Introducing....Green Smoothies...part 1 of 2

Something like a decadent chocolate cake needs no introduction, it's pretty straight forward, you know what to expect. Most people need to be persuaded to NOT eat chocolate cake rather than to eat it. IF ONLY health food were as persuasive.

I personally am weak for all things chocolate. Don't judge. We all have some sort of kryptonite. Put this in front of me, I will ask you no questions, except maybe for a fork, or better yet a spoon (better for shoveling). I will actually gain 5 pounds just from looking at it, another 3 pounds after the first bite, and I will enjoy every bite except for the last one when I realize what I've done:eaten a bunch of empty calories, spiked my blood sugar, just voided any exercise done in the past two weeks, consumed white flour and white sugar increasing my risk of some sort of cancer, not to mention the guilt of falling off the healthy-wagon...

A really good, I mean really  good chocolate cake might change your night  (and your week if you have to work it off) but it definitely won't change your life.
Green Smoothies  on the other hand really are life changing.


Now I realize, THIS, needs an introduction!
I am proud to introduce the Green Smoothie! At 32 ounces you get less than 200 calories with included fiber, antioxidants, chlorophyll, and an amazing availability of vitamins and minerals.
Because this is not chocolate cake, this is something that requires persuading for people to eat.

When I first started making green smoothies, I would have to remind myself, "It tastes so good, even though it may look kind of freaky." Or "This is going to help me lose weight, not get sick, have great skin, and I'm going to have amazing energy after and I'm going to feel good because I made a nutritionally superior choice." Looks are deceiving and even after all this time, I sometimes still have to play these little mantras in my head. It helps to know what I do, about how fabulous they are for my body and mind and overall feeling of wellness. One thing I love about green smoothies is they never make me feel guilty and I usually feel encouraged to make more great healthy lifestyle choices.

WHAT IS A GREEN SMOOTHIE:
Anyone looking to amp up their nutrition would be hard pressed to not stumble upon the infamous green smoothie. Victoria Boutenko was the first green smoothie proponent and has been succeeded  by Robyn Openshaw in green smoothie advocacy. A Green Smoothie is a blended combination of  roughly 60% greens to 40% fruit. Some people start with the fruit to greens ration reversed, and if that's what it takes, that is more than fine. Whatever it takes.

WHAT'S IN A GREEN SMOOTHIE:
Greens:  These include kale, spinach, romaine lettuce, green lettuce, a spring mix, chard, collards, dandelions, and more.
Fruits:  Any kind of fruit can be used in correlation with the greens used in a smoothie. I personally like to use different kinds of berries to up my antioxidants. I also will use a frozen banana or two to make it creamy. Some people like to use avocado to achieve the creamy effect, but I prefer to stick with the banana. During their seasons, I also like to use peaches or pears in place of berries for their natural sweetness.
Sweetener:  Some people really can't let go of their sweet tooth even when eating produce and we're just going for baby steps, so again, whatever it takes. When I use a sweetener (mostly  when making smoothies for my kids-and yes, they LOVE them) I try to stick with Stevia but I have used agave before many times. I try to just add more fruit though.
Water: There are different bases that are used for green smoothies: yogurts, juices, etc. I usually just use water to avoid any juice calories (especially store bought juice because it always has an added something or another). When I'm organized I will have a bottle of homemade rejuvelac in the fridge and will use that as the base for the smoothie.

WHY DRINK A GREEN SMOOTHIE:
Greens are a powerhouse of nutrition and by blending the greens, not only is the time of consumption reduced but the availability of the nutrients into your bloodstream is almost instant. Greens also contain chlorophyll which is great for adding clean fuel to our bloodstream. I know that while I have always loved salads, that if I were to take everything I put into my green smoothies and try to sit down and chew it thoroughly it would take FOREVER (alright, but it would feel like forever but maybe only take 30 minutes.) 30 minutes is still a long time to be chewing on a salad though, right?!? I think so.
Green smoothies are also easily portable. Have you ever seen someone eating a giant plate of salad while driving? (If you have, I would love to hear about it, really!) How easy is it to stick something like this in a cup though and drink on the way to work, doing carpool, on the way to a party, where ever.
This is one of the easiest ways to get kids to eat their greens. A 32 ounce glass of green smoothie can have up to 15, yeah FIFTEEN servings of greens and fruits. My little girl has been drinking green smoothies since she was about 8 months old. I would only give her about 4-6oz at first but she loved it and would end up sharing some of mine with me too. My preschooler asks for them and thinks they are so much fun to make. I give myself serious "parent points" every time my kids drink one because I've done something for them that will contribute to their health in the moment and the future.
When I  have a green smoothie I give myself personal kudos for taking care of myself. As a Mom I find I put myself last a lot and it's important to take care of myself not only for my own physical, mental and emotional well being but because my children are watching me and following my example.

