With all the different diets out there, the one thing we can say they all have in common is to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.  Who can argue with that?  And most people already know they are not getting enough fresh food into their bodies, especially those dark leafy greens which are loaded with vitamins, phytonutrients and minerals, and this is why I add them to my delicious fruit smoothies in the morning!

As a raw food chef, I teach the art of making delicious cuisine made from raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouts – I call it “making healthy food delicious.”  But not all recipes take a lot of time—remember, cooking only adds more time anyway—and my daily smoothie is fresh produce basically tossed into a blender and I have a complete meal in about 5 minutes.  It feels so refreshing it’s like giving your insides a detox shower in the morning.  Try it and see how you feel.  If you still need your oatmeal in the morning have that too, but I have found the more fresh I eat in the morning the less I can handle heavy items so early in the morning.

The nutritional science behind what our grandmothers and mothers told us for years is once food is cooked, vitamins are either greatly reduced or destroyed.  And the enzymes, which are the life force in food and digestive “workers” the body needs for ultimate nourishment and vitality cannot survive high temperatures of heat, which is around 118 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, remember to eat those fruits and veggies raw!

Below is one of my favorite green smoothie recipes.  But do remember that you can vary this recipe with your favorite fruits and green vegetables and alternating produce gives you a wider range of nutrients.  You can opt to add some frozen berries or bananas, but in general fresh is better.  Adding a little bit of lemon juice helps rid the bitterness from the greens.  Enjoy!

Green Smoothie
Yield: 4 cups (2 servings)

1 pound of leafy green vegetables (spinach, kale, romaine, etc._
1 ripe banana (peeled)
1 mango (peeled and seeded)
1 cup orange juice or purified water
Squeeze of lemon
Ice cubes (optional)

1.    Blend ingredients in a blender, adding water first to get the blender going easily.
2.    Add ice (optional)

Sincerely,
Jennifer
www.jennifermcclelland.com