Green smoothies, which are packed with nutrient-dense fruits and veggies, are gaining popularity for one main reason: They actually work. Even better, they're made from whole foods and they're totally affordable, even for a large family. In just five minutes, you can start making your own green smoothies. Get ready to see and feel a real difference in your health.

With a green smoothie in hand, you can drink your way to an excellent state of health. What will your green smoothie success story be? Here are just a few health benefits you can achieve:Lose weight: The fiber in green smoothies keeps you fuller longer. Leafy greens help stabilize blood sugars and reduce cravings.

Green smoothies are easy to make, but unless you have a super high-powered blender, you can’t just throw everything in at once and blend. To make a great green smoothie, follow these basic rules:Choose two or three different types of sweet or savory fruits, such as apple and banana or avocado, cucumber, and tomato.

You don't have to be on a strict vegan, vegetarian, or even raw food diet to enjoy the health benefits of green smoothies. And you don't have to eliminate any foods that you're already eating or enjoying. The idea behind green smoothies is to drink one smoothie a day as a complement to your current diet. With just that change alone, you should start to see results.

After you have the basic green smoothie recipe down pat, you can start branching out by adding superfoods for even more minerals, vitamins, chlorophyll, protein, or antioxidants. Look for 100-percent certified organic superfood products to avoid any low-quality added fillers. Here are some top superfood picks

Juices and juice smoothies can be nutritious and delicious additions to your diet, and you don't need to go to a smoothie shop to get them. With very little equipment and time, you can make your own juices and smoothies at home.First, you need to know the difference between juices and smoothies. Then you need to know the benefits of juices and smoothies.

Juicing has many, almost too many, benefits to list. And you may find that some benefits you just can’t know until you experience them. If you get into the habit of making and consuming fresh juices twice a day, you’ll sense the juice instantly release nourishment into your bloodstream. © Maridav / Shutterstock.

The trend we know as "juicing" didn't really become popular until around 2010. Today, you can find all types of juicers on the market to help you get more fruits and vegetables into your diet.While juicing daily can bring a lot of health benefits, there are also some risks with juicing, especially for people with certain health conditions or who take prescription medication.

Smoothies use the whole fruit, not just the juice, so you get all the benefits of the fiber and the vitamins. These berry smoothies use frozen fruit, which keep the smoothie thick and creamy.Preparation time: About 15 minutesYield: 4 servings 1 cup fresh or frozen berries, such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries 1 frozen banana 1 cup vanilla yogurt 1/2 cup orange juice, lemonade, or milk (plus more for thinning, if necessary) Peel the banana.