It’s February and those New Year’s resolutions are quickly becoming a thing of the past. You’re looking for an energy boost and aren’t sure where or what to turn to. These problems are all too familiar for us at HCX, which is why we’ve decided to try green smoothies. There’s a range of juicing books on the market. Jason Vale, otherwise known as the Jamie Oliver of smoothies, released his incredibly popular “the funky fresh juice book” in 2011 and Medocino Press published “The Smoothie Recipe Book” in 2013. Both of these books are full of delicious and nutritious recipes to suit juicing novice to practiced veteran. The basic principle is about receiving various crucial vitamins and nutrients that your body needs from unprocessed, healthy sources. Removing processed sugar and replacing it with fruit and vegetables has obvious health benefits including boosting energy levels.
The Pros
Green smoothies are packed full of antioxidants, helping to improve your immune function and boosting your energy levels throughout the day. The vitamins and minerals also contribute to giving you clear and radiant skin. They are rich in chlorophyll which can help purify your blood and rejuvenate your body. They also help build and maintain a healthy immune system.
The Cons
It’s hard to believe that there are any cons to these concoctions. However, when consumed excessively they are believed to be linked to calcium oxalate stones, a type of kidney stone which is linked to high amounts of oxalates in the diet. Oxalates are found in vegetables including raw spinach. Everything in moderation however, and green smoothies have a lot to offer.
To get you started we have compiled a couple of recipes for you to try…
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The morning kick-starter
1 banana
Handful of frozen blueberries
Handful of kale
About 100ml apple juice
Spoonful of honey (to taste)
Put all the ingredients into a blender and blitz!
Berry Blast
Handful of frozen raspberries
Handful of frozen blueberries
Handful of frozen strawberries
1tsp fresh lemon juice
2tbs honey
Blitz in the blender and you are good to go!
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