Ashley's Green Smoothie!

No…this is NOT a science experiment…

x

It’s my breakfast!

Okay, okay. I know what you’re thinking…this girl is CRAZY.

C-R-A-Z-Y.

And you’re right! Because this girl is absolutely crazy for GREEN SMOOTHIES!

x

If you haven’t tried some variation of a green smoothie before…please allow me to change your life forever.

I was first introduced to this magical (yes, magical) drink after reading Kimberly Snyder’s book The Beauty Detox Solution. Her version of the green smoothie is called the “Glowing Green Smoothie,” or GGS for short, and pretty much has a cult following (just check out her Twitter and Facebook pages). Kimberly’s book and her signature drink have become SO popular, that her health and beauty expertise has been featured on the Today Show, Dr. Oz, EXTRA, E! Entertainment, Good Morning America, Good Day LA, FOX News, Access Hollywood, and The Today Show as well as in the publications Elle, Lucky, US Weekly, Nylon, OK! Magazine, Vogue, InStyle, USA Today, Marie Claire, Health, Shape, Redbook, Life & Style, The New York Times,  In Touch Magazine, Star Magazine, People Style Watch, and Whole Living.

To give you a little background on Kimberly, she’s a nutritionist and beauty expert with a holistic touch who is best known for whipping A-listers into red carpet shape while also working as an on-set nutritionist to the stars. Her goal is to help her clients reach their ideal weight, discover their optimal health potential, reveal their ultimate beauty, and slow down the aging process. Most recently, she worked  as a nutritionist on the set of The Avengers (and if you’ve seen the movie or the trailers…you know she has GOT to be doing something right because those actors and actresses look pretty darn GOOD). It’s no wonder then that Kimberly has gained popularity among many Hollywood celebrities, drawing praise from the likes of Dr. Mehmet Oz, Hilary Duff, LeAnn Rimes, Fergie, Drew Barrymore, Josh Duhamel, Owen Wilson, Olivia Wilde, Channing Tatum, Abigail Spencer, Teresa Palmer, Kevin James, Vince Vaughn, Jillian Barberie, Tom Hiddleston, and Chris Hemsworth (to name a few.)

Now, before you roll your eyes and think “Another celebrity nutritionist…blah, blah, BLAH…”  hear me out.

Yes, I DO think she kind of follows a “crazy-pants” diet plan, but I love it because it is VERY vegan friendly (although you DO NOT have to follow a vegan or vegetarian diet to follow her plan and make it work for you). Her program is based around a principle known as “Beauty Food Pairing,”  which is the idea that by pairing certain foods together, and avoiding pairing others together, you can improve digestion, free up energy, lose belly bloat, get back a radiant glow, and keep your body in an alkaline state.  According to Kimberly, when certain food groups that are not supposed to be paired together are eaten together, they actually slow down digestion and hinder our beauty and energy, but when the same food groups are re-combined and eaten in the proper order, energy typically need during digestion is freed up. This extra energy can then be used to rebuild our hair, skin, and nails, help us achieve a healthy weight, and give us more energy overall.

Sounds pretty amazing, right?

Well… it is, to some extent. I tried doing her whole “Beauty Pairing” thing for about two weeks before I realized it’s almost impossible (for me) to follow her guidelines 100% of the time. For example, according to her plan, protein and starches do NOT mix (they should be eaten separately) and peanut butter, soy, and beans should be eaten minimally (if not avoided altogether). I don’t know about you, but if I had to live a day without peanut butter on toast, edamame or hummus… I might DIE.

So, NO. I do not follow the Beauty Detox Solution to the “T”…but I do agree with some of her concepts.

For one, I believe in eating lots of alkaline forming foods (fruits and veggies!) full of  body-benefiting healthy enzymes and minerals and I do believe in eating light to heavy—which means starting off a meal with the most easily digested items (again, fruits or veggies!) and then eating heavier options last (starches or proteins).

x

And OBVIOUSLY I believe in the Glowing Green Smoothie!

x

The GGS is the building block of Kimberly’s entire plan, and it’s become a staple part of my day and the yummiest part of my morning.

Even better, what’s great about this smoothie is that you can tweak it to adjust the taste to your liking. I’ve finally found a variation I enjoy (recipe below)! As you can see from the photo, I make a whole bunch of individual batches of this green stuff (I typically do this on a Sunday afternoon so I’m prepared for the week)and freeze them in Ball Mason Jars so I can easily take one out of the freezer the night before work, let it defrost in the fridge, and bring it along with me for breakfast the next day. I have NO EXCUSES for skipping breakfast now! (And neither should you!)

Now, the reason this smoothie is so fabulous and healthy (and the reason why I love it so much, besides the fact that it tastes AMAZING) is because the vital nutrients and minerals encased in the cell walls of the plants are released immediately when blended, and thus are easily accessible to the body since they don’t need to be broken down during digestion first. Plus, you’re getting in all your healthy fruits and greens before you can even get through your inbox! An added bonus? The mixture of fruits and vegetables in the smoothie provides plenty of fiber that will keep your belly FULL and HAPPY until lunch, while the herbs (known for their cleansing properties) will help to cleanse your body of toxins and extract heavy metals.

x

Ashley’s Green Superstar Smoothie:

(My take on Kim’s Glowing Green Smoothie)

Makes one 20 oz. serving

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of water (you can add more if you want the smoothie to be less thick)
• Roughly 2 cups of spinach (I usually grab two big ol’ handfuls)
• 1/2 organic apple,  skin on, chopped
• 1/2 organic pear, skin on, chopped
• 1/2 organic banana,
• juice of 1 organic lemon
• A small handful of fresh, organic parsley (optional–I know some people do not have a taste for parsley– I happen to adore the kick it gives the smoothie)
• A small handful of fresh, organic cilantro (also optional– I know some people do not have a taste for cilantro– I also happen to adore the kick this gives the smoothie)
• 3 ice cubes (optional, but I LOVE my smoothie icy cold!)
• A decent blender!

**PLEASE NOTE: I didn’t get TOO scientific in this post about Kim’s program, but if the ”Beauty Pairing” topic is something of interest to you, I’d encourage you to check out her program in its entirety by reading her book ‘The Beauty Detox Solution” yourself. While the program is not exactly 100% perfect for me, it may be perfect for you. I NEVER want to speak for someone else regarding their food choices (as long as you are healthy and happy keep doing what you’re doing!) so I strongly believe in testing things out on your own before forcing yourself to fully commit to something that doesn’t work for you.**

x

Fabulously Yours,

Ashley Michelle