Beautiful Skin Food (Green Smoothie with Kale, Pineapple, Banana and Coconut water)

Nowhere is your skin more noticeable, than on your face. I recently had a conversation with someone who has tried so many products on the market to help control the redness, sensitivity and breakouts on her face and chest. After looking over her diet and the amount of stress she had in her life, I knew she needed a big change.

I believe that food is more than what taste good, don’t get me wrong I love exploring the different flavors of food, but I believe that fruits and vegetables provide nutrients to our skin cells at a cellular level. I’m happy to say, that after drinking pure clean water, adding fruits and vegetables to her diet and getting more sleep, I have seen a noticeable difference in my clients skin and emotional state.

I remember having a conversation once with a dermatologist who didn’t see the connection between poor diet and inflammation of the skin. My first thought was that this person is a dermatologist and has gone to medical school and who am I to sit and explain how what we eat has a huge impact on our skin. Well after working with several skin care clients and noticing the visible difference in their skin after changing their diet and lifestyle, I can now say without a doubt, that foods, especially fruits and vegetables have a major impact on the health of our skin.

Beautiful Skin Food Recipe

· One handful kale
· One cup pineapple
· One banana (frozen is great, please peel before freezing)
· One cup coconut water

Blend and enjoy!

Tracy

Special Telesminar Guest #12: Tara-jenelle Walsch: My New SOUL Sister

Do you ever get that feeling when you connect with someone that you’ve known them forever?

You know when you just “click” with a person and goosebumps run across your skin when you start talking to them because it just feels right all over?

That’s how it was when Tara-jenelle of www.Soulebrate.com and I connected on the phone for the first time.

Instant friendship.

I’m super duper excited to introduce you to this Chica and one of the newest members of our Raw Diva community. Thanks to one of our darling divas who just decided the two of us would make great friends, Tara and I connected and I just know you’re going to love her as much as I do. I’ve managed to convince her to climb on board our upcoming Detox program to help address a few of her lingering health issues and I’m soooo excited that she’s agreed to play along. She’s going to be my buddy for the 6-Week Detox!

I know you’re going to enjoy connecting with this soulful gal and I for a chit-chat on Wednesday. She’s got some amazing stories and is surrounded by some incredible people. We’ve covered all kinds of topics throughout this program, I felt it was time we discuss matters of the “soul” and Tara-jenelle is the perfect person to do just that. I hope you’ll join us on Wednesday!

Click HERE to access the information for tomorrow’s teleseminar!

Here’s Tara’s Bio:

In today’s fast-paced, high-tech world it’s all too easy to lose personal connections with those we care about or to lose interest in creating new connections – and even at times – to lose touch with our own feelings.

Tara-jenelle Walsch is the founder and spirit behind Soulebrate, an organization that encourages emotional awareness and deeper, authentic connections with others. She is also an original founder and co-developer of the successful self-help and spiritual Internet company, ConsciousOne.com.

Soulebrate Greeting Cards step up to support expression, healing, growing and celebrating the all of life:  the ups and the downs, the achievements and the disappointments, the love and the pain. The company is environmentally and emotionally conscious, and prints all cards in the USA with recycled paper and soy-based ink.

Through her commitment to helping others find freedom through voicing their heart, Tara-jenelle is the writer and designer behind Soulebrate greeting cards, as well as other inspiring products that offer us an opportunity to be and express who we truly are inside.

Originally from Annapolis, Maryland, she earned a Communications degree in 1991 at Towson State University in Baltimore and has since found herself creating uniquely, untraditional ways for humanity to express and experience itself. Tara-jenelle currently lives in Southern California with her dog, Sascha.

For more information about Tara-jenelle or Soulebrate, please visit www.soulebrate.com

“None of the cards today say anything heart-felt, brave or true… and just as I thought the greeting card industry had lost its soul, I found Soulebrate.”
- Vision Magazine

(90-Day Detox) Day 68: What you don’t say can hurt you.

I fell in love recently.

I know, I know. “Here she goes blurting her personal stuff on the blog again!” But there’s a message in here, and I think it’s a valuable one.

