The beginning of the day may feel the most rushed, but is also one of the most important times for your body and your health. As you wake up in the morning and continue to push the snooze button for that final five minutes of added sleep you may be sleeping away the most important meal of the day. Instead, you can start your day off right with super food smoothies as a healthy breakfast.
The benefits of a smoothie in the morning include:
The benefit of having a balanced breakfast to jump start your day. For many people, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Not only does a good breakfast provide needed nutrition for your body, it can actually jump start it by increasing your energy level and increasing your metabolism to encourage it to work more effectively. Ironically, for those trying to lose weight skipping breakfast may be the most damaging thing they are doing. Studies show that having a quality meal at breakfast time can actually help to encourage weight loss. A super food smoothie for breakfast includes essential vitamins and mineral that will not only satisfy hunger but provide the needed elements to encourage your body’s systems to work efficiently.
Super quick and easy to make. With the needed ingredients on hand you simply need to add them to a blender in the morning and within only a few minutes you’ll have a nutritious smoothie full of essential vitamins and minerals as well as full of flavor.
In addition to being fast and easy to make, a smoothie is very portable. Simply pour the smoothie into a travel save mug or container and drink it on your way to work. For those who spend the last minutes of the morning sleeping you’ll find that smoothies are a great way to reclaim breakfast.
Smoothies fill you up. Because super food smoothies have high quality ingredients you will find that beginning your morning with one will make you feel fuller longer. You’ll be providing your body with all of the nutrients it needs to have the energy to make it through the morning.
With the variety of super foods available it is quick and easy to start your day off right with a super food smoothie. Simply keep a supply of these fresh foods available, throw those you want each morning in the blender, and enjoy a quick and simple breakfast at home or on your way out the door. A super food smoothie will help to boost your metabolism, provide needed energy, and encourage a healthy weight. You’ll find that mornings start better with a delicious morning smoothie.
About the Author: For other healthy lifestyle tips, click here for more information.
I found Steffi’s website while browsing online for vegan recipe sites. She has many amazing recipes on her blog that I are completely new territory for me, inlcluding Mom’s Goulash, Chocolate Coconut Quinoa Gluten Free Cookies, and Mac-and-Cheese (I never make mac and cheese at home, not even in pre-vegan days, but this one includes cashews and walnuts, so I’m going to try it! I’m sure my son will enjoy it.)
1. First off, please tell us a bit about yourself (where are you from, what do you do, etc.)
I am originally from Southern California. The town of Diamond Bar, 45 miles east of Los Angeles. I am a full time working mom of an energetic 9 year old girl, Anzia. My husband and I share the responsibility of home schooling Anzia and are both active in her social extra curricular activities like soccer and Girl Scouts. My outlet for stress has always been cooking which lead to starting Don’t Fear the Vegan.
2. How long have you been vegan and what was your motivation for going vegan?
Hubby and I went vegetarian in 2000. When Anzia was born with a dairy allergy in 2004 I began eating a plant-based diet, though when I was done nursing I went back to eating dairy. It made me extremely ill. The more reading I did, the more I realized I did not want to support the dairy industry. I have lived a complete vegan lifestyle for 5 years or so. Anzia has been vegan from day one.
3. What was the transition to all plant-based diet like? Was it long and difficult, or quick and easy? What was your greatest challenge? Do you have any advice for people who are considering making the switch or who are still going through a transition?
Our house became completely vegan in 2004. The most difficult part for me was visiting places like my elderly grandparents, having them try their hardest to make me something I could eat, to find out that they added sour cream or mayonnaise. I didn’t have the heart to tell them I couldn’t eat it. Until I was able to get over this hurdle I did not call myself vegan. The food itself was pretty easy. Plus, it made coking an entirely new adventure.
4. Is your family vegan? If yes, how did that happen? If not, what are they eating and how do your food choices affect them?
Yes, fortunately they are. I often wonder how people manage in households with different eating habits.
