It is health that is the real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.
—Mahatma Gandhi
Strawberry-Banana-Goji Milkshake
Summer Peach and Ginger Smoothie
Green Tea Antioxidant Smoothie
Lemony Cabbage and Cranberry Smoothie
Peach-Ginger-Mint Green Smoothie
Refreshing Apple-Cilantro Green Smoothie
Tom’s Fruity Medicine Chest Smoothie
It is indisputable that increasing the amounts of fruits and vegetables in your diet will bring you health and longevity. One of the best ways to do this is through drinking smoothies! Blenders break down food like greens, seeds, and nuts into easier-to-digest particles. In fact, a blender breaks open the cell walls of plants, freeing up vital nutrients for your body to soak up. These vital nutrients found in plants, such as antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids, are what you build every aspect of your cells with—your health. Over 10,000 miraculous plant chemicals have been researched in the last decade, and estimates are that over four times that amount will be discovered in the next decade. Want to be fit and healthy? Eat more vegetables and fruits… and drink smoothies!
All of the recipes in this chapter are designed for a high-powered blender, such as a Vitamix or Blendtec. If you don’t own one, we suggest cutting the recipe in half and making sure your blender blade is very sharp. If you are making a green smoothie with kale or collard greens, remove the tough stems that run down the center of the green leaves and tear the leaves into pieces. A high-powered blender will blend the tough stems to a fine purée but a regular blender won’t. Also, if you plan on adding chia or flaxseeds to your smoothie, make sure you grind them first in a coffee grinder. A regular blender will not be able to break them down and blend them into the smoothie like a high-powered blender can.
Store your smoothies in a glass jar in your refrigerator for up to 2 days. We like to turn leftover fruit smoothies into Popsicles. I even do this with a fruity-tasting green smoothie on occasion. They make the perfect healthy afternoon treat!
The beautiful dark purple and blue hues you see on berries are actually powerful antioxidants that protect against macular degeneration, reduce cardiovascular disease, decrease cancer risk, and protect brain cells! This smoothie combines blackberries, blueberries, and cherries but you can add whatever frozen berries you have on hand. Since we freeze the black currants growing in our garden during the summer, I like to add a small handful of them to this smoothie as well. Acai powder is a purple superfood powder from a berry growing in the Amazon. It is concentrated in antioxidants, amino acids, and essential fats.
2 cups Raw Almond Milk (here)
3 to 4 Medjool dates, pitted
1 cup frozen blackberries
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup frozen cherries
2 tablespoons acai powder
1 tablespoon chia seeds
Place the almond milk and dates into a high-powered blender and blend on high for about 30 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately.
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Variation: Use cashew milk (see here) or hemp milk in place of the almond milk.
This nutrient-dense smoothie can protect your arteries and help lower your blood pressure. Almonds are a rich source of magnesium; in fact, ½ cup provides almost 200 milligrams, which is about 50% of the daily value for this mineral. Magnesium helps your blood vessels relax, which improves the flow of blood and oxygen throughout the body.
½ cup raw almonds (soaked overnight)
½ cup water
1 ripe pear, cored and cut into wedges
1 cup pitted frozen cherries
The night before you plan to make this smoothie, soak the almonds by placing them in a small dish or jar. Cover them with water and set them on the countertop to soak overnight or for at least 8 hours.
In the morning drain off the soaking water and rinse the almonds. Place them in the blender with the water and blend on high until thick and creamy. Add the pear and cherries and blend for another minute until very creamy.
Yield: 1 to 2 servings
Chai tea is one of my favorite beverages, but during the summertime a hot cup of tea just won’t do. We make this smoothie to help beat the heat, plus it makes a nourishing and filling snack!
2 cups Raw Almond Milk (here)
4 to 5 Medjool dates, pitted
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 to 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
3 cups ice cubes
Place all the ingredients into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and add more spices or sweetener if desired. Add the ice cubes and blend until smooth and frothy. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings
Variation: Replace the raw almond milk with cashew milk (see here) or with a blend of coconut milk and homemade hemp milk.
This smoothie can be served as a dessert beverage after any Mexican-style meal. The cinnamon is the secret ingredient to this great-tasting drink!
½ cup raw cashews
1 cup water
1 large frozen banana, broken into chunks
1 to 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
1 to 2 tablespoons honey or coconut nectar
½ to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon chili powder, or to taste
Place the cashews and water into a high-powered blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Add the banana chunks, cacao, honey, cinnamon, and chili powder and blend well. Serve immediately.
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
This smoothie makes for a quick breakfast on the go or a nourishing afternoon snack. You can even add a few handfuls of fresh spinach or lettuce while blending for a more nutrient-packed drink.
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup water
1 large frozen banana, broken into chunks
½ cup frozen blueberries
½ cup frozen cherries
Place the raw cashews and water in a high-powered blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Add the frozen banana chunks, blueberries, and cherries and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
Yield: 2 servings
This special treat is what our children consider ice cream. When it first comes out of the blender it is very thick, but as it sits, it begins to thaw. You will need a very strong knife to crack open the coconut.