Next post: My favorite green smoothie recipe and tips for tasty green smoothie success. Also, my first green smoothie introductions. I was not easily convinced to partake and now I would  not be easily convinced to not  partake.

GrrrNola for Baby Green Giants

Old habits die hard, especially when it comes to changing eating habits. Getting a good start to the day is important and picky kids and nutrition nutty moms can make for an explosive morning in deciding what to have for breakfast. This Granola is the BEST tasting granola, way better than even the fancy ones at the health food store. It is a "baby green giant" recipe because it has more sugar in it than I would like (and I will often use even less ) but when I make it just like this NO one complains-not my hubby, not kiddies, not no one! ;) I actually have shared this recipe with my extended family and received rave reviews from skeptic taste buds. We call this Grrrnola at our house because this is how my little boy would say it in his excitement over having it.

Sheryl's GrrrNola:

4 Cups rolled oats

1 Cup slivered almonds

1/2 Cup cashews

1/3 Cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1/4 Cup sesame seeds

1/2 Cup pumpkin seeds

1/3 Cup Sunflower seeds

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 Tablespoons Coconut Sugar (can substitute for honey or grade B maple syrup)

1/4 C (grade B) Maple Syrup

2 Tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 C Coconut Oil

 Preheat the over to 250 degrees. In the absence of a roasting pan, line two large edged cookie sheets with tin foil or parchment paper. If using cookie sheets take the time to really use two cookie sheets because it won't cook right if only one is used. 

Combine all nuts and seeds together. Sprinkle on salt and cinnamon until evenly dispersed. In a saucepan melt together over stove the Coconut oil, Coconut Sugar, honey and maple syrup. Just heat until dissolved and combined. Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Pour sweetener mixer over Oat mixture and stir quickly until everything is evenly coated. Divide mixture on to two cookie sheets, spreading as evenly as possible.

Place a sheet of foil loosely on top of each granola tray.

Bake for 30 minutes with with one cookie sheet on upper rack and one on the lower and then switch the sheets and back for another 30 minutes. After an hour, feel free to remove tin foil covering and back for an additional 15 minutes. The granola will harden as it cools, so don't worry if it's not as crisp as you were hoping for right at first.

Store in an airtight container in the pantry, or in the fridge if this will last your family longer than   1 week.

*When I want to take this to a Green Giant status I will add raw soaked almonds and sprouted sunflower or pumpkin seeds-so good.
**Occasionally I'll also add some Goji berries or raisins

***Grade B maple syrup is NOT the same as the high-fructose corn syrup that has made it self comfortable in family pantry's across America.  Grade B is a much less refined and processed for a maple syrup which retains some of it's original nutritional properties.

****Coconut sugar is definitely a specialty sugar and is worth every penny as far as I'm concerned.

We serve this granola with kefir poured over it, we use it for making exceptional homemade yogurt parfaits, and sometimes even as an ice cream topping. We have taken this in the car as a snack for the kids, and camping. Our taste buds LOVE it and our bodies are grateful for it.

Beautify your Home and your Health

The last few months I keep stumbling on information on how to purify and detox the air in one's home. It's been very interesting to say the least. I've been excited about the idea of adding more plants(my husband already has a few) to our living space as a way to increase oxygen and humidity in the home to myself all while improving the esthetics of our home. The best thing about decorating with plants is that they never go out of style.

Healthy air is IN, just maybe not in the home...
There are so many chemicals that we use-perfumes, household cleaners, air fresheners...as well as the general pollution from the recycling air from air conditioning units and heaters, etc. that all build up. We breathe it, we sleep in it, our children play in it...the more I think about it the more my skin begins to crawl. Studies have shown that even people in the high rises in cities above the pollution have high levels of toxicity in the air in their homes. People who live in area of high pollution have more problems with asthma, allergies, skin conditions, and more. Dr Murad says that the air of our environment effects not only our skin, but our cells.

Even NASA got on board and conducted different studies and found that common household plants are very effective at detoxifying and purifying air. Below I've listed the top plants that NASA recommends for most effectively removing formaldehyde, benzene, and carbon dioxide from air in doors.

