Green Power & Strawberry Banana Smoothie

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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free ~

Isn’t she lovely… all dressed in green!  It’s a new hue today! Not really… I giggle every time I create my smoothies…. those darn greens, they just take over in the color department. They may do the same in color, but the flavors do vary.

Dark Greens…

I really don’t care what color my smoothies are because I am after cell-healing-body-regeneration… healing! Dark green leafy vegetables are nutritional powerhouses filled with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Spinach is rich in chlorophyll, which alkalinizes the blood, and fiber, which keeps the colon healthy.

If you are new to making smoothies and are perhaps a little put-off or nervous about the flavor of adding dark greens to your morning drink… start small and build up.  This is a race; it’s a journey.   I do my best with all my green smoothies to make them taste amazing, with very little taste of greens.

So far I have loved every smoothie that I have made this week and to this date that is 7!  Some are more filling than others, and this is one of those.  The chia seeds and psyllium husks give this smoothie a great thick (but not too thick) texture.

As you look at these recipes, don’t get locked into the ingredient measurements thinking that you have to use a measuring cup or a scale.  Right now my purpose for doing this is so I can get the exact nutrient value out of curiosity.  I am making sure that I am eating/drinking enough calories, fats, proteins, and carbs.  One thing that I have learned so far in consuming all of these smoothies is that they fill me up and keep me nice and full.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp chia seeds, soaked
• 1-2 cups water
• 6 cups spinach
• 9 1/4 oz organic strawberries
• 4 oz frozen banana, ripe  (1 medium)
• 1 Tbsp psyllium husks
• 1 tsp bee pollen, optional
• 1 tsp NuNatural liquid stevia
• 1 tsp Ceylon ground cinnamon
• Pinch Himalayan pink salt
• 2 handfuls of ice cubes

1. Soak the chia seeds in 1 cup of water for about 15 minutes in the blender carafe.  Enough for them to swell up.
   • The first thing to add to your blender is the liquid.  This will the greens move more freely when blending.
   • Start with 1 cup.  After everything is added, feel free to add more if desired.
   • The more liquid you add the more watery or runnier the smoothie will be.
2. Add the spinach.  Blend until it is broken down.
   • Blending in stages prevents chunks.
3. Add the strawberries, frozen banana, psyllium, bee pollen, sweetener, cinnamon, and salt.  Blend until smooth.
   • I always recommend frozen bananas over fresh.  Make a habit out of storing overripe, peeled bananas in the freezer for future smoothies.
   • If you use frozen strawberries skip the ice down below.
   • A dash of a high-quality salt will increase the minerals and improve the taste of your smoothie.
   • When adding psyllium to a smoothie, make sure that you blend it well. Read more about this ingredient (here).
   • A good green smoothie should be perfectly smooth.
4. Optional – Add ice
   • Always add the ice last. Otherwise, you may over blend the ice, and it will make your smoothie watery rather than frosty.
5.  Learn how to design your own smoothies by reading through my, Template for Designing Smoothie Recipes.

Today’s Rock Star Ingredient: Spinach!

Sight: Spinach contains a natural pigment known as lutein, and lutein has been studied and shown to have properties that help to prevent cataracts. Lutein also helps to prevent weakness in the eye muscles caused by aging.

Cancer: Spinach is also loaded with natural antioxidants called flavonoids. As an antioxidant, flavonoids help the body fight against cell damage from within. This also helps the fight against cancer, reducing a person’s chances of contracting various forms of cancer, especially prostate cancer.

Energy: Perhaps this is where Popeye gets his powers from spinach. Iron is high in the leafy plant, and iron helps to carry blood throughout the body by helping to build red blood cells. More oxygen throughout the body and stronger red blood cells means more energy and less fatigue.

Cholesterol: Cholesterol is that bad stuff that brings about blockages in the arteries. Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Vitamin E all help to prevent or lessen the build-up of that cholesterol within the arteries. Guess what contains its fair share of all those vitamins? If you guessed spinach, you win the prize! Sorry, not really. No prizes being handed out today. I can’t afford them.

Bone strength: Or maybe this is how Popeye builds his strength with spinach. Vitamin K is also common in spinach, and Vitamin K helps the bones to retain higher levels of calcium. And that calcium keeps the bones strong and helps to prevent osteoporosis, a disease in which bone density is reduced and fractures become more common.

Blood pressure: Sodium raises your blood pressure. Spinach doesn’t have a lot of sodium. But it does contain plenty of potassium, and potassium helps to lessen the effects of sodium and helps to keep blood pressure lower. So, eat your spinach! But always check with your doctor about what to eat if you are suffering from high or low blood pressure or if you are suffering from any disease or are just not feeling well.

Diabetes: Eating spinach regularly is known to regulate blood sugar levels, so diabetics should probably eat some spinach. It’s all the magnesium in spinach that helps this vegetable to control blood sugar levels.

Weight loss: Spinach doesn’t have a lot of calories, about 40 calories per cup of uncooked spinach. That combined with the fact spinach has twice as much fiber as most other lettuces mean spinach is an excellent food for losing weight. The low calories mean you can eat until you’re more than full. The extra fiber means your body isn’t going to hang onto much of that spinach (or anything else, for that matter) for very long.

Aging: Considering all the anti-oxidant properties, vitamins, minerals, lutein, and everything else found in spinach, this eatable green is known to strengthen the skin and thus to help with wrinkles and such with bringing about the more aged look. So maybe try some spinach instead of going to the plastic surgeon. Just an idea. Don’t mean to tick off any plastic surgeons.

Stronger teeth: Remember all that Vitamin K from spinach that strengthens the bones? Well, your teeth are bones. This means if you want stronger teeth, eating spinach is a bright idea.

Spinach isn’t for everyone. In fact, if you suffer from gallbladder or kidney troubles, you shouldn’t be eating spinach. Spinach contains an oxalic acid which is not good for those who suffer from problems with kidneys and gall bladders. Talk with your doctor about your diet.

How to Select and Store your Spinach:

• Choose spinach that has vibrant deep green leaves and stems with no signs of yellowing. The leaves should look fresh and tender, and not be wilted or bruised. Avoid those that have a slimy coating as this is an indication of decay.
• Do not wash spinach before storing it as the exposure to water encourages spoilage. Place spinach in a plastic storage bag and wrap the bag tightly around the spinach, squeezing out as much of the air as possible. Place in the refrigerator where it will keep fresh for up to 5 days.

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Tags: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, Vegan