Alkaline Glowing Green Smoothie
This Alkaline Lime Glowing Green Smoothie from The Blender Girl Smoothies book is my go-to green smoothie because it is low in natural sugar, is loaded vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, has a delightful creamy texture, and is really light and refreshing.
This glowing green smoothie is on heavy rotation in our house. We make it once a week because it is alkaline-forming and anti-inflammatory, and is fantastic for boosting immunity.
Whenever anybody asks for keto-friendly smoothies or diabetic-friendly smoothies or low-carb smoothies, this is the smoothie I send, and it is ALWAYS a huge hit.
I shared a version of this smoothie in both my 60-Day Reset and 14-Day Cleanse programs, and it is always one of the most popular recipes in every live group.
The Health Benefits of this Glowing Green Smoothie
This tangy, refreshing blend is a fantastic low-sugar smoothie. Potent detoxifiers, limes become alkaline-forming when metabolized thanks to their mineral salts—which help to cleanse the liver and colon. Avocado thickens the blend, and the healthy fats and fiber help absorb acids, tame toxins, regulate blood sugar and cholesterol, metabolize fats, and support the adrenals. Spinach delivers an arsenal of nutrients to oxygenate the blood and boost the respiratory system, and the folate and other B vitamins help calm inflammation to fight fatigue.
Optional Boosters For This Smoothie
If you want to boost the nutrition of this smoothie, I’ve listed some optional boosters:
- 1/4 cup (25g) frozen raw broccoli florets goes into this smoothie without altering flavor.
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) virgin coconut oil brings in a lovely tropical note to this smoothie.
- 1/4 cup (60g) Greenspring Farms Fresh Spirulina (NOT freeze-dried spirulina) goes into this smoothie without altering flavor.
“WHAT?!” I hear you say. 1/4 cup of spirulina?! Yep! Fresh spirulina is so mild in flavor, you can put it into ANY smoothie without altering flavor. It is INCREDIBLE.
I always want to share new things that I am doing to achieve better health, And, my latest obsession for the past year is Fresh Spirulina.
The Health Benefits Of Spirulina
Spirulina is a blue-green algae that thrives in alkaline environments feeding on the red, yellow, and blue spectrum of the sun’s light.
This water-borne warrior contains phycocyanin and allophycocyanin, pigments that protect cells from oxidative damage. So, spirulina helps to purify, oxygenate, and alkalize the blood, aid tissue growth and repair, cleanse the liver and skin, and clear toxins from the bowels. The chelators flush heavy metals and offset the effects of environmental pollutants. Prebiotic as well, this awesome algae feeds friendly bacteria for digestive detox. And, vitamins A, B, and K, along with iron and some forty other minerals, calm inflammation and boost immunity. Spirulina also contains amino acids for protein. It really is a wonder food.
The Lowdown on Fresh Spirulina
Freeze-dried spirulina is OK, and can be added to smoothies in tiny amounts (1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon). But, one whiff of the “aquarium aroma” really makes people gag, and it can be challenging to “mellow the murk” so your smoothies don’t taste like a big old gulp of dirty sea water! Furthermore, most commercial spirulina is grown in open-air ponds, and is exposed to contaminants.
With fresh spirulina, you can enjoy all of the benefits of spirulina without the funky flavor.
Fresh Spirulina has a mild flavor like baby spinach. It’s almost flavorless, and you can literally add it to ANY smoothie, and it does not alter the flavor. And, fresh spirulina is so mild (and has an awesome creamy texture) that I eat it with a spoon right out of the jar like almond butter! Yep! It almost has the texture of cream cheese.
Greenspring Farms is located in Brentwood in the San Francisco Bay Area, and they grow fresh spirulina in pristine ponds that are sealed and closed to avoid contamination. The quality of the well water is tested regularly by nationally certified labs, and the pool health is monitored daily.
These guys are super committed to quality. Their spirulina is live-harvested, and packed fresh or immediately frozen. The spirulina is only shipped on harvest days (about twice a week) to ensure maximum freshness and potency. Fresh jars stay fresh for up to three weeks, and can be frozen for up to a year. I always keep a jar in my fridge and jars in my freezer.
I am never buying freeze-fried spirulina again! “Once you go fresh” you never every go back.
And, check out the nutrition:
The Nutrition of Fresh Spirulina
Unlike most plants (which are about 90% indigestible cellulose), spirulina is completely digestible, and dissolves completely, delivering nutrients directly to the body.
A 1 ounce (30g/2 tablespoon) serving contains twice the folate of kale, five times the iron of spinach, and one hundred times the antioxidant Vitamin A of blueberries!
Protein: Spirulina contains a variety of essential and non-essential amino acids, so it is a quality source of plant-based protein. 1 ounce delivers 5 grams of protein.
Antioxidants: It is rich in the blue pigments and powerful antioxidants: phycocyanin and allophycocyanin.
Omega Fatty Acids: Spirulina delivers omega-3, omega-6 and Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA), which support better cholesterol levels and heart health, help to regulate hormones, and promote healthy skin and hair.
How To Use Fresh Spirulina
Because of the mild flavor, you can stir fresh spirulina into so many things to boost the nutrient potential of the dish:
- Smoothies and Smoothie Bowls
- Lemonade, Drinks, and Cocktails
- Dips and Sauces: Guacamole, Pesto, Hummus, Chimichurri
- Chia Puddings and Oatmeal
- Pancakes and Waffles
- Ice Creams, and other Desserts
- Baked Goods
And, you can eat fresh spirulina raw or cooked! There are lots of great recipes using fresh spirulina here.
Get 20% OFF Your Order
My friends at Greenspring Farms have given me a coupon code for you:
Use coupon: BLENDER20 to get 20% OFF your first oder with free shipping. Offer open to residents of the Contiguous United States.
(If that coupon doesn’t work, use my backup code: BLENDER21.
Try Fresh Spirulina and it will change your life.
And, don’t miss making this Glowing Green Smoothie. With boosters, or without, it is the bombdiggity!
Get 100 Smoothie Recipes
My Top 100 Smoothie Recipes are in The Blender Girl Smoothies book.
Other Green Smoothies
Sweet Spirulina Smoothie
Lime Mango Spinach Smoothie
Grape Parsley Green Smoothie
Sweet Kiwi Smoothie
Pineapple Ginger Green Smoothie
Please let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments!
Your feedback is really important to me, and it helps me decide which recipes to post next for you.
Comments 41
I just started juicing..I mean really juicing as in a green tasty drink every morning, so this recipe is much appreciated. I will be going through all your green recipes now to add them to my repertoire. (Oh and wonderful meeting you at BlogHer!)
Hey Jen!
Yes! It was WONDERFUL to meet you at BlogHer
What a fabulous weekend.
I look forward to seeing you again and swapping some recipes from YOUR wonderful blog 🙂
Oink Oink
Starting a juicing regimen is one of the best things I ever did! I’m always singing its praises. I’ve never felt so good, and I came through radiation therapy with absolutely no fatigue.
In the interest of expedience, I make the same juice most days. I know I should rotate but it’s hard when it’s the first thing you do in the morning and you’re not a morning person! So, I would love your feedback on my recipe. A little background on what produce I already eat: Because of my former cancer, I try to avoid sugars and therefore don’t usually juice sweet fruits. I do eat coconut oil daily, berries and nuts at breakfast, plus a salad at dinner, and usually another 1-2 servings of veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, or squash. I often eat a vegetarian entree like palak paneer or channa masala or enchiladas at lunch. So, that said, here’s the juice recipe:
– 2-3 carrots
– 5-6 leaves lacinato kale, maybe about a cup and a half once de-ribbed and roughly chopped
– 2-3 celery stalks
– half a cucumber
– juice of 1/4 to 1/3 lemon
– couple dashes of habanero hot sauce
– a drizzle of olive oil
Thank you for your time and your wonderful blog.
This is almost the same smoothie as I make. I add parsley, spirulina
and hemp protein powder. I am also staying away from fruits as I am undergoing chemotherapy for that four years, 3 of which have been weekly treatments.
Thanks for sharing Kandy. I hope your treatments continue to go well.
Hi, Kandy check out a video on YouTube I saw yesterday called “Pushed into Chemotherapy” if you can. It’s by Dr. Robert Morse (robertmorsend). Quite shocking and to the point!
Griff: I will watch the video. I have a very rare lymphoma that has no cure or remission thus the chemo and I am truly very lucky to be able to say I am still here! Thank you again for the mention of the YouTube video, it is through these that we are able to explore other avenues.
Wonderful. I’m so sorry to hear of your health issues. I am happy to support you in any way I can.
Thanks for sharing Griff.
Hey Tina
I am SO happy that you are eating your way back to optimum health! Wonderful!
Your smoothie sounds absolutely delicious!
In fact, I would LOVE to feature it on the blog with a credit to you and your story.
I will shoot you an email so you can tell me what you think.
Cucumbers and lemon juice are two of the most alkalizing amazing foods on the planet. I eat them every day.
I know it is challenging to source greens and come up with different combinations, particularly first thing in the morning.
But it would be great if you would rotate the ingredients as much as possible so that you are getting the benefits of a balanced nutritional profile.
Perhaps enjoy your favourite smoothie a few times a week and mix it up the other days?
I look forward to hearing more about your journey back to health.
It is wonderful to be connected.
Thanks, Tess! I’m so glad you think the green smoothie recipe is a good one. I’ll be glad for you to share the recipe and my story on the blog. Catch up with you in email-land!
Tina
Wow what a beautiful site! Yeh in our green smoothies we use real coconut water, pineapple and mangoes to give it the real hawaiian mood. Green smoothies are awesome!
