Archive for March, 2009

I have endometriosis and ovarian cysts and have suffered with cramping, heavy menstruation, and low back pain for 20+ years. I have had numerous surgeries to help correct and alleviate the problem with no success. I finally reached the point that my doctors determined a hysterectomy would be my next surgery. I am in my early thirties and was not ready for that so I spent a lot of time researching nutritional options. I discovered green smoothies and they have helped tremendously (I have been drinking them for a year now).

My cycles have improved dramatically and the majority of the time I feel like a normal person. That has never been the case because of this constant pain that was always with me. Thanks for all of the info on your site. As I have changed my eating habits I have also discovered trigger foods that cause ovarian pain, spotting, and bleeding. I am grieving the loss of chocolate but the smoothies have almost taken any cravings for sweets away. Once again thanks so much for helping to change the quality of my life.

–Becky Flannery (Sandy, UT)

I started drinking green smoothies two months ago. I use a large amount of organic leafy produce and I use kombucha as the liquid, with a small amount of fruit or fruit juice. Then I follow it up with a handful of spirulina and chlorella tablets. This combination rocks.

–Anon.

Green smoothies have saved my life! I had been in a state of depression for the past 4 years. I was put depression medicine but it never helped. I discovered green smoothies in December of 2008 and decided to give it a try in January 2009. It has been two months since I started making a green smoothie everyday and I feel AMAZING, WONDERFUL, and FULL OF LIFE. I have not felt this good in a long time. I have had tons of energy, I can fall asleep faster at night and feel rested when I wake up, I don’t feel the need to take daily naps, I have had less cravings for sweets and processed foods, my motivation is back, and I have lost 8 pounds in 2 months. Green smoothies are here to stay!

–AB from IL

I love the green smoothies; they have made a world of difference in my life. I know I am a happier healthier person because of them. I am so thankful for them; I love them so very much. They have given me so much drive. It is easier to drink your greens. I have been eating healthy greens for years. I like the kale in a smoothie rather than eating it daily as I have done. It is much easier to get down in a drinkable form. Thank you!

–Lisa

I have a bajillion of these, and I’ll talk about other stuff sometimes and sprinkle these in, just to keep you motivated with others’ fun tales of their health improving:

I tried the green smoothie after juicing for several years. Juicing was expensive and demanded a lot of time and work extracting the juice from the fiber and cleaning the juicer. Blended raw foods made a lot of sense and I did not need to be converted on the idea.

When I began drinking the green smoothie I weighed 285 lbs. One year later I weigh 240 lbs.  Daily workouts have contributed as much to my weight loss as any other factor. However, the benefits of the green smoothie as I experienced them are as follows:

1.  Drinking the green smoothie changed my bowel movement habits, which are now frequent (2-3 times a day) and regular.

2.  The green smoothie is my pre-workout, first thing in the morning food. I have been surprised at the energy it sustains throughout my workout.

3.  The green smoothie fills me up without slowing me down. It satisfies my hunger and cravings till early in the afternoon.  It has curbed my overall appetite thus decreasing the overall calories I consume in a day.

4. I find that the green smoothie helps my digestion, especially with the foods that do not digest well. I eat a lot of lean meat and I feel the organic raw food in my gut facilitates digestion and elimination of meat.

5. Beginning my day with green smoothie drinks and working out provides me the momentum, nutrition, and motivation to eat a strict lean diet throughout the rest of the day.

The green smoothie has lived up to the expectations I had.  Several of the above benefits caught me totally by surprise.  I have been drinking green smoothies every morning for the past year.  They have served me well.  Now that I have lost the weight I needed, I have significantly increased my strength and energy.  My new goals are not to lose any more weight but to increase my overall lean muscle mass. My idea is to begin drinking green smoothies twice a day rather than just once in the morning.

–Gregg L.

I started drinking green smoothies and doing about 80% to 95% raw to help improve my migraine headaches. I lost 51 pounds in six months and I feel great. I am 47 years old, and I teach at an alternative high school.  It can be very stressful working with at-risk youth. I have seen my mood and attitude improve so much since I started adding green smoothies as my breakfast.

My favorite is 2 bananas, 1 large apple, 2 kale leaves, 6-8 dandelion greens, 2 large handfuls fresh spinach, some wheatgrass juice, 2 cups water and 1 cup of ice. Blend and I have breakfast and my afternoon snack. This great stuff and I will not ever go back to eating the way I used to with fast and processed foods.

–Carol N.

I would like to convert everybody. There are many benefits. You will experience increased energy. You will need less sleep and your cravings for sweets will decrease down to nothing. You will lose weight, your blood pressure will come down. You will feel like 21 again.

