Green Smoothies

What is a green smoothie?

It is a blended drink that contains greens--fresh, uncooked spinach, lettuce (not iceberg), dandelion greens, kale, and herbs such as parsley and cilantro. Dark, leafy greens provide can meet many of our nutritional needs. It is great to add one or two dark, leafy green salads or cooked side dish to your daily meals. Blending the greens, allows for those who have poor digestion (myself and many fellow gluten intolerant individuals) to obtain more nutrients from their foods as the process of chewing is done by the blender. This also allows for anyone to get a higher amount of greens in one sitting then could be done by chewing a large salad.

How does a green smoothie differ from juicing?

I like juicing and it has its place in providing a lot of nutrition in concentrated form. I find that I do better with these smoothies as it keeps the fiber intact with fruits and veggies.


Why are these drinks beneficial?

Most of us think it is odd to drink something that is green unless it is Mountain Dew! Dark, leafy greens are loaded with calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron with vitamins A and C. Realize that vitamin A obtained from plant sources and not animal (form is beta-carotene) require the body to convert the beta-carotene to vitamin A, Those who are acutely or chronically sick may not be able to do. Fresh greens also contain chlorophyll which can help stimulate red blood cell production and provides magnesium.

Many raw foodists start their day with a green smoothie and may also have one for lunch. I find that as a person with chronic fatigue that adding these nutritious, fresh smoothies to my diet has provided a great energy boost! I have been drinking these for breakfast daily for a few months. I took a hiatus from them for a little over a week and became fatigued again resulting in needing to rest during the day for hours. Since resuming the drinks, I rarely need a nap and generally feel better.

Can I have spinach everyday?

Spinach is the best green to start with, as it is liked by all who try it and it breaks down easily. It is important to rotate greens as they contain small amounts of nitrogen, called alkaloids and they can pile up in your system. You always want to rotate foods, that is why we have seasonal foods, we aren't meant to eat the same thing over and over.

Are green smoothies for kids?

These are good drinks for kids and they will never know the greens are in them. Some of the drinks are green and you could put them in a cup with a lid that the kids can't see. This drink could be in addition to your child's breakfast but not the entire breakfast. My son does drink these most days of the week and since he is almost 14, he doesn't always want a big breakfast. He does have protein at lunch and a larger meal at that time. This drink can also be a snack and is a better alternative to sugar laden fruit juices that are available. Using a straw works well for kids and adults alike.

How do I choose greens and prepare them?

Choose fresh, bright, organic greens that aren't yellowing, browning or wilting. Wash your greens thoroughly rinsing them until all dirt and grit is gone. I use a mix of food grade 3% hydrogen peroxide, a few ounces in a bowl of water that covers my produce. After soaking them for about 5-10 minutes, I rinse them.

What is in green smoothies?

There are many ways to make green smoothies but typically they consist of fruit, water or juice (fresh squeezed or juiced, such as limes, lemons or apples) and greens. The fruit percentage is typically 60% fruit and 40% greens.


How do I make one?

The recipe for today, is a Blackberry Mango Smoothie. We will make it using a normal blender not a Vita-Mix, which is a great machine, but very expensive. If you really enjoy these smoothies and have health issues, it may be a good investment for you. No, I don't get any money from Vita-Mix, I wish!! I wish they would send me one!!!

I will show you how to make the smoothie using a normal speed blender. You can follow this procedure with any smoothie you want to make. Remember, a regular blender doesn't have the force to pull big pieces of food down to the blade if there is too much fluid diluting the mixture.

Blackberry Mango Smoothie

1 10 oz. bag organic frozen blackberries
1 10 oz. bag organic frozen mangoes
2 c. spinach
water







Place blackberries in the blender and place enough water to cover the berries.



Puree the berries. Place this mix in a strainer over a bowl.








This is what the blackberry juice will look like.


Place half of the blackberry juice in the blender. Add the spinach (if you used a different green such as romaine, rip it into smaller pieces) and blend well.


Add the mango and more blackberry juice if needed to keep the mixture moving. Add more water to the mixture, I usually add enough to fill it to the top.



My action picture!!!


Voila! I usually drink 28-32 ounces a day.

Enjoy!!!

Is Agave Healthy?

I have written the article below that will appear on ezinearticles.com this week. I have used agave in baking, cooking and in my tea. Since I avoid high fructose corn syrup like the plague, I am thinking that I may do the same with agave or use it only on rare occasions. As with anything, it is best to stick to the real deal in its entirety.
Updated information on agave.

