Green Smoothies
Written by Sivan Choo – Certified “Raw
Food Nutrition” Educator by Living Light Culinary Instituted, California
Green smoothies are basically blended green leafy
vegetable mixed with fruits.
Since Yeh Fung and I learned
how to make green smoothies, we make this part of our meals everyday. I make
smoothies for myself and my kids 3 times a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner).
Since then I don’t have to nag my kids to eat fried vegetables anymore because
they get enough raw organic green vege from the green smoothies that packed
with enzymes, antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals. In fact, my
father-in-law who stays with me for 2-3 weeks every month also enjoys green
smoothies a lot. If he is back to his hometown, he will bring some vege and
fruits to the coffee shop and asks the coffee shop owner to blend them for him.
My mother-in-law too shared the green smoothie recipes with her nieces because
her water retention (Edema) problem improved.
We included green smoothies
in our cooking lesson and 1 of the participant put in it into practice
immediately after the class because she knows that she can get enough enzymes
out from green smoothies. To her surprise, her husband leg’s aching problem
that persisted for 3 years disappeared unknowingly after taking green smoothies
for his breakfast for a month. How do we know it is the power of green smoothie?
Because this is the only change that she has made in particular month. She also
noticed that her daughter acnes issue also resolved. She was so excited that
she introduced green smoothies to her sister and mother who suffered from foot
aching and constipation issue respectively. Both her sister and her mother’s
health issues also resolved after taking green smoothies.
To Yeh Fung, mouth ulcer is
a history to her since she takes green smoothies. For myself, my yellowish
palms (due to too much of beta-carotenes that is not harmful) turn more reddish
overtime with the dark green leafy vege in green smoothies.
My brother-in-law, Bik Hooi dropped
18kg over 3 months time after he changed his diet to plant based whole food
diet which includes green smoothies for his breakfast and dinner. He looks
younger now and has a better complexion. He also feels more energetic and his
hairs start to grow too (FYI, his is slightly bald! I hope he doesn’t know that
I quote this…a little bit sensitive). Most of his friends are so curious about
his improvement and ask him for the secrete recipe!!
Some rules that I follow:
1. Use different green
leaves and fruits everyday
2. Use green vegetables that
are low in oxalic acid (oxalic acid will bind with calcium and form calcium
oxalate, an insoluble salt).
a. Vegetables that are low in oxalic acid: kale, lettuce,
celery, mustard green, broccoli, cabbage, and most other greens.
b. Vegetables that are high in oxalic acid: spinach, swiss
chard, parsley, beet leaves.
3. Add high oxalic vegetables
to green smoothies for variety, but do NOT make an entire smoothie out of them.
4. Use organic vegetables if
possible because they contain higher nutrients (vitamins, minerals,
phytonutrients, antioxidants, etc) compared to commercially grown vegetables.
5. Peel fruit if it’s not
organic
6. Banana and avocado gives
the smoothies the creamy and smooth texture
7. Keep the combination
simple, use 1-2 different types of green vegetables and 1-2 different types of
fruits.
8. Combine about 60% of
fruits with 40% of green vegetables to start with. For children to accept green
smoothies more willingly in the beginning, use slightly higher percentage of
fruits than vegetables.
7. Use high-powered blender
with at least 35,000 to 37,000rpm. It will produce a very good texture.
Here are some of our favorite secrete green smoothies
recipes!!
Bon appetite!
The following recipe is for
3-4 cups of (250ml per cup) green smoothies
Sivan loves all the
following green smoothies. Each one of them is so unique and taste good! In
fact, Sivan will make her own mix and match based on what are available in the
fridge. Hence, it is always a surprise to her husband and kids on the taste of
the green smoothies. Of course it always tastes nice. The trick Sivan follows
is mix and match sweet and sour (of course not too sour) fruits together. To
attract the kids to take the green smoothies, Sivan will use the kids’ favorite
fruits. The proportion of fruits and vege is fruits : Vege = 60% : 40% or 70% : 30%.
Tips, if your kids don’t
like vege, may be you can just put 1 or 2 leaves of vege as a start or use vege
that tastes milder such as lettuce. Once they experience the goodness of the
green smoothies, you can start to add more dark green vege. Remember to share
with your kids the benefits of green smoothies, e.g. grow healthier, beautiful
complexion, etc.
Sivan’s favorite #1
1 orange
½ soursop
2 bananas
150g of green mustard
3 tbsp of soaked flaxseed
(you may replace with soaked sesame)
500cc of water
Sivan’s favorite #2
2 kiwis
2 bananas
75g of cos-lettuce
75g of simpochoy or kale
500cc of water
Sivan’s favorite #3
½ papayas
2 oranges
150g sweet cabbage
500cc of water
Sivan’s family favorite #4
1 cup of pineapple
1 large mango
75g of kale (or sweet
potatoes leaves)
75g of mini-cos lettuce
3 tbsp of flaxseed
500cc of water
Sivan’s daughter favorite
1 large dragon fruit
2 bananas
1 orange
150g of bok choy
3 tbsp of soaked flaxseeds
500cc of water
Sivan’s husband favorite
1 apple
1 orange
1 cup of pineapple
½ avocado
150g of cos lettuce
500cc of water (if you like
a thicker smoothie, reduce the amount of water)
Yeh Fung’s favorite
2 apples
2 kiwis
½ avocado
5 cherry tomatoes
150g of cos lettuce
400ml of water
1.5 tbsp of soaked flaxseed
Yeh Fung’s daughter favorite
1 dragon fruits
2 bananas
150g choy-sam
5 cherry tomotoes
400ml of water
1.5 tbsp of flaxseed
Yeh Fung’s family favorite
¼ pineapples
2 bananas
1 apple
5 cherry tomatoes
150g of mini cos-lettuce
1.5 tbsp of flaxseed
500cc of water
Sivan’s Brother-in-law Favorite #1
3 bananas
100g of cos-lettuce
200g of misome
2 limes (if you like sour
taste)
500cc of water
Sivan’s Brother-in-law Favorite #2
3 bananas
150g cos-lettuce
150g spinach
2 limes (if you like sour
taste)
500cc of water
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