The Fierce Diva Guide to Life

Green Revolution

I have taken a lot of pictures of green smoothies this past month.

Some were straight and to the point.

 

Some were humorous. 

 

Some were thought provoking. 

 

Some were political.  (Hint:  This smoothie drinker can see Russia from her house!)

 

Some were a little warped,

 

No animals were harmed in the smoothie photo sessions.  I promise!

 

 Neither were any children.

29 days ago, I never would have imagined that 22 friends, some old, and some new, would come along for the ride with me on the Green Smoothie Challenge. 

What made the Green Smoothie Challenge so much fun was the company I had along the way.  My smoothie team and I have chatted on Facebook every day.   We have joked, we have shared recipes, we have kept each other motivated.   I have reveled in everyone’s enthusiasm!

I felt a twinge of excitement every time a challenge participant commented on how they experienced some type of transformation this past month.  Although I’m not surprised, since eating healthily and mindfully facilitates our ability to live the life we love.

I hope that these thirty days marked the beginning of a lifelong habit for all of us.

Health and happiness to all!

Namaste, Divas!

©2012 Ilene Evans

A month’s worth of green smoothie recipes

*Add water and ice or the liquid of your choice to the following recipes.  I do not give measurements because I have found that the smoothies work best when you make them to individual taste.  Here are some combinations tried by the challenge participants this past month.  Hopefully the combinations will inspire some ideas for you!  

1. Sweet potato, spinach, kale, blueberry, strawberry, avocado

2. Spinach, Almond Butter, Banana, Honey, Flax meal

3. Spinach, avocado, blueberry, banana

4. Kale, apple, banana

5. Kale, broccoli, apple

6. Spinach, apple, blueberry

7. Kale, broccoli, apple, avocado, banana

8. Apricot, spinach, apple, avocado

9. Broccoli, avocado, carrot, spinach, kale

10. Yellow bell pepper, spinach, avocado, carrot, banana

11. Peach, yellow bell pepper, kale, banana, blueberry

12. Kale, carrot, banana, blueberry

13. Cauliflower, pineapple, spinach, blueberry, banana

14. Kale, carrot, pineapple, banana

15. Spinach, carrot, strawberry, banana

16. Cucumber lime juice kale apple carrot banana

17. Cilantro, kale, spinach, lime juice, blueberry, apple

18. Peach, spinach, strawberry, carrot, banana

19. Cucumber, kale, raspberry, pear, peach

20, Raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, carrot, spinach, banana, apple

21. Kale, lime juice, banana, apple, carrot, blueberry, raspberry

22. Napa cabbage, red bell pepper, kale, blueberry, apple, honey

21. Agave,  spinach,  kale,  apple,  peach          

22. Arugula, spinach, kale, red bell pepper, apple, peach, blueberry

23. Cherry, papaya, arugula, kale, apple, carrot, raspberry, blueberry

24. Arugula, kale, papaya, banana

25. Spinach, apple, avocado, honey

26. Spinach, carrot, banana, protein powder, agave

27. Kale, avocado, flax meal, banana, honey

28. Spinach, coconut flour, banana, honey

29. Spinach, mango, watermelon, banana, agave  

 30.  Spinach, almond butter, banana, flax meal, honey

 

 

Greenalicious

Yes, that’s me, gazing at my green smoothie with reverence and blind devotion.

Perhaps even a bit of a platonic crush. 

Because anything that makes someone feel that good from the inside out deserves praise, and lots of it. 

As we wrap up week three of the Run to the Finish Green Smoothie Challenge, we welcomed 2 more friends to our green team, which means our posse of smoothie drinkers is now up to twenty.  One is an old friend from grade school, and one, a new friend and fellow blogger, Denise, who you can find at accordingtodenise.com 

Our daily roll call on Facebook continues.  It is a recipe swap, a pep rally, and a happy hour, all wrapped up into one.  The happy hour drink is a green smoothie, of course.

