fad or forever?

i cannot believe it has taken me so long to post about my new favorite food!! i have told so many people about this wonderful addition i recently incorporated into my diet.

it stems from this book my mom and i got at one of our farmer's market days:


now when you see the word "diet" do you automatically think 'fad'? i know i do. however, this book is not all about diet -- it's about health. and you know i'm a huge fan of health. eating these smoothies is a wonderful way to get all the recommended servings of whole fruits and whole vegetables! when i eat these smoothies i know i've had something so extremely healthy that i don't really worry about what else i eat the rest of the day. {maybe this isn't the best way of thinking . . . but to each her own}

http://www.greensmoothiegirl.com/ is a great place to start learning about all the many health benefits of including whole foods in your diet. however, please do not let yourself get overwhelmed!! i do not bring this book up because i believe we should all go vegetarian or vegan {my personal beliefs are actually the exact opposite of that}, nor do i want to push you into anything.

this is my main goal for presenting green smoothies to my dear friends and family:

a stronger immune system.

there's a bit more to it than that, but for now this is my main concern. in all of my health courses this semester, the topic of swine flu and the ordinary flu are mentioned at least once every class period. it is anticipated that it will be hitting us hard in the next few months -- especially us here in utah. so how does this relate?

getting more servings of whole fruit and vegetables gives our bodies what they really need. with that natural boost, our bodies are better prepared to fight off any virus or bacteria that may come our way.

as i said before, there is more to it than that but you can do your own research. i simply want to share with you how i make my green smoothies -- there are so many ways to make green smoothies, so to please feel free to adapt the following recipe to your own tastes, preferences, and needs.

*******you must have a blender for this!*******

• blend together about ½ cup water with about ½ a lemon with its peel {lots of healthy benefits}
• add fresh spinach {should total at least half of total smoothie} and blend until well pureed. {*you can add fresh cabbage, cucumbers, and any other kind of veggie you think would taste good - but i lean more toward the green leafy vegetables... just never use broccoli, trust me on this one*}
• ***make sure to keep adding water. if it seems the blender isn't working very well or is having trouble, it probably just needs more water to do its job.
  
• mix in some kind of sweetener - splenda, agave nectar {this is what i prefer}, raw sugar, etc - to taste
  
• at this point you get to start adding the yummy stuff: fresh and/or frozen fruits until you are satisfied with the taste. {*this includes strawberries, blueberries, mango, any kind of melon, kiwi, grapes, oranges, peaches, pears, apples, etc -- it is my opinion that almost any kind of fruit you have in the fridge can be used*}
  

play around with it - you'll probably get a different taste or texture each time you make it. i hope you enjoy my new favorite thing!!!!