Green Smoothie Problems?

[veganman]

Hi everyone -

I have just started doing major green smoothies. I have been raw about 1 month and had done smoothies on the weekend with fruit and 4 - 5 leaves of collards/kale/spinach, etc plus celery. Then I read Victoria's book that says 1 bunch of greens. SO....for the last 3 days, I have done 1 bunch of greens, 2 apples, 3 stalks celery, and some parsley. It ended up making about 1/2 gallon, which I drank as a meal. I am now feeling worse than before - bloated, constipated, slightly green colored urine, green stools, bad breath, burping, not hungry, etc. I didn't have any of these problems before. It is funny - smoothies are supposed to help increase HCL for those with problems. I didn't have obvious symptoms before, but now am having symptoms of low HCL. So frustrating when you try to do something healthy. :(

Tomorrow...no green smoothie, just apples in the morning - what I did before.

Any ideas, similar stories, or suggestions warmly appreciated.

[greeninlosangeles]

Well, you don't need to force yourself to drink the whole thing in one meal... The bunch is for the whole day...As for green poops, they lighten up(but still will be greenish) in a week or two as your stomach gets stronger. I actually did experiment with red beet juice just a week as I started, and neiher my poop nor pee was red!

[veggie]

Following the 60% fruit and 40% greens rule works well for me with Green Smoothies. I usually make a single serving at a time with some water, one banana, a bunch of greens and another frozen fruit like mango or berries. For some reason I can't tolerate apples in my green smoothies.

[rawpriestess]

when we detox, our bodies rid themselves of toxins, and when our bodies do that, they often rear their ugly heads and make us sick at the same time.

so, often symptoms that we have never had before, will all of a sudden be there when we go raw, because the symptoms were depressed before, and toxins are stored in our fat, so when we lose weight, the toxins come out of our fats, and into our bodies.

[rawfigure]

Yes that will happen when you first start the GD's. I would spread it through out the day, it will reduce the negative feeling, I used to sip them over an hour, now I just drink it down. Eventually, beleive it or not you will be able to drink them with no or small apple, just greens !!!!!!!

[Arky]

Veganman, I experienced problems with stomach acid with green smoothies. I am well aware of the need to ensalivate each sip of a green smoothie rather than 'chugging' it down quickly. However, my hectic life led me to ignore this knowledge for periods of time which I later came to regret!

In short, you really #MUST# sip them quite slowly, allowing them to mix with saliva in the mouth, and, even then, not consuming too much at any one sitting. Anything more than 1 litre gives me digestive problems although obviously the critical quantity will vary between individuals.

The bloating, in my own experience, is only an issue when the above rules are ignored and/or when fruits are added to the smoothie in excessive quantities. Apples, for example, are a fermentation nightmare and consequently, I can never understand why people insist on blending apples in any way, shape or form. Generally, I avoid adding any fruit whatsoever to my smoothies as I can handle the bitterness of greens (indeed, I firmly believe that people should address their disliking for bitter greens, often the result of a SAD upbringing, by actively consuming them and learning to retrain their tastebuds) and I believe fruits are better eaten unblended. I will, once in a blue moon, add a banana to a kale smoothie but only on a whim and I certainly don't make a habit of it.


More on this topic in the following threads (amongst many others):

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=102142#post102142

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8146


J.

[gatorgrrl]

Sounds to me like you are going thru some more detox symptons. Don't give up now. Let your body get rid of those ugly detox monkeys. You will feel better for it when everything clears out. In regards to the green bm. If this is a more then obvious thing you may not be absorbing nutrition like you should, which is even more of a sign that you have more detoxing to go.

[Arky]

...In regards to the green bm. If this is a more then obvious thing you may not be absorbing nutrition like you should, which is even more of a sign that you have more detoxing to go.


Lol - try saying that after a couple of tablespoons of chlorella! ;)


J.

[gatorgrrl]

arky, I do take chlorella (until I ran out a few weeks ago). When I first took it I had that experience, but not anymore.

[Arky]

Really? I honestly find it surprising that you could completely absorb such a high concentration of chlorophyll, but more power to you if you can, I'm quite envious!


J.

[gatorgrrl]

I had some help, I was taking some supplement that helped with absorption

[veganman]

Wow! Thanks everyone for the great responses.

Regarding drinking it throughout the day....I find it very filling and it keeps from being hungry. Also, I would want to wait a few hours between it and other foods to allow it time to digest. If I am drinking it throughout the day, getting other foods in would be problematic. This would also decrease my overall calorie intake which would not be good. Any suggestions?

gatorgirl - what supplements are you taking to help with absorption?

Regarding detoxing....I have been 100% raw for 1 month, probably 80% for the 5 years proceeding that. Would it make sense that I would suddenly have that reaction? I had been having the green smoothies on weekends for the past 2 or 3 weeks without real problem except for a lack of energy when drinking them. I thought it was supposed to have the opposite affect, so maybe I should limit to 1 glass per day instead of 1/2 gallon?

I generally am very careful about chewing the smoothies, but I will try to keep them in my mouth longer.

I will try mixing other fruits instead of apples. I have some bananas, strawberries, and kiwis. It also sounds like a pound of greens per day in a smoothie might be a bit much to ask my body.

keep the great suggestions coming! Thank you!!

[Spectatrix]

I think the problem is that you added too many greens at once. Gradually increase the volume of greens that you add to your smoothies and your body will be able to handle it better.