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On a raw, rainy day like today, nothing lifts my spirit more than a tall glass (or two!) of a freshly-made green smoothie.  I may not be able to go on a hike or stroll the beach on a day like this, but I can drink up a huge amount of sunshine without ever leaving my kitchen.

This is the smoothie I just drank.  Okay, I’ll be honest.  I had twice the amount you see here.  I am so, seriously full!  The ingredients made a full pitcher, or three tall glasses.  I drank two and put one in the fridge for my wife when she gets home from work.  First, I pureed 1 1/2 cups of water with 2 cups of beet greens (I happened to have a bunch of beets and don’t like to waste the greens) and 4-5 cups of kale (this actually required two purees as this much greens won’t fit in the pitcher all at once).  Then, I added an inch of fresh ginger root and half of a cut up English cucumber (not peeled) and pureed that.  Then, I added two whole oranges (peeled), one pear (cored, but unpeeled), and one banana, and pureed the whole mixture for a good minute to make it smooth.  Deliciousness!  And I don’t have to do the math to know that I just packed my body full of awesome nutrients.

Kale tends to be my green of choice in a smoothie, for multiple reasons.  First, kale is a powerhouse cancer-fighting food.  As well as lowering cholesterol, it is high in antioxidants and houses an immense detoxifying capability.  It contains huge amounts of vitamin K—a crucial vitamin most American diets severely lack, plus vitamins A and C.  Being a leafy green, it also has a huge chlorophyll content, hence my comment about (literally) drinking in sunshine.   Another reason I reach for kale first (and mix in a variety of other greens on a rotating basis) is because many greens can have a taxing effect on your digestive system if eaten every single day.  Kale is the friendliest green in this regard, and can be eaten on a daily basis.  It’s a great idea, though, to give your body some variety and throw in other greens such as spinach, swiss chard, collard greens, mustard greens, and the like whenever you feel like having some fun and mixing things up.

A friend of mine recently asked me my opinion on pre-made, refrigerated smoothies (Thanks for inspiring me to write this post, Julie!).  Some brands, such as Naked, are great for a quick fix.  Be careful, though.  Pre-made smoothies need to meet shelf-life minimums, in order to turn a profit for the companies that make them.  This means they contain preservatives.  Even natural preservatives can detract from the nutritive value of plants, and of course you want to stay away from chemical preservatives whenever possible.  More importantly, though, here’s why fresh smoothies made that day from fresh produce are ALWAYS a better option.  Fresh plants have live enzymes in them that aid our blood in circulating the max possible nutritive value throughout our body.  They increase our blood flow (translation—lower our blood pressure), keep our organs cleaner (because blood passes through more efficiently), aid in weight loss (because our entire body is energized with live nutrients, and digestion is running more smoothly), AND they majorly boost our immune system (because of our body’s increased ability to absorb crucial vitamins and minerals that aid our white blood cells).  These enzymes do not survive in a food past a few days (and just for clarification, the food must be raw for them to be there at all).  So, while refrigerated juices and smoothies are better options than the preservative-packed ones that can sit on a shelf, the best part of the nutrients have “expired,” so to speak, in a product that has been refrigerated for weeks before it gets to you.  Raw, fresh smoothies are definitely the way to go.

In terms of equipment, you don’t have to go crazy expensive to start.  Here’s a comparison for you to consider.  A Vitamix would be your Lexus option, another brand of digital emulsifier would be your Toyota, and a really good blender or smoothie maker would be your Kia.  All do the job, but there’s a definite consistancy difference.  Don’t worry, though.  As long as you start off with a decent blender—say a Cuisinart or KitchenAid, which would generally run you from $60–$100—you won’t be gulping down clumps of leafy goo.  I’ve actually been using a KitchenAid recently because the pitcher from our emulsifier cracked.

Oh, and one more thing in fair warning.  Do not drink a green smoothie after dinner!  Live enzymes contain an intense amount of energy.  Consuming them in general will boost your energy level, but drinking them is all the more intense.  There’s two reasons for this.  First, your digestive system has to do less work because the food is pureed, so more of the nutrients get to your bloodstream (this effect is multiplied ten-fold if you juice the plants instead of pureeing them, but more on that another time).  Second, you can drink FAR more greens than you can eat, so you are quite literally introducing more energy into your body by drinking than if you ate whatever amount you would comfortably chew.  To illustrate my point, some people actually use green smoothies to replace a caffeine addiction.  They’re a serious pick-me-up!

So, if you’re feeling a little less energy these days than you’d like (many people are come mid-winter), or if you’ve had a cold recently, or if any aspect of your health is concerning you (did I cover just about everyone here?), consider adding a green smoothie to your diet at least three times per week.  You will feel the difference.  No question.  And if you’re at all concerned or turned off by the idea of drinking green sludgy stuff, you’re not alone!  I’ll let you in on a secret.  When I started drinking green smoothies, I had to close my eyes because I was having trouble psychologically with the idea of drinking something that was green.  I’m not ashamed to admit that because here’s the best part: once I closed my eyes, I was able to actually taste it for what it was: in short, Y-U-M.  Give yourself a break, close your eyes if you have to.  Heck, promise yourself a piece of chocolate as a chaser if it makes you feel better.  Your body will forgive you.  And before you know it, you’ll be proudly selecting from the once-foreign greens section of the produce department at your grocery store, looking forward to that green goodness you’ll be gulping down when you get home.  Give it a try.  I dare you 😉