Excuse Buster: Energizing smoothie to jump start your day

PHUKET: A lot of people ask me about how to make the perfect smoothie. Here are my steps on how to build a great green smoothie that is a meal containing fibrous carbs (veggies), protein and good fats, and is packed full of nutrition.

A lot of my clients start the day with this formula and tweak it to suit their likes.

Step 1: Start with the base. Choose any or all of these vegetables, as they are the easiest to digest and tolerate: celery, fennel (anise) and/or cucumber.

Step 2: Add a small amount of any of these: kale, red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, endive, escarole, spinach, cabbage.

Step 3: Add a fat. As I say to my clients, a meal without a good fat is not a complete meal. Look after those hormones and stop the sugar cravings with good fats. You can choose from avocado (quarter to half), coconut oil (1-2 tbsp) or nut butter (1 tbsp).

Step 4: Add a protein. You may choose a high quality protein powder like hemp/ brown rice (sun warrior/sprouted brown rice protein), pea or grass fed whey. You may also choose freshly ground chia or flax seeds (1-2 tbsp) which have protein, good fats (omega 3) and fiber.

Step 5: Add herbs or spices. If possible, add herbs to your juicing. Herbs also make wonderful combinations, and here are some that work exceptionally well:
Peppermint – great for digestion
Cilantro – natural chelator of heavy metals and toxins
Tumeric – powerful anti-inflammatory
Ginger – dramatic effects on cardiovascular health

Step 6: Improve the taste: You can also add one-half to a whole lime or lemon for every quart of juice. You can actually juice the skin if you want, in order to avoid the hassle of peeling them. Far better to use lemon or limes than carrots, beets or apples, which have far more fructose.

You may also add some low fructose fruit like kiwi fruit, or berries like cranberries, goji, strawberries or blueberries.

Researchers have discovered that cranberries have five times the antioxidant content of broccoli, which means they may protect against cancer, stroke and heart disease.

In addition, they are chock-full of phytonutrients, and can help women avoid urinary tract infections. Limit berries to about a quarter of a cup.

Here’s a possible example:
A handful of baby spinach
1 cucumber
1/2 avocado
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 sprig of peppermint
1 tablespoon of freshly ground chia seeds
1 kiwi fruit

Add as much water as needed and ice to make it cooler.

Craig Burton is a Certified Sports Nutritionist (CISSN) with a Bachelor of Science degree (Sports Science) and a National Academy of Sports Medicine (PES) certification.