Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Health In A Glass...Review of The Healthy Smoothie Bible

I love smoothies...any kind of whole food fruit and veggie smoothies!  So when I was given the opportunity to review The Healthy Smoothie Bible, I was excited to read it and try some new recipes.  I use my blender on a daily basis to make my protein shakes, but I haven't been making enough green smoothies.  When I got my beautiful and colorful copy I wanted a smoothie right away, the cover has some mouth watering smoothies and I was ready to dive in and see what I could learn about smoothies.

The layout of the book is simple and easy to follow.  You can read it straight through or skip around to the sections you are interested in.  If you are a smoothie beginner I would read through before going out and buying all the necessary tools and ingredients.  Farnoosh tells you her touching and relate-able story and then goes on to discuss all the health benefits of adding these delicious smoothies to your life.  This is not a "diet", but a way of adding a daily dose of health in a glass, as I like to call it.  Even if you just add a few whole fruit and vegetable smoothies each week you will reap the benefits of the vitamins and nutrients you may be missing out on.   

As you keep reading, Farnoosh explains the best ingredients to use and why they are healthy for you.  I really enjoyed this section, as there were a lot of ingredients that I hadn't though to use before.  She even gives some tips for picking the right blender.  I can attest to the difference a good high quality blender makes when it comes to making smooth, drinkable smoothies.  After getting tired of "chewing" my smoothies, I invested in a Blend-tec.  It was the best blender purchase I have ever made, it takes everything I toss in, even whole apples, and blends them easily into great taking and great texture smoothies.  If you are serious about making daily smoothies a part of your life, make the investment in a good blender!

Next you learn how to shop, store and prep your ingredients to get the most of the money you are spending.  She has a ton of great tips on how to prepare your smoothies in advance, and for me success is all in the preparation!  After a few more tips and tricks to making a great smoothie, it really is an art, you are taken to 108 vegan and healthy smoothie recipes.  She even provides you with a quick tag section for your smoothies so you can easily find what you are looking for. 


A small detail that I love are the quotes added in throughout the book.  One of my favorites is "No disease that can be treated by diet should be treated with any other means. ~ Maimonides  All the quotes are centered on taking care of your health and your body.  There is no quick fix and you only have one body, we need to respect and take great care of our bodies.  We only know the true value of our health once it is gone, don't give away your health!

I have tried several of the recipes, it may take me some time to make all 108, but I will share my favorites as I do!  I highly encourage you to add whole food smoothies to your daily or weekly routine.
Here is one of my favorites:

After the recipes section Farnoosh goes on to share the Smoothie Beauty Detox& Cleanse Plan.  This is a great section if you are trying to rid your body of toxins from a not so healthy diet, too many processed foods, or if you need to re-set your digestive system (most of your health is in your digestive system...treat it with care!)  Lastly, she gives you tips on making smoothies a part of a healthy lifestyle.  I feel that adding smoothies to your diet can add great nutritional benefits that you may not be getting otherwise.  Give it a try, see how you feel...I can guarantee that if you replace the "junk" food and processed stuff with a green whole food smoothie a day you will see and feel the benefits!  

A note to mothers trying to get your littles to get more whole food nutrition, make a little extra smoothie for your kids and get them to try it.  My toddler has a special smoothie cup and picks a straw for hers each time.  She now asks for smoothies and I am more that happy to make them for her.  When you are first introducing them, be sure to add the right balance of fruit to veggie so they are sweet enough.  The veggies I add for my toddler are: carrots, kale, spinach and cucumber.  They mix in nicely with the fruits and are a great way to get these veggies in their diet.  

 You can purchase your own copy of The Healthy Smoothie Bible here.  You can also follow Farnoosh on Pinterest here, she posts great recipes and smoothie ideas!  I highly recommend this book to the new smoothie makes and the veteran ones as well!  I learned some new tips and tricks, and found recipes that I really want to try.  All of the ones I have made are so good!  
**Disclaimer** I received a complimentary copy of the book to review, but was not provided compensation for my review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

On that note, I am off to make a smoothie for me and my little one before we head out to get some groceries!  Go out and make your smoothie too!

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2 comments:

  1. We love smoothies in our house too! My kids love to help make them and you really can't screw them up (which is good b.c I'm no chef)! I do always forget to add spices to mine. I'm sure that would enhance the taste!

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    1. That's great Annie! It is a great way to get the kids involved and get their veggies too. Yea, try experimenting with some other flavors!
      Thanks for stopping by.

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