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Health & Fitness

Vitamins & Minerals Pack a Morning Smoothie

Start your day with a nutritious and delicious smoothie The green smoothie is a way to start your day with great nutrition. It can contain important vitamins and minerals, fiber plus good fats all in one drink from real whole foods.  It is also a fun way to be creative with your diet, while eating fast but nutritiously. The green smoothie is a fantastic way to increase your fruit and veggies to the target of 12 servings per day.

You will need a 2+ horsepower blender like a Vitamix.
Here is the starter recipe. Be creative and enjoy!

Dr. Raffety’s Green Smoothie (modified by Dr. Burkhart)
INGREDIENTS

    •    Choose One: ½ cup almond, coconut or rice milk, water/ice cubes
    •    One large handful of greens: dandelion (tastes bitter), spinach, arugula, cilantro, chard, red leaf lettuce, kale
    •    ¼ cup frozen berries and mango (Trader Joes has a mix called Mangolicious , and also has frozen mango chunks)
    •    1 banana or try berries, apple, pear, grapes, melons
    •    2 tablespoons raw gluten-free oats for fiber
    •    One Tablespoon orange or lemon flavored fish oil (Barleans can be purchased at Whole Foods)
    •    1-2 Tablespoons of Chia seeds or hemp seeds
    •    1 teaspoon almond butter or a handful of raw almonds, pecans, or walnuts
    •    (Can add acidophilus, quercetin, glutamine, aloe to heal your GI tract)
    •    To Sweeten: Add dried date, maple syrup or honey in moderation

Blend until smooth and drink immediately

For variety:
    •    Frozen strawberries and frozen rhubarb
    •    Steamed beets and fresh ginger
    •    A few basil leaves and a peeled orange
    •    Consider adding an organic red colored pepper(dirty dozen so must be organic)

Dr. Kara Burkhart is a Naturopathic Physician and Acupuncturist at Salud Integrative Medicine

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