10 Health Benefits of Green Smoothies

1. Green  smoothies are very nutritious. The ratio in them is optimal for human consumption; about 60% ripe organic fruit mixed with about 40% organic greens.

2. Green smoothies are easy to digest. When blended well, most of the cells in the greens and fruits are ruptured, making the valuable nutrients easy for the body to assimilate. Green smoothies literally start to get absorbed in your mouth.

3. Green smoothies, as opposed to juices, are a complete food because they still have fiber. Consuming fiber is important for our elimination system.

4. Green smoothies belong to the most palatable dishes for all humans of all ages. With a ratio of fruits to veggies as 60:40 the fruit taste dominates the flavor, yet at the same time the greens balance out the sweetness of the fruit, adding a nice zest to it. People who eat a standard American diet enjoy the taste of green smoothies. They are usually quite surprised that something so green could taste so nice.

5. A molecule of chlorophyll closely resembles a molecule of human blood. According to teachings of Dr. Ann Wigmore, "consuming chlorophyll is like receiving a healthy blood transfusion". Many people do not consume enough greens, even those who stay on a raw food diet. By drinking two or three cups of green smoothies daily you will consume enough greens for the day to nourish your body, and all of the beneficial nutrients will be well assimilated.

6. Green smoothies are easy to make, and quick to clean up after. In contrast, juicing greens is time consuming, messy, and expensive. Many people abandon drinking green juices on a regular basis for those reasons. To prepare a pitcher of green smoothie takes less than 5 minutes, including cleaning.

7. Green smoothies have proven to be loved by children of all ages, including babies of six or more months old. Of course you have to be careful and slowly increase the amount of smoothies to avoid food allergies.

8. When consuming your greens in the form of green smoothies, you are greatly reducing the consumption of oils and salt in your diet.

9. Regular consumption of green smoothies forms a good habit of eating greens. After a few weeks of drinking green smoothies, most people start to crave and enjoy eating more greens. Eating enough greens is often a problem with many people, especially children.

10. While fresh is always best, green smoothies will keep in cool temperatures for up to three days, which can be handy at work and while traveling.

The ten health benefits of green smoothies was fist published by Victoria Boutenko & The Raw Family as Ode to Green Smoothie in January 2005.

Remove the Obstacles

(Doing the following will help you detox your system-which in turn helps you lose weight and feel better. All the below is from "CLEAN" by Dr. Junger, p.150-153)


The below are things that I have been trying to do in small increments over the last year or so.  It is easy to get overwhelmed when you think about changing your whole diet. So try implementing a little at a time.  The more you know about why you are making the changes the better.  So get out there and get informed!!


Again I've spent the last year or so trying to learn what works best for my body.  It is an ongoing process and I am not perfect at it.  But I remind myself when I "go back two steps because of unhealthy eating choices-that I have come 10 steps forward" it is a journey, not a race!!
So don't stress yourself out.  All natural, all organic food tends to not fit with many allotted grocery budgets-but even small changes make a big difference.  So decide what changes are most important to you and start there.


1. Remove packaged and processed foods and drinks that contain additives, preservatives and other chemicals.  This includes condiments and sauces. (I have been trying to do this is baby steps for about a year. Replacing packaged stuff with homemade means more time spent on your part for prep. Do not get overwhelmed!)


2. Reduce potential irritants and allergens in the diet.  Find out if you have any food allergies or food sensitivities…some common ones are tomatoes, peanuts, strawberries, shellfish, potatoes etc…

3. Reduce acidity and create a more alkaline inner environment.  Red meat, milk products and excessive grains such as wheat are acid-making foods (SEE pH CHART ON PREVIOUS BLOG ENTRY).  There are also "mucus-making" foods that cause the stickiness in the intestines that is counter to healthy nutrient absorption and elimination.  The more you can switch acid forming food for alkaline forming ones the better.

4. Remove foods that have an inflammatory effect on the body. Simple carbs like sugars, grains-especially refined grains like white flour & white rice, cause the body to release greater amounts of insulin into the blood to regulate absorption of the sugars int othe cells. Insulin is a pro-inflammatory hormone. The hydrogenated cooking oils known as "trans fats" also cause inflammation.  (Cold pressed oils are not hydrogenated.)

5. Fill the diet with anti-inflammatory nutrients: omega-3 fatty acids from fish, polyphenols (plant-based compounds) from berries and many plant-based compounds that boost liver detox.

6. Remove foods that tend to suppress certain reactions in the liver detox function, like grapefruit.

7. Remove foods that tend to have fungi on them like peanuts or that feed the yeast in the intestines causing dysbiosis like sugars, alcohol and dairy products.  Alcohol is made by fermenting grain or fruit sugars into ethanol, and contains a mix of preservatives and is a depressant-it should be on the eliminate list.

8. Remove caffeine, alcohol and cigarettes-all of which tax the adrenal glands, negatively impact liver detox and create free radicals that can damage cells…particularly when used on a daily basis.

9.  Remove the most pesticide-kladen crops and hormone and antibiotic-filled meat, dairy and egg products.  Remove the main sources of genetically modified foods, especially in the soy, corn and wheat supply stream. These go unlabeled so look for non-GMO labels or avoid products with soy, corn or wheat.
(This one is the toughest on the budget in my opinion.  Organic, all natural produce and products tend to always be more expensive-I think doing the best "we" can is better than giving up all together.  At least this is what I tell myself when leaving Aldi's with cart full of produce!)