Green juices and smoothies have gained a ton of popularity over the years and for good reason! Unfortunately, many people don’t know how to make them palatable OR they are making them without regard to how it will affect their blood sugar.
Balancing blood sugar is one of the most important ways to keep you healthy. It affects every hormone in your body and is vital to keeping you in balance and feeling great! No one likes to feel hangry…hungry, angry, irritable, fog-brained, dizzy, or just kind of out of it and unable to focus…this is how it feels to have low blood sugar! Not to mention you are wreaking havoc on your body!
In order to balance blood sugar, you need to have balanced meals with plenty of protein and fats to slow digestion, keep you satiated, and provide you with the essential amino acids and EFA’s that your body and brain needs to function properly! Plus some healthy carbohydrates to fuel your energy!
Juices and smoothies tend to be loaded with sugars and carbohydrates without balancing this out with fats and proteins, which leads to a blood sugar disaster…Yes, your kale and banana smoothie, your carrot and beet juice, and even your green drank that is only juiced green vegetables will spike your blood sugar, leading to the hangry dip!
Some of you may be shocked that your green juice can actually be bad for you…but think of it this way…you are removing the fiber that slows digestion and leaving only carbohydrates behind that are going straight into your blood stream. Now, this is great for getting vitamins and minerals into your system in an easily absorbable way, but you are also sending simple carbohydrates (sugar!) straight into your blood stream. You need to have something else along side! I also prefer a blended green smoothie, like the recipe below, which leaves in the plant fiber for even more health benefits!
When drinking juices, you want them to be enjoyable and palatable, so having a sweeter vegetable like a beet or carrot can go a long way, but having 16 oz or even 8 oz of pure beet and carrot juice, orange juice, or apple juice is basically like drinking a soda…without all of the artificial shit and more vitamins of course…but as far as your blood sugar regulation goes, your body sees those sugars as the same. If you love having these super sweet juices ON OCCASION, make sure you are enjoying it with a high quality protein and fat. My preference is to make a super green drink that is loaded with healthy greens and lower sugar vegetables and fruits, so that it still contains fiber and is lower in sugar. I mostly prefer eating foods in their whole forms, rather than blending, but summertime definitely has me craving smoothies and juices!
The recipe below is one that I like to consume with breakfast so that I am eating protein and fats with it, but I am also providing some optional add ins that will make this a more filling smoothie with fats and protein, so that you can enjoy it alone as a snack… yes,
SNACKS NEED TO BE BLOOD SUGAR BALANCING TOO!!!
An apple as a snack doesn’t cut it, balance that shit with some almonds, almond butter, or half an avocado!
Now, back to this Glowing Green Smoothie, Meow! Summer is my the perfect time to enjoy green drinks because it is hot and I am in need of more hydrating foods and cooling drinks! Plus, you can find many greens, vegetables, and fruits at your local market!
- 2 kale leaves
- 1 cup spinach
- 2 romaine leaves
- ½ green apple
- juice of ½ lemon
- juice of ½ lime
- 8-16 oz. of water
- Ice!
- Stevia (if sweetness desired)
- Other great add ins:
- Collagen
- Nopal cactus
- Kiwi
- Cucumber
- High quality protein powder
- Kiwi
- Avocado
- Almond butter
- You can also add fruit if this is too green for you, but I love it just as is!
- Simply blend all of these ingredients together and ENJOY! I love serving it more liquidy over ice. This is so nourishing and cooling in the heat while providing you with tons of fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants!
More questions about blood sugar and how to balance it? Comment below! This is something a lot of people don’t think about with their green smoothies and juices, but it is SO vital to our health!
Blair is a Nutrition Consultant and Natural Chef with a passion for helping others achieve optimal health through a holistic approach that focuses on body, mind, and spirit. 
[…] to utilize this abundance of summer fun is by making smoothies and juices. Hopefully you read my post all about blood sugar balancing and understand how juicing and smoothies can be disruptive to keeping your blood sugar balanced, so […]