Kim’s Glowing Green Smoothie

You asked for it, so here it is… This recipe comes from celebrity nutritionist Kimberly Snyder and it’s what I have for breakfast almost every day! This is the green magic that makes my skin glow, makes my hair healthy, and makes me feel like a million bucks. This smoothie gives me sustained energy that lasts throughout the day. My body feels healthy and toned, and my mind feel clearheaded and calm. My skin has started to glow since making this green drink a daily part of my life, and I am sure once you start you will experience the same thing!

The most amazing thing is that as the biological chemistry of our body changes and our skin, nails, hair and energy start to improve, we actually look forward to our everyday green smoothie. I have so many friends tell me, that as time passes and these smoothies permeate their bodies, that they feel so good that they are now addicted to their breakfast ritual!

Drinking this everyday is a great way to incorporate tremendous amounts of greens into our diet. Greens are nutritional powerhouses, more so then any other food group in the world. They also contain high-quality, easily-assimilated amino acids that help to build the protein that supports our muscle mass.

You should aim to drink about 16 oz of the green smoothie every day, and then work your way up to 24 ounces or more depending on your build, appetite, metabolism and activity level. A Vitamix blender is definitely recommended to make this smoothie, so that it’s smooth, silky and delicious with only a few minutes to prep. I particularly like this smoothie because the produce is in season year round and there are only a handful of ingredients to keep stocked in my fridge.

The advantage of making a blender full at a time like this is convenience. Unlike raw juice, which has a short nutritional life span because it oxidizes quickly once extracted, this smoothie will keep, covered, in your refrigerator, for about three days. You can also freeze individual sized portions and thaw them out overnight in the refrigerator if you are in a rush in the mornings. I do recommend you start off with 8-16 ounces or so the first few days and then increase from there. If your body does not have time to sufficiently adjust to the massive influx of nutrients this smoothie provides you can feel nauseous at first. Don’t worry, within a few weeks you will be able to drink 16-24 ounces with ease.

Sixteen ounces of this green smoothie supplies about 170 calories, and 13 grams of fiber. Fiber is critical for optimal digestive health, helping to keep our bodies clean and regular, and also keep us full so we eat less junk throughout the day.

As you get accustomed to the flavors you can mix and match your greens and fruit and add herbs like parsley and cilantro. Also don’t skip or skimp on the lemon, it cuts through any bitterness in the greens and makes this smoothie taste delicious. I highly recommend using all organic produce to eliminate the possibility of pesticides entering our system.

After a few weeks drinking the glowing green smoothie you will feel so good that I guarantee you will never want go back to your old breakfast again!

Yield: about 60 ounces

Ingredients

2 cups water
1 head romaine lettuce, rough chopped
6 cups (packed) baby spinach
2 to 3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 apple, cored, sliced
1 pear, cored, sliced
1 banana, peeled
1/2 lemon or lime, juiced

Directions

Place water, romaine, spinach, celery, and herbs, if using, into the Vitamix blender and secure the lid. Blend until incorporated. Stop machine and remove the lid. Add apple, pear, banana and lemon. Turn blender on and slowly increase speed and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.