Unless you live under a rock, you’ve probably heard someone referencing “green drinks” – green smoothies and juice. With proponents like celebrities Dr. Oz and Oprah to wellness warrior Kris Carr singing the green smoothie’s praise, it’s hard not to be intrigued. If you’re not riding the green smoothie train yet, here are 5 reasons why you should be:

1. Great On the Go

Ditch other grab-and-go options… few meals can be quicker or more convenient than a green smoothie! I use the Big Boss blender, so that I can blend in the cup and go (limited cleanup!). For an even quicker turnaround, I load all my ingredients in my blender cup the night before so I only have about 2 minutes of work to do in the morning at mealtime.

If morning routines aren't your thing, green smoothies will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator, so you can make a big batch and be ready to go for almost half the week.

2. Increase Fruits & Veggies

The daily recommended value for fruits and veggies if 5-13 per day. Based on a 2009 survey by the Center for Disease Control, less than 35% of Americans are eating 2 or more fruits a day while only about 26% eat 3 or more vegetables a day. Are you getting enough? Adding a green smoothie is a fast and easy way to add fruits and veggies to your daily diet.

3. Alkalize Your Diet

High stress levels and foods and drinks like meat, dairy, coffee, and alcohol cause the body to become acidic and, over time, can wreak havoc on your body. Additionally, in response to high acid levels, the body creates fat cells to store the acid, increase your percent body fat. Green smoothies help to alkalize the body (neutralizing the acid) and can, as a result, prevent weight gain.

4. Easy to Digest

Your digestive system needs to do very little to break down the contents of a smoothie, since, by nature, a smoothie is already broken down. This gives your digestive system some much needed R&R! Further, unlike green juices, green smoothies contain fiber which aids in healthy digestion and keeps you fuller longer.

5. High in Vitamins & Minerals

Leafy greens are high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc and vitamins A, C, E, and K. They’re also loaded with good-for-you folic acid and chlorophyll.

Here's my Go-To Green Smoothie recipe:

1 banana 1-2 handfuls of your favorite organic greens (romaine or baby spinach are great starters; kale, swiss chard, or collards have a stronger taste) ¼ medium cucumber (peeled) ¼ avocado 1 ½ cups filtered water or unsweetened almond milk

My favorite add-ins:

Shakeology Chia seeds Green tea powder Substitute ½ teaspoon coconut oil for avocado Handful of your favorite berries (raw or frozen)

Blend until smooth! And then get your green mustache on.

If you don’t like the taste, start with less veggies and more fruit. Play with the proportions until you have more veggies than fruit and a drink you’ll love to enjoy several times a week!

Are you getting your green on? Share your thoughts in the comments.