Breakfast Smoothies

I've been pretty health conscious my whole life but my partner Clarence was one of those rubber kids that wouldn't dare look at a vegetable, could eat a quart of ice cream in one sitting,  followed by some pizza and Mt. Dew and not gain a pound.  He'd been getting older and after much pestering, I finally got him to make a doctor's appointment.  We got some discouraging news after his check up.  His cholesterol was through the roof.  They immediately put him on cholesterol lowing drugs which took care of the problem straight away.  That's all fine and dandy, but I'm too proactive to let that slide.  I wanted to make sure that we could also regulate the situation with exercise and diet.

Since he refused to eat fruits and vegetables a compromise we came to was smoothies.  Fruit is high enough in sweetness and sugars to mask anything I might hide in his breakfast drink.  After reading Cholesterol Down: Ten Simple Steps to Lower Your Cholesterol in Four Weeks--Without Prescription Drugs I concocted Clarence's special smoothie containing some of the ingredients from the book that he could get all in one drink.  After some life style changes and his new diet, he's lost around 30lbs and cut his prescription medication in half!

I decided to join him in the world of smoothies (even though I have no problem getting fruits and veggies down in their normal form).  Below are the recipes I use every day.  I try and keep the ratio even between fruits and veggies.  Also, they change depending on what is growing in the garden or what's on sale at the supermarket.

Let me tell you, these are a meal.  Clarence's smoothie is about a quart and a half while mine is a little under a quart.  

What you need:

• Fruits and veggies or your choice, preferably organic
• Flax seeds or meal
• filtered water
• blender
• a large, preferably glass, container to store the finished product (I use a mason jar)

Clarence's Cholesterol Lowing Smoothie
2 cups water
2 cups Organic Spinach
2 Tbls Flax meal 
1 6-8 oz container Soy Yogurt
1 Organic Apple
1 Organic Carrot (top and all)
1/2 Cup Edamame
3/4 Cup Blueberries

Alabama's Morning Smoothie
1.5 Cups water
1 Cup Organic Spinach
2 Tbls Flax meal (or Chia Seeds)
1/2 Organic Apple
2 Stalks Organic Celery
1 Organic Carrot
1 Cup Pineapple (or Raspberries, or Strawberries, whatever I have on hand)

The pictures below are for my recipe, and how I go about making it.

First I gather everything up

I start with the softest ingredients first.  Water, spinach, soft fruit, flax...

Then top that off with the rest

Next , I turn my blender on high and pulverize it all!

You should drink your smoothie right away if you can.  Once everything is broken up like this the nutrients in the plants start to die.  If I must make the drink the night before I fill any remaining room in my jar with more filtered water and then seal it up tight and place it in the fridge.  Light and air contribute to the loss of nutrients as you wait to indulge.

Finished Product

Other things I add when we have them are almond meal or butter, RAW protein powder, lemon juice and/or  apple cider vinegar.  We've been doing this for years now and the health benefits for us have been enormous.  If you have a hard time getting fruits and veggies into your diet, I highly recommend breaking out the blender and getting your drink on.  Delicious!