I used to be a huge fan of those bottled juices that you find in the healthy refrigerated section of the supermarket. My love affair however, sadly ended when I turned that puppy around and read the nutrition label 33g of carbs and only 1g of Finer per 8oz?!?! And each bottle had close to two servings, which means close to 60g of Sugar in that one juice alone! That delicious drink I had been so happy about was loaded with sugar! No wonder Pepsi bought them! Luckily,I thought, it's not added sugar; but then i got the itch an had to do my research and found that all sugars affect your body the same way. Whether you consume sucrose, fructose or any combination of the two, being sugar they will still cause your blood glucose level to spike. That is when I realized that I could no longer indulge in those juices. I know you're probably thinking, "is this chick diabetic or something?" The answer to that question is no, I'm not diabetic, yes I like sweets but no I do not want to suffer the nasty side effects of blood glucose spikes, which is part of the reason I went paleo in the first place. I dont like that starving feeling i get when that spike is over, nor do I like the lethargic feeling so I just opt out of nearly all sugar (from fruit or added) and use natural sweeteners (such as stevia) in its place. All of this being said, I still believe in the healing power of juices, which is why now, instead of buying those bottles of expensive green sugar, I make my own and use the money saved towards something more worthwhile.
Okay, enough with the WHY I make my own "juice" or smoothies, here is my new favorite recipe.
Citrus Spinach Smoothie with Chia and Green Tea
Ingredients
2 Cups Washed Spinach
2 Large Strawberies
1/4 Cup Lemom Juice or Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
2 Tablespoons Chia Seeds or Powder
1 Cup Green Tea
1 Cup Ice
2-4 Tablespoons Sweetener of choice
Directions
In a blender, pulse all ingredients until smooth
Allow to sit for at least 5-10 minutes before drinking
Enjoy!
This drink has roughly: 127Cal, 7.5g Net Carbs, 4.5g Protein and 5.7g Fat - that's close to 50g less sugar and carbs than the bottled stuff. Try it sometime!
Okay, enough with the WHY I make my own "juice" or smoothies, here is my new favorite recipe.
Citrus Spinach Smoothie with Chia and Green Tea
Ingredients
2 Cups Washed Spinach
2 Large Strawberies
1/4 Cup Lemom Juice or Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
2 Tablespoons Chia Seeds or Powder
1 Cup Green Tea
1 Cup Ice
2-4 Tablespoons Sweetener of choice
Directions
In a blender, pulse all ingredients until smooth
Allow to sit for at least 5-10 minutes before drinking
Enjoy!
This drink has roughly: 127Cal, 7.5g Net Carbs, 4.5g Protein and 5.7g Fat - that's close to 50g less sugar and carbs than the bottled stuff. Try it sometime!