5. Do you have to deal with picky eaters?
Anzia is extremely picky. She prefers things raw and not mixed. A veggie tray and sliced uncooked tofu is her ideal meal. Though her favorite food is a somewhat odd choice… hearts of palm. I have learned to leave a little of all the elements of my creations out for her plates. If I am making a nut loaf, i give her the same nuts or bean by themselves, etc. Then she has to try a small portion of the finished meal. It works for us and it gives me the piece of mind that she is getting the nutrition she needs.
6. What are some of your – and your family’s – favorite foods/dishes?
My families favorite is Mac n “Cheese” and pea salad. Anzia can now prepare this on her own.
7. Can you perhaps share your favorite recipe, if it’s not a secret :-)?
No matter how I try them I am not a fan. It may be psychological though. If I add beets or other things that change the color I am able to tolerate them much better. I definitely prefer juice over smoothies, the pulp in a smoothie makes it difficult to swallow.
9. People switching to mostly plant-based or vegan diet are often concerned about getting enough nutrients. How are you making sure that you and your family stay healthy and get all the nutrition you need?
We have spent a lot of time reading over the years and have learned a lot from Dr. McDougall. I take a D vitamin and mostly use nutritional yeast for my B vitamin. I give Anzia a vegan multi-vitamin for kids, just to make sure we aren’t missing anything.
10. What are your strategies and tips for eating out and dealing with social situations? Do you have any advice for new vegans?
We are extremely lucky living in Seattle and run into very few situations. When traveling Anzia and I are pretty adaptable and can usually make it work. When we are in unfamiliar territory I tend to look at the menu ahead of time and make sure it is going to work for him. If not, we eat ahead and enjoy the company. I carry a back pack of food when exploring new places.
11. Since I became vegan about a year ago, I found that this switch is about so much more than simply eliminating a few ingredients from your diet. I found that it affected so many other areas of my life, including social and professional. How does being vegan affect other areas of your life?
Social experience have become more stressful since Anzia has acquired more friends her age, which include more social functions. There have been some places that despite the fact that we have been attending functions since she was 4, still never accommodate her and even though we are paying for the pizza party we have to bring our own. That is not the norm though. Most of the people in our lives are super accommodating. Sometimes to the point where I feel bad that they have gone so far out of their way. The last three birthday parties she has attended the parents have made sure she was taken care of.
As far as professional, I work around a lot of foodies, and though I may have to endure some of the typical vegan jokes, I am always thought of at food gatherings. It is also odd that when people find out that I am vegan, they feel the need to explain why the participate in certain things, like why they are vegetarian and haven’t made the leap to being vegan. I just keep bringing them food to show how good it is.
12. Is there anything else that you would like to share?
This was awesome. It can be really difficult in the beginning, especially in areas where there are no other vegans around. I think people need to know that though some vegans just woke up one day and said “I am vegan,” there are just as many who struggled, but had their heart in the right place and eventually found their way. Telling our stories gives different people something to relate to and possibly find comfort in.
Questions? Comments? Suggestions?
If you have a favorite recipe, why not submit it here in the comment section of this smoothie recipes blog for others to enjoy too!
I also welcome any comments, questions and suggestions. Thanks!
I participated in this event last year, and I learned soooo much, as well as got incredibly inspired by all the amazing people and the information.
(In fact I was so inspired, that I decided to use a similar slogan for my website: “Heal the body, heal the planet…beginning with food”. I also became an affiliate for the event.)
Bestselling author, John Robbins is sharing personal interviews of 23 people who are leaders in movements for healthy, sustainable, humane and delicious food. And you can join in — for free!
(If you don’t know who John Robbins (the host) is, you’ll be so inspired by his story. John Robbins could have inherited the Baskin-Robbins empire. But he walked away from the money and the power. Why? He simply didn’t want to devote his life to selling ice cream after realizing it makes people unhealthy. So he decided to make a change. Over the last 25 years, his books about healthy eating and healthy living (including bestsellers Diet for a New America and The Food Revolution) have sold millions of copies and been translated into more than 30 languages.)
Here is how it works. Every week, the Food Revolution Network hosts three interviews, and sends out a letter with a wealth of up-to-the-minute tools and resources. These tools can help you and your family to thrive and to make a difference in the world.
