Three green smoothies you will enjoy

I know that you are probably thinking, “eew.” This used to be my reaction whenever I saw green smoothies and I would say to myself, “why would anyone want to drink that?” Fast forward to a couple of years later and I’m in the kitchen making my Ugu Pineapple smoothie, and humming my tune of the moment, tapping my feet and pulsing the blender at intervals. What happened to the girl that could not stand green smoothies? She figured out a way to get it right and I will share tips with you so you can start enjoying some delicious green smoothies. Yes, they are delicious!

Green smoothie tips
Tip 1: Sometimes, people get turned off by the leafy chunks in the smoothies, and one way to get the perfect blend regardless of what you are blending with, is to blend the leafy greens with some water and blend till it is smooth, before adding whatever fruit you like. This will ensure you have a smooth consistency.

Tip 2: Sweeten it. Not with sugar. My go-to sweetener is juicy ripe pineapple and it can always elevate the taste from bland to sweet. I like to add citrus, too, like oranges or tangerines, or a bit of lime/lemon. It gives it a zing! Other sweeteners you can use are maple syrup, honey, dates, banana and more.

Green smoothie steps: These are the steps to making a good green smoothie. The options are not limited to the mentioned, and you can mix & match as you like, but you will need to:
·  Choose your greens: Kale, Cucumber, Mint leaves, Celery, Ugu or Spinach.
·  Choose your liquid: Almond milk, coconut mIlk/water, water, soymilk.
·  Choose your fruit: Pineapples, bananas, mangoes, apples, berries
·  Choose your sweetener (optional): Dates, honey, maple syrup
·  Blend!

Green smoothie recipes: You can supercharge these recipes by adding, sesame seeds, flaxseeds, chia seeds, plant-based protein powders, cocoa etc. It is completely optional.

Ugu smoothie: Don’t knock it till you try it. I remember when I fell ill “those days,” my mom would make a rich ugu drink, add some milk and I think a bit of a malt drink, I used to love it! Ugu leaves contain antioxidant compounds that can help reduce the effects of Alzheimer’s disease and these compounds are most active when the leaves are eaten raw. Ugu helps also with semen, and the effects of alcohol consumption on the testicles. It also helps with anaemia. And there are a lot more benefits!

Ingredients
2 cups Ugu vegetable
½ cup Mint leaves
2 cups Pineapple
1 Lime
1/2 cup Water or Ice cubes or Soy Milk

Preparation 
Wash Ugu leaves to get rid of dirt and sand.  Cut pineapple into chunks.   Squeeze the juice of the limes and set aside.    In a blender add Ugu, mint leaves and water first, blend until smooth, then add the pineapples and the lime-juice. Blend some more.   Place in the fridge to chill.

Spinach colada smoothie
If you love Pina Colada you will love this green smoothie that has pineapples and coconuts. They are perfect together! The coconut milk gives it a rich, creamy consistency and the pineapples sweeten it. Try it! Spinach has anti-oxidant properties that can help lower glucose levels and reduce the risk of asthma. It is also recommended for those suffering high blood pressure.

Ingredients
2 Cups fresh Spinach
2 Cups Pineapple
1 Cup Coconut milk
1 Cup Ice cubes
½ Cup Dates

Preparation
Wash spinach to get rid of dirt and sand.
Cut pineapples into chunks.
De-shell the coconut and blend with some water to make it easier to blend into the smoothie mixture, next, sieve the milk out with a strainer.
Blend spinach, dates, coconut milk, ice cubes, until smooth then add the pineapples and blend some more

Super Green smoothie
This smoothie is delicious and the ingredients used are very beneficial to your health especially with the addition of ginger. From research, ginger helps to lower blood sugar levels and lessen various heart disease risks. It can be used to combat menstrual pain and is great for people suffering from indigestion. Kale is also said to be king in the land of leafy greens; it is one of the best sources of Vitamin K, which is great for blood clotting. It is also an antioxidant and great source of Vitamin C.

Ingredients
1 Cup Kale
1 Apple
1 Cup Orange Juice
1 Frozen Banana
1 Tablespoon ginger, chopped

• Preparation
  Wash kale to get rid of dirt and sand.
• Cut apples.
• Add kale, and orange juice to blend until smooth.
• Add frozen banana, apples and ginger.

Watch a demonstration below.