Mitch and I have known about green smoothies for a long time. Only, we had it all wrong. We would make one every once in a while, to feel like we were doing something good for ourselves, but we would dump a couple cups of milk, tons of berries and bananas, a handful of spinach, and usually a couple heavy swirls of honey, into the blender. Not that all of that stuff isn't good for you in one way or another, it's just that we were doing it all wrong.
For our 4 year wedding anniversary, on June 29th, my AWESOME husband surprised me with something I've been asking for for a looooooong time. A Blendtec super blender! To say that I was thrilled with this gift would be a total understatement. It's basically the only kitchen appliance I use now {other than the stove, oven, and coffee pot, of course}. These guys are pricey....but seriously...SO WORTH IT!
Anyhoot, the blender could not have come at a better time, because I had signed us up for a green smoothie challenge that would start on July 1st! I was just going to attempt making smoothies with our older blender and just tough my way through all of the kale bits that would get stuck in my teeth. Yuck. I don't have to worry about that now!!
The new challenge from the girls over at Simple Green Smoothies started on the 1st, but I couldn't wait to use my new toy, so we started smoothie-ing it up a couple of days early with our own creations. Once the challenge started, I began receiving a weekly email with a shopping list for ingredients and 5 new smoothie recipes to try out.
I got the first email....WOW! Were we doing it all wrong! The gals have kick started something amazing for us. I now use NO peanut butter in our smoothies, I PACK 2-3 cups of spinach or kale into the blender, and use either water, coconut water, unsweetened almond milk, or coconut milk as my liquid base. I also usually throw in a tablespoon of chia seeds and a tablespoon of bee pollen, instead of honey.
I love how each week, the smoothie girls challenge us to use a variety of fruits {week 1:tropical fruits, week 2:stone fruits, week 3:melons, week 4:berries}. I have always typically been a strawberry, blueberry, banana, kind of girl. I have discovered so many new things that I LOVE and even made a few that we didn't love so much, but that's ok.
Let me tell you about some things that have happened since we've been doing at least one smoothie a day for the last 25 days...
- We don't drink coffee in the mornings. More importantly, we don't feel like we need coffee in the morning, anymore. We wake up feeling as energized as a thirty something year old couple with a toddler could possibly feel, and we get a good workout in, then it's smoothie time! Usually, I'll have a cup of coffee in the afternoon or when I'm sitting here writing. Not because I need it, but because I want it.
- My hair is growing like the Zed's in Dr. Suess' Red Fish Blue Fish {the ones who need a haircut every day because their one hair grows so fast}. Okay, that was a total parent reference, but basically, my hair has probably grown an inch {at least} in the last few weeks. Downside to this is, the hair on my head isn't the only hair growing faster. I'm having to shave every day now! {Side note: when I met Mitch, I did actually shave every day....then I became a mother and that all went out the window! lolz}
- My nails are growing super fast and they are strong!
- My skin has started to clear up. I have never had a problem with bad skin. Then, I turned 30 in May and it's like my body decided to hate me. I started breaking out like crazy! Adult acne?? Maybe. I'm in full denial. BUT! These smoothies have really helped to curb the teenage pizza face. Thank Goodness!
- I'm losing weight {and inches} and feeling great! I mean, aside from the health perks, is there any better reason to LOVE green smoothies! I have not only broken my plateau for weight loss, I have blasted that sucker! It feels awesome. And it's only been about three and a half weeks.
- The Sophster wakes up every morning and runs into the kitchen to tell me that she is hungry. When I ask her if she'd like for me to make her breakfast, she always says "No, Mommy! I want a SMOOVIE!" The kid LOVES her green smoothies! She is relentless in the mornings until she has one to slurp on. I love that even if she refuses to eat anything other than pb&j for the rest of the day, I know that she has had her some green goodness for the day. Mommy win!
So why not commit to drinking one green smoothie a day? They are easy, delicious, fun, and all of that stuff I just wrote up there! Plus, you can get fun accessories for them! Like these Heritage mason jars from Ball:
Or these funky little stainless steel straws to drink from:
Epica Stainless Steel Drinking Straws, Set of 4
We're also shopping around for some "to go" lids for our green goodness. Something we can stick a straw in and slurp on when we are on the road. I really like these, from EcoJarz, but they are out of our price range. I may end up just talking Mitchy into drilling some holes into some lids, popping some rubber grommets {grommets? gaskets? I'm so hardware savvy...}, in the holes and sticking straws in them. Whatevs. No need to be all fancy if it's going to cost us so much!
Anyway, what are you waiting for?!? Grab yourself a smoothie slurping buddy and start your love affair with these awesome awesome things!!
Do you Green Smoothie?? I'd love to hear what the amazing green goodness has done in your life! Also, what are some of your favorite smoothie recipes? We're always down to try something new around here!
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