Facebook discussion highlights from the week:

1) The ongoing debate over adding avocado to the smoothie.  Do it! Do it! Do it!

2) The subtle flavor differences between adding sunflower butter versus almond butter.  Sun butter seems to be the winner!

Takeaways from the week:

1) The biggest challenge for my smoothie drinkers continues to be preparation time.  One of the greatest all time takeaways from our Facebook discussions is to prepare in advance.  Wash, cut and bag  your fruits and veggies ahead of time to facilitate the daily smoothie making process.     

2) Accountability goes a long way.  Several friends who came into the challenge did so, knowing that there was a better chance they would stick with this if they had to be accountable to a group of peers.

3)  The same goes for support.  Some people drifted away from the challenge for a few days and then came back because the group as a whole, remained strong and consistent.    

Several of you stepped out of your comfort zone to join me in this challenge.  For some it was a tiny leap.  You have had green smoothies before, but not every day, and needed the external encouragement to keep at it.   For some, sipping liquified spinach through a straw was a huge leap.  This challenge is living proof that there is never a downside to stepping out of your comfort zone, especially when the motivating factor is to improve your health.  I am inspired and humbled by everyone who stepped out of their comfort zone to participate in this challenge with me.   

Below are five smoothie suggestions to help you through the final week of the challenge.  Although I hope your smoothie drinking continues well beyond these next 8 days.

Namaste, Divas!

© 2012 Ilene Evans

Smoothie suggestions shared on the Facebook threads:

Start each smoothie with 2 cups of green and about a cup of water or other liquid as mentioned below:

1)  Frozen banana, sunflower butter, cultured coconut milk, almond milk

2) Coconut milk, ice, banana, blueberries

3) Banana, berries, flaxseed, sunflower butter,

4) Mango, frozen strawberries, vanilla protein power

5) Almond butter, avocado slice, cocoa power, honey  

 

Fifty Shades of Green Smoothies

Oh, that sophomore slump.   Broken blenders, emergency kale runs in the middle of the night, and smoothie challenge participants suffering from lost momentum.   We are at day 15, exactly that middle point of the Amanda Brooks Run to the Finish Green Smoothie Challenge, and as much as I love my green smoothies, have woken up to a green smoothie every morning for a period of time that spans beyond this challenge,  I've had a few moments where it wasn't easy being green. 

It has not been easy for my blender, either, which took its last breath on Thursday morning, from what I can only describe as green smoothie overexposure.   

My blender has been replaced.  Is this one tough enough to hack it?  Only time will tell.  

The good news is that my merry band of green smoothie drinkers has ballooned to 18 participants!  We roll call every morning on my personal Facebook page (because my Blog page would not let me tag the participants by name.  Oh, Facebook...why do you have to complicate things so...).  Anyone is welcome to join in our daily forum.  I'm serious!  Hop on over to my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ilene.k.evans

The smoothie roll call is always a public post. 

The buzz talk among my smoothie drinking friends is prep and cleanup time, which has been a bit of a de-motivating factor for some.  When she posted this on Facebook, my other smoothie drinking friends jumped into the discussion quickly to offer suggestions.  People advised she save time, by prepping or chopping fruits and veggies in advance,  and placing pre-measured ingredients in baggies to help her prepare a day or two in advance. They advised she mix up the ingredients a little bit, using fruits, yogurt, and natural sweeteners, to turn the smoothie into more of a "treat." A few hours later, my friend reported  in that she was back on the smoothie bandwagon.  Hurray for team work!   

I love the community that this smoothie challenge has built.  It is a testament to the fact that we can do anything when we have support.  From drinking an odd looking concoction made from two cups of raw kale or spinach, to running a marathon, sometimes all we need to hear is "you can do it," to make it to the finish line. 

Over the past two weeks, my friends have thrown out may great ideas for smoothie add-in's.  Don't hesitate to experiment with different ingredients.  All of the smoothie recipes I use began with trial and error. Take your spinach or kale, and a liquid, either water, juice, milk, etc. add a few of the 50 items listed below.  There is no wrong way to do it! 

