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I first heard about green smoothies when I attended a raw food seminar in 2009. Eating greens had always been a challenge for me, because although I loved my salads, fruits and vegetables, it was hard for me to sit down & find time to eat loads of leafy greens such as spinach or kale. At the seminar, I learnt that greens possess more valuable nutrients than any other food group and all these nutrients are stored inside the cells of plants. These cells are made of tough material and to release these valuable nutrients, the cell walls needed to be ruptured. In simple words, we need to chew our greens to a creamy consistency in order to get the benefits and chewing them thoroughly with our teeth does not always satisfy our nutritional needs as much as blending our greens!

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This is how I learnt that blending my greens and drinking them in a smoothie form was actually more beneficial for my body in order to absorb the nutrients. And smoothies on the go were easier to digest than salads on the go!

This recipe below is one of my favourite recipes, as I can always get the ingredients at the grocery store, and it is quick, easy, satisfying, cleansing, nutritious and tasty for my hectic lifestyle.

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Karen’s Quick & Easy Green Smoothie

♥ 1 handful of hydroponic lettuce
♥ 1/2 cucumber
♥ 1 ripe banana
♥ 1 cup of chemical free water
♥ 1/2 a Green apple
♥ 1/2 a Red apple
♥ 1/2 cup frozen berries

Blend for 2 minutes and add 1/2 avocado (optional) if you want a more creamy consistency or are a bit more hungry.

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Enjoy!

Article by Karen Then, yoga instructor & owner of Bikram Yoga Victoria Park!

Be well,

xoxo

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I absolutely love a visit to any boutique-y health store, and Organic on Charles is a great find. Heaps of fresh organic fruit & veggies, drinks, skincare, chocolate and snacks, groceries and there is even a smoothie bar too! I picked up some organic red grape juice (packed with antioxidants), Quinitos – quinoa and rice based sweet ‘n crunchy snack, green tea, apples, coconut mylk luvju, strawberries & a free book. Love!

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An epic farmer’s market fresh fruit and veg haul for two. We decided that some juicing was on the cards this weekend, and are now stocked up on all the juicy essentials (apples, carrots, cucumbers, ginger, silverbeet, celery), plus lots more produce to keep my housemate and I happy and healthy for the week!

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I’ve come to the realisation that these two products make my skin feel better than almost anything else. Sodashi Rejuvenating Concentrate & Sodashi Marine Brightening Mask = total skincare heroes! The concentrate brings my face back to life when it’s looking dull & tired, and the mask amplifies that brightness by about 5 times. I’ve just comleted this little mini ritual and then massaged rosehip oil into my face, so I’m hoping for a glowing complexion in the morning!

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And what better to treat myself with than some healthy chocolatey goji berry balls whilst wearing above face mask!! These treats are the second type I’ve tried from the Modern Day Hippie organic snack range, and I’m a fan. Perfect to satisfy a craving for sweets at 3pm or 8pm at night! Or anytime really – have them for breakfast if you like, they are packed full of healthy ingredients for guilt free gobbling.

In case you missed out on any of our articles from the past week and a bit, here is a recap:

♥ Exercise Review: Power Plate at the Perth Pilates Studio, North Perth – if you need a little something different to jazz up your exercise routine – Power Plate could be it!

♥ Beauty Product Review: Benefit High Beam Illuminator and High Brow Glow Pencil! – glowing face, found.

♥ Beauty & Wellbeing Routine: Amy Zempilas, Perth Lifestyle Blogger. – Basil Zempilas’ stunning wife, Amy, shares her beauty routine!

♥ Green Smoothie Inspiration: Glowing Green Smoothie – we road test one of the most famous green smoothies!

♥ Healthy Snack Review: Modern Day Hippie Organic Snack Mixes. – one word, YUM.

♥ Beauty & Wellbeing Crushes: Vegan Chocolate, Organic Muesli, Iridology & Steam Rooms!

♥ Beauty & Wellbeing Routine: Candice Aiken, Holistic Health & Lifestyle Coach and Local Blogger @ Co-Inside! – A super inspiring interview from wellness blogger Candice – not to be missed.

♥ Fitness Review: Hypoxi at The Urbane Body, Subiaco. – We road-tested Hypoxi to see if it lived up to the hype.

♥ Green Smoothie Recipe: Kiwi Sublime! – another Green July recipe!

♥ Alternative Therapy Review: Kinesis Myofascial Integration with Adrian Boyd. – another bodywork therapy trialled!

Thanks for coming along for the ride this week

I’d love to hear what wonderful wellness treats you’ve been upto, or if there’s anything new you think we should try out, leave a comment below!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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Is there a better way to start your day than with a heavenly green smoothie? These magical ‘sunshine in a glass’ creations are guaranteed to give your body, mind and spirit a delicious energy boost and get your skin glowing and your eyes sparkling.

