green smoothies

[tecca nena]

Props to this thread... Ive had 2 green smoothies a day since its inception

 

[wade187]

ska how is your mix tasting? Gonna attempt this, but if the *$%* don't taste good I know I'm not gonna stick with it so I shouldn't bother. That naked *$%* looks gross

 

[DCAllAfrican]

Originally Posted by 23ska909red02

Not as a meal replacement, no. Is that what they're supposed to be, meal replacements? I was just told to drink one first thing in the morning, like VERY first thing. So pretty much it's like my appetizer to breakfast every day which has obviously made my breakfasts much smaller.

What's in mine?

- big bunch of kale
- 1 c. apple juice
- a thing of yogurt (Yoplait, 6 ozs)
- 2 bananas
- about a dozen strawberries
- 3 tbs. honey
- dash of cinnamon

That fills my blender jar up, 40 ozs, and I split that into 2 days.

I would drop a banana and get rid of the Yoplait. The amount of sugar in there kind of kills it and disqualifies it from really being a GREEN Smoothie. Also the honey and apple juice. A lot of sugar there.

I usually go with

Kale
Apple/Orange
Strawberry
Banana
WATER (I don't buy juice but if I had it, I wouldn't "waste" it in a smoothie. Again, extra sugar that can be avoided).

Banana is the MVP of smoothies, they are needed for any smoothie.

 

[DCAllAfrican]

Originally Posted by Crispy Cream

This sounds pretty neat. I definitely need to invest in a high-grade blender.

No need. Just get a $20 Osterize from Wal-Mart/Target. I have had one for over 5 years, no issues. Still going strong.


[img]http://www.google.com/products/images/search-white.png[/img]

Oster Osterizer 14-Speed Blender, White
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$47 online
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97 reviews   
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[h1]Do You Drink It Straight, No Chaser?[/h1]
by admin on December 9, 2011

Hey, Family!

If you noticed that you didn’t get an ezine from me last week, my apologies!

I had a car-azy week–two flat tires, plus a super busy schedule that really requred a car. Sooo frustrating! But, hey…  Stuff happens. You just got to roll with it (hear that, tires?)

So with that said, let’s dive right into this week’s topic.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Do You Drink It Straight, No Chaser?

Years ago at a raw foods retreat in Negril, Jamaica, I asked raw food guru David Wolfe how to make green drinks taste better. I was just getting into juicing dark leafy greens to magnify their enormous health benefits, including:

• protection against heart disease

• reduced risk of breast, ovarian, and colon cancers

• decreased risk of stroke

• improved memory

• strengthening bones

• and so many more, researchers have yet to study them all

The problem was that I didn’t like the taste of green drinks. I wanted to know the best way to mask the bitterness–with dates, bananas, anything–so I could drink it without shuddering.

I’ll never forget David’s answer. “When you can enjoy the taste of bitter greens, you’ve arrived.

 

[DCAllAfrican]

Originally Posted by ElijahDukes

ive been recently making shakes with milk, bananas, mixed berries and a big of sugar. delicious and healthy

A good "Non-GNC" Post-Workout shake for you dudes

Rice/Almond Milk
Banana
Steal Cut Oats
Peanut Butter

Try it before you knock it!

Originally Posted by In Yo Nostril

Originally Posted by 23ska909red02

How does my drink have a ton of sugar?

The kale, bananas, strawberries, honey, and cinnamon are all natural.

The apple juice is unsweetened.

The yogurt has a small amount of processed sugar, yeah. But 'a ton'?

Natural sugars is all I could see you referring to. And I thought that was fine.

If you tell me the natural sugars in things like bananas and strawberries are bad for you, I'm effed.

all that fruit, honey and juice is loaded with sugar. those "naked" drinks have a lot of natural sugar as well. im just pointing out that its the same thing. when you blend it, the fiber stays in your drink so thats beneficial. im not sure of the fiber content of the naked juice but using a juicer gets rid of the fibrous content so stick to blending. if anything, get rid of the apple juice and stick to whole fruits/foods and it'll be perfect. high in sugar, but high in fiber as well so its all good.

Actually the fiber is broken down during the blending process.

 

[mangudai954]

Originally Posted by DCAllAmerican

Originally Posted by ElijahDukes

ive been recently making shakes with milk, bananas, mixed berries and a big of sugar. delicious and healthy

A good "Non-GNC" Post-Workout shake for you dudes

Rice/Almond Milk
Banana
Steal Cut Oats
Peanut Butter

Try it before you knock it!

Originally Posted by In Yo Nostril

Originally Posted by 23ska909red02

How does my drink have a ton of sugar?

