I've never been open to trying these before because it sounds like they will taste disgusting. However, I just watched a few videos, and it seems like maybe they won't taste so bad, and I can get more pure greens into my diet. I don't really like them very much, and aside from a simple salad that includes red leaf lettuce, and some wheatgrass juice, I don't really eat greens.

I only have a regular blender right now. Do you think that will work? Or do I need a vitamix type high powered machine? And does anyone have a good tasting, mellow, simple idea/recipe for me to try out? In my regular blender?

Thanks!

Regular blender works fine marsh.

One tip in that i know you have existing thyroid problems so watch with the goitrogenic raw greens. They aren't a problem for most but those with existing thyroid disorders wouldn't want to take in large amounts of them and monitor that you don't get worse.

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]

Thanks PL, I did think of that, and alot of greens I'll have to avoid for now. It was an eye-opener for me to realize what exactly green smoothies even are, and that greens can be mixed with fruit. I thought they were just greens, which sounded awful. I might start by adding some romaine lettuce and see what that's like.

Romaine isn't goitrogenic so you should get on fine with it.

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/12/2011 04:37PM by powerlifer.

Romaine lettuce, banana, lemon juice, raw dates--tastes like malted milk

Spinach, banana, strawberries, orange juice, lemon juice--tastes just divine

I love making them out of water, spinach, kale, banana and either peach or strawberries....you can vary the percentage of greens to fruits..I like lots of greens not much fruit. I highly recommend you try them, they are AWESOME

Nicole

Thanks guys. I used some romaine today because it is so mild... couldn't even detect a green flavor at all .

Most lettuces are nice, mild and a good way to introduce yourself to green smoothies in my opinion anyway.

You can start adding in small amounts of darker leafy greens whilst playing around with the flavors.

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]

The romaine was definitely easy to drink. Next shopping trip, I'm headed for more greens... thanks for the recipe ideas. A whole new world has opened up me. haha.

Green smoothies are my staple diet. I have a big one in the morning for breakfast. And then one for dinner too. I actually made the decision to become raw vegan after reading Victoria Boutenco's book The Green Smoothie Revolution. Just by eating solid raw fruits and veggies, you won't be able to consume the amount necessary to get all vitamins and minerals you need. Green smoothies really make it easy. I use mostly parsley, dandelion, chard, kale, celery in my smoothies, and make them taste good with bananas, dates, apples, pineapple, oranges, figs, prunes, etc.. Recently I discovered raw sesame seeds. I first blend about half a cup of them with water, and get sesame milk, and then add all my greens and fruit. It makes the smoothie taste creamy like it has milk in it. I add soaked pumpkin seeds occasionally too, since I don't like how they taste on their own , but they're rich in nutrients, and are just fine in smoothies.
I used the regular Hamilton Beach blender for the first 3 months on my raw diet, and it worked just fine.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/13/2011 03:45PM by littlemermaid.

littlemermaid-

The videos I was inspired by were of Victoria Boutenco! So good to watch... I would also like to read her newest books, as i agree with her about the importance of greens. I had been relying on wheatgrass juice for a long time for the green factor, which is good stuff, but now the green smoothies have definitely gotten my attention. I love your recipe ideas, as well as the other ones offered above in this thread. I think I'll experiment with some sesame seeds. That sounds great. Another thing I'm doing with mine, is adding some raw vegan protein powder because I'm needing a protein boost right now. It adds a nice flavor as well.

Hmm. this gives me an idea, what you said littlemermaid about how they are your staple diet. That's really cool, and I actually never thought about making one and using it as a meal before. I think that would be an excellent idea, I am going to try that. thanks so much for the tip!

yes, depends on how rich you make them. If you add bananas, nuts, and seeds to your smoothie, besides all the greens, it can be quite a filling meal on its own. I drink 3-4 tall glasses per meal

SMOOTHIE BASE MIX FOR GREEN SMOOTHIES

You can use super dense nutrient mix as a base to a green smoothie made with fruit, and greens such as: Kale, Spinach, NZ Spinach, Collard Greens, Beet Tops, Garlic mustard, Dandelion, Violet, Yellow dock, Lamb's quarter, Nettle, Sunflower sprouts, Cress, Purslane, Prickly Sow Thistle (Puha), Wild Lettuce.
1 lb Raw Cacao Powder, 1 lb Maca root, 1 lb Spirulina, 1 lb Goji Berry Powder, 4oz lecithin granules, 4oz Rosehip powder, 4oz Olive Leaf powder, 4oz Alfalfa leaf powder, 4oz Nettle leaf powder, 4oz Chamomile powder, 4oz Corn Silk Powder, 4oz Papain Powder and/or 4 oz Bromelain Powder, 1 oz Kelp powder.

