Green Smoothie: Breakfast of Health Champions

Green Smoothie: Breakfast of Health Champions

Would you like to lose weight, feel better, lower your cholesterol and fight hunger? Yes, I know, who wouldn’t want to accomplish all of these? I recently discovered a tasty new recipe for a really healthy breakfast that is delicious and filling that will help you. Green Smoothies are the breakfast of health champions. I have listed the recipe below, but first I will give you the reasons why you should try a Green Smoothie. Green Smoothies are made with spinach, which sounds really gross until you taste it. The spinach gives the smoothie a very subtle tea flavor. It is definitely the best tasting spinach meal that I have ever had. I have heard about Green Smoothies in the past, but I found a recipe in Dr. Joel Fuhrman's new book, Eat to Live,that sounded “good enough to eat.”

1. You will lose weight effectively and permanently. Studies show that people who eat breakfast are more likely to lose weight and keep it off. If you diet by starving yourself at breakfast, you will be hungrier later in the day and will have a tendency to snack on the wrong foods and to overeat. You burn most of your calories during the day when you are active, so it is important to move the majority of your calories earlier in the day and eat a light supper. You may have the opposite problem of eating too much breakfast by filling up on eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy (which qualifies as a beverage in the South according to Jeff Foxworthy). This high-fat type of breakfast has a lot of calories.

2. You will feel better. You literally are what you eat. All of the cells in your body are made from the food you put in your mouth. If you expect your body to function well, you need to give it good nutrients. You would not put sugar and butter in the gas tank of a Lamborghini so don’t put junk food in your stomach. Starting the day with a nutritious breakfast filled with low calorie fruits and vegetables with lots of vitamins, antioxidants and phytonutrients will make you feel worth more than a Lamborghini.

3. Lower your cholesterol without medications. Smoothies containing fruits and vegetables are low fat and contain no cholesterol. You may have heard that eating oatmeal for breakfast lowers cholesterol. One of the reasons that oatmeal lowers cholesterol is that people are switching from a high fat meat/dairy/flour breakfast like the one above to a lower calorie food with very little fat and no cholesterol. This same principle applies to smoothies. It is a common misunderstanding that you only have to avoid cholesterol in the diet to lower cholesterol. It is actually the fat in your diet that causes most of your cholesterol elevation in addition to weight gain combined with a genetic propensity for high cholesterol. The Green Smoothie has very low fat content and no cholesterol. Even if you are have to take cholesterol medication, having a Green Smoothie for breakfast instead of bacon and eggs will definitely lower your cholesterol. It will come down even more if you improve your diet the remainder of the day.

4. Fight and win the battle with hunger. Your body craves nutrients. As long as you are eating low nutrient foods like processed carbohydrates and other junk food, your body will scream for food. You will feel hunger, stomach cramps, lightheadedness, irritability, nausea, and fatigue. When you give your body what it wants and needs, these symptoms will vanish. A Green Smoothie for breakfast will give you a nutrient boost first thing in the morning and will keep you full until lunchtime. I eat really healthy (vegan), but I switched from old fashioned oatmeal to a Green Smoothie for breakfast and my 10:00 a.m. hunger pains stopped. I no longer reach for fruit or nuts mid-morning to quell the tiger in my gut.

If you want to learn more about eating healthy, continue to read this blog, but also purchase Dr. Fuhrman's new book.

Green Smoothie Recipe

Adapted from Eat for Health Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

5 ounces of baby spinach

1 banana

1 cup frozen blueberries

½ cup of soy milk (I prefer low fat vanilla)

½ cup unsweetened fruit juice (I leave out the fruit juice)

1 tblsp ground flax seeds (good source of omega-3 fatty acids)

Add the spinach and soy milk to the blender and blend until pureed. Add the other ingredients and blend until smooth. This makes 2 servings so you can share it with your favorite person.

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