First of all, I don’t know FOR SURE how this is going to work out. No one ever does, really. There’s a certain amount of risk that comes with loving someone and opening up enough to be loved in return. I won’t deny that I have “fears” that pop up related to previous experiences I’ve had and while there are all kinds of things I’ve managed to build and create successfully, a marriage isn’t one of them. In spite of my habit of diving into romance with all the best intentions, until now, something goes awry and it falls apart.

I told you when I was dating “Mr. Wheatgrass” and “The Dutchman”. It was fun to include you in these adventures and share what had been going on. Lately, I’m finding it difficult to “get into” my blog posts  because I’ve been keeping a secret from you.

But there’s a mighty fine lesson here I’d like to illustrate and it’s on my mind a lot as I embark on a new commitment to try and build a significant relationship with someone new in my life.

The biggest reason relationships fall apart is because of the things that go unspoken–the secrets that remain untold. Anyone who has fallen in love once knows how amazing this can be. Then, over time, they say people “lose their spark” or that they “fall out of love”.

Maybe this is true, but I’m not convinced.

I think people as individuals are responsible for the feelings, sensations, perceptions they feel. I think WE choose how we react to others, to food, to our environment and personal circumstances. There are all manner of excuses people can come up with to justify relationships falling apart, but in my humble opinion, more often than not these are just “excuses.” The real reason people drift in relationships is because they’re not communicating honestly or fully about what’s going on.

I’m not talking about saying everything you think to your partner, but when you become aware that you are withholding something–some thought, some concern, something you’ve done that you probably shouldn’t have done… then your internal alarms should be going off like mad! These things that get withheld put sheer curtains between you and your partner. When you accumulate enough of them it gets tough to see the other person the  way you once did. We find “reasons” to justify the fact that we’ve
“fallen out of love” but the truth is that you fell out of communication FIRST! And communication can be restored.

I’ve seen this in action with my ex-husband. Even though my ex-husband and I had been divorced for over 6 years, in the interests of improving our relationship with one another and for the kids, we went to marriage counseling. It was a pretty unique form of counseling in that there were ONLY TWO QUESTIONS the counselor asked. For example, she picked one person at a time. When she asked me, she had me sit facing Jason (who was instructed not to say A WORD in spite of any temptation that may arise to do so). Then she repeated these two questions until I felt positive, experienced a relief and had a win!

1. What have you done to Jason?

2. What have you withheld from Jason?

Then she switched and it was Jason’s turn to do the same thing. These two questions took what for us had been 6 years of tension, stress and conflict and dissolved it in a few hours. Incredible.

I wrote this on the sales page of the 90-day detox:

“4. It’s not what someone else does to you that causes you to dislike them, it’s what you do to them!”

It’s not that I’ve stopped loving you, my dear, but I’ve found myself slightly disconnected emotionally from my blog posts and I bet it shows. I’ve been holding out on you about the new love in my life. But I won’t hold out for much longer. I can’t even if I want to and even if my mother says I should.

I’m an open book kinda girl that way.

It’s time to get a couple muffins ready for school, then hot yoga then I’ve got some exciting writing to finish up. I hope you’re doing well, my dear!

I’ll be back for an update and a love story soon.

*smooch*

Tera

P.S.

Heads up about the teleseminar i’m going to be doing with Patty Contenta! Check it out here:

—> http://tinyurl.com/c8y7sj

(90-Day Detox) Day 67: It’s Sunday and All Is Well in the World

Well, it’s a Sunday morning and the kids are clicking and clacking with lego on the floor in front of me. The heat of yesterday has moved through and a cooling grey sky is here in its place reminding us it’s Spring, not Summer. Yesterday it would have been hard to convince me it wasn’t a hot day in July!

I woke up this morning smiling at the thought of “Don’t be so obsessed about what you eat.”

Last night at our post-pj party picnic, I found myself snacking on some vegan treats. And you know, I think I half expected to wake up with an extra 30 pounds of water retention having taken over my body, but after a good night’s sleep, I feel…

…AMAZING.

This really worked for me, this detox. We’ve discussed a lot of different things. Eating late, exercise, sleep and communication. Relationships, mind over matter and even sex!

