Spinach Smooties

I watched the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead a few months ago.  It really opened my eyes to the healing powers of food, or more like the poisonous effects fake processed food can have on our bodies.  The premise of the film follows this Australian guy who has an autoimmune disease as he goes on a juice fast while traveling around America.  Through this process he is able to wean himself off the steroids and other multitude of medications he must take just to manage his condition.  Along the way he meets a few regular folks, one lady suffers from horrible migraines, the other guy is a 400+ lb man who also has the same rare auto immune disease. The main character recruits these people into trying out the fast.  It was amazing to watch these very regular middle American people over come the ills that plagued them just by taking out the junk and replacing it with real food.   It is an eye opening film and I highly recommend watching it. 

The film inspired me to get more veggies into my diet.  Lots more.  I best way that works for me, is a spinach smoothie.  In one of these smoothies, I consume enough spinach as a giant salad, and while I like salads and all, who has time or the desire to much through a giant bowl of greens every single day, if not a couple times a day.  I find it is much more enjoyable to sip a fruity concoction that reminds me of vacation.  Who wouldn't like to feel like they're on vacation through out the day.  Me! Me! Me!

Here is how you make it. 
1.  Take your favorite fruit smoothie recipe. 
2.  Add a whole bunch of spinach (I use three big handfuls in mine and I've got big hands, so that is a lot!)  If your scared of the tiny green leaf start out with one hand full of spinach and then work your way up.  I promise you will not taste spinach.  My veggie fearing husband even likes these. 

Here is my specific recipe for most mornings, but again, you can use any smoothie recipe.  Just note that red and purple berries mixed with spinach will turn into a purpley brown color.  It still tastes amazing just don't drink it in a clear glass. 

 Today, I kept it super simple and decided to use just banana and about a cup pineapple juice (I keep frozen concentrate in the freezer).  If I have it on hand I will throw some frozen or fresh fruit in the mix.  It does add even more yumminess, but the banana is such a sweet fruit it can fly solo in this smoothie, too. 

This is the size of ONE of my handfuls. 
I do three of these. 








Throw it all in the blender.  This made a 24 ounce smoothie.  I love the green color...







A word of caution if you have a glass blender. 
Do NOT sick a spoon in the blender while it is running to try to get it to blend better.  Not a good idea, as I've learned from experience.