Green Smoothies!

I’m embarrassed to remember back a few months ago when I was discussing health on the telephone with Vitamix president Jodi Barnard, and I proudly shared that I’d just had a smoothie for breakfast. For me, that meant dumping protein powder, a few berries and some water and ice into my Cuisinart blender and hoping it would chop the ice fine enough to drink, which it did….sometimes. When she asked me if I’d ever had a green smoothie, I had to confess, that not only had I never had one, I wasn’t even sure what it was. Boy, did I have a lot to learn!

Fast forward to this moment and I’m drinking a green smoothie as I write this blog post. Now, after more than a month of daily green smoothies in the morning, I can’t imagine going a day without it!

Green smoothies are exactly what they sound like- smoothies that are green, because of their natural green ingredients. To make this easier I’ve taken a few photos of my breakfast this morning, to share with you.

Here’s what went into the Vitamix this morning…. an apple, a peach, a bunch of green grapes, some kale and red chard, a banana and some oats. All of the foods were complete with peels, skins, seeds, cores, etc., as we want the full benefit from all of the fiber and nutrients from all parts of the food. (I didn’t include the banana peel and the peach pit, but I probably could have!)

Put it into the Vitamix with a little water and a bit of ice and I have instant YUM! (My secret ingredient is to add a hint of cinnamon too!)

Looking at this drink you might imagine that it would taste horrible. Seriously, it’s green… how could this taste good? When I asked my cynical, non-health-food-eating-husband what he thought of today’s smoothie, he grinned, knowing I was writing this blog and jokingly said, “It’s not horrible”. He’s not a fan of salad but knows the importance of getting good greens into his body. Our smoothies are a great way to do just that- and they’re surprisingly delicious! In spite of the grief my husband gives me about the smoothies, he actually requests a green smoothie each morning if I haven’t already made one for him.

With our green smoothie, we’ve already had several servings of fruits and veggies to start our day.

I’ve always thought I was healthy before- but after a month of green smoothies, I’m already noticing changes in my body. I have even more energy, I feel more alive, my jeans fit better, and I don’t crave sugar and chocolate like I did before. I crave more smoothies!

If you haven’t tried a green smoothie, put this on your list of things that you must do. I am so inspired by this machine and by how I feel- I want to share it with everyone!

If you’re interested in winning a FREE Vitamix machine, please tell us why you want to win a Vitamix…. by emailing your response to [email protected]. The winner will be announced on the 13th!

– Just complete the sentence…. “I want to win a free Vitamix because…..” (in 100 words or less).

– Email your completed sentence to [email protected] and tell us in 100 words or less, why you’d be the perfect person for us to gift a free Vitamix 5200 machine, valued at $449.

– Perhaps it will be health related, or maybe it will allow you to follow your dream to be a gourmet chef.

– Whatever the reason, be creative and remember, stories that inspire us and give us goosebumps get extra points.

– We’ll only read the first 100 words so please, make your words count and keep it under a 100-word total.

– All entries must be received by midnight on September 10th (MT) – The winning entry will be posted on InspireMeToday.com on September 13th.

That’s it- simple, easy and fun! If you need some ideas on what’s possible with a Vitamix, please go read some of the comments or watch a video or two on the Vitamix website. It’s full of information that can help you become healthier and more creative.

We look forward to reading your entries and awarding a Vitamix to one lucky person very soon. Someone has to win- and it could be you… so submit your entry now! Good luck and thank you for your participation!