I’ve been reading a lot lately on the physiological reasons not to eat cooked food. Just talking about the science of what happens when you heat your food and why it is toxic to ingest. It’s incredible when I think of the degrees and credentials people have around health and nutrition, and yet the simplest things (like the effect of heat on fat, protein and carbohydrates) seem to have been overlooked in the books on health.

So, I’ve been reading a lot about why not to eat cooked food, or at least the consequences of doing so. And it certainly makes for a legitimate arguement, but then I am so quickly reminded about how one’s attitude, emotional state and outlook on life affects every cell in the body. So the fact of the matter is, you can eat the best food in the world, but if you’re not breathing deep, cleansing breaths, if you’re not living in loving, fulfilled relationships, if you’re not happy doing what you do in life, if you don’t communicate what you feel, then you may as well be eating cardboard.

Stress is stress, it doesn’t matter how you look at it. And the body responds the same.

Listening to the teleseminar with Roe, I was inspired to take my discipline up a notch or two. But then I can only do it to the degree that I feel that extra degree of severity is worth it to me. It’s so hard to prioritize  the next degree of severity when my life feels like bliss most days.

And yet, I do believe that even bliss is relative. How good can good get? I guess that’s why I’ll find out if and when I turn up the volume on discipline.

I know I’ve been getting a few emails from some of you who resonate with the inability to carry through with a juice feast. It may be a question of time, personal organizational skills and general attachment to the sensation of chewing, but I’ve not yet managed to get through a full day of juice feasting in spite of my desires to do so. Who knows, maybe it will happen yet. I have to say I’m fascinated by the start of the process for the 6-Week Detox. I just know I’m going to learn SO much and I’m curious to see how this goes. I managed to get a sneak peek at the detox protocols and I’ll keep you posted on how I do.

***Later in the afternoon***

Just came back from the potluck and filming with Radio Canada. It was interesting. They’re doing a piece on anti-aging and wanted to have stories of raw foodists and get a look at what this diet is doing. I’ll get another mini window on camera, but I’m not sure if I’ll show you the link or not. Guess I’ll preview it first. It’s still exciting, though, because they called me up just because of a simple website that we have online.

One of the people I encouraged them to interview is a truck driver and a raw foodists. Neat guy. Great story.

It’s so great to go to these dinners and connect with other people trying to make the raw food diet work in the real world. We compare stories, network and make friends.

I’m going to spend the next few days digging my heels into some articles and transcripts and cold hard facts about food. I’ll share with you what I learn as I learn it. I want to finish this 90-Day Detox with a bang. Something that gets us powered and committed and on board for LIFE.

There’s are a couple cool telseminars coming up this weekend!

Yikes! I gotta go. I’m late for a date with my pores and have some teleseminars tonight! I do have more to say about life, love and adventures of one kind and another, but I’m being counter-intuitive and learning how to keep my mouth shut a bit more. Mom says it’s good for me to do that sometimes.

I guess we’ll see.

Sunday snuggles,

Tera

"What’s Fer-menting Tonight, Hun?": Food Remedies for the Autism Gut

“What’s Fer-menting Tonight, Hun?”

That’s a question my man always asks because more times than not my counter top’s full of sizzling mason jars spreading their sour stink throughout our poorly ventilated apartment.

More times than not my counter top’s full of sizzling mason jars spreading their sour stink throughout our poorly ventilated apartment. My hubby and I used to argue about “the way I eat” and how it would drive him bonkers. But he’s settled down ever since I started sneaking spoonfuls of it into his shakes.

We ferment all kinds of veggies and drinks in our home and we do it for the sake of gut healing. See, gut problems lead to indigestion and malnutrition — undigested foods turn into toxins, and organs malfunction and allow other toxins to grow and thrive. With my son, the label makers liked to call this autism. Autism usually comes with horrific gut issues. And, I learned, that by repairing the gut we allow for the whole body to heal.

We began our recovery with fermented young coconut water (coconut kefir). I am blessed to have found this. Because it was coconut kefir and coconut kefir alone that helped clear the terrain for deeper healing. Kefir brought back eye contact where there was none. Kefir helped him focus. Kefir changed the bacterial make up in his gut, and he began craving greener foods. Soon, he loved all of his green veggies. And, we all know that green is good! Green heals!