I actually, really look forward to the first smoothie in the a.m. It is easy, and if you give it a chance, you will love it too. The first smoothie I made I used a 1/2 banana and tasted great, but I did not want to use it on a daily basis. So, I did not make any smoothies for one month. I decided to go back and try again, this time with a 1/2 apple for 32 ounces. That hooked me!

Green smoothies taste so fresh. I make 64 ounces in the a.m. I use 32 ounces in the morning and save the next 32 ounces for noon meal. You can take it with you to work. It travels well and it is so easy, I just make mine fresh everyday.

The GreenSmoothieGirl website is extremely informative with all the information for making the green smoothie. I vary the greens (very important), but my base is apple, celery, parsley (all organic, of course).  I then on various days use two of the following, any of the types of kale, swiss chard, mustard greens, collard greens, dandelion, arugula, or anything else that looks fresh.

Put the soft washed leafy greens in the bottom of the blender and top it with the harder washed vegetables. Add the filtered water, and start blending, If it is too thick, add more water and blend again. I sip it (as a good portion of digestion occurs in the mouth). And, I get to enjoy this every morning.

Now, to keep the greens extra fresh, here is what I do. I place each type of green, unwashed in a mason jar 1/4 filled with water. I top it with one of those green bags and twist the green bag at the bottom around with my fingers, so it is fairly secure around the mason jar. Greens keep great, and I never throw out anything, seriously. Keeping green onions like this is wonderful, the greens love it. Wishing my best to everyone who has a desire for great health and is willing to give a green smoothie a fair shot.

–Lorraine L. (Naples, Florida)

What can we say! My husband, myself, and our 15 month old baby are hooked! There is no such thing as the 3 o’clock sleepiness anymore. We have so much more energy. Our daughter loves the smoothies. She even has a smoothie dance she does when she wants some. With her on the green smoothies, I do not worry so much about if she is getting proper nutrition. I just know she is. With the addition of flax seed or chia, I also know she is getting the good fats she needs for brain development.  I am so glad I stumbled onto your site, Robyn. This has changed our lives.

–Shelly N.

This is the healthful “FAST FOOD!” My health has changed for the better! I now have a desire to do, and to live! Thanks to green smoothies!

–Dallas J.

What do you think about adding other things to the green smoothie?  For example, I’ve been adding “Delicious Greens 8000″ (a spoonful), some whey protein, and some non-fat plain kefir.  I’d be interested to hear if you think this is either beneficial or detrimental to the whole green smoothie concept.

Also, what do you think about the idea of doing a green smoothie “fast” for a few days or more?  Would you consider this to be harmful or beneficial?

Thanks.

Other positive health benefits reported by survey respondents include these:

3 people said: Hyperthyroid condition improved (reduced or gone off meds)

2 people said: Seasonal allergies gone or decreased

2 people said: Reduced asthma symptoms

7 people said: Arthritis symptoms/pain gone or reduced

2 people said: Migraines gone or reduced by 80 percent

2 people said: acne improved or gone

2 people said: eczema or dry skin cleared

Decreased blood pressure

No more hypertension

Was able to go off cholesterol meds

Was able to go off Prilosec

Haven’t gotten sick in a year like I always do

Moles disappeared

Deep facial wrinkles “barely noticeable”

Less nasal congestion

Lump on leg getting smaller

Liver spots fading

Tendonitis gone

Muscle soreness gone

Hypoglycemia improved

No more bloating, gas, indigestion, constipation

Avoided a hysterectomy, lifelong menstrual problems returned to normal

Easier to breastfeed

Don’t sunburn any more

Grey hair returned to original dark color

Depression symptoms gone

Lifelong bad breath gone in two weeks

Ended coffee addiction

Just feel better

The risks of a new green smoothie habit are limited to an 18.5 percent chance of a short-term, uncomfortable cleansing reaction.  The top six benefits that people experience when starting a green smoothie habit are, in order, more energy, improved digestion, fewer cravings for sweets and processed food, a more positive/stable mood, improved skin, and weight loss.

It’s hard to look at this data without being compelled to give green smoothies a try!

The results of my poll of 175 green smoothie drinkers yielded some interesting results that suggest quite definitively that it’s a 10-minute habit worth adopting!

The vast majority, or 97 percent, said green smoothies noticeably improved their health or quality of life.

Only 18.5 percent had uncomfortable, short-term cleansing reactions.  The following symptoms were reported:

Headaches

Skin breakouts

Diarrhea

Nausea

Bloating

Intestinal gas

Cramps

Constipation

Vertigo

Dizziness

Fainting

Lethargy or weakness

Runny nose

Mucous in the back of the throat

Liver pain

Mood swings

Depression

Emotional crisis

Very exciting to me is the fact that 84 percent of those drinking green smoothies are so enthusiastic about the positive health benefits that they’ve taught others about the habit!

