your guide to the daily green smoothie

i'm starting my comeback to this lovely blog of mine with a post on my brand spankin new habit!

what is it?? daily greeeeen smoothie!

i was inspired by kimberly snyder's glowing green smoothie and completely sold on the idea of substituting my breakfast for a big ol' jar of green juice to start my morning right. 

there are many reasons a green smoothie is an excellent way to start your morning and mainly it is a wonderful daily detox ritual. not to mention it is great for those looking to lose weight, increase your consumption of fruits and vegetables (particularly the greens), easily digestible, gives you an energy boost, full of antioxidants, increased fiber, benefits your skin, and it's full of alkaline foods that will help your body from becoming too acidic. 

another great part of the green smoothie is experimenting with different combinations of ingredients. below i have created an extensive list of possible vegetables, fruits, herbs, and spices that work well for a green smoothie (i poured over manyyy green smoothie recipes) and i keep this list on the fridge for easy reference.

ingredients:

greens                  veggies                           

+ choose 2-3                 + choose 1-2                         

-romaine lettuce             -cucumber                                           

-spinach                              -celery                                        

-kale                                   - ginger                                               

-swiss chard                                                               

-arugula                                                                      

 fruit                fruit+  

+ choose 1-2                    + choose 1
-pear                                    -lemon
-banana                               -lime
-apple                                 -avocado
-mango
-pineapple

    

herbs                    spices
+ choose 1                         + choose 1-2

-parsley                               -cinnamon
-cilantro                               -nutmeg

-mint                                    -cayenne

                                               -turmeric

how to:

1. select and prepare your ingredients

2. put your ingredients into blender (I currently use a nutribullet but the almighty vitamix is on my wish list!)

3. add water and blend until smooth

4. you can always add more water into your drink after if it is too concentrated

5. recommended amount: drink about 16 ounces for breakfast and work your way up to 24 ounces 

6. green smoothies store for about 2 and a half days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator

drinks drinks!

i've been a little under the weather lately...absolutely nothing to do with the fact that i've been living in a ridiculously harsh winter. none at all.


so, i've been doing a lot of tea drinking and juicing to help with this congestion!

 

^^ we have a ton of serbian teas in the cabinet and kamilica or chamomile is one of my favorite, with lemon juice of course!

      ^^ we can never have enough teas! i've tried and LOVE both the green tea and chocolate mint. i'm sure the green tea with coconut is either going be just as good or better. i love coconut anything.

 ^^ since i've been kinda meh this week the only thing i craved was oranges, other i had zero appetite. even for breakfast which i never ever miss, all i wanted was a green juice. it really hit the spot just right!

+ ingredients +

green juice #1

• four oranges]
• one stock of kale
• few leaves of parsley
• juice of half a lemon
• one tbsp of chia seeds
• water

                           
  ^^ i blend all the ingredients up in my nutribullet!

                           
 ^^ green juice #2

+ ingredients +

• two pink navel oranges 
• one kiwi
• some parsley leaves
• handful spinach
• tbsp chia seeds
• tbsp coconut oil
• water

happy juicing : )
stay warm!

xx

detox smoothie

 i am so in love with my new detoxifying smoothie creation.
it is perfect for a summers day to share with your mom out in the sun.

it tastes so fresh and clean i can't get enough of it and neither can my senses.
i would say it smells like cucumbers but doesn't taste like any particular vegetable included.

for me it is just enough sweetness, which comes from the berries and banana however you can use vanilla almond milk as a water substitute for more sweetness and a more creamier taste. use my ingredients as a base or for inspiration and play around with it to your liking.

ingredients:

•  3/4 cup berries - frozen raspberries & black berries
• 1/2 cup cucumber- peeled and sliced
• 1 banana- sliced
• 1 1/2 cups water or vanilla almond milk
• 1 1/2 cup loosely packed kale
• 2 handfuls spinach
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds

how to:

1. cut up and prepare all your ingredients
2. put it in your mixer - i use a nutribullet; check taste! need sweetener?  

