When too much of a good thing is too much.

I failed the golden rule with the green smoothies and today am paying the price. I just got so excited about how fabulous they were and how great I was feeling –that I made the same thing and drank it twice a day.. for a week.....its kind of a big NO.

Greens have alkaloids that are good in small quantities but slightly toxic if you eat the same green day-after-day. What this means that if you did what I did – you od on them and it makes you not only nauseous, but pretty ugly out both ends… I will leave it that – no further explanation is required.

Thus – today I had a green smoothie, only just managed to drink it before heaving. Much later on I drank a cup of tea and it didn’t sit well either – So switched to lemongrass and mint tea – plucked from our garden…. And haven’t had anything else to eat today. Feeling pretty gross to be honest.

I have gone back to the original books and site recommended on Green Smoothies and need to remember them – thought you’d like to see it as well.

Green Smoothies are the most nutritious meal on earth. A good Smoothie is 60% fresh fruit mixed with 40% green leafy vegetables.

I was getting all smart and cutting out the fruit content as I thought I was having too much of it… first mistake. Second was to repeat having the same thing .. tsk tsk always change them about – each time you have them.

Sweet fruit takes away the bitter taste of greens. If your Smoothie tastes too bitter, add more fruit.

So why are green smoothies so good?

• It's a dream come true for your digestive enzymes as the nutrients are absorbed quickly and easily.
• The fibrous greens of a Smoothie are blended into a mush. Blending by-passes all digestive problems like sore teeth, peptic ulcer, colitis, and a sick pancreas – so they are suitable for just about everyone.
• Green Smoothies are a complete food. With their fiber, the fruit sugars are absorbed more slowly. You don't get that blood sugar rush you get from juicing…. And don’t forget all the fibre for your colon.. mmmmmmmmm
• As they are so nutrient rich, it gives your body – your cells the food they require to build and heal, without having to break it down into complex chemical processes before it is acceptable.
• The Green Smoothie is rich in magnesium. People who have cravings or dependency on foods or drinks are often that way as they have a magnesium deficiency.
  
• They are also loaded in in alkaline minerals like calcium. The high-calcium greens are the fibrous ones such as dandelion, kale and collard.

This is an important thing to remember if you are looking to wean yourself off junk foods and sugar. When your cells get what they need, and your brain, and emotions, that desire for junk falls away one step at a time.

The late Dr Jensen proved in The Healing Power of Chlorophyll that if you're anemic or tired, Green Smoothies will quickly raise your red blood cell count.

If you ask just about anyone, what sorts of things you should eat to be healthy – they will tell you “Green Leafy Vegetables.” However, most of us fail to eat even one type per day. In case you didn’t know, the richest source of protein for humans is green leaves. Leaf protein is easy to digest, easily assimilated into the tissues, and has none of the harmful side effects of flesh protein. However leaf protein needs to be broken down by constant chewing before the protein can be assimilated. You can either spend half an hour masticating each leaf – or put it in a blender and let it do the hard work for you.


Here are a few quick examples of green smoothies from the Green For Life book by Victoria Boutenko.

Another rule of thumb is to blend the fruit first and then add in the greens.

• 2-3 cups any greens of your choice, 2 cups papaya, 2 oranges, 3 dates
• 1 handful lettuce leaves, 1 handful mint, 4 bananas, 1/2 cup water
• Winter Smoothie - 1 cup organic frozen berries (any kind), 2 cups fresh spinach, 1/4 inch fresh ginger, water
• 1/2 bunch romaine lettuce, 1 cup strawberries, 2 bananas, water
• 4-5 kale leaves, 4 apples, 1/2 lemon juiced, water
• 2 big handfuls mixed baby greens, 2 pears, 2 mangoes, 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• Choc-mint – 2 cups spinach, 10-12 mint leaves, 3 bananas, 2 Tbs. carob ( or cocoa) powder, 1 cup water
• 1 handful of spinach, 2 stalks of celery, 2 bananas, 2 pears, 1 apple, 1 cup water
• 1 small handful of spinach, 2 cups arugula, 2-3 mangoes, 1 cup water
• 1/2 head romaine lettuce, 1 small pineapple, 1 large mango, 1-inch fresh ginger
• 1 handful wild greens (e.g. dandelion), 1 small handful mint leaves, 3 cups honeydew melon
• 3-4 stalks celery, 2 ripe persimmons, 1 banana
• 1 handful chard leaves, 5-6 kale leaves, 3 large bananas, 1 cup water
• 1 handful parsley, 3 cups of peeled paw paw