Berry Spinach Smoothie

I know you’re saying Whatwhat? Berry Spinach? Did you go and smoke some crack and then raid the ice box? Allow me to explain…

My husband and I saw a pretty compelling documentary on Netflix about juicing called Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead this weekend (You can see as a Netflix or Blockbuster streaming download). Something crazy happened. My husband looked at me and said, “That looks like that could be nice.”

He thinks it’s nice. I think it’s terrific.

For the next ten days, I am partaking my own liquid diet, with hubby as my partner–and I’m pretty excited about it. After all, let’s be fricken real here: it’s hot, and I don’t want to cook. La Nina promised me hot, dry weather with a breeze, and the girl has written checks my antiperspirant can’t cash. That and it’s something my husband is excited about, so it’s something we can do together. Additionally, I want to note I haven’t had any amazing epiphanies or developed a desire for a crash diet, and I’m not becoming a vegan (not that there’s anything wrong with that)–and yes, I’m still lower carb/glycemic load.

Some of my favorite things in the world are milk shakes, smoothies and juices. If the Universe was a milkshake, I’d sip it through my straw and deliver the snap, head bobble and the “That’s right. I just drank your Universe.”

So, Saturday we bought our Breville juicer at Bed Bath and Beyond (sign up for their emails and print a 20% coupon for the store) and we’ve been trying some different juices.

My problem is that I tend to do things–like accidentally want to consume solids– (who knew you could feel guilty for grabbing a slice of pepperoni and some blue cheese) and I can get pretty hungry when I drink juices. I remember V-8 giving me a case of the munchies once. To offset any hunger, I’m going to enjoy at least one protein smoothie daily, made with fat, to help stave off any of the blood sugar spikes.

I’ll keep you in the loop. It could be interesting. It could be… dare I say it… juicy…

What I love about juicing and smoothies, is I can use my Ninja for the smoothies and the juicer for the juices, and I’m done. It’s easy. And because exact amounts aren’t a necessity when it comes to juicing or smoothies, I can throw in a little of this and that based on what I want at any particular time.

For you, though, I’ll share what I’m drinking, in its vitamin and nutrient glory. This is full on 24-32 ounces per meal of liquid refreshment, supplemented by water. It’s healthy. It’s raw (save for the protein powder I add to the smoothie–you could risk adding raw egg, but consult your doctor first) and it’s as delicious as it is healthy.

Think about all of the raw energy, vitamins and iron in this–and no; you can’t taste the spinach:

Thick as a shake, you’ll shake your tail feathers over all of this deliciousness

Berry Spinach Smoothie

½ cup heavy white cream
½ cup water
½ cup frozen strawberries
½ cup frozen blueberries
½ cup ice
a handful of fresh spinach (about a cup)
1 scoop Jay Robb’s strawberry protein powder

Blend until smooth. Serve immediately. Makes 3 cups.

Nutritional information for one smoothie: calories: 550, net carbs: 24*
* You can reduce fruit amounts for fewer carbs. The cream adds only 2 and the protein powder adds 4. 

So what do you think? I’ll keep you posted on our juicy journey!