My morning smoothie consists of frozen fruit (I buy the large bag of Doles mixed fruit strawberrys, mangos, pineapple and peaches) frozen blueberries, one banana, wheat germ and one Carnations Instant Breakfast (no sugar one) and sometimes mix it up with non fat yogurt, then add soy milk or almond milk, blend in Magic Bullet and enjoy!!!! I also make popsicles for my granddaughter, she loves them and doesnt know there so good for her,

Why not just eat the whole foods you would put in a smoothie instead of blending it all up? It's much easier to overDRINK than overEAT calories.

I love the fruity taste of smoothies, bu I have lung disease, so I can't have anything diary; milk,yogurt, icecream, etc. I suffer with chronic constipation from various meds, so I was told not to eat bananas. I also have thyrod disease so no cabbage, leafy greens veggies, etc. Anybody have a smoothie recipe with these restrictions?

My smoothies are highly nutritious with these ingredients all whole for fibre. Carrots,kiwi,apples,beets & carrots peeled,cauliflower,broccoli,
celery,spinach. Make 4 bottles a time and keep for several days by adding water as they get quite thick.

What is Dr. Oz's green drink
recipe that was shown on Oprah? It had spinach,apple
and something else.

You said for a low calorie smoothie
try putting almond milk or Hazelnut
milk into the smoothie, aren't those nuts really fattening? I bought some rice milk, would that be less fattening then the nut milks. And is rice milk
nutritious for you?

I make several of the Shakes that a listed. I would really like to know your opinion on MEAL REPLACEMENTS.such as PROTEIN SHAKES and SOYA PROTEIN ISOLATE to put into the shake?

THANK YOU

Smoothie

Non fat plain yogurt 1/2 cup
Buttermilk 4-8 oz
1/2 frozen unsweetened cherries (peaches, or raspberries)I envelope Knox drinking gelatin (only comes in orange, but all the other flavors change this.

Use a stick blender and blend well.

Clean blender by running in hot sudsy water, drain.

Grandson likes bananas, ice cream and whole milk.

I have 2 smoothies a day, but make them in batches of 5-7 at a time and freeze them. They become my meals the next day, and I do put veggies in that do not change the taste of the fruits or juices. One of my favorites is a blend of banana, coffe, peanut/almond butter, yogurt, cinnamon, carrot, cabbage, alfalfa sprouts, and some fiber like flax seeds. You don't taste any vegetables and my kids love it!

I think all of the recipes I just read sound great. I have found that adding about a half teaspoon of cinnamon to any type of fruit smoothie really adds to the flavor and is good for blood sugar as well.

Good stuff. It is easy to get into the habit of buying foods that are bad for us and get into and stay in that rut. I am passing this tip on to many of my friends.

My favorite smoothie is pretty simple. I use a frozen bannana, frozen or fresh blueberries and unfiltered apple juice and ICE if needed that's it.

When I want a sweet taste in my smoothie, I add little pure 100% honey (not sugar). I add grounded flaxseeds, almonds, hazelnuts, grounded sesame seeds, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, golden raisins, and whatever fruits in the fridge with the low-fat yogurt… Yummy treat!

Heart attack, sudden death arrive often after long time consumption of bad food in cholesterol.The surated fats are higher bad for heart health. Decrease in blood the bad level of cholesterol LDL.

My favorite smoothie:
1 cup non fat milk
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup sliced frozen strawberries
and either or: frozen pineapple, mango or a fruit sensation blend from Walmart
1 scoop proteing power
1 scoop Ruby Reds
1 ounce Collaidal minerals
and 1/4 cup splenda (sorry I like it sweet)

I blend this up using the ICE crush setting on my Oster blender. Comes out THICK , I EAT it with a spoon. FILLS a HUGE GLASS , and is yummy and filling!

I love smoothies! One things to be aware of, though. I was getting horrible migraines after drinking some of my smoothies and found out that flaxseed is a migraine trigger for me and many other women. If you are getting migraines, check and see if flaxseed may be one of your triggers.

Receipe for very tasty and nutritious smoothie:
3 oz, orange juice
2 bananas
1 container low fat vanilla yogurt
several frozen strawberries
several frozen mangos pieces
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 package frozen Acai

Recipe for very tasty and nutritious smoothie:
3 oz, orange juice
2 bananas
1 container low fat vanilla yogurt
several frozen strawberries
several frozen mangos pieces
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 package frozen Acai

I believe I have the best smoothie in the world. Here are the ingredients:
8 to 10 oz. Skim Milk
1 banana
4 whole frozen strawberries
1 cup raw spinach
1 serving of wheat germ
1 serving of ground flax seed
1 serving of oatmeal
1 scoop of vanilla whey protein
And Ice!!!
Sounds like a lot, huh? It makes a good breakfast or a recovery drink after an intense workout. Enjoy!

I wonder why so many preachy,ranty, self-righteous comments? Shouldn't people be able to put whatever they want to in their smoothies? If you don't like putting dairy (or whatever) in your smoothies, don't. I do appreciate all the HELPFUL suggestions, such as adding cabbage or other greens. I have a book of smoothie recipes and only about 3 of them include vegetables of any kind, so thanks for the ideas. Some experience I would like to share is that some light yogurts result in a smoothie with a strange, gelatinous texture which is unappetizing. And I do agree that this newsletter shouldn't feature recipes that include unnecessary added white sugar, that seems to fly in the face of what they are trying to tell people about nutrition. I have also seen products featured in this newletter which contain trans fats or LOTS of sodium, etc. So I would not ever take their product or recipe suggestions as being the best of the best, nutritionally speaking.

The reason I use milk in my smootie is becuase it is the most bioavailable and readily availalbe form of calcium - which makes it complete as it also contains vit D. Nothing wrong with fortified skimmed milk, it is vit A which is fat soluable. On the subject of cholesterol HDL and LDL MOST CERTAINLY DO form the components of cholsterol - too much of the latter (bad cholesterol) furs up the arteries, rsulting in heart attacks and DEATH. This is almost universally agreed among all qualified expert profesionals world wide. How you imagine its It is part of the scare tactics used by big drug companies I do not know as no reputable doctor, in this country anyway, will perscribe drugs for cholesterol unless there are a significant number of other markers of heart disease and all other cholesterol lower techniques have been tried.
To the poster who mentioned unpasteurised milk - you cannot get it here, it is illegal to sell it becuase of the risks of food poisoning.
I personally do not use artifical sweetner of any kind. Anything wich sounds like part of a science experiment doesn't go into my stomach and I cannot taqke soy. or medical reasons it is contraindiated for me and could make me very ill indeed. Altho there is nothing wrong with honey or ice cream, I generally don't ue it in smoothie's as I find them sweet enough. I don't see anything wrong with using coffee tho, I have coffee daily and like an iced coffee. My favourite smoothie:
2 ripe bananas peeled,
3 ripe kiwis peeled
A glass of milk
A dash of cloudy (pressed) apple juice
add ice cubes in summer and a half carton o pach yogurt if you like it thick.
A teaspoon of honey can be added to sweeten if you wish
Serves 2.

In addition to a mixture of fresh or unsweetened frozen fruit (helps get it nice and cold without watering like ice cubes)I put a handful or two of fresh spinach and a few carrot chunks. The color mayget a bit funky but the spinach cuts the sweet taste and adds lots of good stuff and does not affect the fruit flavor.

I like to make my summer protein smoothies with 4 or 5 ice cubes, 1 scoop of vanilla whey protein, a few chunks of watermelon and some berries, a couple of ounces of sugar free jello (any flavor to go with the fruit) dissolved but not jelled. Since ALL YOGURTS still have too much sugar, I replace it with lowfat or nonfat cottage cheese, it makes the smoothie smooth and it boosts the protein. I make them just before I leave for work and I enjoy it at my desk for most of the morning.

my favorite smoothie combination:

blueberries
pineapple (frozen)
light vanilla creme yogurt - no sugar added
a splash of some healthy juice

yummy.