These are the positive health effects people experience, listed in order of their frequency among the research respondents:

85.4 percent experience more energy.

79.2 percent experience improved digestion (more regular and/or complete bowel movements, no straining, soft/formed stool, etc.).

65 percent experience fewer cravings for sweets and processed foods.

52.3 percent experience a more positive, stable mood.

51 percent experience an improvement in skin tone, or fewer blemishes.

50 percent experience weight loss.  The average reported pounds lost is 17.3 lbs.!

(Keep in mind when considering this very impressive statistic that some of the respondents had been drinking green smoothies only 30 days, and some of them did not have any weight to lose.)

48.5 percent experience an increased desire to exercise.

44.6 percent experience improved sleep (need less of it, decreased insomnia, more alert in the mornings, etc.).

41.5 percent feel less stressed out.

40 percent experience blood sugar stabilization.

39 percent experience people telling them they look better.

35 percent say their fingernails are stronger or grow faster.

26 percent say their hair is shinier or their dandruff gone.

18.5 percent experience a decrease in PMS symptoms.  (Consider that some of the respondents in the survey are not females of menstruating age.)

17 percent report an improved sex drive.

More data tomorrow.

Locals only (pickup in Lindon, Utah)–sorry, out-of-towners, I’m working on shipping the granola ingredients at least and will let you know if I figure it out:

This post kicks off a group buy for THREE WEEKS ONLY: great prices on many of the most popular whole-food ingredients in my 12 Steps to Whole Foods recipes that I highly recommend having in your food storage.  I’m very excited that you can get them in this buy in #10 cans.  This will slow spoilage only slightly, but it will keep meal worms/moths out, which I highly value since I’ve lost much of my food storage to meal worm infestation over the years.  The buy includes common items in my most popular recipes, including Hot-Pink Breakfast Smoothie and the granola that will dramatically change your digestion and elimination habits for the better.

You can also stock up on raw/organic agave, organic/extra virgin coconut oil, and VitaMineral Green (best thing I know of to nourish your thyroid, and the most important raw staple in my food storage, with a five-year shelf life).  Finally, I have some colloidal silver and Charlene’s Anti-Plague, for knocking down colds, viruses, and infections.

When you get an email after Apr. 4 to pick up your order in Lindon, to make sure you are using your storage items for amazing nutrition, you’ll also receive a list of all the recipes in my step-by-step program (that includes 250 recipes) that use these ingredients. 

Here’s the link to the order form in the GreenSmoothieGirl.com store:  http:/www.greensmoothiegirl.com/nbulk   Please note your order number on your check when you mail it in!

Note that the minimum group buy is $200.  Please forward this email to your nutrition-conscious friends and family now, so they don’t get it after the buy closes on April 4.  Your order will note the address to postmark payment by Apr. 4.  Your out-of-state family may participate if they have someone to pick up for them, as we are not shipping these items.

Thanks,

Robyn

Here’s the link to the order form again: http:/www.greensmoothiegirl.com/nbulk

Locals in Utah County, at Sunflower Market right now, whole pitted dates in the bins are $2.79/lb., good price.  I love their produce, too, by the way (the candy section and the fact that they sell pork is really inexplicable, but . . . whatever).  Organic apples continue to be $0.99 at Good Earth.

In the next couple of days, I will be kicking off a new group buy for locals on the cases of raw/organic agave, cases of VitaMineral Green, gallons of extra virgin, organic coconut oil, and . . . this is new . . .

Almost all the ingredients for my granola (nuts, seeds, dried fruits, shredded coconut, flax, sprouts) in #10 cans!  That’ll keep the meal moths/worms out and slightly extend the shelf life for your storage.  (We’ll also have 5 lb. bags for those of you who are refrigerating or freezing, for all the items.)

Anyway, the prices are great and I’m excited.  Stand by for the announcement–the buy will be live in the gsg.com store for just a few weeks!  I couldn’t work a deal to get reasonable shipping for agave and coconut oil, since they’re heavy, so non-locals, please just buy your oil through the link on the coconut oil pages on GreenSmoothieGirl.com.  I may be able to work out shipping on all the new items above, so I’ll let you know if I do.

I’ve been making the yummiest chips for guacamole and salsa by just cutting corn tortillas in quarters (with scissors) and broiling them till lightly browned, 2 mins. on each side.  They’re perfect, and no oil is needed.  I love the sprouted-wheat tortilla chips I have taught you before (see my YouTube vid), but these are easy and very cheap to make.

Subscribe to my video demos on YouTube (just search on “greensmoothiegirl”) because I have 7 new ones coming out.  How to shop for greens, fitness, a quick/easy candy recipe, five-minute salsa in your Total Blender, Green Smoothie 2.0 with Superfoods, and more.

–Robyn