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Thu Nov 12, 2009 4:24 am  |
In order for it to be a "green smoothie", does it need to be green in colour after you've blended?
I only recently started reading my way through this (very interesting) thread, and tried my first smoothie this morning. I had some late blackberries from garden, half an orange, half a banana and a very large handful of rocket/watercress/spinach. It tasted delicious, but the colour was purple. I'm guessing the blackberries would have "dominated" the colour - or should I have added more of the greens for a genuinely "green" smoothie?
TIA for advice and also thank you everyone for such interesting information within this thread. |
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Easy Eye Solutions, Frownies, Tanaka Massage, Retin-A. |
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Thu Nov 12, 2009 6:59 am |
graceless_lady,
I'm pretty sure "green" just signifies that you're adding greens to the smoothie. My green smoothies are usually more orange in color because of the oranges I use. Sometimes they turn purple if I use acai powder or blueberries. It's kind of interesting to see exactly what color it ends up being, because I different greens make different colors, too. |
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Thu Nov 12, 2009 9:50 am |
I've been drinking green smoothies for about two and a half weeks now...the first day, I couldn't finish the whole portion, so I finished the other half during lunch. I really have to say, something's just off about a smoothie that isn't fresh...it was hard for me to stomach. So I tossed the half now, half later idea out the window.
Anyway, the first smoothie I tried was the Dr. Oz concoction, and I *really* liked it. I really don't have much of a sweet tooth, so I thought the smoothie tasted great with just the veggies, lemon, and one apple; it didn't need additional sweetener. I have pretty much been making/drinking this mixture every morning since I started, and am loving the "extra energy" that I have throughout the day. Small problem though...I've lost weight. It's probably mostly water weight, but my pants are looser already. I'm on the light end of normal body weight, and really do not want to lose any more weight. I'm thinking that I need to be adding a tablespoon or so of oil/fat to the smoothie to up the calorie count, but I'm concerned that it's going to alter the taste...any suggestions?
But anyway, so far, so good. I haven't observed any effects on my skin...yet (I'll keep my fingers crossed) |
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26, normal/combo acne-prone skin. Lots of red spots, recovering from a hideous breakout. |
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Thu Nov 12, 2009 3:47 pm |
| Ok, am I the only one gaining weight here? I'm a little on the light side so I don't really mind (yet) that I gain a few extra pounds, plus my breasts have gotten a little larger ++++!!! But, if this continues I will not be a happy camper! When I started making green smoothies I was adding avocado, I have cut that out for now thinking that was the problem. But I have still gained some after cutting that out. I'm also adding chia seeds, acai powder and maca powder. I'm guessing they may be the culprit. Right now I'm hovering around 7 or 8 extra pounds from when I started green smoothies which was maybe about 4 months ago?!?! I do love them though! |
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Thu Nov 12, 2009 4:34 pm |
Karianne, you are being very gracious about that 7-8 pounds.
What kind of fruit are you putting in your smoothies? It seems like someone a while back was putting a banana and pineapple in hers and that made her gain. |
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I always lie about my age. I tell everyone I'm 10 years older than I really am. Everyone thinks I look great! |
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Thu Nov 12, 2009 7:07 pm |
| Well for many years I hovered around 130 lbs, the past couple of years I've slowly dropped to about 123. Now I'm back to 130. So far all of my clothes still fit fine and I am finally filling out my 34A bra, LOL. So yeah, so far I don't mind it but if I keep up this pace it will not be good! I usually do different combinations of bananas, pineapple, strawberries, and mango (strawberries and pineapple is my favorite). I was just surprised to see people posting that they can't keep weight on while drinking smoothies when I'm seeing the opposite. |
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Fri Nov 13, 2009 8:08 am |
| Karianne, you are using the higher calorie and higher glycemic fruits. That's probably why you have gained weight. Actually, it sounds like your body has reset itself to the healthiest weight for you. If weightgain does become a problem, you could try switching your fruits around. Otherwise, it could be just what you needed. |
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I always lie about my age. I tell everyone I'm 10 years older than I really am. Everyone thinks I look great! |
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Fri Nov 13, 2009 1:03 pm |
Karianne,
Chia seed is the seed that is the highest in omega 6, even more so than hemp, which contains more so then flax....so it's extremely dense in oil, as are all the seeds containing high amounts of omega 6. You'd taste this more if you were eating the oils of these seeds (meaning adding chia or hemp oil to a salad, for example)but since it looks'dry' when you add it to smoothies and the oil is 'masked' by the tastes of the fruits you may not realize the high oil content.
Now omega 6's are great for our bodies in many, many ways...and I love chis for the way it makes me look and feel, but too much can 'tip the scale' for some of us. I, personally, can really see the difference in my body if I consume 1, 2 or 3 tablespoons of chia a day (I the whole seed soaked in water so I don't know how this would translate into amounts of chia that is powdered, if you're using it in that form.) For me, it's best if I just eat 1 tablespoon of chia a day and I can 'get away with' 2...but 3 definetly causes me to gain weight.(Of course everyone responses differently to fats, so this will not be true for all)
In addition, being a 'living food' (raw food) vegan I also eat other nuts and seeds during the day, but have to be careful not to eat more high fat seeds or nuts after i've eaten my chia..so I make my 'milks' and pates from lower fat nuts and seeds, like sesame, almond and hazelnuts. So you may want to take a look at other fats you are eating during the day (I don't know you're diet but some of them might not be as healthy as chia) and reduce some of them.