Bamboo Palm-Chamaedorea


Chinese Evergreen-Aglaonema Modestum


English Ivy-Hedera Helix


Chrysanthemum-Pot Mum


Rubber Plant


Janet Craig-Dracaena


Mass Cane Dracaena


Mother-in-law's tongue-Sansevieria Laurentii


Warneckii-Dracaena


Gerbera Daisy


Peace Lily

Some of these plants are considered poisonous if eaten, so anyone with pets or children would want to do their homework first if that was a concern.
An honorable mention of the Aloe Vera plant has been noted by NASA as well as in other sources for assisting in air purification.

Aloe Vera
This is a great one to have in the home for its medicinal uses on burns as well has the health benefits of consuming the jelly like substance inside. A piece of the whole stem also makes a great addition to Green Smoothies.
Beautiful decor and natural air purifiers? Total score! I can't wait!

Learn More:
http://www.zone10.com/nasa-study-house-plants-clean-air.html

The "produce sale" Challenge

When my husband and I lived in beautiful islands of Palau we did not have access to the same quality of food nor the variety that I was accustomed to having in the States.  I was used to picking out a few meals I saw in a cookbook, jotting down the ingredients on a piece of paper and then going to the grocery store and getting said ingredients, and coming home and preparing the planned meal with those ingredients. In Palau-this system would NOT work.  The first time I planned out my shopping trip I did what I had always done, planned the meals, wrote down the ingredients and went to the store. Store was a game changer. Nine times out of ten, the two only real supermarkets (which were right accross the street from each other oddly enough) combined, would not have at least half the items I was looking for.  It took a few times for me to figure out that something was going to need to change. 

The other challenging part of shopping, other than that many of the boxed items were in Japanese, or Korean was that the processed boxes of food would oftenhave bugs in them when I got home. The canned food was often expired and the chicken and beef had travled from the US and had been frozen, thawed, frozen, thawed and repeated who knew how many times in the shipping. Yogurt was often months past the expiration date and I once got a pound of butter home to open it and find that it was black. Has anyone ever seen that? So gross. I quickly became a big fan of the produce section.


It was hard, but I'm grateful now for the sink or swim learning experience. I had to learn to go to the store with a few ideas only of meal plans. I then would shop the store, mostly the produce section, for whatever looked the least bruised and beaten and then would come home and have to figure out what in the world I could make with what I had. Before anyone feels too bad for me, one saving grace was the endless supply of fresh fish at all the fresh markets. We lived in a conglomeration of 270 islands after all-there was "plenty fish", and thank goodness! Rice was also an endless commodity for which I hadn't used much before but it was now my best friend. This was a great way to learn to cook with what I had which comes in very handy in cooking tasty meals that are also affordable.

Moving back to the US was hard-I had to leave my lovely Palauan friends behind, leave the warm weather, the beaufiful scuba, snorkel, kayaking adventures, on and on. However-going into a grocery store in the states again for the first time was magical, really. It was fabulous-so many options! Too many options. I was overwhelmed. So I stuck with my new system, basing my meals around the produce section, which now felt like a security blanket.
Upon being back I learned something about US grocery stores that I hadn't known before: the fruit and vegetables in season are the ones that are usually on sale. What's great about this is that chances are the produce on sale is grown a lot closer to home than say Mangos from the phillipines, Strawberries from mexico, that one might find in a supermarket out of season.
With my "palauan system" I now knew how to look at all the produce and (at the time meat) that was on sale and make a meal from what I had rather than what I wanted or "needed".

The reason why this is such a great skill I want everyone to learn is because too many people avoid eating more produce because they think it will cost too much. I am not a "couponer" but I have price matched produce many times. Most of the supermarkets in my area that have Organic produce often advertise their organice produce sales in their weekly mailers.

The challenge: is to plan two dinners around the produce on salein your supermarket's weekly mailers. (There is no limit to the markets you can go to collect your produce, as long as the produce is on sale, it meets challenge requirements.
When going through a weekly skip through all the garbage and go straight to the produce section and think of some meals you could center around the vegetables on sale, and healthy treats around the desserts.
For example: asparagus is going to be going, I feel like asparagus is the trumpeteer anouncing the arrival of spring. I love watching the asparagus come up in our garden. Try an asparagus soup. (It is SO MUCH better than one would think-SURPRISINGLY satisfying.)


Use fruit as the center piece of a dessert if your family is accustomed to having something sweet after dinner. Baby steps like fresh fruit and cream.


These are just some baby green giant steps that will help build momentum for later, bigger, steps.
One day, I hope that fresh fruit all on its own will be enough a treat. My family loves eating a platter of fresh fruit as a treat, savoring every juicy bite.


Let me know how the challenge works for you? Tell me what you liked, didn't like, what you struggled with. I would love to hear from you! 
Comment here or email me walkingwithgreengiants@gmail.com