As many of you know, I’m in the middle of a major weight loss challenge. It’s no joke. I have to lose a good 15 pounds (25 would be ideal, but I’m being realistic and leaving room for major muscle gain, which I’ve been experiencing big time) by the end of April for a big “After” photo in the June issue of Today’s Parent Magazine. Can you say “eek”?!
I’ll be posting updates on how I’m doing in a new blog on Todaysparent.com. When I have the link I’ll give it to you asap.
In the meantime, I’m loving the green smoothie my naturopath Jennifer Baer recommended for me. And after stepping on my scale this afternoon, I realized that every time I get into a green smoothie kick, I start to lose weight. Every time. I just started drinking them again this week and my weight is ACTUALLY dropping. And I think it’s the kale.
Yes, kale can taste disgusting in a smoothie, but, I’m telling you it does wonders for weight loss. And when you have the right ingredients, and if you blend it well, a kale smoothie can be quite yummy. I splurged a while back on a Vitamix, and I haven’t looked back since. With a 7-year warranty, the exorbitant price is well worth it. ANYWAY! Here are the ingredients. Just dump them in and BLEND WELL:
1 cup kale
1 cup berries
1 banana
1 cup soy/rice milk
3/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
cinnamon to taste
Sometimes I add chocolate Vega Shake-and-Go Smoothie powder for extra protein, omega 3s and chocolaty goodness….
Makes 2 servings (refrigerate for a snack or breakfast the next day).
Enjoy!
Photo: daveeza
Lindsey Jacobs February 3rd, 2011 at 10:44 pm
You know I’m gonna try it NOW! And if I kill my blender so be it. Sadly I need a root canal this month… no Vitamix for me!
Haley-O February 3rd, 2011 at 10:52 pm
Oh, that is sad, Lindsey! You know I FEEL your pain! Well, the good thing is you can enjoy the smoothie when you’re healing from your root canal…! It’ll probably help you heal faster too because kale works miracles…!
Heather February 9th, 2011 at 10:33 am
Tried it, loved it!
I hope that this week, the pounds start to shed.
Headlinestodays February 25th, 2011 at 1:08 am
my weight is over 40pound, i hope with u r recepies, cant loose about 30pound, good articles, keep poost my friend :)
Multi-Testing Mommy April 1st, 2011 at 7:49 pm
I love my spinach smoothies! I think I might go get some of that Vega Shake & Go to try out though! :)
I’m wondering, is there a huge diff in the taste of Kale vs spinach in a smoothie do you think? What about the nutritional benefits?
Kurt April 16th, 2011 at 3:45 pm
I’ve been making a similar smoothie for about a year and am losing one pound a week. Start with a scoop of the Ultimate Meal from Ultimate Life. The cheapest price I have found is from Vitacost.com. Add a scoop of oatmeal such as Coach’s Oats from Costco for chewiness. Also a half an apple and half a banana. Don’t use Honey or Almond Milk since that just adds unneeded calories. You can use pears instead of apples for a different taste. Occasionally I throw in a pealed grapefruit. Stuff in as much Spinach, Kale, Collards, Mustard Greens (Trader Joe’s has a nice Southern Mix) and other leavy greens as you can fit in the blender. Think of more greens and less sugary fruit. Also small carrots. Lastly, I add one or two tablespoons of Cinimon powder because I love Cinimon. I also put in a teaspoon of Tumeric powder occasionally. Add enough water so that the blender can mix it up, but it’s still thick and chewy. Total volume of the smoothie is 18 to 24 ounces. Eat at least two olf these a day as a meal. I use an Osterizer blender. They’re about $30 instead of $200 for a Vitamix and they work just as well for small portions… 28 ounces or less.
Rattan May 23rd, 2011 at 6:27 am
Hello…., this is something new according to my knowledge about how to get better weight loss… Problem is that I just want to know whether this is safe for a new mother? From the ingredients…, I can see it is very natural but you know it that a new mother is usually forbidden to eat many things…
RevBette July 11th, 2011 at 3:53 pm
I, too, splurged on a Vitamix – it is AWESOME and I have used it every day since I got it. Took me eight months to save up the cash – but it’s SOOOOO worth it – I made homemade tomato sauce with luscious tomatoes, onions, garlic and fresh basil – then ground my own whole wheat kernels into flour for the dough – it was THE best – I only put cheese on it – didn’t want to ruin the flavor with anything else! I like spinach smoothies – I have not tried kale yet – though it is also good for you – I love a peach smoothie (fresh peaches which I freeze so I don’t have to use ice and dilute) – then I throw in a big handful of spinach – turns the thing green but you can’t taste the spinach – just the great peachy taste! I use coconut milk – (unsweetened) and throw in tofu for protein (I’m a vegetarian)
Yesterday it was VERY HOT and I threw in a lemon, a lime, some ice and fresh basil and made a great frosty drink……so refreshing!!!
Enjoy YOUR smoothies and continue healthy eating!!
Monika August 5th, 2011 at 5:37 am
Vegetables and fruits are very effective for weight loss. I believe that these are very essential for us if we want to stay fit and healthy. This Kale Smoothie is so good and I really have some fun drinking this.
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