In summer I love experimenting with all of the gorgeous stone fruits available (mango, I miss you!), but in winter the choices are more limited. During these months my go-to smoothie recipe is the ‘Kiwi Sublime’ because all of the ingredients are easy to find (and inexpensive), which means less time trawling the markets in the rain and more time curled up in your favourite armchair with a great book. ☺

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The coconut water provides an extra hydration boost to counteract all that time spent huddling in front of the heater, and the tangy combination of kiwi, lemon and ginger provide an extra zing to keep you smiling through the gloomy winter days.

Kiwi Sublime – makes 2 smoothies:

♥ 350ml coconut water (for extra hydration)
♥ 1 frozen banana (peeled and broken into pieces before freezing)
♥ 5 kiwi fruit, peeled and halved
♥ Juice of half a lemon or 1 lime
♥ 1 tsp grated ginger
♥ 3 large handfuls of English spinach
♥ Ice (optional)

For an extra boost of sparkles and nutrition, try adding Spirulina or another green Superfood. You’ll find Spirulina (and coconut water) at your local, friendly health food store, along with all sorts of other yummy, healthy treats.

Blend all ingredients on high until smooth, pour into glasses and enjoy. Cheers!

Recipe by Bex from Vegan Sparkles!

For more green smoothie goodness, check out the Green July post & the Wellness WA Green Smoothie Database!

Be well,

xoxo

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In celebrity nutritionist Kimberly Snyder’s (above) book The Beauty Detox Solution, she advocates drinking her glowing green smoothie every morning for increased health, vitality and radiant skin. Being a smoothie lover and willing to try anything that promises glowing skin and extra energy, I jumped on the green smoothie bandwagon and set myself a goal to drink her infamous smoothie for every day in June.

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Every Saturday I would head down to the local farmers market to pick up all the organic produce I needed to make the smoothies for the week. The total cost usually amounted to around $35. That’s $5 per smoothie- bargain! I would prep all the ingredients on the weekend.

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I’d come home and chop everything up, put them in individual bags and freeze the 7 portions to save time on weekday mornings. Each night before I would take a bag from the freezer and leave it to defrost in the fridge overnight.

So, overall how did it go!? I ended up drinking the smoothie everyday in June up until the 27th (When I jetsetted off to Melbourne for a food filled weekend )

How did I feel by the end of the month? Absolutely FANTASTIC!

When I first started I was skeptical that the smoothie would be filling enough to keep me going throughout the morning, however it was surprisingly satisfying. When I sipped the smoothie throughout the afternoon (as a snack) I had a constant level of energy (and no afternoon sugar cravings!). Another bonus- it kept me extremely hydrated. And my skin? Well I only got 1 pimple the whole month. No complaints from me there!

Knowing that I’d had over half my recommended daily intake of fruit and veg before 10am felt great and I would recommend that everyone try this smoothie at least once!

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Kimberly Snyder’s Glowing Green Smoothie

Ingredients


♥ 1 & 1/2 cups water

(add more water to make smoother)
♥ 1 head organic romaine lettuce, chopped

♥ 3-4 stalks organic celery


♥ 1/2 head of a large bunch, or 3/4 of a small bunch of spinach

♥ 1 organic apple, cored and chopped

♥ 1 organic pear, cored and chopped

♥1 organic banana


♥ Juice of 1/2 fresh organic lemon



Optional


♥ 1/3 bunch organic coriander (stems okay)


♥ 1/3 bunch organic parsley (stems okay)



*Note: I added parsley but not coriander. I also usually added about 1 teaspoon of honey or bee pollen for added sweetness and nutrients.

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Directions 



♥ Add the water and chopped ingredients into blender and blend until smooth.

*Note: I halved the recipe and found this made enough for 1 L of green smoothie every morning and occasionally leftovers to sip on during the day (depending on how much water I added).

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My other tips:

♥ I thoroughly recommend spending one morning per weekend prepping all ingredients. It keeps fresh in the freezer for 7 days and saves so much time during the weekday mornings.
♥ Drink the smoothie cold. If making fresh I suggest adding lots of ice.
♥ Make sure to blend the smoothie well. Otherwise you’ll end up with chucky, grainy bits that are not very nice. Add more water if it looks sludgy.
♥ Drink the smoothie slowly, relax and enjoy it. Drinking too fast may lead to that bloated uncomfortable full feeling.

Article by Kavisha, self confessed ‘health foodie’ who believes a little dessert is good for the soul. She is currently studying for her Master of Wellness at RMIT University and blogs at Style My Coconut.