Green Drinks, etc.

Green drinks, pink drinks, orange drinks….just what are they? The color comes from what the drinks are made from. Originally, they came from ‘juicing’. That was before ‘smoothies’ came on the scene.

GREEN DRINKS –  Image result for pics of green drink veggies

Originally green drinks  were made from mostly vegetables in the color green family – predominately greens and sprouts. Green drinks are filled with mega nutrients and are moderately detoxifying. In the sports world, they are great if you want to build up muscles as well as increase your nutritional consumption.

Extracting the juice from the greens with a juice extractor was required if you desired only the juice. By using a juice extractor, the pulp from the veggies, is separated from the juice. The pulp can be set aside for adding to mulching materials or adding to soups etc.

Me – I just use my VitaMix Blender. I don’t mind the pulp in my drink – good for the fiber. However, you can pour the drink into a sieve placed over the glass or a bowl to separate the pulp from the juice.

Greens are the most difficult to juice of all the vegetables. “This is why herbivores have many teeth for grinding, four to seven stomachs for digestion, and an extensively long GI tract.” (Dr. Robert Morse)

  • The following greens – plus other veggies, are just a few of the many hundreds of combination you can make. The quantity of each ingredient can vary according to your taste:
  • Spinach
  • Beet Bulbs with the green tops
  • Parsley
  • Dandelion Greens
  • Collard Greens
  • Kale
  • Cabbage
  • Celery
  • Carrot (a small amount adds taste and sweetness)
  • Apple ( a small amount for sweetness as well)
  • Lemons
  • Ginger Root (small piece)

Since it is better to consume veggies by themselves and fruits by themselves, no other fruit other than ‘apple’ should be added to a green drinks. If the juice is too thick you can add an alkaline water for thinner consistency. Green drinks can be consumed between meals or as a meal, preferably lunch or dinner.

SMOOTHIES – Image result for pics of fruit smoothies

Smoothies are the fun way to consume and enjoy fruits. All you need is the fruits and a blender. Combinations can be of your own  making – be as creative as you wish.

The following are a few hints for you who are not already experts at making smoothies.

  • Bananas – always choose ripe bananas. They are good as the thickening medium. Since bananas ripen quickly after purchase, I choose to peel what I know I cannot eat before they get too ripe, cut them into chunks, put them in freezer bags and freeze them until I need them. Frozen, they act as a secondary to using ice cubes.
  • Fruit combinations can include: Apples, Blueberries, Grapes, Mangoes, Peaches, Cherries, Pears, Tropical fruits, all berries, Papaya, Pineapple, and any other of your favorite fruits.
  • As a liquid addition – you can use purified water, or any type of fruit juice medium. I like 100% Grape juice; and Coconut water is my favorite water.
  • Sweeteners are optional. I seldom add anything to sweeten my smoothies. I find the natural sweetness of the fruit is good enough for me. However, if you wish to add a sweetner, add a seedless date, Agave syrup, Honey or even Maple Syrup. My favorite alternative for other sweeteners is Truvia.
  • If drinking Smoothies in your detoxification program- do not add yogurt, protein powders, or any kind of milk or cream.

Blend all of the above to your liking. Add ice while blending to add the ‘cold’ touch and it does help to thicken the smoothie. Or you can just freeze all of your fruits ahead of time.

Green Drinks and Fresh Fruit Smoothies were the original of these types of drinks. However, as you can always depend on ‘change’. Fruits and vegetables are now being blended together. When I make my morning ‘Smoothie’, I add basil, moringa leaves, spinach, kale, etc. to my fruit. Because I am not using it as part of a Detox Program, I also add (when I feel like it), homemade yogurt, Flaxseed Powder (good as a thickener), concentrated polyphenol blend dietary supplement powder, and for liquid almond milk, or my favorite, Coconut Milk. Gage the proportions you use of these according to the size of the drink – what you can fit in the large blender, or as I make mine, in individual small blenders.

HAPPY JUICING – BOTTOMS UP TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH!

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