Can you really put spinach in a smoothie?

Yes, you can.  And no, it doesn't ruin the taste. 

Seriously.

I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't listened to Craig Ballantyne (and watched his video).

I didn't have as much trouble with my blender as Craig did, but his advice is spot-on.  Adding leafy greens like spinach or kale to your smoothies or blended drinks is a great way to get high volumes of plant nutrients into your daily diet without having to sit down behind a punch bowl-sized salad three times each day. 

This is sure to be only the first in many discussions about "green smoothies", if you are anything like me (or most people) it will probably take a few times for you to get used to the idea of combining spinach in a blender with the rest of your smoothie.

Here's another video of Atlanta Falcons' tight end Tony Gonzalez using spinach (and a bunch of other veggies) in his blender drink:

UFC's Phillipe Nover talks nutrition

When Phillipe Nover was featured on Season 8 of Spike TV's "The Ultimate Fighter", he was known for three main things.

1. Fainting during the orientation speech on the first day  
2. Having explosive knockout power
3. Being fanatic about his sushi

One of the other fighters started eating his sushi out of the fridge for a while before a few (gross) measures were taken to teach that fighter a lesson about messing with another man's food.  What wasn't lost on me was Phillipe's belief in eating well and taking care of his body, and the results showed as he advanced to the final round before losing to Efrain Escuadero.

  In an interview with PR Cole of Fuel The Fighter (Twitter: @fuelthefighter), Phillipe outlines his approach to nutrition and trying to keep things "clean" and natural while still having enough in the tank for his intense MMA sessions.

Among other things, he mentions his preference for training early on an empty stomach (or close to it) which I have also found better results with in my own experience.  Phillipe also covers how he gets healthy fruit/vegetable-based carbs in his system as opposed to grains, and how to cook meals based around lean proteins.

Also check out his "Incredible Hulk" shake receipe, which is pretty similar to what I try to get in every day as well.

http://www.mmafighting.com/2009/05/11/fuel-the-fighter-food-fitness-with-phillipe-nover/

Key Takeaway:  It takes slightly more planning and attention to detail, but it is VERY possible to eat a clean diet based around natural foods, fruits, and vegetables and still train at an intense level every day.  Easy-to-access grains like breads and pastas can be a cop-out, since the body does not burn off these processed foods as efficiently as more natural ones.