1 young coconut
2 frozen peaches or 2 cups diced frozen mango
2 cups frozen berries (raspberries, strawberries, or cherries)
1 teaspoon organic vanilla powder
Crack open the top of the young coconut and pour the coconut water into a blender. Then crack open the entire coconut, scrape out all of the meat, and place it into the blender with the water. Blend until smooth and creamy; add the remaining ingredients and blend until creamy. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings
We like to make this as an energizing pre-workout drink. Served about 2 hours before yoga, hiking, or running, this smoothie provides clean-burning, sustained energy that won’t weigh you down. We order truly raw organic almonds online since most raw almonds sold in the store have been pasteurized. We like to buy large bunches of bananas, peel them, and freeze them whole to have on hand for recipes like this one! This recipe works best if you are using a high-powered blender.
1 cup raw almonds
3 cups water
3 medium frozen bananas, broken into chunks
1 cup frozen blueberries or cherries
1 to 2 tablespoons whole chia seeds
1 to 2 tablespoons maca powder
2 to 4 tablespoons hemp protein powder (optional)
The night before you plan to make this smoothie, place the almonds in a bowl and cover with about 2 inches of water. Let them soak for at least 8 hours; they will plump up and become soft during soaking. Drain and rinse.
Add the soaked almonds to the blender along with the water and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Add the remaining ingredients and any optional superfood powders and blend again until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately.
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Who doesn’t love a good milkshake! This smoothie makes a great after-school snack for children or a refreshing summertime treat. I like to add a tablespoon of hemp protein powder to add more protein, but it isn’t necessary. Goji berries are bright orange-red berries that come from a shrub that’s native to China. They contain a powerhouse of antioxidants, minerals, trace minerals, and amino acids. They have been used medicinally in Asia for thousands of years.
2 cups Raw Almond Milk (here)
½ cup dried goji berries
2 medium frozen bananas, broken into chunks
2 cups frozen strawberries
1 tablespoon hemp protein powder (optional)
½ teaspoon organic vanilla powder (optional)
Place the almond milk and goji berries into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. For a thinner smoothie, add more milk. Serve immediately.
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Variation: Use cashew milk (see here) or hemp milk in place of the almond milk.
During the summertime heat, there is nothing more refreshing and nourishing for the body than a frozen fruit smoothie. Try this one out to bathe your cells in antioxidants, vitamin C, and anti-inflammatory compounds.
3 cups frozen strawberries
freshly squeezed juice of 2 lemons
½ cup packed fresh mint leaves
2 to 3 cups water
Place all the ingredients into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings
This smoothie is a great way to use extra peaches from the summer harvest. The sweetness of the peaches and the spiciness of the ginger provide a wonderful combination.
2 ripe peaches, halved
one 1½-inch piece fresh ginger
½ cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon raw honey or coconut nectar
1 to 2 cups ice cubes
Place the peach halves, ginger, coconut milk, and honey into a blender and blend on high until very smooth. Add the ice cubes and blend to the desired consistency. Serve immediately.
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
I like to make this smoothie as an afternoon snack for my children when they come home from school. If there is any leftover smoothie, I pour it into Popsicle molds and freeze. The Popsicles are a brilliant, beautiful green! Did you know that eating a diet rich in raw plant foods lowers systemic inflammation in the body, which reduces the likelihood of developing food and environmental allergies? So drink up!
1 medium banana
1 small avocado
2 cups packed fresh spinach
one 1-inch piece fresh ginger
one 1-inch piece fresh turmeric
2 to 2½ cups coconut water
Place all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately, or pour into glass jars and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze Popsicle molds.
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
This smoothie recipe makes a great after-school snack for your children. Serve it with carrot sticks and apple slices. I also like to make it for breakfast and serve it along with scrambled eggs.
Place the almond milk and kale into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Start by adding 1 pear and, if you need the smoothie a little sweeter, add part or all of the second pear and blend again until smooth and creamy. Drink immediately, or store in a covered glass jar in your refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Yield: 4 cups
This smoothie is both refreshing and cleansing. I like to make it on a warm summer afternoon to help rehydrate and cool down. For maximum cleansing benefits, drink this smoothie at least 2 hours after or 1 hour before a meal. When organic grapes are in season, I take them off the vine and store them in my freezer to be able to have them on hand for smoothies like this one.
2 cups frozen green grapes
1 small cucumber, chopped
freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime
2 cups water
4 cups chopped green leaf lettuce, rinsed
3 to 4 dandelion greens (optional)
1 tablespoon chia seeds
Place the grapes, cucumber, lime juice, and water into a blender and blend until smooth. Add the lettuce, dandelion greens, and chia seeds and blend again until smooth. Serve immediately. Store any leftover smoothie in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or pour into Popsicle molds for green fruit pops!
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Variation: Replace the lettuce with kale, collard greens, or any other green that is fresh and in season.
This is one of my favorite smoothies to drink for breakfast before I go to yoga. I love the kick from the green tea, plus the smoothie is so easy to digest that I can get into those twisting poses without feeling like I’m still trying to digest breakfast! Change up the greens based on what you have on hand. I’ve used kale, lettuce, broccoli leaves, and collards—they all work.
