Okay, smoothie luvin’ friends! I am breaking down the mechanics of making the best smoothies ever! “The best smoothie ever” means it’s delicious but also offers the best nutrition for your cells and organs which means a super healthy, energized, and lean body. Energy and taste? Heck yeah, that’s plant power! There are so many different combinations and flavors possible, but let’s start with the GLO plant powered basics. Gracious Living Lifestyle is all about being fresh and real. My smoothies have no refined sugar, no dairy, no gluten, and no added chemicals. They will help stabilize your blood sugar, which means high energy levels, and every ingredient offers a beneficial effect on the body. Oh, and they taste flippin’ delicious, too! Once you get comfortable making a few on your own, you will be making your own delicious smoothies like a smoothie boss. 1) BLENDER: First of all, you do need a blender. Of course the strongest blenders are ideal to ensure the creamiest, smoothest smoothies. My favorites are Blend-Tec and Vitamix which will run you about $200 to $500. I know it seems crazy expensive, but let me assure you they are the Cadillac of blenders! Once you use either of them, you will see what I mean, truly. However, if you can’t afford these professional blenders, don’t despair! You can still make amazing smoothies with blenders that cost only $20 to $50. “Just work with whatcha got.” (A regular Gracious Living saying.) 2) FROZEN FRUIT: Frozen fruit sweetens your smoothies and adds beneficial vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. The fruit or combination of fruits you choose determines how delicious your smoothie is. Have fun and experiment! A #1 guaranteed winner is always frozen bananas. Wait till the bananas are ripe, peel the skin, break the bananas into pieces, and store in a ziplock bag or glass container in the freezer for your smoothie use. It’s an awesome smoothie success trick! You can also freeze apples (core and cut into chunks), pineapples, papayas, kiwis, oranges, peaches, grapes, watermelon, mangos, pears, etc. I cut everything myself and then freeze them in portion sizes. *Bonus TIP: Are you ready for this? You can even freeze your kale, spinach, and other dark green leafy vegetables. Sit down, there’s more! You can freeze your lemons and limes. Peel them, cut into halves or quarters (depending on your blender’s ability to blend up big or small chunks), and put in your ziplock bag. Holy flippin’ cow, I’ve got one more for you! You can even freeze your herbs! Cilantro, basil, mint, and rosemary are my Gracious Living faves in smoothies (although you don’t need to freeze rosemary). Just peel them from the stem and store in a ziplock bag. Use as needed. 3) ALWAYS ADD 1 VEGETABLE, PREFERABLY GREEN: I like a handful of spinach, kale, Swiss chard, celery, cucumber, dandelion, or arugula for a chlorophyll boost to oxygenate my cells, meaning more energy and glowing skin. Green leafy veggies also add extra protein. That’s right, plant protein! Also, having green leafy veggies in your smoothie helps with better digestion. Start with a small amount so you do not overpower the flavor of your smoothie of choice. Embrace your health and embrace the green color because green means you are a smoothie boss! 4) PLANT PROTEIN POWDER: Get yourself a quality protein powder. Boom! Easy! Sunwarrior will suit you just nicely. More than nicely , in fact, as Sunwarrior is one of my top picks for best quality, easy-to-digest, plant protein powder in the world! I personally prefer the vanilla and chocolate Warrior Blend flavors in my smoothies. The protein added to your smoothie makes it energy sustaining for a longer period of time. And that’s a good thing; we want to be able to eat foods that give us the most energy for the longest periods of times. It also makes your smoothie more balanced and counts as a liquid meal when properly balanced. 5) LIQUID BASE: The best GLO smoothies use one of these three types of liquids: a) Water: I tend to use water as my base most of the time. b) Dairy-free milks: Made from nuts or seeds and preferably made by you. (Making it yourself ensures fewer toxins and sugars, a whole other article.) Gracious Living faves: Almond milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, cashew milk, sesame seed milk, hazlenut milk, and brazil nut milk. 3) Herbal teas (if you have time): I like to brew caffeine-free teas that have beneficial effects on the body. I brew it, cool it, and then use it as my liquid base. Gracious Living faves: Cinnamon tea, mint tea, hibiscus tea, chamomile tea, lemongrass tea, holy basil tea, green tea, and really, the ideas are endless. Herbal teas (not caffeinated teas) are hydrating, which is what you want. Caffeine teas are not hydrating.
More Gracious Living Liquid Tips:
*Do not use juice (there is no need for the extra calories since you are also using fruit).
*Do not use milk, yogurt, or ice cream! (Gracious Living does not promote dairy products for optimal health. Plus, using raw nuts & seeds, Sunwarrior protein powder, coconuts, or avocados makes your smoothies super creamy like you were using milk.)
*Bonus tip: Always add the liquid first so the powder and other ingredients don’t stick to the bottom and sides of the blender.
6) SPICES:
Spice it up baby! Spices offer medicinal properties, primarily awesome for improving digestion. Cinnamon, ginger, cardamom are my faves. There are so many others you can use, but these ones taste the best for beginners. (Advanced Level Smoothie Making: I also like to use turmeric, cloves, or cayenne.) Use a little! Sprinkle to start; you can increase from there. If you put too much, you’ll ruin the flavor.
7) THICKNESS:
The best tasting smoothies are thick, like healthy ice cream or frozen yogurt. Using frozen ingredients or ice with less liquid will ensure beautifully thick smoothies.
Advanced Tips!
So now you’re comfortable with the basics. Let’s add a few more elements to the smoothie equation.
8) AVOCADOS:
Add an avocado for extra creaminess that makes your smoothie taste like ice cream!I know it might sound weird, but believe me, avocados make your smoothies unbelievably, deliciously divine every single time!And get this, you can freeze them, too! Just wait till they’re ripe, cut them into quarters, and freeze them in separate ziplock bags for individualized smoothie use. Avocados are technically a high fat fruit, so I usually only use 1/3 to 1/2 an avocado per smoothie.
9) SUPERFOODS:
So as a beginner, you don’t necessarily need to worry about this one. I’m just giving you the basics up above to ensure optimal taste and nutrition. Once you’re comfortable with your blender and your recipes, it’s time to start adding in superfoods to boost your nutrition and protect your organs, brain, and heart. There are so many to choose from, but my high quality favorites come from Four Sigma Foods. They have a variety of medicinal mushrooms and adaptogenic herbs to help alleviate stress in the body. Some of them even come with raw chocolate, another amazing and delicious superfood! You can choose ones that match your needs here.
Gracious Living faves: Reishi medicinal mushrooms to lower stress hormones and improve sleep, and Four Sigma herbs for increased energy and adrenal glands protection.
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Other Superfood Honorable Mentions: Maca, chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, fresh aloe vera, camu camu, pomegranate, raw cacao nibs, raw chocolate, chlorella, spirulina, goji berries, lucuma, mesquite, acai, bee pollen, and many more. Have fun learning and experimenting!
Gracious Living Smoothie Conclusion: The trick to good smoothies is nutrition, consistency, and natural sweetness.
I love Sunwarrior WarriorBlend + Collagen Peptides because it offers a nice natural protein sweetness to your smoothies that make them delicious and healing.
Variety is also key so your taste buds don’t get bored and your body’s energy levels stay high with a nutrient rotation.
Here is a GLO Sunwarrior compilation of smoothies that are yummy and easy to master. Play with your blender! Enjoy your creations! Be a smoothie boss!
Gracious Living Tropical Mango Electrolyte Smoothie Gracious Living Basil Berry Bliss Gracious Living Pumpkin Power Smoothie Gracious Living Cranberry Bliss Smoothie Gracious Living Lemon Cheesecake Smoothie Gracious Living Creamy Hemp Pear Smoothie Gracious Living Mango Tango Smoothie Gracious Living Protein Power Piña Colada
