Hello, everyone!
After a weekend at the lake which included much boating, tubing, and relaxing, as well as tornadoes and no electricity, I am finally back to share today’s favorite with you! I truly love this favorite, so I would say it’s worth the wait!
So. Breakfast.
Have you ever heard of something you really wanted to try, and you knew it would make your life much better, and you’d feel great if you could just make it a regular habit….but you just never got around to doing it?
That is my life, with green smoothies.
I kept reading about them everywhere. I tried making one a few times, but I just didn’t really like them.
This disappointed me, because I knew lots of vegetables, first thing in the morning, would be a fantastic thing.
Finally, I stumbled upon a recipe for a green smoothie which didn’t sound too awful.
I stalked up on the ingredients so I could make it a few days in a row.
And then I made it happen.
The first morning, my main thought was, “Well, I don’t hate it.” Progress.
The second morning, I really, actually kinda like it.
The third morning, I couldn’t wait to drink it.
And we’ve been living happily ever after, my green smoothies and I.
I cannot describe how wonderful my insides feel when I drink this. I feel fresh and clean. I feel energetic and ready for the day.
But it does not sustain me for hours and hours. It’s vegetables. Your body digests vegetables in 15 minutes, while meat or grains take three hours. So obviously, a green smoothie will not satisfy you for the same length of time as steak and potatoes.
So I make sure to add some healthy fats to the smoothie to stretch it out as long as possible, and usually have a mid-morning snack.
Curious what’s in it? Here’s the recipe:
Green Smoothie
1/2 of a long cucumber, peeled
1/2 a red or yellow pepper
1/2 a tomato
2 handfuls of greens (I use romaine lettuce or spinach)
1/2 an avocado
the juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tbsp. chia seeds
1 Tbsp. coconut oil
Blend it all up, and drink it all up.:)
(This will make 2 large glasses, which means you can somehow drink it all yourself, share with a loved one who needs more veggies, or put it in the fridge for a snack a little later. It doesn’t keep for very long, though.)
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That’s a lot of vegetables. Even if you changed nothing about the way you ate for the rest of the day, you would already probably be doubling the amount of veggies you eat in a day. How could you not feel better?!
After I had been drinking this smoothie for about a month or two, my chiropractor wanted to test the level of antioxidants in my body. He had no idea what I was eating, and was quite shocked with my test results. According to his charts, I was in the highest possible category for healthy levels of antioxidants. Apparently only 1% of the world’s population eats enough fruit and vegetables to get into that category.
My chiropractor asked what in the world I was eating, and when I told him, he said to keep with it.;) (My dad says he doesn’t believe those tests anyway, so take it however you wish, but I’ve decided to go with it, because I’ve had my share of negative test results – why not celebrate a good one!)
There you have it. In a culture that eats dessert for breakfast, and rides the rollercoaster of sugar rushes up and down the usual breakfast carbs of pancakes, french toast, muffins, and sugar cereal, I personally think a green smoothie is an excellent idea! It most definitely can’t hurt!
Alright, everyone! Time for you all to give me your healthy breakfast suggestions! (You can’t lure me away from my green smoothies, but I still have a family to feed, so I eagerly await your suggestions!)
And it’s the same deal as usual: Anyone who comments during my “34 Days of Favorites” will be entered in a draw for a free gift. Here’s the list of favorites, in case you missed any!
Ordinary Days 
Did you actually see a tornado this weekend? So crazy!! We had the nuts-o wind storm last night but thankfully no tornado – that I know of!!
I am far from a breakfast person so I don’t have any faves to offer up to you as a suggestion. I’m lucky if I have a piece of toast in the morning!
Oh, dear, did your mother not teach you that breakfast was the most important meal of the day?!:)
And no, I myself did not see a tornado, but Ben’s dad was outside the cabin, and saw two go by on the lake! Meanwhile, I’m inside trying to comfort Anika by telling her, “Don’t worry, OF COURSE there’s not going to be a tornado!! It’s just really windy!!” Good thing I didn’t know what was really going on!
Breakfast is my very favorite meal of the day but I prefer the high-carb high-fat versions like omelettes and waffles and pancakes and poached eggs and all those others yummy tasting things. Obviously I don’t eat those often but a breakfast buffet I visited in Jamaica will forever be etched in my mind as the best. breakfast.ever! I do love poached eggs – soooo creamy tasting! Placed on a homemade english muffin – yum!! I am currently loving my homemade peanut butter granola made with oatmeal, wheat bran, peanut butter, honey, cloves, cinnamon, raisins, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and almonds. A small bowl of that keeps me full for hours, so much so I could skip lunch and be happy (and since there is nothing fun about lunch for me, I won’t even comment on it!) 🙂
Oh, those breakfast buffets in tropical locations are just the best, aren’t they?! Your granola sounds absolutely amazing. I would love to get the recipe from you!
You can find the recipe here: http://www.almanac.com/recipe/homemade-peanut-butter-granola (I skip the figs/dates!).
Thanks, Chantelle! I will definitely be trying this!
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