I add raw green cabbage to most of my smoothies - it ups the fiber, provides a serving of green veggies, and I never notice it there. Raw green cabbage is particularly good for ulcers, too, from what I've heard and seen.

well put Flash, if the risks out weigh the benifits, then its really not worth it!!

But were im from coconut oil is great topically for comfort with colds, headaches, pains etc. try it youll always have a jar in your bathroom!

Here's another delicious smoothie ingredient I don't often see mentioned: cooked sweet potato. I like it with banana, soy milk and a pinch of cinnamon.

Every morning I have what I call a smoothie: 1/2 Banana 1/2 Apple( peel on) Blueberries, Strawberries, Udo oil(fromm health food store) Steel cut oats, flax seed, 6 Almonds & whatever other fruit I have such as Peaches,Melons & then my Activia Yogourt.Sometimes I'll add Cranberry Juice or Ice Cream.Blend away. YUM!YUM! Good for the whole day!

I make a smotthy every morning for breakfast. I went through many blenders until I bought my Blendtec which I love! It can handle frozen fruit or ice. I use the non-fat greek yogurt but I add a lot of water to thin it out. Also, in the summer when you can get local fresh fuit such as watermelon, it helps make a thinner shake. I use fresh fuit when I can get it and add ice and water or frozen fruit in the winter. I also add whey powder and psyllium. But I exercise a lot!

DO NOT PUT SUGAR IN ANYTHING!
You DO NOT need to add any sweetener to any smoothie. Especially sugar! Yuck!Bananas and other fruits are already sweet enough. Add vanilla whey protein and it is for sure sweet.
Also, add raw ginger root for a spicy and VERY nutritious alternative. I also add raw spinach, carrots and eggs. Yes, EGGS. As with most foods, raw is the best way to go.
ONE MORE THING: There is no such thing as good and bad cholesterol. LDL and HDL ARE NOT CHOLESTEROL!!!!!!!!!! We must all stop believing this hype. It is part of the scare tactics used by big drug companies. It's all bull!

What types of blenders are you guys using? Anyone use a Vita-Mix?

PS: I tried the FAGE brand of fat free yogurt and it just didn't work well for me. it came out reallllly thick and once it jsut totally separated on me and made for an undrinkable smoothie.
OH - but frozen yogurt works well too. Low fat, medium calories, active cultures... add some strawberries or a banana to some chocolate frozen yogurt and you're in heaven!

I don't follow recipes. I go to my local Whole Foods
and grab whatever fruit is on sale (damn gas prices!). Then, every morning I pull out my fat free Light & Fit Vanilla Yogurt (low on calories too) and whatever fruit 1)I need to eat pronto or 2)suits my palate. This includes: peaches, nectarines, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, bananas, kiwi, pineapple, blackberries... whatever. I have yet to try any melons, but that's next on my list (I only bought the blender two weeks ago). No sugar or sweetener - the fruit does that job. Milk only when smoothie is too thick (bananas give thick ones, raspberries tend to help thin).
Skip the recipes and get creative. I think so long as you stick to the basics of a fat-free low-cal yogurt and easy on the milk... you're good. Add some wheat germ for grit and a nutty taste.

Please, Real Age, don't advocate 'anything' artifical/processed. That's health 101. Common sense?
And when it states natural -- natural What? That's a joke.. Organic from a source you know of is the only truely healthy way to go.

Sorry about the below duplicate post, but I also thought I'd point out that there are hundreds of great smoothie recipes on the Vita-Mix website. Of course, it helps if you have a Vita-Mix, but the recipes may work with other high-power (as in 2+ HP) machines as well.

Just thought I'd comment that, though the page above says the Waring was the first blender, also the first blenders was the Vita-Mix machine. I'm not sure which one was technically patented first, but the Vita-Mix is typically credited with being one of the first, around 1937, and certainly the first to be advertised on television in 1949. The company still manufactures high-power household and commercial blenders today, and promotes healthy, whole food eating.