Namaste, Divas!

© 2012 Ilene Evans

Fruit

1. Lime

2. Lemon

3. Pineapple

4.  Mango

5. Strawberries

6. Banana

7. Apple

8. Blueberry

9. Avocado

10. Raspberry

11. Kiwi

12. Clementine

13. Pomegranate

 

Veggies

14. Red pepper

15. Carrots

16. Broccoli

17. Cucumber

18. Celery

 

Liquids

19. Almond Milk

20. Coconut Milk

21. Soy Milk

22. Rice Milk

23. Coconut Water

24. Orange Juice

25. Sparkling Water

 

Protein

26. Greek Yogurt

27. Almond butter

28. Silken Tofu

29. Soy yogurt

30. Almonds/Almond Butter

31. Rice Protein Powder

32. Soy Protein Powder

33. Whey Protein Powder

 

Sweeteners

34. Rice Syrup

35. Pureed Dates

36. Honey

37. Maple Syrup

38. Agave nectar

39. Stevia

 

Seeds

40. Ground Flax Seeds

41. Chia Seeds

42. Sunflower seeds

43. Pumpkin Seeds

 

Random Good Stuff

44. Cacao nibs

45.Wheat Grass

46. Spirulina

47. Goji berries

48.  Coconut flour - as a thickener

49. 1 tablespoon of coconut oil

50. Ginger root

 

 

Green Smoothie Nation

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 

 

Confessions of a Kale Smoothie Addict

On Friday, June 1st,  I begin a 30 day challenge hosted by Amanda Brooks, Creator of Run To The Finish, a website whose mission is to motivate healthy living.  Amanda is the adorable and captivating narrator of articles whose topics include running, nutrition, meditation, and yoga.  Obviously, she's a Diva after my own heart.

The challenge will require me to drink a smoothie, consisting of kale, broccoli, carrots, banana, and protein powder every day during the month of June.

Amanda, if you stumble upon this post, I have a confession to make.  This 30-day green smoothie challenge really isn't much of a "challenge" for me, given I start my day every day with a kale smoothie already. As a matter of fact, I almost feel like I'm cheating, simply because this is so ingrained in my lifestyle, it will require little to no effort for me to complete.  I will have to tweak the ingredients in my current concoction to meet the requirements of your challenge, but I'm cool with that.   

Here is how I will spice up this challenging for myself:  What I'd like to do to is invite my readers to join the 30-day challenge with me!  How fun would THAT be? Click on Amanda's website right here to sign up.  Come on, you can do it!

Once you sign up, contact me to let me know, and I will spend the month of June as your personal green smoothie coach, with my Drill Sergeant bullhorn to your ear to keep you on the straight and narrow.  That's right.  I will  be your cheerleader.  Remember, I want you to live the life you love, and there is nothing better to get you on the right track of a healthy, happy, energetic life than a daily green smoothie.  

If you're feeling a little shy about going all 30, would you do me a favor and at least TRY a green smoothie? Just one.   Report back to me on how you liked it , and more importantly, how it made you feel.  Once you see how much energy a green smoothie gives you,  I bet you'll make it part of your daily routine.  They're THAT awesome.  

Oh, and if you know the perfect candidate for the green smoothie challenge, please share this post with them!

Below are two of my favorite smoothie recipes to get you started on your way to green. 

Namaste, Divas!   

xo Ilene

 

©2012 Ilene Evans  

Green Smoothie: add two fistfuls of kale, half an avocado or banana, and half an apple or pear to the blender, with a cup of water, 6 - 8 ice cubes, and honey for sweetness.  Blend until smooth, drink, and enjoy!

Chocolate Smoothie: add two fistfuls of kale, half an avocado or banana to the blender, with a cup of chocolate soy or almond milk, 6 - 8 ice cubes, and honey for sweetness.  Blend until smooth, drink, and enjoy!