For the past few weeks, I’ve been starting most every morning with a green smoothie. This was after I’d caught the flu for a second time in as many months and was worried about not recovering in time to be able to go to Utah for the Futurescapes Writers’ Workshop.
It was about that time that my friend, author and scientist Laurel Standley, recommended that I try making myself a green smoothie.
Reader, I must admit, I fell in love at the word “kale.” (No joke; I am a kale superfan.)
I already had most of what I needed on hand, including a Nutri Ninja my sister had given me. I experimented with several different recipes but quickly hit on the one that I now prepare most every morning: one cup frozen berries, one cup raw kale, one cup raw spinach, and about a half-cup of lubricant (sometimes juice, sometimes just water).
Granted, this photo may not make my morning smoothie look all that appetizing, but there’s something both energizing and grounding about starting the day with a healthy drink that tastes only slightly like licking the lawn.
I was still sick with the flu when I made my first green smoothie, and the level of recovery overnight was staggering. I was still getting over being sick, but I felt infinitely better. I kept making green smoothies every morning, and I kept feeling better and better. By the time my departure for Salt Lake City came around, it was just seasonal allergies that were extra baggage.
That’s my green smoothie story so far. I hope to keep up this new habit for a good while to come.