Happy Sunday!
The color of this smoothie was such a gorgeous jade green, I just had to pour it in a pretty cocktail glass and take a pic.
Ingredients:
+Vegan Pea Protein
+Moringa powder (Organic)
+Wheat grass powder (Organic)
+Spirulina powder (Organic)
+Kale
+Banana
+Mango Peach Juice
So easy; toss it all in a blender and enjoy!
As in the green of wheatgrass.
Now don’t scrunch your face at me or say YUCK.
Just give it a chance.
For some of us, the fresh and refreshing flavor of wheatgrass was an instant hit with our palates, but I do realize that for a lot of you, it might take a bit of effort to enjoy.
I’ve been an advocate of wheatgrass since 2000, when a friend started carrying around a water bottle filled with a jade-colored beverage, and said it was the single best thing she’s done for her health and well-being since becoming a vegan.
What’s the best time of day (and method) to take your greens?
I like to add them to smoothies or drop a tablespoon to the water I bring to the gym and drink it during class.
Here’s what Pines suggests: Take with a good amount of water or other liquid. This helps your body take full advantage of the nutrients without competing with other foods, and may also take the edge off your hunger so you don’t eat as much at meals. Mid-morning and mid-afternoon are great times for a green energy pick-me-up.
(There are tablets, if you just CAN’T.)
The health benefits are HUGE.
According to the Pines International Wheat Grass (the wheat grass people since 1976) website…
1) PROVIDE PROTECTION FROM CANCER
There is significant scientific evidence that eating certain green, leafy vegetables can help prevent cancer. The American Institute of Cancer Research states:
Spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, leaf lettuce, mustard greens, collard greens, chicory and Swiss chard are excellent sources of fiber, folate and a wide range of carotenoids that can inhibit the growth of certain types of breast cancer cells, skin cancer cells, lung cancer and stomach cancer .
2) A RICH SOURCE OF VITAMINS & MINERALS
Greens represent a convenient, essentially non-caloric, nutrient-dense source of otherwise hard to obtain minerals, like magnesium, calcium, potassium, and manganese .
3) LOWER THE RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND TYPE 2 DIABETES
Dark Green Leafy Vegetables contain fiber, which can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and help to temper blood-sugar swings by slowing the absorption of carbohydrates into your bloodstream after meals. This lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes .
4) BOOST YOUR MOOD
Dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, broccoli, and collards contain folate and vitamin B12. According to WebMD, there is a correlation between the consumption of these vitamins and rates of depression. “These veggies contain lots of the B-complex vitamins, which are needed to make serotonin, a mood-boosting chemical” .
5) IMPROVE BREATH
Green leafy vegetable like spinach, mustard greens, turnip greens, and lettuce, kale and salad greens contains the highest amount of chlorophyll (the green pigment) which is an excellent deodorizer. The green vegetables help balance the pH level of the body and thus prevent the occurrence of dry mouth which is one of the root causes of bad breath. A diet which is comprised of loads of green leafy vegetables will not only eliminate offensive odor but it will also boost the production of digestive enzymes .
6) SLOW THE AGING PROCESS
In addition to playing a key role in helping blood to clot, vitamin K is critical in preventing certain age-related conditions. Researchers in California found inadequate K can lead to cardiovascular disease, bone fragility, and arterial and kidney calcification.
Pines grows the only #alfalfa sold anywhere that is Non-GMO Project Verified.
Try it!
No, really. TRY IT!
PINES International offers a line of the purest, freshest and nutrient-rich wheatgrass, barley grass, alfalfa and beet juice powder that can be added to your shaker bottle for some instant Green Energy®. PINES also offers veggie power in tablets and capsules. Just one teaspoonful of PINES Wheat Grass powder, mixed in water or juice, provides the same amount of nutrition as a serving of deep-green, leafy vegetables. Seven wheat grass tablets will do the same.
Pound for pound, PINES Wheat Grass products are many times richer in chlorophyll and iron than spinach. Protein levels average 25 percent and contain virtually every vitamin known, along with 20 amino acids, including the eight that are considered essential for human health.
*The Pines slogan
I was provided product to sample and review; the opinions are my own.
I’m not REALLY addicted, I was being hyperbolic — what I really mean is that I love wheat grass and greens of all kinds.
But I AM a wheat grass junkie!
I love the fresh green fragrance; I love the way it tastes; I love the grassiness of it, I love the color, and I love the feeling that it’s happily dancing in my body with all of its gorgeous greenness infusing my cells with energy and light.
Garden of Life’s Raw 100% Organic Young Wheatgrass Juice Powder — is SO GOOD.
A shot of freshly pressed grass is a great pick-me-up on one of my marathon shopping days — the kind of endurance shopping that calls for stamina and more of a lift than caffeine provides — but THIS is superior on a daily basis.
Always great in a smoothie, but I also love it mixed with water for workouts. It’s perfectly yummy in my Hello Kitty/Yale water bottle.
I know lots of people scrunch up their faces and think it tastes yucky, but I swear it doesn’t and the more you drink it, the more you’ll love it.
Here’s a tip: Eating a slice of freshly cut orange after you drink wheat grass helps just like a squeeze of lime helps with shots of tequila, I guess 🙂
Confession: I’m a smoothie freak.
I’ve been torturing my family for years, forcing them to drink the sometimes often dreadful concoctions that I formulate from a deranged aggregate of ingredients — adding a little of this and a little of that — sometimes palatable, sometimes not.
While the raw Cauliflower-Brussel Sprouts Smoothie was NOT a winner, I think I’ve finally developed the PERFECT Green and Fruity Smoothie.
Some basic ingredients: 
I throw it all in the blender and process until very smooth. You’ll never taste the greens or the beets, but they add a bright undertone to the fruit. If you have a lime or a lemon, add a squeeze or two. I have a friend who tosses in a whole orange, peel and all, from her own organically grown tree. I’ve never done that, but it’s certainly an option.
Whether you try my smoothie as a meal replacement (like I do) or as a healthy between-meal snack, my Green and Fruity Smoothie will provide added energy and lots of nutrition for your busy day.
P.S. Yes, I use a lot of ingredients, but it’s still easy to do and can be made anywhere if you have a blender or even an immersion blender.
This is how I feel when I’m creating one of my smoothie masterpieces.
Bon appétit!
Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud 