Go Green Without the Food Coloring This St. Patty’s

by Joseph Duggan Lyons

The Duggan Sisters brought green smoothies, a vital component of our wellness message, to Destination Kohler this March. Yes, as you may have noticed, your deodorant makers like to talk to you about your GI tract too. The Women’s Wellness Weekend participants are now among the thousands that the Sisters have urged to make the brain-gut connection by incorporating living foods into their diets, what we call the move from pharmacopia to cornucopia.

Green Smoothie Revolution by Victoria Boutenko

Equally important as our embrace of the living foods movement is our commitment to a judgment-free living foods lifestyle, which is why we find green smoothies to be the perfect addition to busy lifestyles. Several years ago as my aunts made the transition to be 100 percent raw, I was struck by the health transformations I saw in them. It seemed great – for them. Even though I knew how tasty living foods could be from my aunts’ wonderful raw creations, it didn’t seem practical as a young adult making plans with friends, ideally over tacos. Thus they encouraged me to give green smoothies a go, gifting me several Victoria Boutenko books for college graduation.

Green smoothies have become the perfect middle ground for me and many in the lifestinks family. They are scrumptious, healthy and can even help you transition to a natural deodorant. Not everyone can be 100 percent raw, but for me, green smoothies have become a vital component of a diet that’s completely gluten-free and moving towards less meat, fewer processed foods and more vegetables every day.

I stumbled upon Victoria Boutenko’s Mango Chard Pudding recipe while using her online green smoothie app one day in the produce section. I was trying to find a good match for all the beautiful organic mangos that were then in season and Swiss chard is just the green. My variation adds an orange and some more water to make it smoother.

So, if you’re loving lifestinks but are still cautious about jumping on board with the rest of our wellness message, give this green smoothie a try. It was my recommendation for the women at Kohler’s induction to a life rich with blended greens.

Here’s our version, the Sisters’ Shamrock Shake:

Keep in mind that you can add more water to find the consistency that you like. Also consider the size of the green chard leaves; the goal is 60 percent fruit and 40 percent greens. Some also add three to five tablespoons of agave nectar if the mangos or oranges aren’t sweet enough.3 cups filtered water
2-3 Mangos peeled and pitted (2 if large, 3 if small)
2 Oranges peeled and quartered
5 leaves of green chard, chopped, including most of the stems (can use rainbow chard as well but it will make it darker due to the red and yellow stems)

Check out these awesome pictures. Annie joined Chef Angie Rondinelli at the American Club for a green smoothie taste test. From what I’ve heard the women in Kohler loved the smoothies, bought Victoria’s books and are ready to include green smoothies in their daily routine.

Are you ready to learn more about Green Smoothies and want the inspiration of hundreds of recipes? Be sure to pickup a copy of the original classic GREEN FOR LIFE or the follow-up volume GREEN SMOOTHIE REVOLUTION with answers to your questions and hundreds more recipes. Both books are available in the web store at duggansisters.com.