The good news? Birthday weekend was terrific. Tons of fun. It involved friends, dancing, libations, and delicious bday treats. The bad news? All that fun took a bit of a toll on me. My body isn’t used to staying up very late, drinking, or rich desserts any more, so when I indulged, it was unhappy and started to feel a bit under the weather. And although it was totally worth it, I was eager to get back on track and tackle that impending bug.
The first order of business after a weekend of breaking your health routine? Start the next day with a green smoothie. And if you’re feeling a bit cold-ish? Add some cold-busting, immunity-boosting power foods like grapefruit and ginger. I love grapefruit smoothies (see here and here), particularly because I’m pretty sure grapefruit is a panacea for colds. When I thought to add ginger, I knew that bug didn’t stand a chance.
Green Ginger Grapefruit Smoothie
1/2 grapefruit
1/3 c coconut water
1 banana
1/2-1 c frozen mango
1-2 inch slices of peeled ginger
small handful of spinach or kale
a few drops of stevia (optional)
Blend everything in a high-speed blender. Drink. Say peace-out to your cold.
I loved this smoothie. The spicy kick of the ginger was balanced perfectly by the sour punch of the grapefruit and the sweet, smooth creaminess of the banana and mango. I swear I felt better almost instantly!
I’m submitting this to Healthy Vegan Friday and Wellness Weekend!
How was your weekend? Do you have go-to routines to get back on track after those times when your health habits are compromised?
Green smoothies are the perfect way to reset after a weekend of rich food & drink. This looks like a perfect combination of good taste and health promoting nutrients!
Agreed!
This makes me want to go out and buy all the ingredients ASAP. It wasn’t my birthday this weekend, but apparently my body gets annoyed with me if I stay out past midnight now.
I recommend that you do!
I’m not into Bananas but the rest looks awesome!!!
You could definitely skip the banana and add a bit more mango, and it would be just as great!
Glad you had a GRAND time for your birthday! Also, glad you are feeling better and that smoothie is similar to the one I make everyday – minus the grapefruit. YUMMERS! Thanks for sharing and BUGGERS BE GONE! :)
Thanks Kibby! : )
I also do smoothies to get back on the health track – my go to is banana, celery, parsley, kale, frozen pineapple and blueberries. Would love to try the ginger though, b/c sometimes I feel very cold drinking my smoothies in the winter!
Yes, the ginger is so warming and great for winter. Your go-to combo sounds wonderful! I always forget to add parsley, but it’s so good!
Sorry to hear yr body rebelled against the birthday antics but this looks like it should turn things around for you. It’s been a while since I’ve had a smoothie but ginger is good in pretty much everything. I wouldn’t have thought it’d go well with grapefruit but live and learn! I’ll have to try this soon. Hope you continue to feel better.
Thank you! Yes, apparently, I’m a legit old lady that can’t handle being youthful anymore. It’s a bummer, but I’m grateful that that means I’m mega healthy for the majority of the time. : )
Ah, birthday indulgences are always worth it! Stoked to hear you had a fab time…. and I LOVE this smoothie combo… would have never thought of it, brilliant!
I hope you try it, so yummy!
Just found your website through Choosing Raw! LOVE it! I can so relate to you as well! I followed you on social media outlets! Can’t wait to read more posts<3
Thank you for stopping by! I’m excited to have you as a new reader! And I just checked out your site, and I love it!
I’m glad you had a great time, and that you have this to pick you up again now :-)
: )
So glad you had a wonderful birthday! I’m a huge fan of ginger. I think it heals all! Wonderful smoothie! Come share at Raw Food Thursdays! http://www.glutenfreecat.com/2013/01/raw-foods-thursdays-13113/
Thank you! I think I’ll save it for next week since I just submitted the fruit cereal. : )
I made this today! It was perfect!!! More often than not, one flavor overpowers a smoothie (which is sometimes a good thing if you want a BANANA SMOOTHIE!!…lol) but this was a perfect balace of everything! Yum. The ginger is what sold me ;))
Laura this makes me so happy! I love hearing when people enjoy my recipes, so thank you for sharing.
And I’m also glad you commented because it got me to look at your blog, which is AWESOME. What terrific recipes. I’ll definitely be a regular reader. : )
Aww, thanks! And yes, I mean what I said–LOVED the smoothie. In fact, having it again tomorrow :)
It’s addictive, I know! : )
Had this again today…YUMMY!!!!
Yay! I’ve been making it almost everyday since I posted….Then I run out of grapefruits and have to take a break, but then I’m back at it after a grocery trip. : )