The One With Smoothies

There's something about approaching your mid-thirties that I never really associated with the age when I was in my twenties. I mean we are invincible in our twenties right? We can eat what we want, stay up as late as we want, sleep in all day and not worry about a thing. Ok that might not be entirely accurate. There are those people who lead very healthy active lifestyles their entire existence. I am NOT one of those people. At least I never have been. As part of my quest to live healthier, I quit smoking almost a year ago. It wasn't quite as difficult as I thought it would be. I had smoked for 16 years give or take 18 months (I quit each time I was pregnant. Just cold turkey quit.) I had to take a few classes for my Associates Degree to fulfill my physical education requirements. When I could barely walk once around a track without coughing up a lung, that was it for me. Step one - complete. 

Step two? Incorporate something, anything, healthier into my life that I was lacking. So I opted for green smoothies. I knew nothing about smoothies, except for the ones you got at like the smoothie place in the mall that was full of ice cream and sugar. I didn't think that was along the lines of what I was looking for. I didn't own a blender but I had a Magic Bullet (not the one in the picture - the bottom of the line version). I tried to make a few smoothies in that and they were ok but it just wasn't strong enough to pulverize the greens and I felt like I was drinking grass. It was a quick way to get me to stop right there and never have a smoothie again. 

So I did a little research and found the Nutribullet. It's motor was stronger. Hopefully strong enough to pulverize my leafy greens so I bit the bullet (pun intended) and bought one. It is the best purchase I have made in the realm of smoothie makers anyways. I found this Vega protein smoothie powder on Amazon and decided to try it also. I don't know about you, but I have tried several protein powders and they all taste like crap and by that I mean, you can tell there's protein powder in the drink. Maybe I just have sensitive taste buds. I dunno but this stuff ended up being tasty and delicious. Now, I am not a nutritionist or anyone remotely qualified to tell you what is good for you or what is the best thing out there to use for smoothies. I just make what I think tastes good and hope that I have added a few things that are beneficial for me. If  you disagree with what I use and how I do it, well you are free to include whatever ingredients you think are best for you and make it any old way you like. 

I must warn you I measure nothing. I eyeball everything. I didn't want to be too strict about what I was doing otherwise it would become a chore that I would avoid at all costs. I start using the large cup attachment that came with my Nutribullet and fill it about half way with baby spinach. I add a few kale leafs, some frozen strawberries, blackberries and/or raspberries, frozen mango and/or peaches, a fresh banana, a couple of spoonfuls of Greek yogurt, a scoop of Vega protein powder and finally I add coconut water. The amount of coconut water I add depends on how many frozen fruits I have used and how much I need to liquefy the smoothie. The more frozen fruits I have, the thicker the consistency and the harder it is to drink therefor I add a little more coconut water. I have learned through trial and error when and how much to add. What I add on any particular day just depends on what I'm in the mood for. I have two different varieties of the protein powder so that often influences the types of fruit I add. I also typically add a spoonful of chia seeds. Once I've done all that I just pop on the blade and blend it up in the Nutribullet until it's all smooth and mixed together well. I then pour it in my blender bottle and drink it up. 

I have also found if you make more than you can consume at once, it will keep well in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. Since I started having at least one of these daily along with increasing my water intake, I have noticed improvements in my hair and skin, my energy level and how I feel and I might have shed a few pounds. I also want to note that if you are concerned about the taste due to the greens, don't be. These greens don't have particularly strong flavors and any strong flavored fruit like berries and bananas will eliminate the taste of the greens almost entirely. If you are concerned about drinking it because you have a phobia of green or brown foods (like my husband) then just add a few more berries and presto, it is no longer a color that is abhorrent to you. 

And there you have it. My not so secret smoothies. They are delicious and better for me than that ice cream smoothie you can get. If you want to know where to find some of the things I mentioned, I have included links below. Enjoy! 

Nutribullet Pro you can get a tons of places. I got mine from HSN because it came with a recipe book and a bag of Super Food to add to my smoothies.

Vega Smoothie Protein Powder  you can find on Amazon. It comes in several varieties. I've only tried the Bodacious Berry and Tropical Tango. I like them both. 

Blender Bottle  I got from Amazon as well.