Get more info on the amazing speakers, and register here: Food Revolution Network
You’ll get up-to-date information from an amazing array of visionary leaders and experts, including:
Expert doctors and acclaimed researchers such as Dean Ornish, MD (Preventive Medicine Research Institute) and T. Colin Cambell, Ph.D (The China Study);
Natural health pioneers such as Joseph Mercola (Mercola.com) and David Wolfe (Radiant Health Now) and Food system innovators such as Vandana Shiva (How to Stop Big Ag) and Ronnie Cummins (Organic Consumers Association), and many more inspiring visionaries.
NY Times best-selling authors Marianne Williamson (Spiritual Principles for Weight Loss) and Kathy Freston (Quantum Wellness);
Culture-changers and icons such as Morgan Spurlock (Supersize Me) and Rory Freedman (Skinny Bitch);
You’ll get the latest thinking on preventing and reversing heart disease, cancer and diabetes; the truth about GMOs, soy, raw foods, and grass-fed beef; the social, ethical and environmental impact of what you eat; and how to inspire your family to join you in making healthy choices.
Although I’m a great believer in green smoothies and I pretty much gave up on juicing the last couple of years, I decided to give juicing another try.
Just a few days ago I purchased a brand new Breville juicer (which, by the way, came with a free DVD “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead” movie), brought a few bags of produce from a farmers market, and set of to make some colorful juice.
So I made a few quarts of vegetable juice and we sat down with my husband (who, incidentally, came down with a fever and a nasty virus infection) to watch the Joe Cross documentary of his 60 juicing reboot.
Here is why.
The Benefits of Juicing: My Top 4 reasons why you may want to give juicing a chance
There are probably many more convincing arguments for juicing, but let’s just start with these four:
Juicing Benefit # 1. Certain vegetables are simply better suited for juicing than blending.
I mean, I’m pretty open minded, and I have tried my share of beet smoothies, carrot smoothies and cabbage smoothies (and I wrote about them on this blog), but let’s face it – for most people these smoothies won’t be palatable, unless you only include a tiny amount of these vegetables and cover the taste with lots of sweet fruits, herbs, lemon and/or ginger – which is still beneficial, but considering the enormous nutritional power that they contain, it’s a shame not to consume more of them regularly.
These vegetables include already mentioned roots, such as beets, sweet potatoes, carrots or parsnips; as well as cabbage, broccoli, and other.
They work great in juices, whereas in smoothies they will only work in small quantities. So, if you are like me, not eating enough of these veggies, then juicing will let you add more variety to your diet.
Juicing Benefit # 2. When we drink juices, the body works less to digest the nutrients.
I love how filling green smoothies are, but sometimes you want to give your body a break from even the healthy fibers. Juice, the liquid without the fiber, allows your digestive system to work less to extract the benefits.
For people who want to really re-set their system (as in the juice reboot “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead“), taking a finite break from fiber has the benefit of allowing your digestive system to have a bit of a rest.
Juicing Benefit #3. More vegetables per glass.
You can consume more vegetables and greens into a single glass of green juice than you would in a smoothie serving.
Juicing Benefit #4. The “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” documentary
I wish someone made a documentary about green smoothies, but for now we have Joe Cross’ film about a juice detox cleanse. Here why I love it so much.
I don’t need to be persuaded of the benefits of plant based nutrition. However, whenever I talk to my husband about it, he replies that he needs his meat and dairy for protein and other nutrients; that he feels week without them, that he needs animal foods to build muscle, etc.
Don’t get me wrong. He is not a meat-and-potato kind of guy and he does like his veggies; but he doesn’t eat nearly enough of them.
So, what I love about the movie is that it’s about a regular guy in his forties (my husband is a few years older, but generally close enough in age to be able to relate to him), who gets sick and tired of feeling sick and tired, and goes on a juice cleanse, and switches to a 100% plant-based nutrition, no fish, meat or dairy whatsoever; and looks and feels GREAT as a result.
Not weak, or overly thin, but very strong and athletic. Plus he seems about 10 years younger.
