how refreshing the drink was! He asked for a second glass while he was on hold! …Looks like my husband will now be on the GREEN SMOOTHIE QUEEN’S program with me!

Julie

I’m so glad Julie that you find us as beautiful on the outside as we feel on the inside around here.  And I’m tickled you have your husband receptive to green smoothies!  It’s always just a matter of getting people to try them… really…

Hi, Stephanie here.

Our day 2 smoothie was:

  • mesclun, arugula, raddicchio lettuces (1 cup packed)
  • 2 stalks of celery
  • spinach (3/4 cup frozen, drained)
  • 1 carrot
  • pineapple (1/2 cup fresh)
  • strawberries (3/4 cup frozen we had picked this summer)
  • flax (ground, 3-4 Tbsp.)

I had this with the kids around our regular dinnertime, which was great because they were filled up enough that when my husband got home from work I was able to pour him our latest smoothie and my 7-year old was beaming with pride about the creation & couldn’t wait for his Dad to try it. The kids played while we had a chance to chat. Later that night, both boys wanted toast (whole grain) with some of the natural peanut butter we use.

It is hard to find great produce in the northeast during winter, which is why I use frozen veggies, at times, and why we stock up on the fruits we pick during summer and freeze those. Wish we had a Trader Joe’s closer! There are small, independent natural food stores ‘growing’ all around us, but the selection isn’t always great nor is the pricing.

I am enjoying this greatly and moving onto the 10-day challenge. I can see how this small change has the “ripple effect” the Queen speaks of; how it will overflow into other aspects of our life. I was able to reconnect with my husband when he got home. Some nights prior to our new lifestyle, I would’ve been flying around the kitchen, making sure the carnivores had their meat timed to be warm with the starchy side-dish. And, the vegetables would’ve been an afterthought, like, how quick can I throw together a salad before everything cools, or throw some veggie mix in the microwave in a plastic bag (cringe!) just to alleviate my own guilt and be able to say I served something green. (cringe, again!)

I have always liked my greens, but felt outnumbered with what the three guys in my life would expect as a meal and have struggled to get any one of them to like (and eat) the greens they need. The Smoothie Challenge has changed that dynamic and we all are looking much closer as what we eat and are paying attention to our bodies’ needs.

Thank you to all of you that work so hard at Green Smoothie Queen. What a concept! Really give someone something for free and I do believe you are the one that receives in the end. I will do my part to spread “the ripple effect” likewise. And, I agree with the other posts- your graphic design & artwork is inspiring on top of already being wonderful in of itself in concept.

Thanks once again green-team!

Stephanie

Stephanie, I’m grateful to maximize your green ripples by sharing your words and your recipe with our green smoothie community at large.  And you made so many important points.  Sometimes, there are so, so many of us flying around kitchens looking after others it takes a real effort to just step aside from the busy lives that we lead and just give some quiet attention to where we’re at with our lifestyle.  How often do we take the time to just put something in our mouth and savor it for a moment before we consume it?

And when families can decide together what kind of health they want for themselves and their future, it’s very empowering.  We have some great information coming up in the 10-Day Challenge about some great approaches to take with your family and children!  We want to build on the basics and provide more knowledge for you to make the best choices for your circumstances.

Of course, even though this is the last day of our live 3-Day Green Smoothie Mini-Course, the program, my Green Team, and I are all here to stay and we’ll continue to share recipes, testimonials, and answer questions on the blog.  So I hope you’ll spread the word!

Wrapping you in kale hugs and sending cilantro smooches,

Your Grateful Green Smoothie Queen

Green Smoothie Valentine - Day 4 - Affairs of the Heart

Thursday, February 11th, 2010 by stacey

I want something for you, for all of you.  And for me.  I want you to know how tired you were, how confused you were, how sick and tired you were of being sick and tired.  I want you to raise a glass of greens each day and take your health back into your own hands.  And then you’ll know the difference.  That’s what I dream of…


- by  Kate Nicholson

Well, I hope you revelled in your massage and shower yesterday.  Speaking of water, drink plenty of it to plump up your skin and keep your brain functioning optimally.  Dehydration causes tiredness and low mood.

And dream today.  Dream, dream, dream…  Spend some time thinking about your ideal life.  Grab a pen and notebook and jot down some ideas.  Cut out some pictures from magazines to inspire you.  As Lao Tzu, the godfather of Taoism, said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”  So what can you do to begin to make your dreams come true?  Take that first step now!  Don’t put it off any longer.

Day 4.

Put your heart into your dreams…

Affairs of the Heart Smoothie

Ingredients:

  • coconut water - to taste
  • 1 mango peeled and sliced from the pit
  • 2 - 3 handfuls of spinach

Directions:

Blend and enjoy blissfully.  Then take a step to follow the path of your heart.

Who Needs Botox?

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 by stacey

- by Kate Nicholson

Woo-hoo! Met up with a friend last week that I haven’t seen for a while. She wanted to know what I’ve been doing to myself ‘as I look ten years younger’! So I pointed her in the direction of our brilliant Green Smoothie Queen site. So Chris, if you’re reading this - thanks for the wonderful compliment and here’s the reason for my new glow!

