In addition to the post-holiday blues I've been feeling, I was feeling something else.
Fatigue, headaches, fever, nausea, congestion, cold sweats and general ickyness.
You see, I was eating extremely well the few weeks before Christmas, then I ruined it. I brought you lovely people 12 treats of Christmas, and brought myself way to much sugar.
Them cookies it seems, where just my gateway drug into a dark week (or two-but whose counting really?) full of junk foods and void of vegetables.
I needed to get back to my new veggie-full life, and I really needed to not be sick.
So the night after sickness really hit me, I (despite my lack of appetite) returned to my green smoothie mornings.
Many people are on the green smoothie train these days, but when you look closely at what their ingredients are-its just five million fruits with a few spinach leaves thrown in to make it green. I don't need sneaky ways to get more fruit into my life, I need more vegetables. So I had to create my own, through trial and error.
Because I love you all, I will share with you the most palatable concoction I have found yet.
I wanted to make sure that the fruit to veg ratio was equal, if not more veggies to fruit.
Here are the ingredients:
Kale
{super healthy for you--makes the smoothie chunkier, so you might want to gradually add more each day until you get used to it.}
Green Apple
{adds liquid, sourness to drink, and has less sugar than other fruit}
Cucumber
{Adds liquid to drink.I peel, because I don't like the chunks in my cup. Also, veggies/fruits are often coated with wax, which most often contains corn. Now you know.}
Pineapple
{I tried many a fruits before this, Pineapple is the best. Makes the drink frothy, and blends in well. Other fruits (like orange) just made juice which seperated from the rest of the blend}
and a Ninja.
Or any other food chopper-upper.
Put it all together and blend!
The exact measurements for you:
1 Whole Green Apple
1/2 Cup Pineapple
1/2 Cucumber
2 large Handfuls of Kale
(approx 11/2 cups)
*You can really use however much of these ingredients as you want-today, I used a whole cucumber, which made it more liquid, so I added more Kale 'cause I could. It made waaay too much, so I won't do that again.
Then, because I'm a good little patient and listen to my doctors wisdom, I eat an egg.
Its important to eat a concentrated protein (egg, meat, fish, tofu) with fruit sugar-especially when its in a smoothie.
Otherwise, it gives you a sugar high that comes crashing down, rather than sustaining you all day.
Specifically, one egg yolk and two egg white.
Or just two egg whites.
Or three egg whites and a yolk.
Any are exceptable.
With some vegetables, because I need as many as I can get.
and I top with some Trader Joe's Bruschetta sauce.
'Cause its the bees knees.
Do people still say that? They should, 'cause it is; whatever that means.
Back to my story I forgot I was telling you...
After I drank my power juice, ate some eggs, watched a Psych marathon in my jammies, and took a nap; I was cured.
Fever? Nope
Nausea? Nada
Headache? Notta bit.
Congestion? Gone.
*I should note, that this is my biggest meal of the day, and the only time I eat fruit.
**I am not a doctor, and this is not a medically proven method to cure the flu and or common cold. Except that I just proved it...So, maybe...
***You should consult your doctor before starting any new diets(specifically a smoothie/juicing one). Eating fruits/veggies in this form is not good for everyone. As stated above, make sure to eat a protein with it!
***Yes I do drink it in that green cup everyday. Not just for photo purposes. They are my favorite cups on the planet.