I am so excited to have my lovely friend Polelo guest blogging for me today! Some of you may remember her last guest post was on her Boot Camp Experience a few months ago. Today she is back and talking about her experience with Green Juice and Five Recipes she loves! Enjoy 🙂

2017 was a remarkable year for me on so many levels. From personal growth and spirituality to family and friends. The most significant quality change was to my health. I ran 10 races including 2 international races, I completed a 3-month Boot Camp and attended a Green Juice Workshop hosted by international nutritionist and health mentor Carla Zaplana. It wasn’t until a month after the workshop that I actually made my first Green Juice, having seen what went into them I wasn’t exactly chomping at the bit to try one out. Now that I’ve been drinking the juices for close to two months, I wish I had started straight after the workshop!

Why do I enjoy them so much? I found, despite my skepticism, that from day one I felt “clean”, I felt fuller and didn’t need to snack much before lunch. I also found that I had increased energy throughout the day.

So, what exactly are Green Juices? Green Juices are a blend of green leafy vegetables e.g. spinach, kale, lettuce, Swiss chard, parsley, cress, etc with some fruit. The base for most Green Juice recipes is cucumber and celery to which one or more of the leafy vegetables mentioned above are added along with one or more pieces of fruit and other ingredients such as ginger for added kick and added flavour.

As there is so much more to Green Juice than what goes into them; I encourage you to research the most common ingredients of Green Juice and their properties, as well as positive effects of Green Juice, how to prepare them and what equipment to use. Given that you’d be doing this to improve your health, it’s important that you align everything to benefit you in the best way possible so that’s why, I believe, you should consult with your doctor before making any changes to your diet.

With that said, today, I’d like to share 5 Green Juice recipes I love from Carla along with some variations of my own.

1 – Tropical
2 slices of pineapple
0.5 cucumber
2 celery stalks
2 handfuls of spinach
1 green apple
1 thumbnail-sized piece of ginger

Peel cucumber, unless you’re using an organic one, then wash, drain and blend all the ingredients. Drink immediately.

2 – Tropical (my variation 1)
2 slices of pineapple
0.5 cucumber
2 celery stalks
2 handfuls of spinach
2 green apples
1 handful of raspberries or blackberries (for antioxidant properties)
1 tablespoon of chia seeds
125ml and 250ml of pure, unsweetened coconut water

Wash and drain all the ingredients, peel cucumber and apples, unless you’re using organic ones, then blend. Drink immediately.

3 – Tropical (my variation 2)
2 slices of pineapple
0.5 cucumber
2 celery stalks
2 handfuls of spinach
2 green apples
1 banana (for added sweetness)
1 tablespoon of chia seeds
125ml and 250ml of pure, unsweetened coconut water

Wash and drain all the ingredients, peel cucumber and apples, unless you’re using organic ones, then blend. Drink immediately.

4 – Anti-Aging
1 grapefruit
6 carrots
1 handful of spinach
1 thumbnail-sized piece of ginger

Variation: I always add a tablespoon of chia seeds to my juices and a couple of pure, unsweetened coconut water ice cubes. Wash and drain all the ingredients, peel carrots, unless you’re using organic ones, then blend. Drink immediately.

5 – Kiwi Express
2 kiwis
1 apple
2 handfuls of spinach
0.5 lemon

Variation: I always add a tablespoon of chia seeds to my juices and a couple of pure, unsweetened coconut water ice cubes. Wash and drain all the ingredients, peel apple, unless you’re using an organic one. Blend and drink immediately.

To help your body to flush out toxins, remember to drink plenty of water throughout your day. Hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I’ve done!

Thank you so much Polelo for sharing your experience with green juice and for these wonderful recipes. I am really looking forward to trying them out! I know Ditiro is already a huge fan! 🙂