The kale, bananas, strawberries, honey, and cinnamon are all natural.

The apple juice is unsweetened.

The yogurt has a small amount of processed sugar, yeah. But 'a ton'?

Natural sugars is all I could see you referring to. And I thought that was fine.

If you tell me the natural sugars in things like bananas and strawberries are bad for you, I'm effed.

all that fruit, honey and juice is loaded with sugar. those "naked" drinks have a lot of natural sugar as well. im just pointing out that its the same thing. when you blend it, the fiber stays in your drink so thats beneficial. im not sure of the fiber content of the naked juice but using a juicer gets rid of the fibrous content so stick to blending. if anything, get rid of the apple juice and stick to whole fruits/foods and it'll be perfect. high in sugar, but high in fiber as well so its all good.

Actually the fiber is broken down during the blending process.

So you actually lose fiber from blending?

Also how much would you all say you're spending a week on green smoothies(the people who are making it themselves) and how many do you have?

 

[thejrob]

Would love to be on this grind, but I'm still living in a college dorm. Not happening

 

[nealraj006]

Lots of broscience in here. 'Natural' or not, high sugar content is bad for you. It can come from honey, bananas, or junk food, it doesn't matter in terms of sugar content. A high carbohydrate load first thing in the morning is not doing anything good for your state of drive. In fact, it will make you secrete serotonin and feel happy, just the opposite feeling you want first thing in the morning. Don't ride an insulin roller coaster first thing in the morning. If you want to feel good in the morning, a meal high in protein and fats will do the trick. Tyrosine is a precursor to catecholamines. If you're interested in more, read up on the 'enteric nervous system', some practitioners go as far as to call it the 'second brain'.

A real green drink is made with dehydrated green vegetables and fruits. You add water and drink it. Very useful to recover from exercise as well as for individuals with low vegetable intake. Very bioavailable source of micronutrients.

 

[b fr3sh]

Originally Posted by nealraj006

Lots of broscience in here. 'Natural' or not, high sugar content is bad for you. 

beat me to it, came in here to say this. having a family full of diabetics FTL

 

[illwill8710]

Green Machine FTW

 

[goldenchild9]

Originally Posted by nealraj006

Lots of broscience in here. 'Natural' or not, high sugar content is bad for you. It can come from honey, bananas, or junk food, it doesn't matter in terms of sugar content. A high carbohydrate load first thing in the morning is not doing anything good for your state of drive. In fact, it will make you secrete serotonin and feel happy, just the opposite feeling you want first thing in the morning. Don't ride an insulin roller coaster first thing in the morning. If you want to feel good in the morning, a meal high in protein and fats will do the trick. Tyrosine is a precursor to catecholamines. If you're interested in more, read up on the 'enteric nervous system', some practitioners go as far as to call it the 'second brain'.

A real green drink is made with dehydrated green vegetables and fruits. You add water and drink it. Very useful to recover from exercise as well as for individuals with low vegetable intake. Very bioavailable source of micronutrients.

 

[DCAllAfrican]

@nealraj006, Yea folks think just because they are drinking a lot of fruit means it is good for you. That is specifically why I told SKA to watch out for the Bananas. Very high on the glycemic index, so using two is just asking for trouble. I get scared whenever I eat two bananas in the course of one day.

@Mangudai954, yes blending fruit has significantly less fiber than whole fruit. Blending tears up the majority of the fiber.

@Mangudai954, I would make my own instead of buying those overly expensive drinks. I couldn't imagine spending all of that $ on a damn drink that I can make at home. $2.50 a bottle? Yea that is a joke.

 

[mangudai954]

Originally Posted by DCAllAmerican

@nealraj006, Yea folks think just because they are drinking a lot of fruit means it is good for you. That is specifically why I told SKA to watch out for the Bananas. Very high on the glycemic index, so using two is just asking for trouble. I get scared whenever I eat two bananas in the course of one day.

@Mangudai954, yes blending fruit has significantly less fiber than whole fruit. Blending tears up the majority of the fiber.

@Mangudai954, I would make my own instead of buying those overly expensive drinks. I couldn't imagine spending all of that $ on a damn drink that I can make at home. $2.50 a bottle? Yea that is a joke.

Bean Pie eats tons of those a day. Im curious what he has to say

 

[mez 0ne]

Stop buying the bottled stuff, they are not even healthy.

ska, I suggest you invest in a juicer specifically made for greens/kale etc, you won't get the full benefits just in a blender.

 

[mangudai954]

Originally Posted by Mez 0ne

Stop buying the bottled stuff, they are not even healthy.

ska, I suggest you invest in a juicer specifically made for greens/kale etc, you won't get the full benefits just in a blender.

