Discover the benefits of this trendy drink and you will quickly become a fan of the green smoothie

For the common mortal it is still a little strange. Its green colour and consistent texture make it a bit off-putting. Yet, the most stylish celebrities take it on a daily basis… there must be something to it, don’t you think?

Trendy shakes are now called smoothies. Basically they are fruit shakes, mixed with some dairy product or other, milk, yoghourt or ice cream, to give them a denser consistency, and crushed ice.

They popped up in the United States in the sixties as energy drinks for sports people, who, concerned about their health and food, demanded beverages that would provide them with water, vitamins, minerals, proteins and no fats.

Green Smoothies are green-coloured smoothies. They are prepared in the same way as other smoothies, but a leafy green is added.

The basis of a green smoothie is water, plant milk, e.g. soya, almond or coconut. The most commonly-used vegetables are lettuce, lamb’s lettuce, spinach, chard and cabbage, and, last of all the fruit you prefer. If you wish to give it a sweeter taste, use banana, figs or cherries, and, if you prefer an acidic touch, you can add strawberries, kiwis or oranges.

If you intend to have a smoothie as food prior to any sort of sports training, you should add some dried fruit, or cereal and sugar for energy.

If you are going to have it after doing sports remember that you will need to replace proteins, by adding fresh cheese or cereal.

Remember there must be 70% fruit to balance the taste.

What are the benefits of a green smoothie?

• It helps digestion.
• It provides antioxidants for the skin.
• It improves your body’s energy and helps you to concentrate.
• The leafy vegetables provide vitamin A, C, calcium, fibre, antioxidants and chlorophyll, which detoxify your body, raises skin regeneration capacity, stimulates the production of red blood cells and accelerates tissue healing and oxygenation.

Try the celebrities’ recipe: spinach, lettuce, cucumber, apple, banana, pear, lemon juice and almond milk. If you are currently battling the bulge, replace the milk with crushed ice. It will be lighter. Are you game?