There is a book called, "Green for Life" by Victoria Boutenko. If you follow the link at the bottom of the first post, it will take you to her website. Also, if you do a 'green smoothie, recipe' search, I'll sure you'll come up with more recipes.
The main "formula" for smoothies, for me anyway, are:
* 1-2 pieces fresh fruit
* 1/2 - 1 cup frozen fruit
* 1-2 handfuls of greens
* 2-3 cups water
The more you experiment, the more you'll discover what you like. I really like using "sweet" fruits, like apple, pears, bananas, mango, pineapples, etc., as they tend to be the best at disguising the "green" taste. I also find that baby spinach and baby romaine, and even kale (without the stems!) are really mild in flavor.
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if there be any virtue and if there be any praise,
think on these things." ~Philippians 4:8~
Jeanette, do you get silverbeet in NZ? It's pretty much classified as spinach here, but not sure if it's much different to baby spinach.
Yes Katie we do, thanks for that tip. I shall have to try (again) to remember when doing the weekly shopping! I think I need to remember to write it on my list and then I will actually look for it LOL! I remembered this week but then nada baby spinach
Fairy - The main "formula" for smoothies:
* 1-2 pieces fresh fruit
* 1/2 - 1 cup frozen fruit
* 1-2 handfuls of greens
* 2-3 cups water
Do you use both frozen & fresh fruits in your recipe?
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I did it, I found some baby spinach, I'd been looking with the fresh veggies - it was with the salads (Duh!), so while I was there I got frozen berries too.
So now I just need to figure out, frozen & fresh fruit or is just frozen good too?
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^ Glad you're willing to try it! Hope it works out, and please post with any questions!
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"...whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, or of good report;
if there be any virtue and if there be any praise,
think on these things." ~Philippians 4:8~
Ok, so I've kind of been lurking around this thread contemplating trying one of these, so today I stopped at the store and picked up a few mangos, frozen raspberries, and regular old spinach (it was cheaper than the baby spinach, and I don't mind spinach. . .I actually enjoy spinach salads with berries or mandarin oranges, etc.)
I didn't follow the recipe exactly because I found some sugar-free mango drink powder and sprikled a little in as my "sweetner".
I cut up a mango, threw in a handful of frozen raspberries, a handful of regular spinach, a cup or two of water (I didn't exactly measure), and a sprinkle of the mango drink powder. YUM!!!! I can't even taste the spinach, and it's soooo sweet!
I don't have a fancy blender, so my smoothie is a little chunky (because of the frozen berries). It's WONDERFUL! I'm serious! I love smoothies, especially from Jamba Juice, but they're a special treat because they're loaded with sugar and calories.
Acne be gone fairy-Does the book you mention have recipes and nutrition facts for smoothies? I keep an eye on carbs, and when I'm really watching, I look at everything! Obviously all fresh fruits would keep it lower cal and less sugar, but even using a little bit of an artificial sweetner and a frozen/fresh fruit combo would be a not-so-sinful delight! I can't wait to try more smoothies not only to try to help my acne, but to also eat more greens and lose a few more pounds!
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^ Wow! I'm thrilled that you liked your first smoothie so much and are so excited!! That's so great!!
The book I mentioned does have several recipes mentioned. I had better luck using the basic recipe on my first post - I had to experiment the first couple of weeks before I came up with that recipe. (Made a few really nasty tasting ones in the beginning!! haha). It's really just a mater of experimenting with different fruit/green combos. Spinach is always a safe bet - kale is great too (as long as it's de-stemmed!). Oh, and what's great about adding the greens is that they help to balance out the sugar from the fruit!
These days, I use so many greens in my smoothies, that my smoothies taste decent-good rather than awesome all the time - as long as their drinkable and fairly enjoyable, I'm happy. I really do them for the nutritional and skin benefits. I've also been making blended salads lately, which are greens and veggies like cucumber, carrots, bell peppers, avocado, celery, onion, etc. It's so much easier to get in my raw veggies that way, and the taste isn't bad either!
For a sweetener, you might want to try liquid stevia (I like the brand by SweetLeaf). Stevia is an herb, and it actually helps to balance your blood sugar levels rather than raise it! I try to avoid artificial sweeteners at all costs, as most are dangerous. Agave nectar is another good option as well.
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"...whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, or of good report;
if there be any virtue and if there be any praise,
think on these things." ~Philippians 4:8~
Have you ever added a few mint leaves to one of your smoothies?
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Sure! I have never added mint, but I bet it would taste great!! Hmm.... I'm thinking maybe bananas (fresh and frozen), handful of spinach, 1 tbs of cocoa powder and some mint leaves would be tasty!
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"...whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, or of good report;
if there be any virtue and if there be any praise,
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I tried my first smoothie yesterday - I can guarantee Bananas are not sweet enough on their own, I tried using frozen berries & banana -it was really gross!
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I found this really interesting, and I would totally try it if it wasn't for one thing...
Salads really upset my stomach, and I always end up reaching for the Immodium after eating one. (sorry, TMI!)
Does anyone else have this problem, and if you do, can you handle the smoothies?
I'm thinking I might be able to drink it with no problems since it isn't straight greens or anything.
Thanks!
