1% Thursday: Green Smoothies

Try a Green Smoothie

Yes, I’m normal.  The thought of grinding up veggies into some green or even brownish mix and then drinking it … well, I wasn’t sure.  Then I looked online, got some advice, and gave it a try.  And discovered that green smoothies weren’t what I expected.

Why did I take the risk in the first place?  Well, let’s face it.  The majority of us simply aren’t getting enough vegetables in our diets.  Especially those dark leafy greens.

Dark leafy greens in particular are incredible migraine-fighters, not to mention how great they are for overall health.  Spinach, for example, is rich in magnesium.  It’s also a great antioxidant.  Well, I could go on and on – but most of us already know how great these foods are.

So here’s what the trend is in green smoothies today.  Mix fruit and vegetables together – often a 1/3 fruit 2/3 veggie mix.  Often the fruit provides most of the flavour.  My smoothies, though they contained spinach and celery and broccoli and so on, actually tasted like strawberry – very refreshing and sweet.  I also threw in some flax seed oil for some extra omega-3 power.

To get started, here are some great sites to give you ideas for recipes:  70 Green Smoothie Recipes and more Green Smoothie Recipes (scroll down).

Quick tips for migraineurs – I find you don’t need much water in most cases – just enough to make it drinkable.  Also, watch out for migraine triggers – bananas, common in green smoothies, are big ones.  I recommend things like broccoli and spinach, apples, blueberries, cantaloupe, mangoes and strawberries.  Flaxseed oil and peppermint are great additions.  Keep these things on hand so you’re always ready for a quick smoothie.  Be careful of citrus fruits, bananas, and raw onions.

If you find your stomach going crazy, try just one type of fruit and vegetable at a time.  And please, don’t drink this right before bed.  You’ll regret it.

Experiment, and give it a decent try.  You might just find you have a surprising amount of energy, and a feeling of well-being you haven’t had for a while!

What is 1% Thursday?

Every Thursday at Headache and Migraine News (weather permitting) we’ll talk about one measurable, practical thing we can do to make our lives just 1% better.  Usually it will be something very easy, sometimes it will be a challenge.  Let us know if you try it, or share an idea of your own – and maybe a year from now we’ll see that things have really changed for the better!