Making a green smoothie has become an important element of my routine these days. So much so that I decided to elevate it’s status to ritual.
The recipe is something that has evolved over time and has become an integral aspect of daily nutrition in our household.
A green smoothie is nothing new and may even be less of a thing these days. It’s probably had its’ day of being the go-to thing and will have been superseded by the next trend.
A more recent podcast I listened to on the subject of nutrition had Paul Saladino of The Carnivore Code crushing spinach’s A-lister status, and the prominence green things held in the nutritional hall of fame. His opinion is an interesting one to ponder although he has his fair share of critics and I would be hesitant before I took greens off the table.
I mean, look at Popeye……
Whilst I’ve been a frequent juicer and smoothie maker for some time I do have some issues with the genre.
There has been a lot of culinary abuse in this sector, allowed by the premise of health and nutrition. It’s the tolerance of poorly designed recipes and creators with no comprehension of ingredient combination to produce Frankenstein creations that tick all the boxes except flavour.
“OMG that’s amaaaazing!”
“…..gag.”
I don’t know if you noticed but the kid’s right. The emperor really is out in the nude.
I still wrestle with the prominence of nutritionists that have no skill whatsoever when it comes to food, their ingredient knowledge is basic and yet consider themselves experts in guiding people in what to eat.
As a caveat I also think it’s poor show that chefs make little effort to understand the ingredients they work with and the impact they have on the people who consume them.
To get back on subject I will clarify my stance on green smoothies.
Firstly banana does not belong in a green smoothie.
It’s too sweet and does nothing for them except make them thicker and taste of banana. I’m fine with using bananas in smoothies but they have their place (not in every bloody smoothie!). The first sign of a novice smoothie is the compulsory addition of a banana.
Secondly the green is best coming from spinach, with maybe an addition of some mint. Supplements like chlorella or spirulina, whilst offering a substantial nutritional hit and an undeniable depth of green, are like the loud guest wanting to be the centre of attention who ruins the dinner party.
I don’t believe anyone can tell me with a straight face that they actually taste nice and as a flavour, they linger on the palate like a fart lingers under the sheets.
As a side note I wouldn't put a supplement like Athletic Greens into the green smoothie category as this is a more complete 'drink' with its' own positioning, rather than a supplement you'd add to something.
Equally kale, a green I enjoy a lot, just feels a bit hardcore for a smoothie and tends to dominate whatever else you like to put in there. Spinach packs a lot of benefit with a much gentler flavour profile so is always my go to and mint can bring a pleasing freshness if that’s your thing.
Some avocado is an absolute must in my world (just watch out for over ripe ones) along with some nuts, usually brazils, cashews, almond or pistachios.
Finally I like to create a juice to form the base, generally apple, cucumber, celery and a bit of lemon or lime. You can of course just blend these things directly but I find you end up with more of a sludge than a drink and I prefer a straw over a spoon.
However, green smoothie dogma aside, there’s been a surprising benefit emerged from my ritual of a green smoothie in the morning.
It’s perhaps the same benefit that comes from any morning ritual that helps you win the day and promotes mental well being. To have a habitual task to start the day is a great motivator for an early start and gives you a sense of accomplishment with the first tick on the to-do list.
It’s easy to look at regular tasks as chores but this devalues their benefit as opportunities to enjoy. The process of getting up and then making a green smoothie for Holly and myself takes a leisurely 30 minutes start to finish, including a complete clean up of the juicer and blender.
I can already feel the rumblings of resistance…….
“I don’t have time for that!”
“I can’t be bothered in the morning.”
This is where it’s worth entertaining a possible shift of attitude.
I get up earlier to factor in the time it takes me to go through the motions. It’s a nice manual task to start me moving whilst still in my groggy state. I grab an espresso, put the kettle on for a ginger tea, take in a few mindful breaths and contemplate the morning. I have 5 minutes or so to write a brief journal then I put on my head phones, grab a knife and open the fridge.
This is my quiet time for the first half hour of the day, where I often get in some listening time whilst still being productive. I’m very mechanical with the process now so it takes very little attention. I might listen to music, an audio book or a podcast. It’s an opportunity to learn something or just enjoy discussion, a story or melodies whilst getting something done that benefits me physically.
After half an hour I’ve woken up, I’ve maybe learnt something and I have a large green smoothie for the pair of us.
It’s a win, win, win.
Green smoothie might not be the thing for you but I do encourage that you find your own morning ritual, something as simple as making the bed can be a great start to the day.
As Jocko Willink would say….
There’s freedom in discipline.
Jocko Willink
Win the day
