Good To Be Grounded

PHOTO CREDIT: PlanetGreen.com

I should say… Good to be grounded and at home – at least for a little while.

These past few months have come and gone at a blistering pace and were chalk full of travel. I am happy to report that it was all in the name of basketball. (Yes!)

Being back at home allows me to get back on track and be consistent with several personal commitments including starting to eat healthily again. Airport, arena and university cafeteria food just don’t cut it.

Each morning I start off my day with a green ‘fruity’ smoothie. My good friend, Dena Evans, turned me on to these about a year ago and it’s been a staple in my diet since. I LOVE ‘EM!

A Favourite Recipe of Mine

  • 1 ripe banana
  • Handful of frozen blueberries
  • Handful of fresh pineapple
  • 1 fresh squeezed lime (and the zest)
  • 1/2 a cucumber
  • Handful of steel cut oats
  • Fresh kale (once all the others are in, just stuff the blender with as much as it can take)
  • Flax seed Oil
  • Dash of orange juice (to sweeten it a little more)
  • Water (more/less depending on how thick you want it)
  • (I forgot to add fresh ginger, but normally I do)

Stuff that all into the blender. Flip the switch and liquefy. And, you’ve got a great energizer.

There’s a lot of info available online espousing the benefits of “green” shakes or smoothies. Look into it. I realized early that I could get more goodness in these shakes to start my day, than I would normally otherwise.

I mix up what I add based on what’s available in the supermarket. Also, you’ll want to mix up your greens from week to week. Typically, I rotate between spinach, kale and various lettuces. I’ll also add celery and then toss in whatever left over from a salad from earlier in the week (e.g. dill, avocado, tomatoes, etc.).

True green smoothie enthusiasts don’t typically add the fruit or juice; however, if you’re like me and you don’t want to totally taste your greens, a little splash of fruit douses their taste.

Salut… Enjoy!

/sef.

These smoothies contains many of the omega 3 and 6 fatty acids we all strive to include in our diets. Flax seeds or flax oil is the greatest non animal food source of these acids. The avocado and nuts/seeds are other good sources of various omega acids and make this very filling. Dark leafy greens are the other excellent source of omega 3’s. The banana’s sweetness makes this smoothie ideal for those who don’t want to totally taste their greens. Blueberries contain the most antioxidants of all fruits and are added for extra health benefits. If you don’t like your drink green, blueberry will give it more of a red/purple color than green.

Also, feel free to add a handful of nuts (e.g. walnuts, almonds) and/or seeds (e.g. pumpkin). I typically save that for my mid-morning oatmeal, but if you’re not getting it in your diet at any other point, then throw it in the shake. Hhhmmmhhhmmm.