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This is cool to know. I havve been wanting to get a juicer, but I read that GreenStars are the best b/c they don't get hot (so they don't heat up and damage the juice) and also the juice lasts a lot longer than regular juicers. (I guess with regular ones you have to drink it pretty much immediately, whereas with this other one you can save it for like 24 hrs or something). Oh also it can do wheatgrass, which a lot of juicers can't I guess. And b/c the pulp/castoff it produces is super dry, supposedly it's proof theat you're getting every last drop of juice from your fruits and veggies.
Anyway, I've been putting off buying one of these Greenstars b/c they are outRAGEOUSLY expensive: about $400. (Choke!!!) That is a HUUUUGE chunk of change. But I think about it every day. I reallllly want to start juicing and this post was even more of a reminder of what it can do. Sigh. Maybe I'll just suck it up and buy one. Most juicers are kind of expensive anyway although I know they are about half price of this one. I sure hope I like juicing tho or else I'm in big trouble! LOL!
Hello! I am trying the green smoothies, and they aren't half bad! I had a couple of questions though. I am having them twice a day since my acne was so bad, and I am wondering how long it takes "usually" to notice a difference? Also, I know it said to vary your greens to avoid the toxins, so how long would you go before switching to a new one?
Just a note, I use a Magic Bullet for the smoothies and it works great! (not as expensive as the Vitamix either)
Sorry I haven't responded to everyone sooner!!! Never got an e-mail notification that there were new responses here!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeanette
I tried my first smoothie yesterday - I can guarantee Bananas are not sweet enough on their own, I tried using frozen berries & banana -it was really gross!
Ah, sorry about that Jeanette! Have you come up with something now that you like? Sure hope so! My newest and favorite way to make a smoothie is now using mostly veggies, parsley, an apple (or pear), and a lemon. It tastes so fresh!
Quote:
Originally Posted by KatCarney
All of these sound really tasty!
I finally broke down and invested in a Vita Mix, since I've gone through about 6 'cheapo' blenders and I always end up with lumps.
My vitamix arrived today, so I'm going to make a smoothie tomorrow.
How exciting!! How are the smoothies going for you?
Quote:
Originally Posted by rampage4peace
I found this really interesting, and I would totally try it if it wasn't for one thing...
Salads really upset my stomach, and I always end up reaching for the Immodium after eating one. (sorry, TMI!)
Does anyone else have this problem, and if you do, can you handle the smoothies?
I'm thinking I might be able to drink it with no problems since it isn't straight greens or anything.
Thanks!
Hmm... I would think that you might be able to tolerate these due to everything being blended - maybe just try a half cup or so and see how you do?
Quote:
Originally Posted by ABabyForOneDotCom
This is cool to know. I havve been wanting to get a juicer, but I read that GreenStars are the best b/c they don't get hot (so they don't heat up and damage the juice) and also the juice lasts a lot longer than regular juicers. (I guess with regular ones you have to drink it pretty much immediately, whereas with this other one you can save it for like 24 hrs or something). Oh also it can do wheatgrass, which a lot of juicers can't I guess. And b/c the pulp/castoff it produces is super dry, supposedly it's proof theat you're getting every last drop of juice from your fruits and veggies.
Anyway, I've been putting off buying one of these Greenstars b/c they are outRAGEOUSLY expensive: about $400. (Choke!!!) That is a HUUUUGE chunk of change. But I think about it every day. I reallllly want to start juicing and this post was even more of a reminder of what it can do. Sigh. Maybe I'll just suck it up and buy one. Most juicers are kind of expensive anyway although I know they are about half price of this one. I sure hope I like juicing tho or else I'm in big trouble! LOL!
The Green Star is an excellent juicer, but you don't actually need a juicer to do the smoothies, just a blender. However, juicing would actually get you faster results, and you couldn't go wrong with giving it a try. Maybe for now though, just invest in an inexpensive blender and see how you do.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WilsonSquared
Hello! I am trying the green smoothies, and they aren't half bad! I had a couple of questions though. I am having them twice a day since my acne was so bad, and I am wondering how long it takes "usually" to notice a difference? Also, I know it said to vary your greens to avoid the toxins, so how long would you go before switching to a new one?
Just a note, I use a Magic Bullet for the smoothies and it works great! (not as expensive as the Vitamix either)
A lot of people notice results in less than 4 weeks, but if your acne is pretty severe, it could actually take a few months, and you may also need to do more than just the green smoothies. I would also take a good look at your diet and consider cutting out all dairy and greatly limiting your intake of animal products. You can even make soups with blended greens as a soup base - they're actually very tasty!! I get most of my health information from Dr. Joel Fuhrman (his links are on the first post). If you want some easy healthy recipes, please feel free to send me a private message, and I would love to help.
About the greens, I just tend to use a variety all the time. I usually have on hand: kale, collards, spinach, spring mix, parsley, cilantro, etc. If you're just using one green at a time, I'd recommend switching greens every week or so. I really wouldn't worry too much about this though. In the beginning, I did mostly baby spinach all the time, and nothing bad happened. hehe
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"...whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, or of good report;
if there be any virtue and if there be any praise,
think on these things." ~Philippians 4:8~
