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Perfect Smoothies & Juices to Power Through

Some people treat juices and smoothies like they are a crazy miracle cure for all health issues. Sadly that’s not true. Remember, even juices with “no added sugar” have natural sugar; this will still give you a spike in energy and then a crash. A lot of smoothies off the shelf have additives and other ingredients which also mess with your system. Don’t believe the marketing hype; just because it’s a juice or a smoothie doesn’t automatically mean it’s the best choice for you. And they do not cancel out other choices, so don’t think that a glass of OJ with your double bacon cheeseburger makes any positive difference. All you are doing there is adding a burst of sugar to your fatty meal. That said, if you make your own or find a great local spot that makes cold-pressed juices and natural smoothies the right way, they can be a great addition to your diet. I treat juices and smoothies as a way to supplement my intake of the good stuff like veggies and fruit.

Press Play! Paul Wharton shares his healthy power juice making tips on Good Day DC.

Here are some great and simple recipes from my friends that can help, they taste great, are easy to do, and will help your body. By the way, I haven’t put specific proportions here. This is because I don’t use them myself and I don’t want you to be measuring everything out perfectly. Make it as quick and convenient as possible and whatever mix works for your personal taste. Just before you start blending then I recommend you check that your machine can handle the fruit and veg in the recipes.  Most will be fine so long as you chop up the items before adding them and do it in stages. I personally invested in a blender designed for smoothies which can handle all types of raw items. Do a little research and it’s worth it in the long run


KALE, ZUCCHINI AND BLUEBERRY WITH MANGO JUICE

I know what you’re thinking: Could there be a worse drink than something with kale and zucchini? But try it and trust me. This is a way to get a portion of your raw veg in easily, it is a great tasting combination and is way easier than eating a salad or portion of vegetables.

// Two good handfuls of raw kale
// Half a zucchini
// One handful of blueberries
// One glass of mango juice

Very simple – throw it all into a blender, hit the power until it’s all smooth, and enjoy. The mango juice makes it sweet, the blueberries add tang and the kale & zucchini give you a great hit of vitamins.


SPINACH, AVOCADO, PEAR AND APPLE JUICE

The avocado gives this a really smooth texture.

// Half an avocado (remove the stone and the skin)
// Two handfuls of spinach
// One pear (don’t peel it, just wash it and cut off the top and bottom ends)
// One glass of apple juice

Again – just throw it all together in a blender.


CARROT, GINGER, CELERY AND APPLE JUICE

This is a really fresh tasting drink and my go-to daily recipe. It’s also easy for me to find carrot, ginger, and apple cold-pressed juices at my local Whole Foods store.

// Two carrots (washed and peeled, cut off the top and bottom ends)
// Teaspoon of ginger (you can get fresh ginger and grate it first, or buy pre-ground ginger)
// Two sticks of celery
// Half glass of apple juice
// Ice cubes (optional)

Chop the carrots first, just to make it easier for your blender (unless you have a very powerful blender).


Excerpt from the book ‘Pulling It All Together’ by Paul Wharton – available on Amazon.