About two years ago, I started drinking green smoothies. I was trying to eat cleaner and holistically heal a sports injury, when a friend of mine sent me a detox smoothie recipe from a book entitled, “The Beauty Detox Solution.”

The book, which largely addresses when you should eat what foods for proper digestion, also gives some great detoxifying recipes.

I started making the basic green smoothie, and while the texture was a bit tough to take at first, the more I drank them the more and more I liked them and the more I started to experiment with different flavor combinations.

I instantly noticed a difference in my energy levels, needing much less coffee to feel awake and vibrant in the mornings. I also needed less grains in the morning to stay full, eventually cutting out hot cereals completely. My skin, which has never been bad, looked even better and brighter. People started commenting on the glow I had, saying I looked fantastic. A small amount of cellulite I had on the back of my legs completely vanished.

I credit this 100 percent to the detoxifying nutrient packed breakfast I’d started filling up on.

Another reason I got hooked on the green smoothies was because of how refreshing and hydrating they are. While I’ve had fruit smoothies for breakfast for years, there was something instantly invigorating about the green variety. I found this especially to be true if I’d had a couple glasses of wine or a martini the night before.

It’s like a hangover curing hydration charge in a glass.

I’ve been tweeting about and talking up these smoothies to anyone who will listen for the past two years. Over the past couple years I’ve turned several of my friends on to these drinks. In fact, the other night a friend said to me, “gosh I haven’t had a green smoothie all weekend and I can feel it.” We had about a ten minute discussion about what a noticeable difference these power concoctions make in your energy level.

She told me, just as I felt last winter, that as time went on she needed to make them less and less sweet, that instead of forcing herself to drink them like she had the first couple times, now she craved her morning green drink.

We both commented on the instant hydration we felt upon sipping them, and the fun we are having experimenting with different power greens and fruit combos and the disappearing cellulite on our mid-30s bodies.

While I’ve been making these drinks for so long that I never really follow a recipe, every once in awhile one of these concoctions is so good I have to write down the fruit/veggie combo I put together. This one I made Saturday morning is possibly the best I’ve come up with yet, so I had to share.

Plus, with summer right around the corner, we can all use to look as fierce as possible!

Once you get past the color I know you will grow to love the green deliciousness. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to get in veggies you might not like to cook like kale, chard and spinach.

Best Green Smoothie Ever
Yield: Three 16-ounce smoothies

1 banana
1 d’anjou pear
½ an orange
½ a large avocado, or 1 small
2 cups collard greens, torn into 1 inch pieces
½ cup fresh flat leaf parsley
Juice of ½ a lemon
Water

1. Place all ingredients in a blender.
2. Fill halfway with water and blend until smooth and creamy. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to four days.

General Green Smoothie tips: adding banana or avocado will give the drink a nice, smooth consistency. All fruit should be cut into about 1 inch pieces for blending ease. Greens should be torn, not cut. Be sure to place extras in a airtight container like a Mason jar or Nalgeen bottle for later consumption. Try to balance sweet, yet low-glycemic fruits with greens so your drink is still tasty and nutrient packed.

Kat Barry, a St. Joseph, Michigan native, is owner of Kat’s Hot Cakes vegan catering, and co author of “The New Chicago Diner Cookbook: Meat Free Recipes from America’s Veggie Diner.” She also develops recipes for eHow.com, where you can find over 30 of her vegan instructional cooking videos. She is also a certified yoga instructor. Kat currently resides in Chicago, and in her free time she enjoys practicing yoga, sampling local spirits, listening to live music, and getting outdoors. Follow @katshotcakes on twitter. Kat can be reached via email at: kat@katshotcakes.com.