He also cures his diseases and goes completely off of all medications he’d been taking for years.
All this definitely got my husband’s attention, and – although I don’t expect him to become vegan or go on a 60 day juice cleanse – I do think that the movie shook a bit his deep-belief on the necessity of animal products to keep healthy and strong – a belief that has been holding him from achieving better health and losing weight.
So he finally agreed to make some substantial changes to his diet, which makes me very happy.
The juicer that Joe has been using (BTW it’s the one that I bought too) is Breville Juice Fountain, which you can find on Amazon or in any store that carries kitchen appliances.
Juicing or blending, which is better?
Whether you choose blending or juicing, you are gifting your body improved health by using these nutrient packed drinks. Regularly drinking smoothies or fresh, veggie-based juice will:
increase your veggie intake dramatically
make it easier and quicker for your body to absorb nutrients because the blending and juicing allows the foods to become somewhat “pre-digested”
curb appetite and reduce cravings for sugar and processed foods because you are nourishing your cells with what they are asking for – micronutrients. You body no longer craves the “carbs” (macronutrient).
So, it’s a win-win-win!
Questions? Comments? Suggestions?
If you have a favorite recipe, why not submit it here in the comment section of this smoothie recipes blog for others to enjoy too!
I also welcome any comments, questions and suggestions. Thanks!
I know the story of Sergei Boutenko because of his mother, Victoria Boutenko of the “Raw Family.” Victoria is known in the raw food community as the woman who made green smoothies so popular. She is truly the “Queen of Green Smoothies.”
Sergei Boutenko is Victoria’s son. When he was nine years old he was diagnosed with diabetes. His family doctor told his parents he had to go on insulin immediately. His mother refused the conventional treatment of synthetic insulin and set off to search for an alternative solution. During her research, she stumbled onto the raw food diet and decided to switch her whole family to raw foods.
The results were remarkable for the whole family, including Sergei, who overcame his diabetes and is now living disease-free.
But not just that: he became an athlete, an avid promoter of green smoothies – or as he sings in his music video clip – green smoothie hustla, and a film maker.
Check out his website and support his latest project, “Powered by Green Smoothies“, a full length documentary about how hardcore, endurance athletes perform when given regular doses of fresh, organic green smoothie.
Interview with Sergei Boutenko
BEFORE WE BEGIN, I just want to be clear that I am not a medical doctor and thus cannot give any sort of medical advice. When asked questions, I share my own experience. It is up to you whether you choose to implement what I say or not. If you have diabetes, I recommend finding a doctor who is willing to monitor your health and work with you on changing your diet / lifestyle.
1. When people hear the diagnosis of diabetes they are usually told that this condition can be “managed” with proper diet and lifestyle, and – of course – medication. In the mainstream media, you rarely (if ever) hear stories like yours, of people completely overcoming this condition, without medication, and living disease-free. Did you talk to any doctors about what happened to you and what was their reaction?
I have talked to thousands of people over the years, many of whom have been doctors. People’s reactions are as different as the people themselves. Many of my followers are grateful for making them aware of an alternative to the conventional medical route. Some people seem to get offended by my story and call me a snake oil salesman. Having been at this for over 19 years, I am beginning to understand that stories like mine are not unique, they just get suppressed and never make it into the mainstream media.
Since my own diagnoses, I have met hundreds of diabetics (both type 1 and type 2) who have successfully reversed their diabetes. Because I have seen this over and over again with my own eyes, I am a firm believer in what I advocate. As green smoothies and raw food become more popular, I am beginning to meet more doctors who endorse a healthy diet. And this to me is encouraging.
2. I think one of the reasons no one is promoting raw diet or high-raw vegan diet as a solution to diabetes (besides the fact that there is no money in promoting it) is that it requires such a drastic change to one’s eating habits that people will not be willing or able to make the switch. What are your thoughts on that? How hard was it for you and what advice do you have for people facing the diagnosis who don’t know where to start?
You are absolutely correct. Switching to an all-raw diet is very difficult if not impossible.
