Have you ever heard someone mention a green smoothie and wanted to gag? I did. Three years ago a friend of mine suggested I have green smoothies for breakfast, and I wanted to scream profanities at her after I made my first one. She didn't warn me that green smoothies are something you have to ease into (for most people, anyway).

My first green smoothie consisted of swiss chard (I didn't even know what it was until I bought it the first time), mustard greens (too bitter for a beginner), an avocado (gave it a great texture, but SUCKED with the rest of the produce), blueberries (contributed to an "eye sore" of a color; an ugly shade of brown), a peeled lemon, a banana (which added to the thickness of the smoothie... not a good idea at the time), coconut water and raw almonds.

To be honest, not only was the smoothie absolutely disgusting, but I was mad that I'd spent so much money on something I didn't even like. It was a total waste! To add insult to injury, I had a decent blender, but it wasn't powerful enough to blend the leafy greens, so I ended up with what appeared to be big chunks of grass.

If you're new to green smoothies, or are trying to introduce the concept of green smoothies to someone, let me save you from similar disasters. These five recipes are what I used for the first few weeks after I decided to give green smoothies a chance again. Since then, I've been HOOKED, and have one daily. Not only are green smoothies healing, loaded with nutrients, and contribute to a glowing complexion, but they're the ONLY reason I have breakfast in the morning. I've also gotten fancy with my smoothies and combine all kinds of wholesome yumminess.

Note: Try to use organic produce and ingredients when possible. If not possible, clean produce well, and peel where noted.

1. Island Blast

1 small to medium banana (ripe and peeled)

1 rib of celery

¼ cucumber (peeled if not organic)

1 cup of fresh or frozen pineapple

1 small handful of parsley

½ inch piece of ginger (or less if you’re new to ginger)

1-2 cups of coconut water (unpasteurized)

2. Creamy Green

1 avocado (ripe, peeled and pit removed)

1 frozen small to medium banana (ripe and peeled)

1 orange (peeled and seeds removed)

½-1 cup of spinach

1-1 ½ cups of unsweetened vanilla almond milk

For a sweeter smoothie, use 1 tbsp of Grade B maple syrup, raw agave nectar, or 1 pitted medjool date

*Optional: 5-6 ice cubes

3. Tropical Cleanse

1 cup frozen or fresh pineapple

1 small to medium banana (ripe and peeled)

1 inch piece of ginger

2 handfuls of spinach

1 cup water or coconut water (unpasteurized)

4. Banana-Berry Super Smoothie

2 cups of spinach

1 frozen small to medium banana (ripe and peeled)

3/4 cup of frozen mixed berries (or fresh strawberries or blueberries)

¼ cup of raw nuts or raw seeds (my favorites are sunflower seeds, walnuts, flax seeds or almonds, or a combination of the above)

1-2 cups of water or coconut water (unpasteurized)

5. Green Strawberry-Kiwi Lemonade

1 kiwi (peeled)

¾ cup of frozen or fresh strawberries

¼- ½ cup of frozen or fresh pineapple

½ lemon (peeled and seeds removed)

2 cups of spinach

1-1 ½ cups of water or coconut water (unpasteurized)

Even if you aren’t ready to use leafy greens, you can make any fruit smoothie a green smoothie. Simply add cucumber, celery ribs, parsley, cilantro, basil, mint leaves, spirulina, sweet pea, or broccoli sprouts. As you get comfortable with green smoothies, I suggest working your way up to 2 cups of leafy greens such as spinach (best for a beginner), kale, spring greens, swiss chard or romaine lettuce (kale is my favorite). Then add 1-2 servings of fruit (I always use at least 2 different fruits) and for a super charged smoothie add up to ¼ cup of raw nuts or seeds, use coconut water or nut milk for the liquid and add super foods such as goji berries, chia seeds, acai, maca, or raw cacao. Use a high power blender such as Vitamix, Blendtec, or even Nutri-bullet. Enjoy!

Bonus smoothie (Not green though. Just one of my favorites)

Strawberry Cream

1 frozen small to medium banana (ripe and peeled)

1 cup of frozen strawberries

½ avocado (ripe, peeled and pit removed)

1 ½ cups of unsweetened almond milk

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1 tbsp of Grade B maple syrup, raw agave nectar or 1 pitted medjool date