Favorite Green Smoothie - Zenergy

I was recently back on the East Coast and I stopped in to my favorite smoothie/salad/health food spot, Green and Tonic, off of Greenwich Avenue and got a "Zenergy" smoothie. Packed with greens, protein and other goodies, the smoothie filled me up and made me feel great for the rest of the day (after eating - and drinking- terribly for the days prior...). I decided to recreate it back on the West Coast and it's helping me start my day off right and get me back on track with my healthy eating. Try it out and let me know what you think - and comment your favorite smoothie recipes below!

+ 1 banana

+ 1.5 tablespoons of almond butter

+ 8 ounces of almond milk 

+ 1 cup of spinach

+ 1 tablespoon of bee pollen

+ 1 tablespoon of matcha green tea powder

+ a few drops of B12

+ 6 ice cubes

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Detox Smoothie

This recipe is delicious and energizing. After seeing it on wellangooodnyc.com (one of my favorite websites) I tried it and had to post. For those of you who want to have greens in your smoothie but don't want to taste them, this is the smoothie for you. It is also an amazing antioxidant punch to have before you indulge in all of those V-Day treats. It's packed with 11 grams of complete protein and omega 3s and maca is known to have numerous health benefits like tons of B vitmains for energy. Enjoy!

P.S. if you don't have a blender, I highly recommend the nutribullet. It's small and powerful.

(Photo: Jennifer Kass for Well+Good)

The Heart Chakra Smoothie

1 or 2 kale leaves

1 cup fresh organic strawberries

1 frozen banana

1 Tbsp maca

1 Tbsp hemp seeds (blend first with water to make homemade milk)

1 cup filtered water

Top with Goji berries and sweetened cacao nibs to taste

(Recipe from wellandgoodnyc.com)

Health Food of the Day - Goji Berries

I don't know about you but I am going to need some serious detox after all of the eating and drinking I've been doing. I feel like I've had a holiday party every night and my body is taking a toll. As many of you know, I prefer to add good things to my diet instead of taking things out (not always the best route but gotta start somewhere!) Goji berries are gaining popularity and with such great health benefits, and Gwyneth supporting them, why shouldn't they?? Goji berries, or wolfberries, have been around a long time and are native of China. They have a sort of chewy/crunchy texture that are similar to craisins with a little more crunch (if you get the sun-dried kind). Some of the numerous health benefits include:

+Filled with antioxidants

+Compounds rich in vitamin A, C and E

+Lots of fiber to keep you full

+Contain 15x more iron than spinach

+Full of carotenoids like beta-carotene (seen in carrots) and lycopene (seen in tomatoes).

+Some research suggests goji berries can help increase metabolism and boost energy levels.

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I like to soak the berries overnight and put in a smoothie with a banana, acai powder, almond milk, ice cubes and a touch of honey. They are also great on salads and in yogurt bowls. I've even recently seen goji berry infused vodka (which looks amazing...). 

If you live in NYC, try Hu Kitchen's kale salad with goji berries, which is literally kale, goji berries and a yummy dressing or try their amazinggg "mash bar." I like my mash with chocolate chia pudding, cashew butter, almond butter, puffed quinoa bits, strawberries, bananas, goji berries and chocolate syrup - YUM! Probably more calories than going to Pinkberry but at least it's healthier...

Superfood Breakfast Bowl via Camille Styles

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 2 dried merjool dates (more for added sweetness), seeds removed and chopped
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon cardamon
• 2 tablespoons pepitas
• 1 tablespoon shredded coconut
• 1 tablespoon golden raisins
• goji berries, chia seeds, banana and coconut flakes, to garnish

Recipe

1. Rinse quinoa until water runs clear and combine in a medium sauce pan with water, coconut milk, and dates.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, or until quinoa has started to soften.
3. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamon, pepitas, shredded coconut and golden raisins.
4. Cook an additional five minutes, adding water if necessary, until quinoa and soft and fully cooked.
5. Serve hot and topped with banana, goji berries, chia seeds, and coconut flakes. Add maple syrup or honey to sweeten further if you’d like!

Glowing Green Smoothie

During the holidays, it's hard to stay healthy. With the abundance of finger foods on hand and glasses of champagne floating around, it's really difficult to count calories and stick with your diet. I (unsuccessfully) tried a soup cleanse the other week and I found it too restrictive. As I've said in the past, it's much easier for me to add things to my diet than subtract them. What can I say, I'm a real foodie! 

I've seen Hillary Duff post about a "glowing green smoothie" that she prepares and I decided to check out what it was all about. I'm  a big fan of Blue Print Cleanse's green drink but at 10 dollars a pop, it's not very economical. Hillary and other celebs are a fans of  Kimberly Snyder's "The Beauty Detox Solution." Snyder has easy to follow recipes and her philosophy on healthy eating is less about restricting yourself and more about clean, healthful eating and restoring the body's natural systems. Although I'm not a fan of omitting things from my diet, the green juice should be used as a meal replacement because it provides enough calories, carbs and nutrients for a meal. I'm dying for a vitamix so I can try her easy to follow recipe below. Apparently it totally resets your system and you feel healthier, more in balance and like your skin is glowing. 

Snyder also has other great recipes on her website and tons more in her book (I bought it on my iPad). She mostly prepares gluten free, dairy free and meat free recipes. She doesn't generally give a calorie count and focuses more on the vitamins and nutrients in each meal. Below is the recipe for the Glowing Green Smoothie.