This is what I was touching on earlier. What exactly are the benefits of a juicer over a blender?

 

[tj detweiler]

might sounds dumb but what can a juicer do that a high quality blender can't?

 

[buggz05]

Originally Posted by DCAllAmerican

Originally Posted by ElijahDukes

ive been recently making shakes with milk, bananas, mixed berries and a big of sugar. delicious and healthy

A good "Non-GNC" Post-Workout shake for you dudes

Rice/Almond Milk
Banana
Steal Cut Oats
Peanut Butter

Try it before you knock it!

Originally Posted by In Yo Nostril

Originally Posted by 23ska909red02

How does my drink have a ton of sugar?

The kale, bananas, strawberries, honey, and cinnamon are all natural.

The apple juice is unsweetened.

The yogurt has a small amount of processed sugar, yeah. But 'a ton'?

Natural sugars is all I could see you referring to. And I thought that was fine.

If you tell me the natural sugars in things like bananas and strawberries are bad for you, I'm effed.

all that fruit, honey and juice is loaded with sugar. those "naked" drinks have a lot of natural sugar as well. im just pointing out that its the same thing. when you blend it, the fiber stays in your drink so thats beneficial. im not sure of the fiber content of the naked juice but using a juicer gets rid of the fibrous content so stick to blending. if anything, get rid of the apple juice and stick to whole fruits/foods and it'll be perfect. high in sugar, but high in fiber as well so its all good.

Actually the fiber is broken down during the blending process.

Why would you want to get rid of the fiber?

 

[yngsimba.sneakershoebox]

Originally Posted by Mez 0ne

Stop buying the bottled stuff, they are not even healthy.

ska, I suggest you invest in a juicer specifically made for greens/kale etc, you won't get the full benefits just in a blender.

Ya, making your own > Bottled. And it tastes better as well.
As far as juicer over blender, I don't see how you get MORE, if anything you get less, because in a blender everything that goes in, comes out, juicers I thought removed a lot of the fiber materials..

 

[tecca nena]

Ehhhh... Im on team blender... Juicers are a lot more messier and take a lot of fiber away... But id be open to arguments on the other side

 

[redd spyder]

i like the green machine and their was this documentary a while ago about how a dude drank these as a meal replacement and lost od weight

 

[buggz05]

I went vegetarian and it helped me quit smoking, I felt as if my digestive and immune system was running optimal and thus helped detox the chemicals with the extra energy from the nutrients and lack of extra digesting of non fresh foods. I was eating frozen vegetables for convenience and to save money. I have just recently discovered the raw foods diet and the warrior diet. I am going to pair these together to go with a lifestyle change and quit smoking again. I remember being younger and pretty much being on a similar warrior diet, skipping breakfast and having a small lunch. I think if I can organize it better with fasting/raw foods during the day, and an awesomely satisfying meal before bedtime for recovery, I can get my nervous system, cognition and emotions back to a healthy restoration. The problem is I am chronic anemic, and type ii diabetes runs in my family. So this will be tricky, but I have a feeling that this will actually aide my body in the prevention of effects of these diets through better nutrition. Yay! I like it.

 

[DCAllAfrican]

Originally Posted by buggz05

Why would you want to get rid of the fiber?

Who said that was a desire of mine? It isn't, I am just speaking about what actually happens during the blending process.

@Mez, why do you assume juicers keep the fiber in tact?

 

[thorrocksjs]

To folks with a history of diabetes add bitterbmelon to your meals not smoothies but meals

 

[caerus]

Damn, many of you posting on this subject have no idea what you're talking about.

Eat right and simple. As long as you hit your daily macros you can eat all the bananas, honey, etc all you want. I eat bananas all day (3-4), drink Choc milk after every workout, apples, honey in my smoothies just about everday.

 

[mez 0ne]

When did I mention fiber?
Juicer allows you to juice almost any produce, and to be honest it is well made for juicing vegetables which is where you reap the benefits. I prefer to eat my fruits and juice veggies such as carrots, beets, greens, etc....which in fact gives you a higher, all natural energy boost without a sugar shock from all of the fruits (I add OJ or apple juice at most). Juicing is more ideal for cleansing the system and more straight to the point in terms of giving your body the nutrients that it craves, and won't leave you feeling as full as opposed to making a "smoothie" in a blender. 

The positives for a blender is that the juice lasts a bit longer when stored and its a good alternative, but if you'd really like to start juicing for body cleansing (or fasting), juicer is a more expensive method but well worth it.