probiotic – Genuine Observations

Well, I have to say that it’s been a while! Sometimes, there’s so much to do in life that finding the time to reflect upon what you’ve done in a blog post doesn’t always work out! If this spring is bringing energy your way that is anything like what I’m seeing, you might also be finding that it’s more work than play. But I’m ok with that. Life is full of cycles, this one just happens to be more work related!

But work doesn’t take me away from my ritualistic green smoothie! Virtually every day I take time to mix up and enjoy some concoction that enlightens my entire morning. It’s just too easy! And they make me feel good. J

This particular smoothie lifted my spirit for a number of days in a row and I don’t know how anyone can say that that’s a bad thing. It felt good. Yet I know, some people like to vary what they consume every day. That’s good. But when I find something I like, I love it when I can stick with it for a few days to really stretch out the positive effects. This time, I was lucky enough to have all the ingredients in a ready state to go for this smoothie. When I pause to really thing about this, I believe that the stability and longevitiy of the fruit in this smoothie is what makes this one so easy – everything is ready to go!

I can’t quite pinpoint what it is exactly that I love about this one, but it’s chilly (from the frozen blueberries), saucy (from the apples) and full bodied (from the oranges). There is a smoothness from the spinach that is offset by the grittiness of the seeds (from the blueberries) that makes it more than a drink and more than satisfying on the tummy.

Recipe:

1 Apple
2 Oranges
3-5 Medjool dates (remove the seeds)
1-2 cups frozen blueberries (the more the better)
½ cup Mango flavor Good Belly Probiotic
1 cup Coconut Milk (with Vanilla)
½ lb baby Spinach

The beautiful thing about these smoothies is that you just toss everything in the blender and let it fly (on high) for 60 seconds or so.

The volume and weight from the liquid will easily pull down the light fluffy spinach so it won’t take much to get all this to liquidate.

Oranges are for volume – and they are a little cooling so make sure it’s a warmer day if you add more. In the end, you’ve got breakfast and lunch – or smoothie to share – which is what I do!

This fruit combination does really well with Swiss Chard, so if you’ve hit your limit with Spinach, you can add in chard and enjoy the combination for another few days!

Stay light-spirited – for the moment is what you make of it!

Today’s a great day to post another beautiful green smoothie recipe. This one is light, yet not all that cooling. I find that typically, when I consume oranges, I find that they have a cooling effect on my body. Yet, this recipe finds a balance somehow and you don’t instantly cool down. It’s easy and all I’m willing to bet that the ingredients are all available today!

The one thing that’s different about this smoothie is that the red grapes have seeds in them. I normally don’t like seeds – of any type – in my smoothies, but this time it’s different. Somehow, I believe the feeling of this smoothie would not be the same without the seeds. Maybe that’s where the warmth came from to tame the cooling oranges! In any case, the seeds actually add to the smoothie rather than take away from it. So, if you’re feeling adventurous, keep the seeds. Give it a try.

Recipe:

3 seedless oranges pealed and split
1 ripe banana
3 pitted dates
1 ½ cup red grapes with seeds
1 cup coconut milk
¼ cup probiotic (I used coconut water)
½ pound young baby Spinach

You’ve got to look hard in the picture to see the grapes for they’re kind of hidden in the blender. In this second picture they show up better.

Spin for a few seconds to liquefy. Stuff in the spinach.

And then spin on high for nearly 60 seconds. You want to make sure you grind the seeds down to nothing – or next to nothing. If you find the smoothie warming up, don’t be afraid to add a couple ice cubes and grind a little longer.

In the end, you’ll get about 7 cups!

The jar is my late breakfast, the cup is for Lori and what’s left in the blender is my clean up treat!