Beauty

[bebe777]

I posted the recipe below in another forum but I thought I'd also post it here because I know that other Wenners also drink green smoothies

Enjoy!!!

-- bebe

[bebe777]

Below is the basic green smoothie recipe that I make every morning. This makes 30-40oz. of green smoothie. As soon as I make it I pour it into three glass 16oz. empty Snapple bottles, refrigerate the extra bottles, and then drink green smoothie throughout the day. The recipe is a twist on Dr. Oz's green smoothie. I use more veggies and less fruit. I also add a bit of oil because some of the nutrients are lipid/fat soluble. Your intestine can't absorb these particular nutrients unless they are bound to a fat (examples: the lutein and zeaxanthin for eye health that are found in green leafy veggies).

Except for the pineapple, all the produce is organic. This is important because, since you are emulsifying everything, your body would be absorbing all of the pesticides in the produce.

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MY BASIC GREEN SMOOTHIE

* 1 tablespoon flaxseed (grind first) - great lignan source. Or 1 tablespoon phosphatidylcholine granules - great choline source. Or a tablespoon of another healthy oil that you like, such as coconut, avocado, or mild EVOO)

* 6 kale leaves (green antioxidants / lutein / zeaxanthin), or substitutions:

-- green swiss chard (using some red rainbow chard will give you your red antioxidants but it changes the green flavor slightly. it's an acquired taste)

-- spinach which is sweeter (less bitter)

* 1-2 napa cabbage leaves (cruciferous vegetable - amazing health benefits from recent research / only use the napa cabbage because it doesn't have the cabbage taste that other types of cabbage have)

* 3 long celery stalks

* 1/4 to 1/3 cucumber (excellent silicon source for good skin)

* 1 to 1.5 medium carrots (orange antioxidants, Vitamin A)

* 1-2 small red apples (red antioxidants, quercetin)

* 1 inch diameter cut of pineapple, cut off outside prickly skin (yellow antioxidants, bromelain)

* 1/3 medium lemon with peel (yellow antioxidants / detoxifier / limonene)

* ginger to taste - great anti-inflammatory (for me, 1 to 1.5 inches of ginger but I like a powerful ginger kick, start gradually. You can always slice in more ginger a bit at a time)

* 1/2 cup of water

* 6-12 ice cubes to water the smoothie down a bit, depending on taste

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Directions

1) Put the 1 tablespoon of flaxseeds into a dry Vitamix container and grind them up. I was amazed but the Vitamix actually does grind them up into a flour. If you add them after you have put the other ingredients in the Vitamix may not grind them all up.

2) Add 1/2 cup water. Then add the cucumber and celery. Then add in everything except for the leafy greens (kale and napa cabbage). Turn the Vitamix on and emulsify the produce until it's slightly chunky smooth (probably 30-45 seconds).

3) Add the kale and napa cabbage and blend for another 30 seconds. -- For some reason the leafy greens emulsify better if they're added after you have roughly blended the other produce.

4) Add the amount of ice you need to create the liquid consistency that you prefer and blend for another 20-30 seconds. The smoothie should be completely emulsified by now. If it's not then just blend until it's the consistency that you like.

5) Now's the time to taste your green smoothie and modify it your liking. If it's too bitter you can add more apple or pineapple for added sweetness, or more celery or cucumber to reduce the bitterness. If it's too bland then you may want to slowly add a bit more ginger.

Enjoy!!

-- bebe

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Vitamix vs. Ninja Storm

Before I bought my Vitamix Pro 750, I bought QVC's Ninja Storm Food & Drink Maker (K39392) TSV for $29.95. I was pretty sure that the Ninja wouldn't be effective, but before I took the Vitamix plunge it was worth the $40 mistake to be sure.

The Ninja actually did a good job of emulsifying everying except what I really needed emulsified... leafy green veggies. Green smoothies are an important part of my daily diet. No matter how long I left the leafy greens in the Ninja it just cut them up into very small bits. I couldn't even drink the green smoothie because I had a gagging reflex when I kept trying to drink it.

I was also really terrified by the very sharp blades that the Ninja has. A slip of the fingers would mean a trip to the emergency room and that was a chance I was not going to take.

