By Dr. Victor S. Sierpina
Smoothies are a great way to start your day and start your way toward getting the recommended 5 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables (shoot for 30 percent fruits, 70 percent vegetables) we ought to consume daily for optimal health. So many of my patients and even our medical students eat less than that. It isn’t always convenient to have fresh fruits or vegetables around. Frozen produce works well though and keeping blueberries, spinach, mixed berries, tropical fruit mix, peaches, and the like in the freezer is a good way to ensure you always have plenty of superfoods around.
Here is one recipe, though you can play around with variations if you wish:
Rinse a bunch of kale, about as much as you can grasp in one hand and put it in the blender or food processor
Add some fresh spinach if you wish
Put in one or two fresh avocados
Squeeze in the juice of one or two lemons
Add a couple scoops of whey or soy protein powder
For extra flavor add some slices of turmeric root, ginger root, and/or a couple of garlic cloves
Pour in sufficient organic apple juice to bring everything into a solution
Blend and watch the amazing healthful Kelly Green colors arrive.
A cup of this is like 3 servings of veggies and fruit to start your day. In other words, a salad in a smoothie! Enjoy.
Here’s a fruit smoothie I have shared before but is back by popular demand:
1 cup of frozen or fresh blueberries
1 cup of cut mango, nectarine, peach, berries, or any fruit of your choice
1 scoop of whey protein powder or soy protein powder
1 scoop of ground flaxseed
High pulp orange juice
Blend to consistency desired
For a few more easy ways to get your daily fruits and veggies in, try any of the following.
Bright Eyes
From Andrew Weil, MD, True Food Restaurants
1 cup pineapple
½ of a green pear
1 thumb of ginger
1 thumb of fresh turmeric
1 cup of gold beets
I large carrot
1 small lemon peel or 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Blend and serve.
Morning Glory
From True Food by Andrew Weil, MD
1 banana
8 strawberries
2 Tbsp. coconut milk
2 tsp. agave nectar
½ cup ice
Blend and serve.
Weekend Warrior
From True Food by Andrew Weil, MD
1 banana
1 Tbsp. almond butter
1 Tbsp. flax meal
½ cup Greek vanilla yogurt
2 tsp. agave nectar
½ cup unsweetened apple juice
Blend and serve.
Ambrosia
From Mindful Eating, Miraval
1 cup pineapple
½ cup red grapes
1 four-ounce lemon — with rind on and quartered
1 10-ounce orange — skin removed
Juice or blend and serve.
Berry Berry
From Mindful Eating, Miraval
1 cup soy milk
½ banana
¼ cup blueberries
¼ cup raspberries
¼ cup strawberries
1 Tbsp. agave nectar
½ cup ice
Blend and serve.
Clear, Ageless Skin Recipe
From Mindful Eating, Miraval
2 cups cucumber
1 cup Granny Smith apple
1 cup celery Hearts
1 heart of romaine
½ cup fresh pineapple
Blend and serve.
Iron Boost
From Mindful Eating, Miraval
2 cup baby spinach
1 cup ice
½ Banana
¼ cup strawberries
1 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. agave nectar
Blend and serve.
Mira-Vitality
From Mindful Eating, Miraval
9 oz fresh carrots
2 cups baby spinach
6 oz. fresh beets
5 oz. cucumbers, skin on
1 tsp. ginger juice
Blend and serve.
Protein Plus
From Mindful Eating, Miraval
½ cup soy milk
½ banana
¼ cup whey protein
¼ cup blueberries
¼ cup acai juice
1 tsp. ground flax
½ cup crushed ice
Blend and serve.
Shannon’s Fav
From Shannon Samuelson
1 handful kale
2 handfuls spinach
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
2 dates
1 tsp. flax
1 tsp. chia
½ cup vanilla soy milk
½ ice
Blend and serve.