Other good tasting herbs you can add to your smoothie base include Rhodiola, Ginkgo, Ashwagandha, Astragalus, Foti, Cats Claw, Siberian Ginseng, Dong quai and Moringa leaf. You can get these cheaply from herbalcom.com/. Use a coffee grinder to grind anything that is not powder. Mix all the ingredients together and keep in a container in the fridge.

Other things you might add to the smoothie base include Orange zest powder, Bee pollen, raw Carob powder and a touch of Cayenne pepper. Another exciting addition to your smoothie base is Lucuma Powder. This exotic Peruvian fruit has strong fragrance and a full-bodied maple like flavor and is an excellent source of carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals, including high levels of beta-carotene, niacin and iron. Purple Power - Muscadine Grape Skin Powder is high in antioxidants including resveratrol and quercetin. Creatine and L-Carnitine can be added for energy generation and MSM for sulfur.

I don't think it a good idea to add nuts, seeds, oils or protein to green smoothies...(other than spirulina) because these slow down digestion allowing time for fermentation. In my opinion the superfood green smoothie needs to be drunk as an isolated meal and given at least 3 hours digestion time before other food is eaten.

janabanana-

many of the herbs you've mentioned have very potent medicinal qualities. in my opinion, they should not be used as food. they are nature's medicine, used to bring balance and restore health is specific ways. and so i believe they should be treated as medicines, and used as needed in the therapeutic quantities and combinations that are appropriate to the condition being addressed.

Hi janabanana,
Oh I LOVE adding wild greens to my smoothies! dandelion, nettle, plantain, lambs quarters, alfalfa greens, they really are high in minerals and very nutritious. I am sad that it is fall here in northern Canada and very soon there will be no more wild greens to pick on my walks

I LOVE that drinking my greens moothies have helped me gain weight in my weight training. People find it hard to believe that I am a high percent raw vegan at all. By high I mean 80% or more. I love adding the dandelion and nettles as well like Nic, but Spinach and beet tops are my fave!!

I FELT THE SAME WAY Marsh! I thought A green smoothie CAN NOT be good lol. But after I made my first one I WAS HOOKED! I've easily gained weight and muscle using these as a post workout meal too. I'm all for green smootheis!

Id omit the cats claw im not sure why so many people recommend cats claw as an every day use herb.

The rest are perfectly good adaptogenic or tonic herbs which can be used daily, although as with all herbs you should take a break every now and then. But i wouldn't add these to smoothies, many of the beneficial compounds would be blocked by the uptake of other nutrients. Most herbs are best taken on an empty stomach at least 25 minutes before meals.

Although Rhodiola is actually one of the few adaptogenic herbs which actually have mild CNS stimulant properties. Schizandra berry and jiaogulan are better choices in my opinion.

[www.vegankingdom.co.uk]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/15/2011 09:17PM by powerlifer.

Hi Marsh, the powdered herbs are only added in minute quantities considering the bulk of what goes into the mix, the other "greens" herbs are simply more nutritious than the cultivated plants which are virtually useless as food anyways. Due to the state of our general decrepitude...well, all food should be medicine.

I just got some hemp protein and sesame seeds yesterday, and am excited to see how they turn out in my green smoothie today. I know that it is not an ideal combination to add fatty seeds in with fruits, but honestly I think that for now that would be better for me and help get some much-needed nutrition into my body than for me to eat a cooked meal instead.
I am really trying to get away from the starch-based cooked meals of rice and beans that I am used to. They just don't seem to give me that much energy.

Hey Janabanana-

I understand what you're saying. That's one approach for sure. I guess what I was trying to say, was that herbal medicine, in order to be effective, needs to be treated as such- as medicine. It's one thing to add some herbal greens and roots to your smoothies, in small amounts, like the ones you've mentioned, and most likely gain some nutritional benefit. But if someone is aiming to restore health or balance, then the herbs, the herbal medicine, should be more carefully selected, taken in effective quatinties, and not with foods as powerlifer suggested. I would imagine that you would need to keep the amounts small for your smoothies if you're using the bitter herbs, otherwise it might taste really bad. Alot of medicinal herbs are really, really strong tasting and would overpower it.