I also agree with Tonia about high glycemic fruits causing weight gain(although I had always thought that berries, including strawberries, were low glycemic)
There are other things I could add but if these things make a difference for you there's no need in saying them..and I don't want to be overwhelming by saying too much at once. |
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71 years, primarily raw living food 35 years(vegan 45 years) herbal tea decoctions, homeopathy, TCM, facial massage, facial exercises, vacu-lifting, gua aha, shiatsu/acupressure, intention, home microcurrrent |
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Fri Nov 13, 2009 1:08 pm |
| Whoops..I meant chia is high in omega 3's!!! |
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71 years, primarily raw living food 35 years(vegan 45 years) herbal tea decoctions, homeopathy, TCM, facial massage, facial exercises, vacu-lifting, gua aha, shiatsu/acupressure, intention, home microcurrrent |
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Sat Nov 14, 2009 5:09 am |
Hi there,
Does anyone have an opinion on whether their green smoothies should be consumed raw or cooked into soups? Does a raw smoothie have substantial special nutritional benefits over those that are cooked? |
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Sat Nov 14, 2009 5:24 am |
| jeanleemarquis wrote: |
Hi there,
Does anyone have an opinion on whether their green smoothies should be consumed raw or cooked into soups? Does a raw smoothie have substantial special nutritional benefits over those that are cooked? |
Oh yes the raw is far more nutritious. Cooking destroys many of the goodies  Please read "Green for Life", it will give you all the information you need to know to start this venture....also Smoothie Revolution, both by Victoria Boutenko. Here is her website with some questions and answers 
http://www.greenforlife.com/gsfaq.htm |
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female,"50 something" medium to thick normal skin, no wrinkles,Lightstim,Easy Eye Solutions,Green Smoothies,Ageless Secret Gold, Pico Toner,Beautiful Image |
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Sat Nov 14, 2009 1:04 pm |
| jasminerosey wrote: |
Karianne,
I also agree with Tonia about high glycemic fruits causing weight gain(although I had always thought that berries, including strawberries, were low glycemic). |
Oh, I'm sorry. Berries are supposed to be low glycemic. I was referring to the banana's and pineapple. |
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I always lie about my age. I tell everyone I'm 10 years older than I really am. Everyone thinks I look great! |
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Sat Nov 14, 2009 4:01 pm |
| I'll be the first to admit that my diet is not great. I just thought it was odd with all of the junk I eat that I would start to gain weight when I added something healthy to my diet. I think what I really need to do is look at changing some of my other eating habits. I'll also look into which fruits are low glycemic and maybe cut down on my chia seeds (I've been using about one Tbls., but that is the dry seeds before they have been soaked). Thanks for all of your wealth of knowledge. |
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Sat Nov 14, 2009 9:51 pm |
| Karianne it sounds like maybe the green smoothies need to substitute for some of the other stuff and you'd be great! |
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Enjoying dermalogica with my ASG and Pico toner ** Disclosure: I was a participant without remuneration in promotional videos for Ageless Secret Gold and the Neurotris Pico Emmy event. |
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Thu Nov 19, 2009 7:20 am |
I'm extremely excited and motivated to start converting my diet to at least helf raw thanks to this awesome thread! Yesterday was my second day of incorporating one large smoothie into the mix. I now feel, however, like I have a very large, undigested brick in the pit of my stomach that isn't moving!  How do I get things moving along?
BTW, my diet sadly has been very deficient in greens, vegies and fruits. Is my body reacting in sudden shock to the change? Trader Joe's sells chewable bromelain tablets to help with digestion- would taking some of those help my situation?
Each day I've had a smoothie of a couple handfuls of greens (one day spinach and the other day kale), half an apple, frozen blueberries, stevia, and water. Any help would be greatly appreciated! |
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34, sometimes temperamental, acne-prone skin. Rx retinoids, AALS, TCA peels and sunscreen are staples. |
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Thu Nov 19, 2009 7:53 am |
Karianne,
if the rest of your diet isn't as healthy as your smoothies, it would be great to reduce those calories first, if you can, rather than changing your smoothy formula (perhaps leaving out the banana, if you're really worried about the high glycemic fruits )cause pineapple has great enzymes for digesting food, including fats, (as does papaya) even though it's high glycemic....and the one dry tablespoon of chia doesn't seem extravagant at all..and is extremely healthy.(great for hormones, joints, skin,etc., etc.) |
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71 years, primarily raw living food 35 years(vegan 45 years) herbal tea decoctions, homeopathy, TCM, facial massage, facial exercises, vacu-lifting, gua aha, shiatsu/acupressure, intention, home microcurrrent |
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Thu Nov 19, 2009 8:07 am |
Leigh
there could be many reasons why your smoothy isn't digesting....perhaps yourbody is in 'shock' from the sudden intense and concentrated input of foos it'snot usedto assimilating...i really don't know.