Thankyou. Right back atcha! I LOVE your smoothie! Wonderful to be connected. Oink!
Hi Tess! I just got home from a tough workout and I SO NEED THIS SMOOTHIE. Now! I don’t have grapefruit so I’m gonna sub-in lemon. I hope that’ll work. I have everything else just waiting to jump into my Vitamix. I’ll let you know.
Thanks for the recipe + inspiration.
p.s. your website is beautiful, just like you.
p.p.s. so fun to talk with you at BlogHer.
Hey Elizabeth
Yes, It was WONDERFUL to sit with you at BlogHer.
Limes work really well in this smoothie too.
Hope to see you again at another event.
Oink Oink
This has to be my favourite smoothie of all time. I really have to try hard to deviate away from this particular recipe, but I know you have to rotate your greens, so I am a good girl, and I do so. I omit the sweetness part of the smoothie as I try to avoid sugar as much as I can. It’s still the bomb as far as I’m concerned. Thanks Tess, you have opened a door for me (in regard to my health) one which I love going through every day. 🙂
Hey Piggy Helen!
Thanks for your lovely words! I am so glad you love this smoothie as much as I do! YUMMO!
The Youngs have got it going on!
Try some more of their recipes in their book and from their website. They are wonderful people with so much valuable information that they lovingly share.
I love it!!!! Everything wholesome and good packed into one super healthy drink!!!! I couldn’t get by without this one, it makes me feel ALIVE!!!! 😉
Me too! Love it!
Full of love and goodness. Looove! :))
After a quick workout at lunch, I don’t have much time to make something healthy & quick. This totally works for me!!! Thanks!!
Thanks Katy, Claudia and Morgan.
This smoothie is a winner with lots of ice!
Hi! I’m intrigued by this smoothie recipe but I have to ask: What is raw creamed coconut? I asked about it at Earth Fare today and they had no clue what I was talking about.
Hey Renee,
Sorry for any confusion.
I have added a link to the creamed coconut in a box. It is coconut that has been pressed down into a block.
You used to be able to get this at Whole Foods and most health food stores, but it is becoming more difficult to get.
You can also get it at Asian grocery stores.
I order mine online from Amazon.
I keep cases of this in my house for use in smoothies, soups, curries, desserts.
Enjoy!
http://astore.amazon.com/healthybcom-20/detail/B00113ZZ5U
What does it do to the Alkaline balance if I include the grapefruit meat?
Hey Michelle,
It is slightly less alkaline with the grapefruit meat. If you add all of the meat it also makes the smoothie quite bitter.
You can add 2 peeled whole limes to this smoothie instead of the grapefruit juice if you want to add whole fruit and it is MAGIC!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Tess,
So, for the past two weeks, I’ve been making a version of this every morning for me and Chris. So YUMMY! and invigorating too.
I made the above recipe the first day, but since I’ve been experimenting. This morning was a couple large leaves of kale, a few leaves of dandelion greens, a few leaves of beet greens, 1 stalk of celery, 1 medium size carrot, half of an avocado, a quarter of a medium sized tomato, a bit of fresh ginger, a couple drops of lemon juice, a sprinkle of sea salt, then ice and filtered water. I also add about half a scoop of Living Fuel SuperGreens. All of the produce I’m using is local and organic.
Luckily, we live in farmland. So getting fresh produce is pretty easy, which is good because this summer has been so hot, my garden is pretty unhappy this year.
As always, a fantastic recipe. Thanks!
Dawn
WONDERFUL Dawn! Thanks for sharing your variations. I am going to try them. Greens are just SO good aren’t they?
Thanks for this amazing recipe! I only wish I could afford a Vitamix! I almost fell of my chair when I saw the price tag!
Yes, it is an investment, that really is like investing in a lifestyle. I have never looked back. You need to save up. You can make this recipe in any blender. Enjoy 🙂
Thanks so much for pointing the way with these smoothie recipes. Really helpful when you are starting out on the whole smoothie thing x
Pleasure. We’ve got lots of recipes here to help you. Enjoy 🙂
I need help, I have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes because I am an idiot and do not or have not eaten well my whole life. Now at 43 I ann concerned as I have children. I want to start a jiving regimen and want a alkaline diet in hopes that it may help some.
I need to get in shape.
Sorry to hear about your health issues Dana. My partner Scott is a type 1 diabetic, and he greatly improved his health by adopting a plant based alkaline diet. You absolutely can improve your health with food and exercise. I am happy to support you in any way I can.
THIS IS THE BEST SMOOTHIE I HAVE EVER HAD. Thank you so much for posting it! I am trying your cucumber mint avocado soup tomorrow
Awesome. So glad you enjoyed it.
Love that recipe! The smoothie looks almost like something you’d get from a shop and all the ingredients are super-healthy! Thanks
Thanks. Enjoy.
Ohhh I love WOW. Thank you very much
I’m glad you enjoyed it.