I’ve recently been in the mood for green grapes and pineapple, so I thought I’d put together a summer drink to celebrate just how glorious it feels here in sunny Orlando, Florida.

Remember, you too can make your own version of a summer drink with fruits and vegetables you have on hand.

Cool Summer Drink Recipe

• Small handful parsley
• One cup pineapple chunks
• One cup green grapes
• One banana
• One cup coconut water

Blend and enjoy!

Tracy

P.S. When you do make your own version of a great summer smoothie, stop by and let us know!

I was wanting something that would fill me up, and was inspired to make a coconut soup after reading a post at the Raw Diva Powder Room. I didn’t have any coriander (cilantro) or lemongrass, so made the most of what I did have.

Hearty Coconut Soup

This makes about one litre of soup.

• green coconut - meat & water
• avocado
• 100g cherry tomatoes (3.5 oz)
• head of lettuce
• small lemon - juice
• 1 tsp each cummin and turmeric
• 2 tsp kelp powder
• 1/2 tsp chili powder

Just put it all in your blender and blend away!

I didn’t use lettuce because I didn’t think of it until I’d finished my soup. <grin> Although it would go very well with the soup. Something else I didn’t think to add was a clove of garlic. Garlic is a favourite at our home, and I put it in just about everything savoury. This is a very filling soup, and I only had 3 cups even though I was very hungry (normally I’d have 5 cups of soup for dinner, but don’t tell anyone!). This makes up enough for two very large servings, or four smaller servings.

Blessings,
Veronica

This warming carrot soup makes approximately three cups.

• 2 medium carrots - grated
• fresh ginger - 1″x 1″ x 1/2″ finely grated (I used a nutmeg grater)
• small clove garlic
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp kelp powder
• 1 small avocado
• juice of small lemon
• large handful baby English spinach
• 2 cups water

Put it all into your blender and blend away! The spinach changes the soup from orange to green, and gives you a great greens boost: no green flavour!

Kelp powder is much better for you than salt, as it contains iodine and so helps in supporting your thyroid. *** Note: If you are on thyroid medication, then make sure you consult your doctor regarding iodine in your diet. ***

Turmeric, garlic, and ginger have many wonderful benefits and are particularly good when you’re doing a deep tissue detox.

Lemon juice contains vitamin C, and is a good aid to digestion. Avocado contains healthy fats and adds a creaminess to the soup. For an extra creamy soup, use a large avocado or two small ones.

It is a cold day here Down Under, so this is just what I needed for lunch. I hope you enjoy trying this delicious green soup.

Blessings,
Veronica

Lately I’ve been craving more fruit in my diet, which is surprising since I usually have two green smoothies a day and in between that I have some fruit as a snack. I guess my body is asking for more of what it needs.

I have always loved red grapes and bing cherries, but one day while cutting up some cherries for my son, I decided to combine the two with red kale and I have to tell you, I really enjoyed the change from a sweet smoothie. The tart flavor of the smoothie really excited my taste buds.

Both red grapes and bing cherries contain powerful, protective phytochemicals called flavonoids. Flavonoids found in fruits and vegetables are also called bioflavonoids, which act as antioxidants, to protect your healthy cells from free radical damage. 

Power of Red Smoothie Recipe

• One bunch red kale
• One cup red grapes
• One cup bing cherries (remove pit)
• cup water (optional)

Blend and enjoy!
Tracy

I was wanting a savoury, but not a savoury smoothie per se. Of course, you could add the tomatoes in as well as extra water and make a lovely smoothie; however I was wanting a soup.

This is a very refreshing, soothing soup. The turmeric is wonderful for your digestive tract, as is the garlic. Actually: all of it is good for you!

Soothing Green Soup

Two servings:

• 1 small avocado
• some basil leaves
• garlic clove
• salt to taste
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tspn turmeric
• few sprigs parsley
• handful coral lettuce leaves
• cherry tomatoes (as many as want to eat with the soup)

1. Blend all ingredients except tomatoes with a little water until smooth.
2. Pour over halved cherry tomatoes.
3. Serve and enjoy!

What will make it even better is to take the time to give thanks for your food first, taking a few deep breaths so that you’re relaxed and at peace. Dr Ritamarie stressed the importance of taking this time so that your body can disengage “fight/flight” mode, and engage your eating gears (ie: your brain lets your stomach, pancreas, et al, know that food is on the way!).

I hope you enjoy this as much as I am right now.

Blessings,
Veronica

Yesterday was an interesting day as I did my best to get through a second day of green juices. I know this was a green “smoothie” revival, but we made juices an option since there are a lot of people participating as part of the 6-Week Detox. I will write more about it on the Diva Blog, but wanted to come here for the third day and just check in to see how you’re doing.

Three days on green smoothies is a fantastic thing to do for yourself, and since it’s your last day of doing just green smoothies, I thought that I would give some tips for moving forward after the “revival” is over (though, it never REALLY needs to end, you know!).

It’s great to have the group energy and support to take something like this on, but what’s going to happen on Day 4, Sunshine?

