Smoothie of the Day: Dr. Fuhrman’s Super Green Smoothie With Dates

Dr. Joel Fuhrman, physician and bestselling author of the well-known diet book, Eat to Live, taught us to think about food in a new way, and to choose the most nutrient-dense foods we could eat, in order to lose weight and live our healthiest lives. His new book, Eat for Life, adds even more science to the argument that a diet of nutrient-dense plant-based foods with the highest nutrients per calorie is the best way to eat for disease prevention, weight loss, longevity and to reverse symptoms life-threatening diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and live longer. He shared his tips on eating a "Nutritarian Diet" to lose weight and slow aging with The Beet, including how to time eating for best results (eat early in the day, not late, is his advice) and exactly what to eat to achieve your healthiest self.

His approach to eating: Choose high-nutrient, plant-based whole foods that supply abundant amounts of micronutrients. Think of it as a simple equation: Health = Nutrient intake per Calorie consumed, or H = N/C.

In a detailed interview with The Beet, Dr. Fuhrman shared his guidelines for making a healthy, delicious, nutrient-dense smoothie, and avoiding the calorie bombs. "Smoothies can quickly turn into sugar and carb bombs, so how do you avoid that? You add as many greens as possible,' Dr. Fuhrman says. That means more greens, fewer berries or fruit, and make it from as many cruciferous greens as possible, he adds.

"Any smoothie that gets a person to eat green veggies is a good idea, so long as you're not also adding sugar or the equivalent," Fuhrman warns. "So for instance, you can add dates, but not too many—don't make it too fruity. Try to think of getting as many greens in it as possible." Here's Dr. Fuhrman's smoothie recipe, for when you need to up your nutrients!

Why it's healthier: Broccoli is one of the only dark veggies that have calcium. It also is full of vitamins and antioxidants, including a disease-fighting agent that boosts immunity even as it helps take the stress off your organs.

Healthy ingredients: Iron, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin