The Dos and Don’ts of the Glowing Green Smoothie

The Glowing Green Smoothie® (GGS) is a super duper beauty and health food. Drinking this powerful drink every morning can provide you with numerous health benefits.

A daily GGS will quickly increase your energy, enhance your overall beauty and stabilize your blood sugar. It will also cleanse toxins out of your system and fill you up. Helping you maintain your muscle tone.

The GGS is also surprisingly tasty because a mixture of the lemon juice and a small amount of fruit balances the green leafy veggies. This results in a taste that’s light, fresh, and delicious.

Are you new to the Glowing Green Smoothie®? Here are some important Do’s and Don’ts to keep in mind.

Do: Remember the “Sacred Ratio.”

When you make your GGS, bear in mind the optimal ratio of vegetables to fruit. 70% of your GGS should be greens, such as spinach, romaine lettuce, kale, Swiss chard, or herbs such as parsley and cilantro.

Pretty much any dark green leafy vegetables that are available, seasonal, and fresh (and that you like) will work in your GGS.

The other 30% of your GGS should consist of various fruits. Be sure to include a citrus component. Lemon is very cleansing and helps to rebuild the liver as well as containing lots of vitamin C.

In addition to lemon, you can add any combination you like of apple, banana, pear, pineapple, mango, strawberries. You can use whatever fruit you prefer.

Mix and match to find combinations you enjoy. Remember that you should include no more than 30% of fruit in your GGS . It’s NOT a fruit smoothie!

Don’t: Use the Same Greens Every Single Time

When choosing greens for your GGS, remember that rotation is key. This will ensure you get a variety of vitamins and minerals. You will also avoid the rare issue of oxalates that can affect some people. Oxalates are organic acids found naturally in plants, animals, and humans.

Some health conditions require limiting oxalates in the diet, but these are extremely rare. However, rotating your greens is still important. This is so you are getting the widest variety of nutrients possible.

Some research shows that oxalic acid can bind in some plants and prevent some calcium absorption. This is in foods such as caffeine products, cola drinks, asparagus and certain greens, including spinach.

However, the degree to which this occurs is controversial. In the book Human Nutrition and Dietetics,  Stanley Davidson points out that the chelating effect of oxalic acid on minerals like calcium is most likely negligible.

In Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices, Dr. Norman Walker shares, that when greens are cooked (rather than eaten raw), oxalic acid binds irreversibly with calcium. This is turn, hinders its absorption and crystallizing in the kidneys.

Many different experts nowadays, such as Dr. Christiane Northrop, write that the potential harms of “overeating” spinach are probably overestimated.

Other Health Concerns

There is a chance that an imbalance or health concern could lead to problems from consuming too much spinach or kale. Someone without the same or a similar issue may be able to eat the same amount of these types of greens with no problems whatsoever.

With that being said, experiment to find a range of greens and other veggies you like. Then, include them in your GGS on a rotating basis. It’s important that your GGS tastes good to you – otherwise, it will be difficult to convince yourself to keep drinking it daily.

That would be terrible! Adding strong-flavored greens that you don’t like will make your GGS hard to drink. This is unnecessary when there are so many options to choose from.

There’s no reason the drink shouldn’t taste fresh and delicious to you. Don’t make yourself suffer when you don’t have to!

Do: Drink Your GGS in the Right Amounts

A common mistake people make with the GGS is not making enough. They then wonder why they aren’t noticing the benefits.

Unless you have a specific health concern that makes it impossible for you to drink larger amounts, start with a minimum 16 ounces of GGS each morning. 4 or 8 ounces simply isn’t going to cut it!!

You don’t necessarily need ginormous amounts, but a nice big smoothie will give you the doses of veggies and fruits you need. You can sip on your GGS throughout the morning, or even have some later in the day if you can’t finish it all.

Don’t: Chug Your GGS

If you drink your GGS too quickly, the result is likely to be bloating and fullness instead of a refreshing energy boost.

Keep in mind that it’s not water; it’s blended food, so take your time sipping it and chew it a bit. Give your body a chance to digest properly.

Do: Experiment with Different Variations

There are many variations on this recipe I’ve created for you to check out. There are even fun seasonal and themed ones. If you’re sticking to the sacred 70/30 ratio, feel free to play around with different greens and fruits. Find new combinations you like.

Experimentation not only keeps you from getting bored, but it also gives you a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. This is great for your overall health.

Don’t: Store in the Fridge for More Than a Few Days

It’s not always easy (or possible!) to make a fresh GGS every morning. If your weekday mornings are just too busy (as mine are now, for sure), you can make a batch on the weekend and keep it stored and covered in the refrigerator for a 3 1/2 days or so.

It may not be “perfect” but what is MUCH more important is that you are having it every day. You will be getting the benefit of consuming all those minerals and amino acids, and more!

If you’d like to make even more, then freeze the extra. Making this recipe ahead of time and storing it properly is far better than not using it at all because you’re too busy.

Do: Enjoy and Freeze Portion Sizes in BPA-free Containers

Make large batches of your GGS and freezing individual serving sizes. This is a good way to cut down on the amount of time you spend preparing veggies and fruits in the morning.

However, when you freeze your portions, be sure to choose BPA-free containers. BPA is an industrial chemical that is present in many food storage containers such as water bottles and food can linings.

BPA can seep into the food or liquid stored in these containers.It’s been shown to be potentially hazardous and mess with our hormones, create other potential issues. So it’s best to stick to containers that don’t contain it such as glass, stainless steel, or BPA-free plastic.

Don’t: Add Fat or Protein

The beauty of the GGS is how cleansing and building it is. This is all thanks to enzymes in fruits such as lemon and the minerals in the greens. You may be tempted to add other ingredients besides vegetables and fruit to your smoothie, but resist the temptation.

A GGS doesn’t need protein powder, chia seeds, almond butter, or any other ingredients that contain extra protein or fat. These items can interfere with the cleansing action of the fruits and veggies.

Also, there’s no need to use a base such as coconut water; the fruit makes the GGS sweet enough. Save these ingredients for other smoothies.

When you add in protein, such as almond butter,  it does not support proper beauty food pairing. This is because the GGS contains fresh fruit. Certain foods and combination of foods digest more easily then others, taking up less beauty energy.

Freeing up energy from digestion is the single most important way to redirect large amounts of energy. This will make weight loss efficient and fight aging.

Since we are having the GGS first thing in the morning it is essential to make sure it will digest as easily as possible. That is a big reason why we want to leave out any fat or protein! :)

If you get hungry AFTER your GGS you can have some oatmeal, a Power Protein Smoothie or an Open-Faced Beauty Avo Sandwich, etc.

There are countless ways to make your next GGS. As long as you stick to the basics, you can’t go wrong. Keep it simple with vegetables, fruits, and water to get the most benefits, enjoy the energy, and BE your absolute best!

All my love and happy blending!

Kimberly

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