Once I had the kefir in my own system as well – I could see the light at the end of the autism tunnel and it was bright!

Soon, my motto for health through food became Green it, Blend it, Ferment it. I use Body Ecology controlled culture starters to ferment, and I highly recommend this if you or your children have severe digestive problems. You can ferment wildly like so many of our raw friends do. But, BED’s starters are very hearty and have been specifically formulated with bacterial strains to conquer candida, create vitamins, and assimilate nutrients from food and more.

When you ferment food you save the body time digesting. You make the nutrients more readily absorbant. You promote detox. The body begins to heal because it’s finally receiving the proper nutrition from every bite. So, even if your child lacks HCL (hydrocholoric acid) in the stomach and has a hard time digesting everything he eats – fermented foods take hold and share their love inside his body. That’s why it’s such a necessary step when trying to undo the autism mess. I advise my clients to begin with a tablespoon of coconut kefir each morning as a first step in the recovery journey. They can usually work their way up to a quart of the amazing drink within time.

Here’s my method of kefir making:

You’ll need:
1 box (9) young coconuts (which can be purchased most inexpensively at your local Asian market)
1 pack Kefir Starter
I glass pitcher
3-4 sterile quart sized mason jars
1. Begin with room temp (75 degrees or warmer) coconuts and starter pack
2. Open 3 coconuts (I just poke hole right below the tip with a screwdriver), and pour into glass pitcher. Make sure that the water is clear and not pink or brown.
3. Pour that liquid into one jar.
4. Add the kefir starter.
5. Lightly stir
6. Close the jar and let it sit out for 24-36 hrs.
7. Then, split that batch into 2 jars.
8. Add fresh coconut water from 3 more coconuts.
9. Close jars and let sit for another 24 hrs.
10. Repeat until you have used all of your coconuts.
11. Refrigerate.

When the coconut water ferments it becomes a bit cloudy, bubby and tastes a little like champagne, you may sense that it smells like bread or beer and that’s fine. Don’t toss it if it doesn’t smell like roses. Sometimes the jars talk, sizzle, make funky sounds and even vibrate and move on your counter top. Seriously! So, if there’s tons of action coming from a jar, I’d watch out. Tops do pop off. Handle this with komucha care. Every batch won’t ferment at the same pace. Too much bubbling could mean it’s done fermenting and you can take a drink. Each jar of kefir can ferment about seven more jars. So you will want to leave about a ¼ cup of this magic juice in each jar to start the next batch.

No need to go to fast when embarking on your fermentation journey. There’s plenty of time to experience the magic. Check out the recipe in this issue of Health in High Heels! Just promise me you’ll go slowly with the kiddos. This stuff is very detoxing and chances are that they’ll be releasing a lot. The detox will be amazing if you support it with colon therapy, skin brushing, spa baths, energetic and emotional reinforcement as well as good old fashioned sleep.

Reactions to probiotic foods like kefir are really as varied as our kid’s symptoms. Some kids get hyper for a while others disconnect. It’s generally a sign that the body is pushing out the old. The body really wants to heal. If you sense that embracing fermented foods as part of your autism healing plan is something you need to do for your child, then please don’t hesitate to contact me for help and support along the way. We can make healing easy if we do it together.

P.S.

The coconut meat can also be fermented with about a tablespoon of Kefir. This takes about 12 hours. You can do it overnight and wake up to a yummy raw yogurt in the morning!

Enjoy!

By Gina Laverde

Gina Laverde is a health conscious contributor to the www.RawMom site. In her efforts to address the autism-related conditions being faced by her son, she jumped on the healthy bandwagon and has been inspiring everyone ever since! You can learn more about her by visiting her websites www.certifiedorganicwoman.com and www.healartfully.com. Or by emailing gina@healartfully.com

Mama Knows Best

Wednesday I had a really intense emotional experience with the motive being ambiguous until after the event. Let me rewind a few months to give some background…

Back in December I started looking into playgroups for Zenchai to attend a couple times a week. With all the winter weather I felt like we were always cooped up. We were both getting bored, but in very different ways. I was feeling like I wanted to spread my wings a little and have a bit of space to myself. For him I had an inkling he might be ready for more stimulation and interaction with other children. I looked around at several groups, asked the opinions of some mothers I knew and did a little internet research.

