With the month of January now behind us, if you are still trying to find your health and wellness groove, it is not too late. Our next book review is on the lighter side as nutritionist and weight loss expert JJ Smith introduces green smoothies along with other recipes that help cleanse the body and help you lose weight.
“Green Smoothies for Life,” is the latest addition to Smith’s portfolio which includes “10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse.” Both books aim to help everyday people lose weight and achieve overall health and wellness. “Green Smoothies for Life,” will take you through a 30-day program that includes smoothies, salads, soups, seafood and even desserts. Her quick and realistic tips for lasting weight loss will also detox the body and help retrain your taste buds to crave foods that are healthier for you.
The book includes more than 30 savory and sweet recipes and 25 “thoughtfully-composed” green smoothie recipes. There is also a 30-day meal plan chart that will help you plan as well as stay on track. Before you begin the program, Smith offers seven tips to mentally prepare yourself to not only start but most importantly finish and these include:
1. Make your health a priority
2. Focus on getting healthy
3. Detox family and friends
4. Understanding the differences between emotional hunger and physical hunger
5. Expect your weight to fluctuate
6. Engage in positive self-talk
7. Don’t get obsessed with weighing yourself every day
After you review and take these tips to heart, it is time to start enjoying a blueberry apple smoothie on day one and the peachy pineapple smoothie on day two. Don’t worry because that is just breakfast and later in the day, you can have the Cajun roasted chicken and cauliflower for dinner. Other smoothies include strawberry banana, blueberry kale and strawberry banana. Just looking at the recipes, you can see the theme of using superfoods such as kale along with dark berries to ensure the body is getting what it needs. Other savory standouts are oven-fried turkey cutlets, sautéed tomatoes and spinach, pineapple peppered flounder and a collard greens stew with black-eyed peas.
Eating healthy is not about depriving yourself of the foods you love but reinventing how you enjoy them and how often. Although it is a cliché, the saying “Your health is your wealth,” is one that truly resonates with us. Whether you do one, two, five or ten days, just incorporating many of these recipes into your diet will prove to be very beneficially to your health.
“Green Smoothies for Life” is available on Amazon.com. Here is one recipe you make before you get your book.
VEGETABLE GUMBO | 2 servings
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 small yellow or white onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
2 medium celery stalks, chopped
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning blend
1 (28-ounce) can low-sodium diced tomatoes
1 (15 -ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8-ounce) package frozen sliced okra, or 2 cups sliced fresh okra
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup long-grain brown rice, such as basmati or Texmati
2 teaspoons gumbo filé powder
PREPARATION
1. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, bell peppr, and celery and cook, stirring often, for 4 minutes, or until softened.
3. Stir in the Creole seasoning and cook until fragrant, about 10 seconds.
4. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, okra, broth, and rice. Bring to a full simmer, stirring occasionally.
5. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
6. Stir in the gumbo filé powder just before serving.
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