Just thought I'd comment that, though the page above says the Waring was the first blender, also the first blenders was the Vita-Mix machine. I'm not sure which one was technically patented first, but the Vita-Mix is typically credited with being one of the first, around 1937, and certainly the first to be advertised on television in 1949. The company still manufactures high-power household and commercial blenders today, and promotes healthy, whole food eating.

For Flash

** Drs. Oz and Roizen tell us, "For Fats: Besides saturated fats (fewer than 4 grams per serving) and trans fats (avoid them all), you should avoid foods with other fat code words, like partially hydrogenated, palm, and COCONUT OIL."

This is misleading – yes hydrogenated palm and coconut oil are just as bad for you as any other hydrogenated oil. The placement of the commas suggests that all palm and coconut oil are to be avoided – and maybe that is what they are trying to say.

However, cold pressed version of these oils are very healthy because they are stable and the best type to use for cooking at higher temperatures. These oils contain medium chain fatty acids which are quickly absorbed for quick energy. They also have antimicrobial and antifungal properties as they contain lauric acid so are excellent for the digestive system. Rancid and altered oils, and oils that have been extracted using chemical and high heat processes are very unhealthy as are fats from unnaturally reared, unhealthy animals.

The only difference between a saturated and unsaturated fat is the molecular structure, which allows saturated fats to be more tightly packed – which means you get more lipids per volume. Animal fats and tropical oils contain both saturated and unsaturated (coconut though contains mostly saturated fats), and a wide range of lipids types, all of which (saturated and unsaturated, long medium or short chain) are necessary for health.

Saturated fats from healthy natural sources, both animal and plant are necessary for good health. There are plenty of studies out there that support that statement.
I completed the first module of a human biology course on cells and their function. Everything in that book pointed towards the importance of fats and cholesterol in the functioning and creation of cells. Except the last chapter – it contained a paragraph that felt like a vegan from the heart foundation had reviewed the text and kicked up a stink in the science department forcing them to add a statement about the evils of fat.

Please read the books by Uffe Ravnskov, the Cholesterol Myths which gives an overview of the studies that lead to the diet heart hypothesis, what their actual content was and other studies performed that do not support the interpretation of the outcomes of those studies. Also read everything you can find on Weston Price, the dentist who in the 30’s did studies on the dental and skeletal structure of native people and their original diets, and looked at their counterparts who had moved to industrialised centres and were consuming western diets.

You will find that it is not just internet hype, it is based in published research.
I will continue to eat my healthy fats in butter, coconut milk (personally do not like the oil much), whole fat raw milk and meat of all sorts, and I will continue to maintain a healthy weight, have excellent blood pressure and perfect cholesterol levels. Why are my cholesterol levels perfect – because my cells are healthy so my liver does not have to produce excess cholesterol to repair them.

No one should read in this that they should go out and eat Big Macs with fries. What is wrong with fast food is not that it is fatty, but that the fats it does have are denatured, the proteins and carbs are highly processed and of poor quality and it is loaded with additives.

Dr. Oz' green drink, in case Sherri is still checking here, is not the same as the Breakfast Blaster that was posted before.

His green drink contains:

* 2 cups spinach
* 2 cups cucumber
* 1 head of celery
* 1/2 inch or teaspoon ginger root
* 1 bunch parsley
* 2 apples
* Juice of 1 lime
* Juice of 1/2 lemon

Does anyone have a smoothie recipe that DOESN'T include bananas? I love bananas as they are, but can't stomach them when they're mixed into a shake/smoothie. Also, any recipes using peaches?

Its great to see so much interest in our health-we only live once-the 4 f words-fruit,fibre,fitness and fun-use honey instead of sugar. Tom.

Jerry,

Flaxseed OIL is a prostate risk for men, as it is poorly converted into EPA/DHA. Flaxseeds or flaxseed meal is fine for men and is a great source of Omega 3.