Finally, I found a little Montessori group near to my house. We booked in a visit. Everything seemed nice enough on first appearances. But then after some more thought I sensed it might be better to wait a little longer. I had apprehensions over completely handing Zenchai’s care over to a stranger, plus we had some traveling planned in the New Year.

Okay so now fast forward to the near present moment…

A couple weeks ago there were two specific occurrences that made me see Zenchai in a whole new way. It was observing those two situations that made me know on a gut level that Zenchai was definitely ready to join a group. I approached the Montessori again. I got him registered and ready to go.

On Wednesday morning we set out for our first day of ‘school’. As part of his initiation I was able to slowly acclimate him by being present with him. The idea being with each session I would spend a little less time in the room until he was confident to be there without me.

Zenchai was at first unsure of what he could and could not play with, which of course is totally normal. But as more children came in (there were only six kids in total) the sickness in me became more palpable. I became aware of the tears lingering on the brims of my eyes. In the moment I just couldn’t rationalize my tremendous emotions. I really had to dig deep to not let Zenchai see I had lost my centeredness. I didn’t want my energetic disposition to rub-off on him.

As the morning progressed I just kept getting waves of red light signal afflictions. There was just something fundamentally wrong. I couldn’t put my finger on one thing, but recognized the environment was way off the mark.

My head was buzzing with disbelief. Every toy I saw was plastic with batteries to make it flash, sing or do whatever. There were even remote control cars (not that Zenchai minded!). This is of course not to say I have been totally able to escape having some plastic toys in our home for Zenchai. I think I have just been “spoiled” by the Steiner atmosphere of wholesome, natural toys. My mind kept wandering to the lush gardens and tree houses at our Steiner school only to be snapped back into the reality of seeing big plastic outdoor cars on a small patch of fake grass. My heart was rapidly breaking.

When we departed I was in such a disturbing tizzy. Acutely in my core I knew I was not going to be able to continue a relationship with the Montessori school. I drove to my mother-in-law’s around the corner. She took one look at me and wondered what had happened to shake me up so badly. I explained as much as I could to her. She totally supported my intuition. Then she handed me the phone so I could call Steiner school.

I have been taking Zenchai to our local Steiner school parent and child playgroup since he was six months old. I absolutely love it there. It has a purely magical atmosphere with heavenly fairy energies present. We have always said that if we still lived near the school when he became of age we would send him there. They don’t take children into the kindergarten level until 3 – 3 ½ . Zenchai is just short of three so I had thought he wouldn’t be able to start there until September.

I made the phone call and much to my relief all going well he should be able to attend at the start of June after their midterm break when he is three.

Even though I had resolved the situation my spirit was so profoundly effected I remained on the brink of tears for the rest of the day. The mother in me had really been put to the test. I had two options: 1) ignore the colossal sensations that were coursing through me or 2) listen to my heightened discernment. Obviously I chose the latter.

Upon reflection I determined why I had been incredibly sensitive and perceptive in relation to this particular state of affairs. Unintentionally I had been eating very lightly, nearly fasting for a few days prior to this event. I had become so visceral emotionally without realizing it that my ethereal being had an almost vulnerable quality to it. My sixth sense had become brightly polished.

One could view this unconscious creating of clarity as a quirk. But personally I don’t believe in coincidence. To me the Universe guided me into sparse eating in order to help my motherly intuition blossom for this circumstance.

I love the way we are always taken care of!

PS. My eating has naturally returned to normal.

(90-Day Detox) Day 66: Another Sun-Kissed Saturday

I couldn’t dream a more beautiful Saturday morning. The chatter of children, the gliding of bike chains that whip past my window. The sun doesn’t stream in, it BILLOWS this morning and if I weren’t keenly aware of this hard chair beneath my bottom, I would swear I was dreaming some far-too-good-to-be-true dream.

