Greens

[VeryBerry]

I just got "Greens for life" by Victoria Botenko. Very inspiring book, some interesting into.

She recommends that a person consumes 2 bunches of greens daily.
That seems like a lot, even in as a smoothie. Do any of you consume that much greens?

I have been drinking green juice lately (no fruits) and find it very energizing.
I tried wheatgrass juice today and I actually liked it alot. Victoria sais that a lot of people don't like greens plain and it takes some getting used to. I can drink a lot of it very easily, I just don't want to overdo it. What amount do you think would be safe?

[simone_24]

I`m not really a greens expert but i``ve been also drinking a lot of smoothies lately and usually I use a great deal of greens in my drinks. So far I haven`t had any problems with it. I would just listen to my body to gage how much is enough. I know for me personally if I use too much I get gassy. Also seaweed is a good ingredient to try in your drinks (especially if you have excess weight your trying get rid of) hope this helps!

[girlsmiley]

Last month I participated in a Green Cleanse with Frederick Patenaude and there were daily phone calls you could get in on.

He advocated a pound of greens per day and one woman said she weighed her bunch of *whatever* and it was only .6 lbs :eek: so we were discussing how hard it is to get in all those greens :)

[VeryBerry]

"Every moment is an opportunity for a fresh start!"
Love this quote. Is it by someone famous?

Thanks for the reassurance. Now I will confidently consume 2-3 bunches of greens daily.

[goyethere4raw]

I too drink green smoothies daily, and I usually drink about 64 ounces per day. I can tell you that I know that I do not get two bunches in that amount. I do get one bunch, so I am wondering just what is a bunch. I would think that 2 pounds would be a LOT of greens. Is that two pounds of the leaves or two pounds of the smoothie itself? If that is the case, I far exceed the 2 pounds being that one pound is 16 ounces.

Questions, questions, questions.....sigh........

[Autumn]

I get in a large amount of greens everyday. Two big bunches in my smoothie (which lasts most of the morning); and another big bunch either at lunch or dinner in a salad. Love my greens. :)

[pdx kris]

I am not a green smoothie fan at all.

I do get at least two bunches of greens in a day though, mostly in juice form but I do eat salads almost daily as well. It's a LOT easier to get sufficient greens in by juicing them instead of making smoothies, in my opinion.

[Zasko]

I gave green smoothies a chance for a month. Heavy on kale and brocolli. Felt great and energized like you experienced, except the blended kale tasted awful. Now I prefer to just munch on whole kale leaves throughout the day. If I'm outside talking a walk, the leaves taste yummy! I find it difficult to eat a lot of kale in one sitting. My body will start telling me to stop eating kale after 4 big leaves. Anymore and I'll start getting sick and feel like I'm going to puke. Maybe because of the strong bases in kale? Also chewing kale makes my teeth feel super clean. Brushing my teeth afterwards feels pointless.

I try to think back to our ancestors' diet. Somehow I don't picture them collecting a bunch of kale, blending it up and drinking it down! Rather, that they munched on the plentiful leafy greens as they gathered other food. Which I guess if you're hungry and bored would be a lot of leafy greens like is recommened by some people. Just my thoughts...

[Biff]

If you don't like the taste of kale very much, one thing you can do is to peel off the green part of the leaf and only use that part for your smoothies. (don't use the stem.) It is very easy to do in one swipe once you get used to it. Makes smoothies taste better.

[lissomllama]

I try to eat a great deal of greens a day but sinc my taste buds still don't quite ador the non sweet taste of greens, I don't always eat enough but I'm working on it. I do feel 10 times better when I get A LOT of greens. I think that 2 big bunches of greens a day is a great amount and I see no reason why we shouldn't try to get more than that. But we needs fruits and other veggies as well to be totally healthy so try to keep it balanced. Ideally I try to have 2 large green smoothies a day. We all have different needs though. Test it out. Get a lot of greens for a while and then see how you feel doing the opposite. Your body will tell what feels right.

[VeryBerry]

The only greens I use are lettuce and spinach, I tried kale & collard and did not like it. I want to try sunflower sprouts.

[Davylp25]

Hmm in my smoothie Im drinking right now... I have:
2 heads of Dino Kale
1 head parsley
1 head collard green
1 small bunch of spinach
the water of 2 coconuts
7 bananas
Goji berries
Bee Pollen
2 tsp of Dulse Flakes
MSM Powder
2 tablespoons Coconut oil
1 tbsp cacoa nibs
1 tbsp Pure Synergy
1 tsp Chlorella
ground flax seed

Plus later, I will have 2 heads of Romaine for a salad, no smoothie.

I betcha ya, if I didn't have the banana's, and berries, and pollen and coconut water, I wouldn't be able to down any of those greens. YUCk! But I love it. It tastes like green yogurt.

Experiment.. and see.!! I sho did as u can tell. LOL!

[Maple Tree]

I've been eating between 1-3 bunches of greens a day in my smoothies, mostly dandelion or spinach.