I have to second Frances' idea of using tofu. I use a portion of silken tofu, one banana (peeled and ripened), frozen organic fruit, and apple juice. I adjust the amount of apple juice to get the right consistency. It makes for any easy to bring with me breakfast for the ride to work in the morning.

You mention putting ground flaxseed in the smoothie. I had been using two tablespoons a day with my fruited cereal until I told my doctor about it.
He said that a recent study had shown that flaxseed was found to contribute to prostate cancer and told me to stop taking it.
Don't know if you're aware of this but it might be wise to warn men about it.

Hey everyone! Your recipes are great! I just want to add that instead of using ice cubes, I freeze my blueberries, then mix with the other ingredients. This way, I get the cold chill in my smoothie and a less watered-down nutritional drink!

I am surprised that there has been no mention of apricots in smoothies. I grew up blending several frozen apricot icecubes with a couple of TBSP of frozen OJ concentrate, a banana, 1/2 cup of raw milk into a smoothie. We had no idea that mixing a raw egg into that mixture might be bad for you. That drink with a couple of slices of wheat toast was a great summertime dinner and cooled us down after a hot day out in the fruit trees.

I love dairy products but there is NO need to put any in a fruit smoothie...as long as you have bananas, you have your "smooth" factor. Just freeze some or most of your fruit like strawberries, raspberries, melons, pineapple etc, add as much banana as you need for your required consistency and a bit of orange juice or other juice and blend!...no sugar or dairy added!!!!..no need!!!!

Blueberry Banana Smoothie

My recipe is enough for 3-4 people. I mix 1 cup fresh squeezed oj, 1 pint blueberries, 1 banana, 2 TBSPS flaxseed, 1 cup low-fat plain yogurt (when they take the fat out they add artificial sweeteners to taste good), 1 scoop Whey Protein by BioChem (wheat & gluten free) 3 TBSPS of Udo's Choice Balanced Oil (EFA with perfect ratio of Omega 3, 6 & 9 for brain & joint health)and some crushed ice. I mix in a Vita Mixer for a few seconds. No sweeteners needed!

I have to also comment on coconut oil. I agree that coconut oil is a VERY healthy addition to one's diet. It must be certified organic, extra virgin, unrefined.
Coconut oil is truly the healthiest oil you can consume. It is rich in lauric acid, which is known for being antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal, and contains no trans fat (even olive oil has some trans fat). You can even use it on your skin to help prevent wrinkles.

Unfortunately, there is a widespread misconception that coconut oil is bad for you because it contains saturated fat. To really understand the benefits of coconut oil, I suggest you read Dr. Mary Enig and Sally Fallon's article "The Truth About Saturated Fat" to first dispel any lingering notions you may have that all saturated fats are dangerous.

Fats are categorized as either short-, medium-, or long-chain depending on how many carbon molecules they contain. Close to two-thirds of the saturated fat in coconut oil is made up of medium-chain fatty acids, which have antimicrobial properties, are easily digested by the body for quick energy, and are beneficial to the immune system. Far from being dangerous, the saturated fat in coconut oil is actually health promoting.

Thanks for the smoothie recipes, but why not substitute honey for the tablespoons of sugar?
Everyone knows white sugar just adds to our weight and teeth problems, let alone alll the other problems.
Honey is sweet and you don't even need a tablespoon, but 1/2 of that to keep the recipe the same.
Enjoy a healthier you.

I have Celluitious and Lympodema and i was wondering if there is anything i can use on my legs to help with the scaring i have and the thick skin from the dieases im also a diabetic type 2,I use Palmers coco butter and Nutrgena with coco butter,shea butter,and mango it seems to help a little but if anyone has any ideas please post them ok i need your help and i would like to know if anyone can tell me how to keep my feet in good shape i go to a podiatrist but she doesnt do a good job on my feet or toe nails and im afraid to do them myself because of being diabetic im changing doctors and i hope this one will be better any sugestions will be appriciated.
Carrie