Magic Green Juice, the elixir of life...

Healthy eating shouldn't be complicated or flavorless.  The same goes for healthy drinks.  Over the years I have tried several different "super" drinks, most of which I could barely swallow.  Between the flavor and the chunky texture, they just weren't for me.  Determined to find a great way to increase nutrients and protein in a convenient drink I continued experimenting.  The result was my Magic Green Juice.

The drink is a combination of kale, spinach, apples, pears, a little parsley, blended with coconut milk, almond milk, and vanilla whey protein.  The result is a super food mix of vitamins, antioxidants, cancer-fighting phytonutrients, high carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, and a good fiber source.  This drink is good for your heart, your eyes, your colon, your immune system, and overall general health.

So how do we make this elixir of life and how is it used.  First, I prefer to blend the ingredients opposed to using a juicer.  There are volumes of information out there about whether to blend or juice.  For me, I feel enough of the nutrients are available to the body from blending while keeping the fiber that is lost in juicing.  With that said, you can make the juice in a traditional blender or something like a Ninja or Bullet personal blender.

The next step is to gather your ingredients, which merits some discussion of organic produce.  For me leafy greens are on my organic only purchase. The plant development is such that pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals that may be in the soil can easily find their way into the plant cell structure. If you can, buy all organic, but if not don't let that deter you from proceeding.  

The Recipe:  (yields 8 servings)

1 bunch  Kale

1/3-11oz pkg Spinach (3-4oz)

1/4 bunch Flat Leaf Parsley

1 Bosc Pear

1 Granny Smith Apple

1/2 can Coconut Milk

2 cups Almond Milk

1/2-1 cup water

8 scoops of Vanilla Protein Powder

Note: If you are not using protein powder or less than the recipe calls for, add 1/8 teaspoon of vanilla for each scoop of protein omitted for flavor.

The Steps:

To prepare the kale, spinach and parsley, remove any large stems, give them a quick rinse and blanch them in unsalted boiling water for 1-2 minutes.  This will kill any organisms that may be on the exterior - such a E. coli.  Drain the greens and set aside.  Wash the apple and pear under hot water, remove the stems and cores, and dice.  In your blender of choice, combine the apple, pear, coconut milk, and 1/2 the water. Blend until smooth.  Add the greens and second half of the water and blend for 1 minute. The amount of water needed will vary based on the water content of the fruit and greens.  Add the protein powder and Almond milk.  Blend until smooth. Place into bulk or portion size storage containers and keep in the refrigerator.  

The mixture should appear a little thick and chunky when you place it in the storage container(s).

To Drink: 

Shake the storage container briefly, as the mixture will separate.  Place 6-8oz of the juice mixture in your blender.  Add an additional 2 tablespoons of almond milk.  Blend until smooth and frothy. Drink and enjoy!

You may think I'm crazy and at first it may take a little getting use to drinking your vegetables and fruit, but after about a week you will notice a change.  I find that into the second week I have more energy, sleep better and certainly know everything is moving through the body in a healthy detoxifying fashion. 

When combined with the rest of the program, the results are dramatic.  I am on track to meet my goal as I complete week one of the program.  Once you finish your 30 days, try to keep the Magic Green Juice as part of your weekly diet.  I think you will be surprised at how good it taste and how good it makes you feel.  So start blending today; your body will thank you.

Getting back on track...ReBoot Diet - 30 days for Life

So we're about a month into summer and the weather is warm just about everywhere.  So as we shed our winter clothes, so must we shed our winter pounds.  The next four weeks is all about rebooting...that is rebooting the metabolism, nutrients, and overall health.

Over the course of four weeks I will introduce you to some great healthy meals and my favorite reboot drink - Magic Green Juice, the elixir of life - and while most of the meals I prepare are healthy and meet the definition of clean eating, this program goes even further.  The concept is to jump start the metabolism, bring the hormones back in balance, take off or put on some weight, and get generally healthy.  This is not a carb-free or gluten-free diet (although the only gluten is in the morning), it's about clean sources of protein and quality nutrients.

The program is about building good eating habits, high nutrition and protein intake from balance sources, and to get some exercise. 

My goal is to get back below 7% body fat, so I need to take off about 14 pounds of fat.  I also don't want to lose any muscle - I worked hard for my 15.5" inch arms (16 and my sports coats don't fit).  I've worked with others using this same program as part of my life coaching series, Life's 7 Summits, and have seen people drop 20 or more pounds in the 30 day period.  

I'll post my complete diet and exercise program under a separate page of the blog (see the right side "Pages" - ReBoot Diet - 30 days for Life). You will also be able to find all of the meal plans and recipes as we go.  I'll feature a different protein each week to show you how you can modify the meals and still reach your goal.   Now for the big question, Yes, I will still be enjoying a glass or two of wine and do a review each week.  Getting healthy doesn't have to boring; besides they say wine is good for you, right?

To keep things interesting, each weekend I will be doing a different day hike.  While I look forward to my daily cardio routine, it is nice to get out for a change of scenery.  And, no hike can be complete without a good trail mix.  So, I'll share with you my easy recipe for a healthy and hearty trail snack to keep you moving.

Like anything, you need to know your goals and understand your qualifying factors.  I am introducing you to some concepts that for many their body may find foreign.  Like they say, before you start any diet or exercise program check with your doctor (I just can't get the lawyer out of me).

With that said, come along with me and let's get started...