Drinking a green juice is one of the best parts of my mornings, and I try to do it every day to get a healthy boost of nutrients. I find that when I stick to a regular Monday through Friday schedule of clean eating, regular exercise, a full nights rest and a green juice I feel and look my best! Green juices are one of the best things we can give our bodies, especially if we’ve been skimping on our daily servings of greens, which let’s face it, can be easy to do when we’re out there making magic happen! I am so thrilled to have expert nutritionist Corinne Dobbas, MS,RD here today to help me share my badass babe’s guide to drinking green juice.
Vary your veggies. According to Corinne, mixing up your greens is the best way to get a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other phytochemicals, which decrease inflammation (which we all get from stress, being sick, or not eating right) and help our bodies work at peak performance. These nutrients help remove harmful molecules (aka free radicals) in our bodies, protecting us from disease and other toxins (and who doesn’t want that?!). So, the next time you wake to get your green juice on, remember to mix it up. Alternate between kale, romaine, spinach, and collards and most importantly, have fun with your veggies! Experiment! Try zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, dandelion greens, broccoli spears- whatever floats your boat! And don’t be afraid of adding such ingredients as cayenne, cilantro, fennel or watercress to any of your green juices or smoothies. In doing so, you’ll be adding one big heap of variety and two big heaps of love and nutrition!
Drink your juice immediately. Cold-pressed juices (what green juice is) have four to five times more nutrients than regular juices, since they’re not pasteurized, which heats up the juice, destroying live enzymes, minerals, and other nutrients. To get in all this amazing nutrition, drink your greens almost immediately after preparing or opening the bottle. If you can’t, you can keep your juice in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to three days to still reap the nutritional benefits.
Drink juices that are veggie-heavy and avoid too many fruits. Drinking juices with too many fruits can leave you (and your blood sugar) on an energy roller-coaster. Plus, according to Corinne, when loaded with fruit, it’s easy to concoct a high-calorie drink without even knowing it! Stick to green juices made primarily with leafy greens and just one serving of fruit, like one small apple or 1 cup of berries. With this in mind also keep an eye open for additives like agave or fruit juice, which can also spike your blood sugar levels. Some of my favorite veggie heavy commercial green juices are made by The Pressed Juicery. I regularly purchase Greens 1.5, 2 and 3.
It is not a meal replacement. Drinking green juice is a wonderful way to increase your daily intake of nutrients and veggies, however the majority of juices do not pack enough calories or protein to be a significant or acceptable meal replacement. But, it could work for a snack. For a snack, Corinne suggests pairing a small handful of nuts (which has protein, fiber, and healthy fat) with a green juice to balance out your blood sugar and hunger hormones and to help absorb even more vitamins! (Note: the healthy fats from the nuts helps absorb the fat-soluble vitamins in your green juice like magic!)
One of my favorite green juice recipes:
A fistful of kale
A stalk of silverbeet
A fistful of Cos lettuce
¼ green capsicum
3 red cabbage leaves
1 green apple + 1 Tablespoon of lemon
My favorite juicers:
The splurge: The Angel
Mid priced option: The Champion
Most affordable: Jack Lalanne PJP Power Juicer
I certainly learned a lot today and I hope you did too! Big thanks to Corinne for her guidance and expertise!
Dr. Dowling has spent years helping people live richer, more joyful lives. She has seen firsthand the magical pairing of psychology and life coaching, which allows people to access their happiest selves.
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