Dancers lead busy lives. We run from either school or
part-time jobs to dance rehearsals, class and auditions. Our days start early
and often end late. What we need is nutrition that is portable, convenient and
sustaining during our busy, hectic schedules. Otherwise, we end up eating junk
to satisfy our low blood sugar induced carb cravings. This is where green smoothies come in. I am not
writing about juicing. Juicing provides the juice from fruits and vegetables,
but without the fiber. Green smoothies provide a hydrating option that includes
the fiber and is easily digestible for terrific nutrient absorption. There are
countless combinations containing primarily all raw ingredients. And I haven’t
found a better or easier way to fill myself up with the nutrients from
vegetables and fruit along with healthy fats and amazing supplements. I can
easily take it with me to have throughout my day or stock up the fridge to have
some on hand when I wake up or get home late.
First off, it’s best if you have a high-powered blender like
Blendtec or Vitamix. However, these are expensive. The next best options are
the Magic Bullet or NutriBullet. Both are really great for quickly transforming
from being the blender to becoming a cup/container with a screw cap.
The following recipe has the ingredients that we use most often. Play
around with the ones that appeal to you or you feel are particularly important
to your diet. If you are working hard to increase muscle strength and/or muscle
size – you will want to add more protein. (Talk to a nutritionist for their
recommendation on how much protein you should consume.) We use bags of frozen fruit
from Trader Joe’s because they are easy to store for a long time, frozen at the
peak of ripeness and relatively inexpensive. If you prefer fresh fruit – use
it. Keep in mind that fruit does contain a lot of sugar. However, as dancers,
we can use and burn up much of this carbohydrate. But if weight loss is
important to you, you may want to limit the amount. Either way, do not add fruit juice which has tons of sugar and no fiber.
Smoothies are simple. Add coconut milk, water and ice to the mixture above and you're on your way. Experiment 3 or 4 times and you will have the knack of it.
Below is a recipe I really enjoy. I love to add supplements and find they really can impact my overall welllness.
The Hayes G.S. Recipe
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1-2 cups of dark leafy Greens (kale, spinach, swiss chard)
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Small, Persian cucumber
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Celery stick
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½ cup of frozen Blueberries and Pineapples.
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½ Banana
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Spoonful of Almond Butter
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Cup of Coconut Milk
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Tablespoon of Flax Seed Oil
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Scoop of Meal Supplement
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Scoop of Protein Powder
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Heaping teaspoon of Maca Powder, Chlorella Powder and
Chia Seeds
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3-4 drops of liquid Stevia (Sweetener alternative: http://www.steviainfo.com/?page=about ) (You may want a little more in the beginning.)
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Fill blender with a scoop of ice and water
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(Other alternatives: A little lemon or lime juice, dash of
cinnamon, few drops of peppermint oil)
Keep in mind that you don’t have to use Protein Powder,
Maca, Chia and Chlorella. Read about them and see if you want to add them
later. You can find these ingredients in health food stores and Whole Foods. Most important is that you
start incorporating the smoothies into your diet. You can easily have 1-2 each
day. A full blender of the ingredients above can make 3-4 servings.
Two books that we highly recommend reading are the Green Smoothie Revolution and Green for Life. There is terrific
information on the Internet about green smoothies. A couple great websites I
found with a lot of recipes are: http://greensmoothiegirl.com
and http://greenmonstermovement.com/?page_id=39
As I wrote earlier, my girlfriend Debbie Kim influences my nutrition these days and introduced me (and many dancers) to the art of the green smoothie. As you can see, it's working well for her.
Enjoy!!!