Presently, I recommend green smoothies as a first step towards excellent health. If I may quote my own rap song: “Greens are incredible, they’re healthy and they’re edible.”
When you make a green smoothie, you unleash all the vitamins, minerals, chlorophyll, etc into the smoothie. You then drink the smoothie and transfer all that goodness into your body. This is easy and painless. If you do it regularly (about a quart every single day) you will notice miraculously positive changes occurring in your body.
Even if you continue eating and drinking “normal food” as you always have, the green smoothie will benefit you and your health. Eventually after you do it for awhile (approximately one month) you will find that you are naturally starting to crave more fresh organic foods. When this happens, it will be much easier to eat healthy because that is what your body will request.
3. People with diabetes are told to avoid foods that contain sugar. Are green smoothies that contain sweet fruits, such as bananas, suitable for people with diabetes? Or should people with blood-sugar problems be sticking to the low-glycemic fruits only, such as berries?
It is commonly thought that fruits are bad for diabetics. If you are concerned about this, I invite you to use low-glycemic fruits in your green smoothies. You can also make a savory green smoothie, which resemble a delicious soup.
That said it is important to make a distinction that fruit sugars do not affect diabetics in that same way as processed sugars. Sugar within fruit comes with fiber, which naturally regulates how fast the body is able to absorb it. Since whole fruit and smoothies contain lots of fiber, your blood sugar should not spike too much from consumption.
At our retreats we often have a diabetic or two concerned with the amount of fruit intake. By the end of the retreat, after they’ve affirmed that fruit does not affect them negatively, they are not longer afraid to eat it.
That said, every person and body is different and it is good to approach all new practices cautiously so as not to shock your body. If you’re not used to eating whole fruit, experiment on yourself in small doses and monitor your blood sugar simultaneously.
4. What were you and your family eating before your diagnosis? Was your diet what we consider a typical diet or SAD (Standard American Diet)?
My diet was absolutely terrible! It was SAD and ARD (Average Russian Diet). Just made the up BTW. We pretty much ate everything and anything.
5. There are some variations of raw food diets. Can you tell us what were the main foods you eating when you switched to raw food diet that helped you overcome diabetes?
I ate fruits, seeds, nuts, soaked grains, and lots and lots of greens. I should also mention that in addition to changing my diet, I began a vigorous exercise regime. For diabetics it is a must to run, bike, dance, and do anything to burn off excess sugar. The whole thing was really a lifestyle shift.
6. What are you eating today? Are you 100% raw? What are some of your favorite foods/dishes? Do you drink green smoothies regularly?
Today I am not 100 % raw. After 14 years on a strict raw diet I decided to relax a little bit and now incorporate some cooked food in life. I don’t go too big though. No hamburgers or pizza’s. On occasion, I cook quinoa, steams yams, squash, and the like. I find that eating a little bit of cooked food prevents me from overeating nuts and seeds and I feel better because of it.
7. I know that you live an extremely active lifestyle and love hiking, biking, snowboarding, running, and dancing. How important is physical activity to staying healthy and diabetes-free?
Over the years I’ve learned that health is a puzzle comprised of many different pieces. I think I’ve figured out many of those pieces, but I may never know all of them. Being physically active has not only helped me overcome my diabetes, but has consistently brought a sense of accomplishment and happiness into my life. There is so much written about the healthy benefits of exercise that there is very little I can add to the subject. I will say that if you’re not exercising regularly, you are TOTALLY missing out!
8. Is there anything else that you would like to share?
YES! I am excited to announce that will be filming a feature length documentary about the affect that green smoothies have on endurance athletes.
I’ve launched a Kickerstater project to help me fund this huge endeavor. If you would like to contribute to this film, please click on the link: http://kck.st/11g6hL4 your donation gets you cool rewards, supports a good cause, and is tax deductible!
Watch the trailer and support the project here:
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Listen to Sergei as he talks about overcoming diabetes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPPGpVobyNo
Check out the “Green Smoothie Hustla” Music Video – if it doesn’t make you run to the kitchen to get your “fix”, I don’t know what will 😉