For all those of you out there who, like me, have been seeing the odd wrinkle and grey hair appear, I’ve been looking at some anti-aging ingredients for smoothies.

First up, there are blueberries. According to http://www.beautynhealthytips4u.com, they are rich in anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which make them great for preventing premature ageing and the onset of wrinkles.

Blueberries are also cited by Dr Nicholas Perricone (the anti-aging expert) as a superfood. And surprisingly, he recommends the humble apple for its phytonutrients and the quercetin (an anti-oxidant) it contains, for beauty and health.  Of course, Dr Perricone extols the virtues of dark leafy greens such as kale, spinach, and broccoli (we all know already how wonderful they are!) as great for helping the skin to block the sunlight-induced inflammation which leads to wrinkles.

He also writes that asparagus may help prevent broken capillaries due to the large amounts of the bioflavonoid rutin that it contains. Now I haven’t tried asparagus tips in a smoothie, so if anyone has, I’d love to hear what it’s like!

So play around, fellow green-smoothie drinkers, and let us know any good recipes and any tips for natural anti-aging strategies. (I like to do half an hour’s yoga before making my smoothie. The combination of yoga and the pure, wholesome goodness of the green smoothie keep me serene and frown-free all day).

“Our food choices ensure that our skin will look youthful, supple and radiant,” says Dr Perricone. Hear, hear, I second that!

***

Shushma. (2009).  Health and beauty with blueberries. Retrieved January 25, 2010, from  http://www.beautynhealthytips4u.com/2009/04/health-and-beauty-with-blueberries.html

Steintrager, M. Top ten foods for beauty and health.  Retrieved January 25, 2010, from http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/healthy/nutritiousdishes/beautyfood

The Popeye Punch!

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 by stacey

by Kate Nicholson

As a long-term vegetarian, I’ve suffered from chronic mild anaemia for the last ten years or so. It wasn’t until I switched to a raw vegan diet at the end of last year that my iron levels rocketed from a low-energy haemoglobin level of 10.4 to a ‘got to take the stairs at a run ‘cos I’ve got so much energy‘ 13.7!).  I’m attributing this to a regular intake of my favourite green smoothie - the Popeye Punch!

The Popeye Punch

(By Kate Nicholson)

1 cup of mixed organic berries
1 organic Fairtrade banana
2 handfuls of organic spinach
1 handful of organic parsley
1 tsp spirulina
filtered water to top up
splash of Agave (optional)

The vitamin C rich berries enhance the absorption of the bio-available iron from the spinach. There’s also a host of other health benefits to be gained from this delicious refreshing smoothie - spinach maintains good eyesight by helping to prevent age-related macula degeneration, and also protects against cancer and heart disease.

Bananas contain the mood-enhancer tryptophan and as Fairtrade bananas ensure better wages and working conditions for plantation workers (which consequently has a beneficial knock-on effect for their families) every one benefits! Karma points!

Enjoy!

References:

Adnani, S.  Health benefits of spinach.  Retrieved from

http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/health-benefits-of-spinach.html

Warm Your Winter Nights!

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009 by admin

As the nights are drawing in, (it’s dark here by 4:00pm here aaagh!), sometimes the thought of an early evening juice just doesn’t have the same appeal as it does on those fabulous summer evenings.

This recipe looks to remedy this. It is perfect when you feel a little chilly, or in need of a comforting hug as you curl up in front of the fire. The addition of cinnamon really transforms a simple smoothie to complete other level.

Winter Punch Smoothie

Juice:

2 apples

1 carrot

2 oranges, peeled

½ lemon with skin

Transfer to blender and add:

Cinnamon to taste (I used 2 sticks – but then I’m a mega cinnamon fan!)

1 banana

Handful of spinach (add more if you wish)

And blend!!!

This is absolutely fabulous as it is really comforting on cold winter nights. Enjoy!

Lisa Simpson of Raw Liberty

Missing the summer heat? Warm yourself with…

Monday, November 23rd, 2009 by admin

A Sunshine Smoothie!!!

I’m just loving playing around with my juicer and blender at the moment, creating fabulously delicious smoothies from my juices, which makes them more filling and sustaining at a time of year when our bodies need more nourishment. This morning I was woken by howling winds and rain pounding on the windows – not a good start to the day! I’m seriously craving sunshine; not just for its warmth, but also its colour. This provided the inspiration for today’s juice/smoothie recipes.

Warming Sunshine Juice

4 carrots

2 oranges

2cm of fresh ginger (or more if you’re craving extra warmth!)

Juice all ingredients and savour – a beautiful orange colour with warmth provided by the ginger!

Warming Sunshine Smoothie

Take the juice above and blend with

lisawarmingsmoothie

2 bananas

2 sharon fruit

Eat with a spoon from your favourite glass, and dream of sunshine!

Warming Green Sunshine Smoothie

Take the smoothie above and blend with a large handful of your favourite greens – I used spinach.

Top with some of the leftover juice for a fancier appearance, and to retain some of that summer glow! Reminds me of summer sun over green fields!

Curl up and enjoy! Mmmmm!

Lisa Simpson of Raw Liberty