[VeryBerry]

Here is something interesting. Cats actually love greens. That is why the chew on plans. My mother in low had a cat, who always loves to chew on her plants. She gets mad at him and tries to discipline him to teach him not to do it. He still chews on plants. He wants the nutrients from greens! Natures insticts can not be wrong!

[tinystrawberry]

davylp25, that is one crazy smoothie you have there! i bet you feel amazing after drinking it, so full of good things! :)

I don't eat very many greens, mainly just fruit. i think that's why i have such a hard time sticking with raw :o

my cat lovvves eating my salads! isn't it so cute?? :p

[thevoyager]

aw i miss my cats they're home in ohio.

my cat likes sleeping in my ear. earwax, YUM!

[jenna rose]

Hmm in my smoothie Im drinking right now... I have:
2 heads of Dino Kale
1 head parsley
1 head collard green
1 small bunch of spinach
the water of 2 coconuts
7 bananas
Goji berries
Bee Pollen
2 tsp of Dulse Flakes
MSM Powder
2 tablespoons Coconut oil
1 tbsp cacoa nibs
1 tbsp Pure Synergy
1 tsp Chlorella
ground flax seed

Plus later, I will have 2 heads of Romaine for a salad, no smoothie.

I betcha ya, if I didn't have the banana's, and berries, and pollen and coconut water, I wouldn't be able to down any of those greens. YUCk! But I love it. It tastes like green yogurt.

Experiment.. and see.!! I sho did as u can tell. LOL!


Wow! :eek:

[madmel]

Davylp25,

just curious: How long does it take you to drink this? Is it one meal or rather a thing you "snack" on all day?

cheers,
madmel

[trinity082482]

The greens I usually consume are: baby spinach, pears and cucumbers (duno if that counts) head lettuce or romaine, and basil. :)

[trinity082482]

my cat lovvves eating my salads! isn't it so cute?? :p


silly kitty! :D

[Davylp25]

Hey Madmel...

This is what I usually drink right after a workout. It makes around half a gallon, so it usually takes me a good 30 minutes to drink it all. I dont rush, and I chew it... I use lemon in it to make sure the greens stay green.... And it works.... When Im done everything still looks green and fresh. Yum!

[PantryRaider]

Hmm in my smoothie Im drinking right now... I have:
2 heads of Dino Kale
1 head parsley
1 head collard green
1 small bunch of spinach
the water of 2 coconuts
7 bananas
Goji berries
Bee Pollen
2 tsp of Dulse Flakes
MSM Powder
2 tablespoons Coconut oil
1 tbsp cacoa nibs
1 tbsp Pure Synergy
1 tsp Chlorella
ground flax seed

Plus later, I will have 2 heads of Romaine for a salad, no smoothie.

I betcha ya, if I didn't have the banana's, and berries, and pollen and coconut water, I wouldn't be able to down any of those greens. YUCk! But I love it. It tastes like green yogurt.

Experiment.. and see.!! I sho did as u can tell. LOL!


wow.... 7 bananas in a smoothie... that pretty much fills up my 64oz blender with nothing else in it.

and how big exactly is a bunch of spinach? or a head of kale or collard?

When I buy a "bunch" of kale at the market, it weighs a half pound and would fill 2 blenders.

I am lost trying to resolve these quantities.

[Davylp25]

Well... PantyRaider... HAHA. When I first read you're name I thought it said PantyRaider, I laugh. Cuz it say's PAN-TRY RAIDER... haha I kill me. HAH!

Well I have the vitamix 5000, so it isnt a dinky lil one. Plus the bunches of unbagged spinach aren't that big. The kale I always cut of the bottom stems, as well as the collards. But there have been many -a-days when the blended over flows with greens, and I have to use 2 jars. But it's do-able.Yum!~

[Gosia]

I find greens a very interesting topic. I am curious about the greens, because one learns to believe that greens are an important part of raw food diet. At the same time, the approach that I developed after 3 years of raw transition, is to follow my body's natural instincts. I can't say that I am absolutely 100% in tune with my body's instincts, but I can definitely sense things that I was not able to before raw, to the point of it sounding like science fiction. Like for example, if I have miniature amounts of coffee or chocolate, my sleep will be disturbed. If I have spices, same result. If I have not enough sweet fruit, I feel hungry. Cooked foods make me feel constipated. Greens is something that have been puzzling me though. I expect that, in line with other experiences, if greens were supposed to be an integral part of my diet, by now, I should sense something, as I sense foods that are optimal or not so optimal in my diet. However, as far as greens, I find that I do not find myself particularly drawn to them. I can't explain that in a any other way than perhaps, that they are really not that important. I even started questioning whether I must have them? Of course, I am still learning, and who knows what I will think in a year or two. At the moment though, I am puzzled. And, I met other raw foodists who go through a similar experience. And, there is this woman, Kveta, who has been eating fruit only for 20 years, and is doing just fine. Questions, questions.

