If you're looking for the party, it's over here.
Oh, and I should warn you. There's a lot of drinking going on…drinking of Green Smoothies, that is.
A few weeks ago, I beckoned my friends, family, blog readers, Twitter followers, anyone in ear shot, to join me in the 30 Day Green Smoothie Challenge, organized by Amanda Brooks of Run to the Finish. The only "rule," was to drink a smoothie a day that needed to include two cups of greens, such as spinach or kale.
Now, you all know what a green smoothie enthusiast I am. Amanda didn't have to ask me twice to join in. However, I am pleasantly surprised to see how many of my friends have decided to hop on the green smoothie wagon with me.
Every morning, I roll call on Facebook, and that post has become a forum for us to share ideas, recipes, and progress.
Some of my favorite smoothie recipe suggestions so far:
"Kale, pineapple, mango with shredded coconut, almond milk and a tablespoon of maple syrup."
"Kale, banana, avocado, almond milk and agave nectar."
"Kale, celery, apple, lime, bubbly water and goji berrie."
"Spinach, banana, mango, almond milk with a table spoon of coconut oil."
More than the recipe swapping, I am loving the camaraderie.
There are the reluctant friends who signed on – to my delight:
"Ok Ilene I bought the kale……plan to make it tonight although I hope my blender doesn't die of shock, the only green thing it has ever seen is a margarita!"
And the reluctant friends who didn't:
"Does Mountain Dew over crushed ice count as a green smoothie?"
One of my friends shared a story of his "Green Smoothie awakening:"
"Btw! Ilene, The green smoothie was amazing this morning. I'm pretty sure as I was drinking it, I transcended into the 'Temple of Green Smoothies' where the smoothie gods had all assortments/variety of smoothies.. It was awesome yo.. just.. awesome."
Most important, Amanda's fabulous idea got people to think about doing something good for their health, and 14 friends of mine (to date), have joined the crusade. The moral to the story: You never know what a good idea will to and how many people will catch on. Thank you, Amanda, for the butterfly effect you have created in my corner of the world.
There's always room for more on the green smoothie bandwagon, and latecomers are welcome. I don't care if my "Day 8" is your "Day 1." It's never too late to go green.
Who else is in?
Namaste, Divas!
©2012 Ilene Evans
oh my gosh that is so awesome!!! I was so excited for the number who signed up and yes seeing all the tweets and instagrams daily is great!
Love it! I started using some Swiss Chard this week. Not sure I’m into it (a little too bitter), but it’s something different. Great to hear that so many have joined you. I still get strange looks from neighbors when I drink green:)
It really is awesome. Thank you for sparking the idea for so many!
Michelle, I am so excited that people have joined me! It was completely unexpected. Next time you get a strange look from a neighbor, I dare you to offer them some of your drink 🙂
OMG Love this!! It’s been a lot of fun to experiment with different ingredients!
Thank you! Loving this challenge! The Instagram pics,the camaraderie with my merry band of smoothie drinkers, it has all been a blast. Glad you are part of it as well. xo greensmoothie queen
I recently discovered green smoothies and I love them!
Adrienne, So glad you have found them too! Enjoy and be healthy!
Whenever I shop at the health food store I pick up a “green machine” drink and chug it in the car on the way home. Ever had one of those?
I’ve started drinking green smoothies in the last several months – good stuff! Make you feel great and so good for you!
I have seen them but never tried one! I have gotten rather addicted to my home blended concoctions. Today was Kale, coconut flour, honey, flax meal, and avocado. But one of these days if I’m short on time, I will try a green machine!
Missy, exactly! A great way to get a lot of vitamins and nutrients into your diet at one time. I’m glad you are feeling good from them!
Right, that’s it. Green smoothies for me. I’m off to get spinach at the store…
Awesome! Enjoy!
I have a quick question, which will show my inexperience with green smoothies, do you pre-cook the spinach/kale before you put it in, or do you just chuck it in the blender along with the other ingredients? Just wondering how well it breaks down. Thanks!
You chuck your greens in raw! The breakdown will depend on what type of equipment you are using. I am using a magic bullet which purees the greens pretty well, but the longer I let them puree, the better! If you add a “creamy” fruit like banana, or avocado, it seems to mask any parts that are still chunky. Yogurt works well too in smoothing everything over! But definitely not as smooth as juice.
If you make one, let me know how it goes!