And it gets better.

But I can’t tell you yet.

I actually am so overcome with emotion that I don’t have many words to express what’s happening right now. But I will soon. Right now all I can say is DREAM! BELIEVE! PERSIST! LOVE! in spite of all apparent reasons not to do so.

FLOURISH!

PROSPER!

It doesn’t matter what the headlines say or who tells you the world is ending. Life is in you NOW! Live it and love without limits.

Last night I had a date with four 9 year old girls! We had a pajama party and now it’s time to soak up some sun and prepare for a picnic.

Know that my thoughts are with you and my words are forming and very soon a wave of wisdom, passion and clarity will grace these pages with more love and gratitude than I have ever known.

Until then, I’ll be popping bliss bubbles and giggling!

Love you!

Tera

(90-Day Detox) Day 64 & 65: An Update from the Homefront

Well, my lovelies.

Seems the whirlwind that is my life picked up speed and carried me away in a can of kidney beans this week.

Well, maybe not quite, but that’s how it’s felt. There’s more to the story, but unfortunately I am sworn to secrecy for right now. There are times I put my whole, wide, naked heart out on a sleeve for the world, and other times when a bit of mystery is best left unexpressed. It’s safe to assume that all things unspoken are only coming from the category of good tidings, so don’t worry about that. But I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t say it’s been a week to remember.

Juice.

Darn juice.

The never-ending arm-wrestling match between my juicer and I continues, and it seems my juicer always wins–prefering to rest undisturbed on the counter rather than grind gears and work up a sweat in the name of my cyst-busting approach.

The teleseminar call with Roe was really interesting for me. What does it take to step things up a notch and how do we find that extra degree of motivation to make it happen–especially when we’re not threatened by illness or sicknes, etc?

Any idea, because I’m having a heck of a time.

I wish I had some wisdom bubbling from within that I could put here to grace the page and inspire. I guess this on of those juggling moments in the balancing act of my life–the window of time where I find myself glancing at all the balls in the air and wondering which I’ll grab next, hoping the others don’t fall and bounce away in the meantime.

Mika is having a pj party tonight. I’ll be picking up 4 pre-teens tonight and bringing them back home for girlie adventures and a sleepover.It’s been a great excuse to clean up the house, but I didn’t realize how much house their was to clean up. Seems Mika has developed a rather interesting cleaning technique of cramming whatever random objects, clothing and assorted widgets might be lying on the floor and shoving them under her bed. I’m sure this is just a new organizational strategy. Hopefully we’ll work through it to find something more efficient.

Her brother has developed a bit of affinity for the fact that his laundry hamper is the perfect container for swords and Hot Wheel racing ramps. “So where do the clothes go?” you ask? Good question.

We’re getting ready to move in a few weeks and observing the process of going through the things I do not need and do not necessarily want. We’re looking forward to the process of a new beginning. Marking out our own territory for a while. I’ll be starting with little more than a few books, a bed and a piano. Most of the last 2 years I’ve spent living in someone else’s home–subletting an apartment. I’m excited to fill the new place with plants and paint the walls a creamy warm color that makes it feel cozy. I guess we’ll see when the time comes.

The other day in the school yard while picking the kids up from school, destiny dealt me a full deck of cards that I was not expecting. A serendipitous encounter with some kinda wonderful hit me out of the blue and I found myself tripping over my tongue to express myself. (Imagine ME, having difficulty to express myself?) Naturally, my exhuberant self would like to blurt out all kinds of things about this, but as i mentioned earlier, some things are better left somewhat mysterious. While time weaves her wand through the fabric of my life I’ll observe the process with patience and when things get juicy, I’ll let you know more.

Mika said that when she pins up the picture of what’s happening on her heart, it feels like a big marshmallow. She’s happy. That’s a good sign.

The buds on the trees are forming and I see dandelions already. Time to graze the gardens and snack in the back alleys and soak up spring while she is here in her magnificence. The budget is tight these days, but I’m going to dig up $10 from the depths of my splurge account to grace the table with tulips today–colorful reminders that Spring is here in her glory and the World is waking up getting ready for a mega dose of Vitamin D.