Gosia

[VeryBerry]

Gosia,

Victoria Botenko talk about this in "Greens for life". Moderm people are not drawn to greens, although the more green you eat the more you start liking them. Greens are the best way to get complere protein, because the contain amino acids. In my opinion humans are only supposed to eat tender greens like lettuce & baby spinach. I never liked sertain greens like kale, so I don't force myself to eat in I only eat what I like.

[**jessireebob**]

I'm finding I have to sneak in greens in different ways. The green smoothie is great! Also apple, kale, celery, pear juice is delicious. I made the spinach mousse that Nomi Shannon sent in one of her recent newsletters (posted below) and have been eating that with onion bread (recipe on this board). It's my breakfast when I don't have time to make a smoothie. Plus I try to do a big salad (though I actually prob only get it in every other day).

I've been thinking of making a granola bar with shredded kale or spinach. Mix up flax, hemp, sesame, walnuts/almonds, raisins (goji would be even better, but so pricey!), sea salt, honey, agave, and greens shredded into teeny tiny pieces. Then dehydrate. Wonder if that would work. Maybe better to dehydrate the greens beforehand? I'm always looking for a new way to trick myself into eating them!

I hope I'll crave greens more as I get further away from processed, refined, and cooked foods.


Here's that mousse recipe. FYI it makes a LOT.

Spinach Mousse
Nomi Shannon
www.rawgourmet.com

This delicious green mousse is very simple. If you want to
keep it really light, dispense with the crust and serve it
in individual ramekins, or make it in a pie plate and cut it
into wedges. This recipe will fill a 9 inch (22.5 cm) pie
pan including a crust.


This recipe calls for a large amount of spinach. If you are
using the packaged, pre-washed variety, be sure you are using
an equivalent amount, by weight.


Spinach mousse looks beautiful decorated with paper-thin
slices of mushrooms covering the entire top in a spiral
pattern, topped in the center with a sprig of parsley or
basil. If you're preparing mousse for a party, you can make
it in advance and store it in the refrigerator for one day,
although it will lose some nutritional value. For a really
large crowd, double or triple the recipe and make it in a
large rectangular pan.



2 tablespoons pine nuts, soaked in water 20 minutes, drained
1 large bunch spinach (1 pound-500g), cleaned, dried, torn
in pieces
1/4 cup raw tahini
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 cups sliced mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
5 tablespoons water (a bit more is sometimes necessary
depending on the moisture in the spinach-you want the
mixture to be moist enough to process easily)
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (see note)
1-2 tablespoons psyllium husks (finely ground)


In a food processor, combine the spinach, tahini, pine nuts,
lemon juice, mushrooms, salt and water; process thoroughly.
The mixture will become an even green color. While the processor
is still running, very gradually sprinkle in the nutmeg, then
the psyllium. Press the filling immediately into the pie plate
or ramekin. Decorate with mushrooms. Chill for at least 30 minutes
before eating.


Note: Instead of nutmeg, substitute 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
or 1/2 teaspoon Pizza seasoning.


Note: It is extremely important that you very gradually
sprinkle the psyllium husks into the mixture as the
processor is running.

[**jessireebob**]

Oopsie! VeryBerry, I just realised that you weren't asking for suggestions on getting in more greens! Lol.

So in response to your *actual* question (heehee).... and with my absoltuely non-expert opinion... I'd say drink green juice to your hearts content! Your body will tell you when it's had enough. In fact, maybe you'll want more earlier to replenish nutrients, or want less earlier as your bod adjusts to them. I think if you pay attention to your bod, she'll steer you in the right direction.

Good luck!

[Gosia]

VeryBerry, yes, I know Voctoria's arguments well, but I do not agree with them. My approach to nutrition is to rely mainly on my body's natural instincts as a guide. So, I am learning to be in tune with my body. I do not take intelectual arguments which contradict my body's signals as valid. For example, I do not find bitter greens appealing and I will not blend them with sweet fruit to disguise the bitter taste. To me, if something taste good and is appealing on its own, then I will have it! I do find tender greens appealing. Of course, I am still evolving, and my patterns keep changing as I go.

Gosia

[VeryBerry]

Gosia, I agree with you about paying attention to your instincts.
If something does not taste right, it probably is not right for your body.
May be you just have not discovered the greens you like yet.

I really like green leaf lettuce, romain and spinach. I have the on their own, as salad, a raw soup or a juice. I make green smoothies somethimes too, but I only really like the spinach, banana & pear combo. I do find that greens really take care of my sugar cravings and make me feel energetic.

If you wanted to add more greens to your diet and see if they make a difference in how you feel, I would suggest getting quality organic produce. To me organic green leaf lettuce on it's own tastes as good as chocolate. (I know it is strange) I would eat non-organic greens too, but they never taste as good. I never aim to eat a specific amount, I just go with what feels right.
(I was considering doing this after reading Victorias book, but changed my mind since, I just make sure I have green available)