2 cups chilled green tea
2 pears, cored
2 cups chopped bok choy
1 cup spinach leaves
one 1-inch piece fresh ginger
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
1 tablespoon chia seeds
a few ice cubes
Place all the ingredients into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Add a few ice cubes for a cold smoothie, and blend again. Serve immediately, or pour into a tightly sealed glass jar and store in your refrigerator for up to a day.
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
This smoothie has a beautiful pink hue from the cranberries and is as medicinal as it is delicious. Cabbage is a rich source of cancer-fighting phytochemicals called glucosinolates. Cranberries are also a rich source of phytochemicals including proanthocyanidins, which work in the body to prevent and treat urinary tract infections; quinic acid, which helps to prevent kidney stones; and anthocyanidins, which have been shown to inhibit the development of atherosclerosis, cancer, and other degenerative diseases. Fresh cranberries have the highest antioxidant levels compared to dried cranberries or processed juices.
2 medium apples, cored and cut into chunks
2 ripe pears, cored and cut into chunks
1 cup water
freshly squeezed juice of 2 lemons
½ cup fresh or frozen cranberries
5 Napa or Savoy cabbage leaves
one 1- to 2-inch piece fresh ginger
Place the apple and pear chunks, water, and lemon juice into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Add the cranberries, cabbage leaves, and ginger and blend again on high until very smooth. Serve immediately, or store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Drinking your greens in a smoothie is an easy and digestible way to get many of the green vegetables we need daily to support and recharge our bodies. Kale is a powerful, medicinal food providing ample protective phytochemicals. This recipe is very adaptable to what you have on hand; try substituting the banana for another pear and add the juice of a lime.
1 ripe banana, peeled and broken into chunks
1 medium apple, cored and cut into chunks
1 ripe pear, cored and cut into chunks
freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
2 to 3 cups water
3 to 4 large spinach leaves
3 to 4 kale leaves
¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
1 small handful fresh mint leaves
Place the banana, apple, and pear chunks, lemon juice, and water into the blender. Blend on high, stopping as needed to push the fruit down.
Add the spinach leaves, kale, parsley, and mint and blend again until very smooth, adding more water if needed and blending until completely smooth and a brilliant green.
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
The fat from the avocados in this smoothie helps to absorb the carotenoids in the greens! Enjoy this tasty smoothie as a snack or as an energizing breakfast.
2 ripe pears, cored
2 small avocados
freshly squeezed juice of 2 lemons
one 1-inch piece fresh ginger
5 to 6 large kale leaves
1 handful fresh mint leaves
3 to 4 cups water
Place all the ingredients into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately, or pour into quart jars and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
If you don’t have peaches use plums, apples, pears, or a mixture of frozen blueberries and cherries instead. If you want to make this more refreshing on a hot summer afternoon, add a few handfuls of ice cubes to the blender and blend again. I like to use this smoothie as a late afternoon pick-me-up—green smoothies are a natural energizing drink! Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice to each serving if desired.
3 large peaches, pitted
one 2-inch piece fresh ginger
1 small bunch bok choy
½ bunch kale
1 medium cucumber, cut into large pieces
1 large handful fresh mint leaves
2 to 3 cups water
Place all the ingredients into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. For a thinner smoothie, add more water. If it is too bitter, add another piece of fruit or liquid stevia to taste.
Yield: 2 quarts
My mother-in-law taught me how to make this amazing green drink! I would have never thought to add cilantro to a smoothie before she showed me. The avocado adds some fat, which slows down the digestion of the smoothie. Sometimes I will drink a quart of this for breakfast, or will enjoy a glass late in the afternoon for an energy boost!
2 apples, cored
2 small avocados
4 to 5 collard greens
1 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves and stems
freshly squeezed juice of 2 limes
3 cups water
Place all the ingredients into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Add more water for a thinner consistency. This smoothie will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Tom makes a large batch of this smoothie nearly every morning. The fruit in it changes according to the seasons. In the summer we use peaches and nectarines instead of pears and apples. The fruit is a rich source of soluble fiber and a host of vitamins and antioxidants. The greens offer powerful phytochemicals. Cabbage is a potent food that affects many pathways in the body. Ginger is a powerful anti-inflammatory. The lemon offers vitamin C and bioflavonoids. And yes, it tastes great, as many of the people in our cooking classes will tell you. This smoothie makes enough to fill a Vitamix so divide the recipe in half if you are using a regular blender.
2 apples, cored and cut into chunks
2 ripe pears, cored and cut into chunks
2 to 3 cups water
freshly squeezed juice of 2 lemons
one 1- to 2-inch piece fresh ginger
5 kale leaves
5 romaine lettuce leaves, spinach leaves, or collard greens
1 cup coarsely chopped green cabbage (optional)
1 kiwi fruit
1 handful fresh parsley or mint leaves
2 tablespoons chia seeds
½ cup soaked goji berries
Place the apple and pear chunks, water, and lemon juice into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Add any optional additions you would like; blend again.
Add the ginger, kale, lettuce, and cabbage and blend again until very smooth. For a thinner smoothie, add more water. If the taste is too “lettucy” for you, add another pear and blend again.
Yield: 2 to 4 servings