I’m sorry there wasn’t more than this to inspire you today, dear, but why don’t you take a turn at the driver’s wheel and let us know what inspires YOU!

Love and spring fever,

Tera

Fresh Blended Orange Smoothies: Perfect After Workout Drink (Green Smoothies with Oranges, Celery, Cucumber, Spinach)

I rediscovered citrus during our Christmas vacation to Texas this year. The Citrus was in season, and for the first time I tasted oranges, grapefruit, tangerines, lemons and more freshly picked. I was hooked. Of course after all of the citrus I brought back with me was gone, I was no longer able to get tree fresh citrus, but I  have continued to consume large quantities of citrus this winter.

Of course citrus is great when you just peel it and sink your teeth into it, but it’s also great in a green smoothie. Some of my favorite citrus green smoothies are the simple two ingredient kind, such as Oranges and spinach, and grapefruit and cilantro. Because citrus is so juicy, there is no need to add water.

I also discovered that citrus, and especially oranges, make a great smoothie for after a fitness workout. when you need to replenish your electrolytes, then green smoothies are great, and the following recipe will give you a great pick me up! If you’re afraid to try some of the ingredients in this smoothie, simply leave out the ones you do not have or do not want to use. It’s a really flexible recipe.  It’s also a great way to feed your body and replenish fluids and minerals.

After Workout Orange Smoothie

• 2 oranges or tangerines
• 1-2 stalks of celery
• 1 small or 1/2 large cucumber peeled

• 

  Handful spinach, chard or other greens

• Couple of broccoli florets
• 2 cups water, or to desired consistency
• Ice (optional)

I usually add more water to this smoothie than I add to most green smoothies because I want to have extra fluid, and I know I’m going to want to drink it really fast so it should be less filling for the volume. You could add more oranges or less water to change the consistency and make it more filling if you want to.

Another great indulgent and very nourishing Orange smoothie is to blend a couple of oranges with the water from a young coconut. If you want a more filling smoothie use the meat as well as the water. And to complete the “orangecicle” taste, add some vanilla before you blend. You can make it a green smoothie by adding romaine, spinach or another mild leafy green.

Enjoy your citrus, and let us know your favorite ways to create freshly blended citrus smoothies!

~Tami

P.S. A couple of the photos are from my Texas citrus stash this winter, and the one is of my daughter Nessa picking an orange off of a friend’s tree. AND tomorrow my in-laws arrive with fresh citrus directly from Texas (likely no oranges, but I’m pretty addicted to grapefruit and lemons as well).

Simple Green Smoothies (Two Ingredient Green Smoothie Recipes!)

We all love new recipes and ideas, but sometimes the need for simplicity is more important. When we want good food and we want it fast, then simple green smoothies are so easy to make. Often I simply look around at what I have in my house, and find a fruit and a green and blend it together.

Since we often enjoy the same fruits week after week, it becomes easy to predict what will satisfy my needs, cravings, and be ultra quick and easy to make without requiring me to go purchase specific ingredients. These are usually two ingredient smoothies, or three if you count water or ice.

I’m going to share a few of my favorite simple smoothie combinations below; however, remember that all you need is some fruit and some greens. For each green smoothie simply add as much water or ice as you want in with the fruit and greens as you blend them.

Simple Green Smoothies

• Two grapefruit to 1/2 to entire bunch of cilantro
• Bananas and spinach (or any greens of course!)
• Apples and parsley
• Grapes and celery
• Cherries and celery
• Oranges and chard
• Cucumber and cilantro
• Tomatoes and green onions
• Tomatoes and basil
• Tart apple and dandelion greens

Simply try blending some of your favorite fruit and then add some leafy greens of any type. When looking for greens, don’t forget the non leafy broccoli and celery as well as the more zesty cilantro and parsley. If you’re unsure how a combination will taste, try just a small amount first, and then make more. You can also add the greens a small amount at a time.

Just as we all have our favorite foods, we all develop our favorite smoothie combinations over time. Have fun getting your greens!

Enjoy your freedom from recipes!

~Tami

P.S. What are YOUR favorite simple smoothie combinations?