but there are some things to try...
are your berries frozen when you blend them and drink them? frozen fruits make the smoothy more thick and rich tasting..but they are harder to digest...
also i always 'grew up' hearing from the raw food disciplines that most fruits don't digest well with vegetables...the three i've always heard do digest well with veggies are pineapple, papaya and apple..this 'rule' about food combinations may not effect those with stronger digestive and assimilative processes..but may effect those of us who don't (like me!)
also adding some digestive spice to your smoothy may help, too.and can add an interesting dimension.i'm thinging ginger, cardamaon, fennel ( which is licorice tasting)..you just have to experiment to see what you like (take a little bit of smoothy out and blen a bit of spice in).. and fresh ginger is much more powerful as a digestive aid than dried..just grate on a small ginger grater and squwwze the juice is.
also drinking smaller amounts at a time till your body becomes accustomed to the smoothy is another option.
more to come if these 'tips' don't work!
how |
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71 years, primarily raw living food 35 years(vegan 45 years) herbal tea decoctions, homeopathy, TCM, facial massage, facial exercises, vacu-lifting, gua aha, shiatsu/acupressure, intention, home microcurrrent |
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Thu Nov 19, 2009 8:10 am |
| sorry for all the typos in my posts..really don't have time (or patience) to spell check/proof..cause often enough i'll lose the post, somehow, when i do. |
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71 years, primarily raw living food 35 years(vegan 45 years) herbal tea decoctions, homeopathy, TCM, facial massage, facial exercises, vacu-lifting, gua aha, shiatsu/acupressure, intention, home microcurrrent |
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Thu Nov 19, 2009 8:47 am |
| Thank you jasminerosey for the timely suggestions! I just turned 30 and feel like this new way of eating/looking at food can only serve me well for the rest of my life. |
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34, sometimes temperamental, acne-prone skin. Rx retinoids, AALS, TCA peels and sunscreen are staples. |
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Thu Nov 19, 2009 9:06 am |
Hi Leigh!
If you've just started out this week, it is totally normal if you are coming from a not great diet to experience anything from initial euphoria (from the increased energy from a much better diet) to feeling absolutely awlful from massive detox and being bloated. So if you are having unusual digestion issues for the first few days, there's nothing to worry about.
Another thing you can try is to eat all your raw food, or at least all your fruit and green smoothies, first thing in the morning, before you eat cooked food or heavy raw fats. Fruit is much easier to digest (usually 1-2.5 hours for me), whereas other food can take up to 4+ hours, so if you eat fruit and green smoothies even just a couple hours after cooked or high fat raw meals, then it can feel like a brick in your stomach, and leave you with gas and bloating issues. Lots of people run into such problems, so this is always one of the things to make sure to do.
Keep us posted and report back in a week if things don't resolve themselves.
Best wishes  |
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34 y.o. FlexEffect and massage. Love experimenting with DIY and botanical skin care products. Appreciate both hard science and natural approaches. Eat green smoothies + lots of raw fruit and veggies. |
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Thu Nov 19, 2009 9:42 am |
I would also suggest eating the smoothie separately (4 hours after any meal that had meat, and 2 hours before any meal) and also starting with no more then 8oz in the beginning (Dr. Marshall's recommendations).
I am not sure you need enzymes with the smoothies, but it would be a great idea to have them with any cooked meal (and may be more then just bromelain). I would also be very careful with papaya, since it may cause diarrhea. Also sometimes simpler combinations of fresh fruits/greens may work better in the beginning.
HTH |
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Early 50s, Skin: combin.,semi-sensitive, fair with occasional breakouts, some old acne scars, freckles, under-eye wrinkles; Redhead with hazel eyes |
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Sun Nov 22, 2009 6:29 pm |
| So how is everyone doing? Any positive/negative results to report? I've been doing the green smoothies for 2, sometimes all 3, meals per day for several days and feel great so far. |
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34, sometimes temperamental, acne-prone skin. Rx retinoids, AALS, TCA peels and sunscreen are staples. |
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Sun Nov 22, 2009 7:01 pm |
| I have been doing green smoothies since July and had bloodwork done several weeks ago. My results were super and the doctor said i didn't need repeat blood work for three years! Now I haven't had any issues before starting smoothies but it was extra nice to see those good readings. |
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female,"50 something" medium to thick normal skin, no wrinkles,Lightstim,Easy Eye Solutions,Green Smoothies,Ageless Secret Gold, Pico Toner,Beautiful Image |
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Sun Nov 22, 2009 7:06 pm |
Toby that's wonderful news! Since July, when you had your initial facial improvements and body water-redistribution, have you seen other positive results on your face?
I don't know if I've had any detox, but I will say that last night I had a horrible footcramp that took 10 minutes to go away. I'm 30 and have never in my life had one like that! Could this be a detox sign or is it random?  m |
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34, sometimes temperamental, acne-prone skin. Rx retinoids, AALS, TCA peels and sunscreen are staples. |
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