Here it is:
d be a better alternative to white sugar. A recent study trial using diabetic participants who consumed agave nectar suffered severe side effects and the trial was stopped. The site fails to report what these issues were and how much agave was ingested by participants. In speaking with a representative of an agave manufacturing company there are questions about whether or not sucrose in the form of maple syrup was used in addition to the agave.

I have been quietly reviewing information on agave and have become increasingly concerned that it may not be the sugar alternative panacea that people believe it to be. It is primarily a fructose syrup that is made from agave not corn. Most of us are familiar with high fructose corn syrup which is a processed sugar as well. It takes a lot of processing to make any syrup from a plant that is a cactus or from corn for that matter.

The syrup contains not only fructose (purported to be 55% to 92% with some glucose), but inulin (not insulin), which is a chemically manufactured fiber combined with fructose that can increase the concentration of sugar in the agave.

You might be wondering why fructose syrup is bad, because fruit contains fructose and fruit is good for us. This is true, but the natural form of fructose found in fruit is levulose. It is replete with enzymes, fiber, pectin, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Individuals with blood sugar stability issues will have difficulty with homemade fruit juices because the sugar becomes separated from the fiber resulting in blood sugar elevations. High fructose corn syrup is consumed by many Americans in mass quantities as this substance is found not only in beverages but the majority of processed foods. It is a cheap sweetener making it attractive to food manufacturers. It also tends to be genetically modified (GM) and it is questionable what the long term (20 years or more) outcome of continual use of GM foods will be.

Fructose syrup ends up being processed by the liver and is one of the leading reasons there is a rise in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, heart disease and diabetes. The liver has to process the constant stream of corn syrup leading to fatty liver deposits and over time these will cause liver cell death and organ failure. Fructose syrup also gets turned into excess body fat, causes inflammation in the body and vessels and turns into blood fats called triglycerides. An all around bad thing to ingest, and it lacks nutrients. This is considered wasted calories so if you are trying to lose weight dump the sugary drinks. If agave is also a fructose syrup there is no reason to expect it won't cause the same detrimental effects that have been observed by corn syrup.

Americans are extremely dependent upon and addicted to sugar. For people who are dependent on sugary foods, it is vital that you come to terms with this addiction. Find a way to replace those foods with better choices. An apple is a better choice than a soda pop in the afternoon, especially if a protein and/or a fat is added, like nut butter. You will get a little sweet taste and energy as well. Fat in the nut butter will provide energy as well as slowing the absorption of carbohydrates into your system. It is wise to avoid the elevations in blood sugar levels, and this simple food combining technique is one way to do this.

If you are diabetic you must end all sugar consumption. Eat lean proteins, vegetables and no fruits except berries, a scant ½ c. a day, or a green apple, until blood sugar control is achieved with minimal medication. If good control is obtained through this method, then work with your health care practitioner to evaluate if you can tolerate more carbohydrates like tomatoes and fruits. Counting carbohydrates will continue to make your pancreas work over time until it can no longer make any insulin. Lastly, consuming diet soft drinks has been found in a study to increase the likelihood of developing diabetes with elevated blood sugar elevations and weight gain. It was speculated that these individuals overindulged on sugar laden foods, but I suspect it has to do with the increased concentration of sweetness from these chemical additives. Aspartame is an excitotoxin, meaning it excites the taste buds, stimulating a stronger taste. This may tell the body via the taste buds that something sugary is coming into the digestive tract. The body responds and may be releasing insulin in response to the stimulus even though the sugar is not actually there. There are many other reasons to avoid these artificial chemical additives.

Agave is preferable to high fructose corn syrup any day. Be judicial in your use of agave. Since it is sweeter, you should use less. Honey is also fructose and glucose. It can be used as well but again very small amounts and not on a constant, high amount basis.

An alternative sweetener that you can use daily is Stevia. Xylitol, erythritol and Malitol are sugar alcohols. Be aware that these (sugar alcohols) sweeteners are also processed. These will allow you to have the occasional cake or cookie, use it cup for cup for granulated sugar in recipes. Be wary of using large amounts as it can cause gas and bloating. Stevia can be used in beverages, dressings and some desserts quite well. If you use higher doses than a few drops, a few times a day, or if you use several packets, then Stevia can lower blood sugar or blood pressure to uncomfortably low levels. If you are on medication you may need to monitor or reduce your use. Stevia is a concentrated natural sweetener so, a little goes a long way. It has a long history of use, over 200 years without ill effects on humans.