It is hard to imagine that one can put the words vegetable and smoothie together and expect anything delicious to emerge, but I have recently found this to be absolutely true. My discovery was the lucky result of perusing my self-help laden bookshelf last week while trying to find inspiration (and trying to decide if I really need all these books), when my eyes fell upon The Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates.

I discovered Donna’s work a few years ago and was quite taken with her ideas, but overwhelmed by the thought of eating the mainstay of her diet — fermented and cultured foods — so I put the book on the shelf.

I must have been ready for her principles now, because the book jumped out at me and I have been following and eating the way she recommends ever since. The premise of the book is to restore the “delicate balance of the ecosystem that exists within our own bodies,” which I love, because it echoes my beliefs about healing and restoring the connection between body, mind and spirit.

This smoothie is my take on a recipe she offers and a wonderful way to start the day. I never would have believed that putting all this green goodness into the Vitamix could turn out so wonderfully, but try it for yourself and you will see what I mean.

The pièce de résistance is the raw coconut meat. I found it in the freezer section of Whole Foods and it adds that indescribable something to the taste and texture.

There is a lot of room for experimentation so be brave and play. You can find great ideas on page 125 of one of her other books, The Body Ecology Guide to Growing Younger.

 

Vegetable Smoothie Recipe

Three Stalks Celery, cut into one inch pieces. Donna recommends that celery is 30% of the smoothie.

Half of a Cucumber, peeled and cut into one inch pieces.

Half of a Zucchini, washed and cut into one inch pieces.

Three leaves of Romaine Lettuce, washed and torn into manageable size pieces.

Half bunch of Parsley, washed and stems removed.

Three slices thawed, raw coconut meat.

Half an Avocado.

 

1/2 Cup 100% Pomegranate Juice, no sweeteners.

1/2 Cup Kefir, I use the Goat Milk Variety.

Purified Water.

Stevia, to taste.

 

2 Tablespoons Pumpkin Seed Oil, I found this at Whole Foods as well

2 Tablespoons Chia Seeds

Put all vegetable ingredients in the blender and add oil and chia seeds. Pour pomegranate juice and kefir in. Add water to fill blender to approximately three-quarters full.  Blend on high speed until thoroughly mixed. Serve well chilled.

Play with the amount of Stevia to achieve a smoothie that has just a touch of sweetness to balance the earthy green taste of all the vegetables.

For maximum healing benefits, it is recommended to drink on an empty stomach and to wait a few hours before eating solid food. In addition, because it is thick, Donna suggests chewing it while it is in your mouth to introduce saliva and activate the digestion process.

I’d love to hear your experience with trying a vegetable smoothie! It changed my view of smoothie possibilities. Did it surprise you?

Sending healing vibrations your way.

-db

Who is Dianna Bonny?

Hi, my name is Dianna Bonny. It’s my mission to candidly share my journey with you. For me, it’s all about the healing: to create a radiant healing energy for others who have befallen a similar fate. Together, we can forge beautiful lives of belonging and connection. Thanks for joining me today! I look forward to hearing from you.