+++
this drink is full of essential nutrients and vitamins.

kale: one of the healthiest superfoods on the planet! no joke. pack these in whenever you can your body will thank you. low calories, high iron, high fiber, antioxidants, high vitamin K, A, C, high in calcium, antioxidants, great ant-imflammatory food and detoxifies your liver.

berries: contains phytochemicals that protect your cells from damage, flavonoids to keep your memory sharp, fiber to control diabetes, heart health, weight control, lower blood pressure and fight cancers.

spinach: high in vitamin K, A, magnesium, high fiber, calcium, protein, cancer fighting antioxidants, lower blood pressure, cardiovascular health, brain health.

parsley: antioxidant nutrients: flavonoids, wonderful source for vitamin A & C, source of folic acid for herat health, protects from rheumatoid arthritis, much more useful than decorating food!

chia seeds: lowers cholesterol, aids digestion, stabilize blood sugar, packed with omega 3's, fiber, calcium, manganese, phosphorous, protein, improve heart health,

cucumber: high water content, minerals essential for skin care, lignans fight cancer, control blood pressure, dietary fiber helps with digestion, joint health by strengthening connective tissues, relieve gout and arthritis pain, diuretic- eliminates waste products, aid in weight loss, cures diabetes.

banana: vitamin C, potassium, manganese, vitamin b6, fiber, easy to digest, amino acids, excellent source for carbohydrates your primary source of energy.

almond milk: dairy-free and has less calories than a cup of skim milk. wonderful source of calcium, vitamin D and E.

WATER PLUS+

recently i started drinking lemon water and find it is best as soon as you wake up in the morning. this is something i have known about but never made it a daily habit of drinking. until now!

my mom was drinking some recently (i get all my health boosting ideas from her...i swear) and i thought why not add some chia seeds and voila! superr energy drink that is a killer immune system fighter. 

then after looking it up randomly i found out it is actually a very popular drink in mexico and latin america...so my creation is nothing new!

it is fascinating to me that my serbian mother knew that drinking lemon water is good for you when you're sick just like people in latin america.this kind of stuff is what i love researching and putting on my blog and not forgetting. i am a firm believer that health and good living is something simple and doesn't require expensive products and supplements.

i still drink warm chamomile or rosehip tea with lemon juice when i'm sick with a cold or sore throat because that's what my mom has always given me since i was little. followed by her very best homemade vegetable soup (absolutely divine), lot's of warm blankets and good sleep.

so take this simple recipe:

• 1-2 tablespoon chia seeds
• 2 cups water
• half a lemon
• 1 tablespoon sweetener agave or maple syrup [optional]

how to:

1. combine the water and chia seeds; stir and let it sit for about 10 minutes
2.  add in your squeezed lemon juice and sweetener if you choose
3. gulp it down!

++ the chia seeds will form a gel consistency almost like bubble tea feels when you eat it except much smaller and actually contains some wonderful nutrients!

i highly recommend you get yourself a bag of chia seeds. they are very beneficial and i'm just now running low on my first bag so a little goes a long way for sure. you can put them in any drink, smoothie, pudding, yogurt, salad, or in baked goods.

these seeds are nothing new and in fact were a staple food for the aztecs and mayans (look it up!) they knew it had energy boosting abilities and it's name means "strength", highly appropriate.

benefits of chia seeds

• high in protein, amino acids, antioxidants
• gluten and dairy free; vegan
• high in calcium (more than milk!), fiber, omega 3 fatty acids (more than salmon)
• high in iron, potassium, magnesium
• help with lowering depression and cholesterol
• help with weight loss; the gel seeds mixed with water will make you feel fuller longer
• no flavor; you can mix it in with anything

next time you're packing your water bottle or getting a drink add some of these seeds before you go! and when people think you're eating little critters tell them the benefits of chia seeds ;)