BOOST YOUR ENERGY NATURALLY BY DRINKING FRUIT AND VEGGIE SMOOTHIES
Been feeling a bit sluggish and out of sorts lately? Naturally increase energy by adding fruit and vegetable smoothies to your daily diet.
That’s right…DAILY diet!
These elixirs of life are natural energy boosters. They are a great way to incorporate healthier eating habits when you just. don’t. want. to. chew. a-no-ther. carrot. or. cucumber.
I understand. I’ve been there! Still there, at times! ;)
However, the truth is that fruits and vegetables contain valuable nutrients that are vital to our overall health and well-being. And consuming veggie and fruit smoothies are an easy way to get more natural vitamins and minerals into our bodies.
Now, before you run away screaming “yuck!” at the thought of consuming liquefied vegetables by the glassful, consider their extreme health benefits:
You’ll ingest NATURAL vs. synthetic vitamins and minerals. These vitamins and minerals provide well-needed energy.
Your body will assimilate the natural nutrients much better than synthetic energy supplements.
Because their liquefied, the nutrients enter your bloodstream very quickly. The juices will nourish you, even down to the cellular level.
Veggie smoothies will help flush harmful toxins out of your body. They are faster to consume than chewing…just chug them! Once it’s in your body, it does you a world of good....BUT...you should eat a fresh piece of WHOLE fruit while drinking your smoothie for optimum digestion.
The reason is that when you actually CHEW your food (vs just drinking smoothies), your mouth starts producing digestive enzymes to help your body better digest the foods you eat. It also sends a signal to your stomach that "food is on its way down!", which in turn causes your stomach to produce natural acids that will help further break down the foods you eat for better nutrient absorption and digestion throughout your digestive tract. (1)
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Fruit and veggie smoothies are the fountain of youth and they are really easy to make. Here is the list of gadgets that you will need for making your “health-by-the-glassful.”
A regular full-sized blender (to make several servings of smoothies by the pitcher-full). However, if you prefer to make your smoothies fresh, one glass at a time, here is a very handy, single-serve smoothie blender that also has a cell phone charger built into it!
A rigid vegetable brush (to clean debris from my produce)
A spray bottle filled with clear, undiluted distilled vinegar (to remove pesticides and other film from your produce)
Filtered water or bottled water (the liquid base for my smoothies). I’ve installed an under-counter water filter in my kitchen, which I use to filter the water for my cooking recipes and for making my smoothies and herbal teas.
And, of course, your choice of fruits and veggies (preferably organic to omit possible pesticides).
You may have to experiment to develop an energy smoothie recipe that suits your taste, but once you come up with a palatable mix they will deliver a plethora of healing into your body and help to naturally increase your energy. Here, I will share 3 of my favorite recipes with you, plus indicate their health benefits:
1.) Beets, Lemons, and Dried Stevia Leaf Powder
This may sound like a strange combination, but…..it is delicious! Here’s what you need:
1 medium beet
1 small lemon
1/8 teaspoon of REAL dried stevia leaf powder (its natural color is green), not the artificial bleached sweetener.
16 ounces of filtered or bottled water
Under running water, remove all the dirt from your beet by scrubbing it with your vegetable brush . Cut into chunks.
Peel your lemon (to prevent the bitter taste*) and cut into chunks.
Now, combine the beet and lemon chunks into your blender and add the 16 ounces of filtered or bottled water.
I suggest filtered or bottled water vs. tap water because tap water could introduce pollutants into your healthy beverage, and you don’t want that. The water will help to liquefy your beverage for easier and more palatable consumption.
Always go lightly when adding stevia leaf powder because a small amount goes a long way. If you add too much dried stevia leaf powder it can make your beverage taste slightly bitter.
Finally, blend all of the ingredients for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, until all ingredients are completely pulverized and you no longer see chunks swirling around inside your blender.
Drink to your health!
HEALTH BENEFITS: Beets help build hemoglobin, which your body needs to build healthy red blood cells (2). The lemons will provide the antioxidant, vitamin C, which will help your body absorb the iron much better (3).
Be informed, however, that the dried, powdered, raw stevia leaf is purportedly known to lower blood pressure (4). Therefore, it’s best to consult with your physician before adding stevia any other substances or supplements to your diet or regimen.
TIP: *The peel of the lemon has a very powerful property called limonene, which is reportedly good for heart health. (5) If you feel so inclined, instead of discarding the lemon peel, just grind it up in your smoothie and drink to your health. If possible, only use organic lemons. Sometimes, those bitter beverages that don't taste good to you is good for you!
2.) Spinach, Carrots, and Pineapple
This delightful blend is a tropical boost that makes a great all-natural energy drink.
Pineapple has become a staple in my refrigerator and freezer for making smoothies, and just for snacking. Here’s what you need:
¾ cup of either fresh cut or frozen fresh pineapple chunks. I advocate fresh vs. canned pineapple because the live enzymes are still intact in fresh produce. With canned produce, the life-giving enzymes are killed off during the cooking process.
½ cup of organic carrots. You can opt for the mini organic carrots or chop up 1 medium clean, organic carrot.
1 cup of organic spinach that has been sprayed with distilled vinegar and rinsed clean.
16-20 ounces water
Place all ingredients into your blender. Then blend all ingredients for 45 seconds to 1 minute, or until you achieve a smooth consistency.
Add more water to reach your desired level of liquidity.
The pineapple chunks act as the sweetener for this smoothie blend. Enjoy!
HEALTH BENEFITS: The carrots contain beta carotene, which is an antioxidant and a precursor to vitamin A (6). It also supports eye health.
Pineapples are full of enzymes which help our bodies digest heavy proteins more effectively (7).
Spinach has a plethora of nutrients such as folate, vitamin B6, calcium, and potassium (8), all of which are essential nutrients to naturally increase energy and lead you to optimum health.
3.) Watermelon, Cilantro, Ginger, and Dried Stevia Leaf Powder
This is a crisp, refreshing smoothie combination! Here’s what you need:
2 cups of watermelon chunks. This will be the liquid portion of your smoothie. Use chilled watermelon chunks for a cooling boost.
1 tbs. fresh, chopped cilantro (already sprayed with vinegar and rinsed clean)
1” piece of ginger cut into thinner slices (after cleaning with vegetable brush under running water)
1/8 teaspoon dried stevia leaf powder
Combine all ingredients together in a blender. Mix for about 30 seconds to 1 minutes to completely liquefy.
Add a bit of filtered or bottled water to achieve desired liquid consistency, if you’d like.
Add stevia powder to sweeten. Enjoy your smoothie!
HEALTH BENEFITS: Watermelon not only hydrates the body, but is also loaded with potassium, a necessary electrolyte that helps quell irritability. (9) (10)
Cilantro is also full of antioxidants which reportedly help relieve oxidative stress in the body. (11)
Good ol' ginger root helps quiet a nauseated stomach and helps suppress indigestion. (12)
So, there you have it! Three recipes to help put you on the path to renewed health and energy. Maybe you can only drink one veggie and fruit smoothie per day, but any small changes that you make to take better charge of your health will prove beneficial.
And you deserve better health! You know you do! Go get it!