I want to encourage you to avoid the trap of diving back into the foods you used to eat with great guns. It’s important to watch our transitions. If you were coming into this not feeling so well, then make sure you go easy on the way out. Consider some of the benefits that you’ve experienced by doing this and maybe recall some of the ways you were feeling that inspired you to take on this revival.

What improved for you during these 3 days?

For me I had some great improvements:

Started going to bed earlier and getting better sleep.

No more late night eating. (It’s important to leave at least 3 hours between the time you eat your last meal and the time you go to bed. It makes a HUGE difference in your energy and well being!)

My cyst has gone down in size. (Yippeeeeee!!!!!)

I’ve improved water retention significantly.

I feel less distracted by food in general.

I’m focused and clear-headed.

My digestion feels GREAT!

I’m sure I could find more things to mention, but the point is that I’m going to continue to include a green juice and/or a green smoothie in my menu every day. I’m going to stay focused on the foods that build and support me because I want more of the good stuff in my life. Sometimes life distracts us and knocks us about a bit. I wanted to use this challenge as an opportunity to center myself and get “back on track” and I encourage you to do the same.

Use this experience as the launch-pad for something better, rather than a quickie cleanse.

The thing I looooove about green smoothies is that we’re not preaching a particular diet at all. We’re just saying “Eat Green Smoothies!” and find a way to include more of the good stuff in your diet.

I hope that you have a great Day 3 and that moving forward you do what supports your health and happiness. If you need more inspiration or support for a green smoothie challenge, then you can check out our Green Smoothie Queen program.

Okay, my dear! Enjoy your beautiful day and let me know how you made out!

Clover-kissed and grinning,

Tera

a.k.a. The Green Smoothie Queen

This is my beautiful Breville Professional 800 Collection Die Cast Blender. In Australia, a Blendtec costs AU$750 and comes with only a one year warranty. The commercial Blendtec costs approx AU$1500 and also only has a one year warranty. The Kinetix was AU$329 at Harvey Norman, and we bought it for AU$295.

It has a 1500W motor, 2L jug, 2yr parts warranty, 5yr motor warranty. The bottom of the jug is curved like a bowl and it has an extra two blades that curve along this so that foods don’t get caught under the blades. It has three programmes: straight blend, smoothie, ice. There is also an automatic cut-out of 1 to 2 minutes (depending on what you are doing) so if you walk away it won’t just go and go and go!

The blade assembly unscrews to make it easier and safer to clean. It comes with a special tool to loosen the blade assembly if it was put on too tightly.

Some of you may be thinking that $300 is still a lot for a blender, however after burning out two ‘normal’ blenders in less than twelve months we decided that it would be a worthwhile investment.

It is important to have the right tool for the job, and that the tool is a quality one that will do the job properly and last for a good amount of time. When first starting out, it is good to make use of what you have available, however if you are able to save for a good quality blender (juicer, dehydrator - whatever it is you use a lot) then this is well worth the effort.

Blessings,
Veronica

I admit that my day is off to a spectacular start. The sun has finally broken through after a week of clouds and rain and I dare say, my lovelies, that good things are brewing in the world. It’s probably no coincidence that the sun is shining down on us as we kick off a 3-Day Green Smoothie Revival.

Since I’ve been grooving along as part of the 90-Day Detox and am also enrolled in the 6-Week Detox with Dr. Ritamarie, I will be skipping the fiber on this round of green smoothies and going for a juicier adventure. Those of you who follow the Raw Diva blog know that I’m also trying to get rid of a cyst that developed on the back of my leg and I think this is just the thing to do it!

Today is Day One! The day your commitment feels solid. You’re ready and on track. You can do this good thing and you WANT to do it for yourself. Stay focused and think Green Thoughts and you’ll get through this day victorious.

Remember to eat enough, so you don’t find yourself giving into temptation at the end of the day.

Remember to get to bed at a good time. Fatique is a major reason for late night eating. Don’t get caught in the late night snack trap! If you’re going to do this 3-day adventure with us, give yourself the best chance possible of feeling fantastic. Go for some exercise, too! Break a sweat and release some of those toxins that have been dragging you down!

And hold fast to your commitment to yourself for the next three days NO MATTER what comes up. BEND, but don’t break your desire and need to prioritize your health right now.

Tonight I was invited out for dinner.

I’m sure you can imagine my predicament. Invited out for dinner on the first day of my Green Smoothie/Juice Revival?!!

Guess what I did? C’mon! Guess!!!

I ACCEPTED!

Yup! And I suggested bringing over a whole slew of fresh fruits and vegetables so that we can all make juice together. Now isn’t that a great idea? Last night we had a teleseminar scheduled with Angela Elliott of www.she-zencuisine.com. It was to discuss some of the tips and tricks for raw foodists who are living in cooked food families. There’s a part of me that really dislikes these labels, because it’s really about prioritizing the foods that build and support us rather than the foods that cause us to feel unwell. Not all “raw” food is good for you and not all “cooked” food is “bad”–just wanted to make that clear.

