Warming Green Smoothie
Packed with vitality
plus warming ginger and other thoughtful ingredients that make a seasonally appropriate smoothie.
Despite the fact that most folks drink smoothies with their health in mind, they’re not actually always the most appropriate choice for our wellbeing. This is especially true in the wintertime, where the wisdom of seasonal eating tells us that cooked foods and warming spices are our best allies for nourishment, balance and wellbeing.
With their cold and sugary nature, smoothies can also be difficult on our digestion.
The good news is that there are some great tricks to making smoothies work for you in the colder months! This recipe is designed as a way to enjoy the vitality of a fresh smoothie, while incorporating a few techniques that make it easier to digest and more seasonally appropriate. The keys to this include:
Lots of fresh ginger to kickstart the fires of digestion and help your body stay warm from the inside out.
Frozen steamed zucchini. Cooked foods are naturally easier for the body to digest and are also less cooling energetically. I steam all my extra garden zucchini during the summer and pull it out of the freezer as needed throughout the year.
A touch of honey. This smoothie contains just a small amount of fruit, so I also include honey for the benefit of flavor and its wellness properties. Honey is considered warming in both Chinese medicine and Ayurveda—clearing out cold, damp and stagnant qualities which can interfere with digestion and cause joint pain. The ginger mentioned above has these properties, too!
Peaches or mango. You choose which of these fruits to include—but both of them are considered slightly warming.
Aside from all of the ways this is a well-balanced smoothie, it also is vibrant, delicious and refreshing. Our Vital Greens helps boost your energy and support focus—and as an added bonus many of the herbs it contains also support liver function and healthy digestion.
If you are someone with a cold constitution or digestive difficulties, a daily smoothie is still probably not your best bet—especially in the winter. But if you love smoothies and are looking for a more balanced way to enjoy them in cold weather—or anytime of year—this recipe is a great choice.
Ingredients
1/2 C Frozen steamed zucchini, cubes
1/2 C Peaches of mango, cubed (fresh or frozen—for less cooling you may also thaw frozen fruit before using)
3/4 C Water
1.5 Tsp Vital Greens
1/2 C Loosely packed parsley
1/4 Avocado
1 Tbsp Lemon juice
1/2 Tsp Raw honey
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. This recipe works best in a small blender (ie a Ninja, Bullet or Beast).