The top of the line Vitamix Pro 750 is amazing. It's much better than the previous generation of Vitamix. It emulsifies the leafy greens even more quickly and it's significantly quieter. I searched around for the best price and eventually I was able to buy one (with the extra container to grind dry foods) for $629 including S&H (and tax free). I viewed this as a purchase for the long term and I think it's a great investment. Preparation and clean up is done in no time!

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[DoxieMomma]

Thanks for sharing this, Bebe!! I just ordered the recent Vitamix TSV, so I'm super excited to try it. Not sure what I'm looking forward to more, healthy smoothies or "frozen concoctions" :-) Thanks again!

[bebe777]

On 7/11/2014 DoxieMomma said:

Thanks for sharing this, Bebe!! I just ordered the recent Vitamix TSV, so I'm super excited to try it. Not sure what I'm looking forward to more, healthy smoothies or "frozen concoctions" :-) Thanks again!

DoxieMomma, lol, in the summer I think that "frozen concoctions" (especially with a shot of rum) will probably win out.

I am passionate about my green smoothies. They've helped balance my appetite (I lost 30 pounds), balance my skin tone and balance my mood. They're a very healthy good thing. If you haven't done the green smoothie thing before, it's best to start slowly because the greens can taste a bit bitter at first. You might want to start by simply adding a small amount of spinach (it's a sweeter green) and a half a carrot to your fruit smoothie. Remember this isn't a race. Adding greens in very slowly is the best way to make the transition.

I took a quick look at the Vitamix TSV and I think they've offered this version in the past in the summer months. I think your TSV is an updated model. It's a big louder than my Pro 750 but it has the same maximum horsepower load (which is really what you want).

You're going to love your Vitamix!!!

-- bebe

[DoxieMomma]

Well, I do have a "girls only" beach trip coming up soon........I'm the designated drink maker, so I'll be getting lots of practice!

I do pretty good with green juices (of course, I'm paying $$$ for each one, so I don't do it everyday). I have Crohn's disease and it affects how effectively my body absorbs nutrients, so I'm really looking forward to the convenience of this.

I appreciate your advice, I'm sure I'll be asking more questions as soon as I get my hands on my new toy.

[FUTURE]

Bebe, Thank you SO much!! I will definitely try it. Hubby and I gave been trying different ones, and sometimes I even add a little protein powder to them. I'll let you know how it goes when I try this one. I like the idea about the extra glass bottles and sipping on them throughout the day. Great!!

[BethanyB]

Thank you Bebe!!! A Vitamix is my Dream purchase!! I've been wanting one for a while now. I told my man that by next spring I want to own one. I'll have to slow down on my Wen purchases, lol! Our kitty Xavier has eaten a lot of our savings (he is doing great now, thank you Lord!) so I try to keep a good budget so that we can replace what we had to spend. But the Vitamix is something I really want. I also want a Dyson but one thing at a time, lol! My man and I joke all the time that Xavier needs a job. Maybe he can get an endorsement deal with one of the meds that has saved his life, or the insulin he's on. Kinda like "I'm Xavier, I have diabetes, I use Lantus insulin". Lol!!

[HappyDaze]

Thanks bebe! I remember when you posted this awhile back. I will have to try it now that I have my vitamix!

[kh27]

I love love LOVE my Vitamix!! If you want to balance between healthy and adult beverage on your girls weekend, I highly recommend making whole fruit margaritas!! Use tequila as the liquid (add to blender first) and then add peeled whole fruit... limes, an orange and a lemon or two plus ice. Use more orange to make it sweeter and Grand Marnier if that's your thing...so much better than using a sugary mix and you get your fiber. YUM!

[HappyDaze]

On 7/12/2014 kh27 said:

I love love LOVE my Vitamix!! If you want to balance between healthy and adult beverage on your girls weekend, I highly recommend making whole fruit margaritas!! Use tequila as the liquid (add to blender first) and then add peeled whole fruit... limes, an orange and a lemon or two plus ice. Use more orange to make it sweeter and Grand Marnier if that's your thing...so much better than using a sugary mix and you get your fiber. YUM!

I agree!! I can NOT do the bottled mixes anymore- my fresh fruit ones are soooo much better! I don't like sweet and sour that they usually always put in the bottled mixes. LOVE fresh fruit margaritas!!