There’s no question that it can be tough when we make an unusually disciplined commitment to health and find ourselves surrounded by other people who do not share or necessarily understand these commitments. I know I’m not the only one guilty of compromising my intentions in the name of social graces. I know I’m not the only one who has failed at achieving my goals for myself because I “gave in” to the environment around me.

But listening to Angela last night I was reminded of the importance of clarity in our decisions. She hasn’t dipped a finger in cooked food since the day she decided to embark on the raw food path. It’s not a burden for her. It’s not a challenge or a complication. It’s a PLEASURE. She LOOOVEs the way she lives and eats and even though she cooks for her family every day, she’s inspired to pursue her goals for health without compromise.

That’s inspirational.

Our social situations cannot be an excuse for us to hold back on prioritizing our health. We get caught in a trap of justifications and excuses about “why it’s so hard” but the bottom line is there needs to be a DECISION to do what you need and want to do for yourself. When you have that, everything else can and will fall in place effortlessly.

DECIDE today that you’re going to get through this day of Green Smoothies.

DECIDE that you want to feel better than you’ve ever felt before and that you DO deserve to feel that way.

DECIDE that you matter and that your needs are worth prioritizing over certain social graces.

There are ways to get around sticky situations, but when you inherently have an apologetic attitude about what you’re doing–if you feel from the start that you’re an inconvenience or a burden, if you’re frustrated about the “toxic choices” of others then you’re busy toxifying yourself with negative emotions rather than embracing the image of where you want to be and moving towards that.

So today is your day! Buck up and smile at the world! Be the bearer of good tidings, bright colors and health!

Get your green on!

Love and hugs,

Tera

Well I am so excited to once again drink nothing but green smoothies for the next three days. To be honest, I am excited, but also I know me and I just love salads, so not having one for the next three days, will definitely be a challenge for me.

I read that Tera from The Raw Divas is eliminating sweet fruits for the next three days and I applaud her for that.  I am working on creating green smoothie recipes without SWEET fruits, but I’m not there yet.  I know this is a process that will help reduce the amount of sugar in my diet.

I just love the morning time because I know that I will start my day off with a few glasses of refreshing water and then I get to dive into a delicious green smoothie.  This will help me to stay on track all throughout the day.

I have made this smoothie before with a few different ingredients, but I decided to cut out the agave after reading an article that Raw Mom contributor Penny Powell sent to me.  I really do enjoy adding medjool dates to my green smoothie, but I am going to work on allowing the natural sugars tantalize my taste buds.

Recipe

·One bunch kale (you can use any variety, but I used the curly kale in this recipe)

·One cup pineapple chunks

·Two Granny Smith apples (you can use any variety; I was in the mood for something a bit tart)

·One Banana

·Half cup water (optional)

Blend and enjoy!

Okay, Sunshine.

Today is your day to stock up on everything you need for the next 3 days. On the blog we’ll be doing 3 days, even though we suggested 1-3 days. You can decide what works best for you. If you’ve never done this before, you might like to just try ONE day and see how that goes.

A few things to consider:

Get the junkfood out from in front of your face!

(Everything you can do to resist temptation will help you over the next three days.

Eat ENOUGH.

If you consistently undereat, you may find yourself getting REALLY hungry and unable to resist the hummous in the fridge or your hubby’s toast and peanut butter. Without overeating, make sure you’re getting enough food. Things that will help you identify when you’re satiated are:

CHEWING!

EATING IN A CALM STATE OF MIND

EATING WITH GENUINE HUNGER

If you’re not sure if you’re hungry, well, drink a tall glass of water and wait an hour. You’ll know if you’re hungry, then. Many people misinterpret rumbling stomachs for hunger, but that’s more likely detox, blood sugar imbalances, etc. Hunger is a natural, pleasant urge. If you’re fussy about what you’re hungry for, then chances are it’s not real hunger, either. Hunger feels like, “Ggrrrrrowl! I could eat anything!”

I recommend getting exercise every day throughout this 3-Day Green Smoothie Revival, too. It will also help you re-establish a healthy appetite and eliminate some toxins by building up a sweat! There are a thousand reasons to get up and workout. Spend less time reading about them and more time running around the block.

Okay, this is just a quick Green Smoothie Booster call. If you’d like to join us on another teleseminar this evening, I think you could get a lot out of it.

Angela Elliott and I will be giving a teleseminar on what it takes to survive as a Raw Foodist in a Cooked Food Family. You can join us by logging into this page tonight around 9pm EST. If you happen to miss the call, this link will take you directly to the recording. There will be a lot of helpful inspiration and food for THOUGHT this evening. Hope you can join us.

Have a GRrrrrrreat Mother’s Day, if you are one or if you have one.

Collard kisses,

Tera

P.S.

If you feel you need a bit more support, recipes, information about the different kinds of greens available and how to find them and use them, then I recommend you check out our e-book, “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Green Smoothies” or sign up for our 3-Day Green Smoothie Challenge!