A question for Green Smoothie drinkers

[tisha]

I have been making and drinking smoothies for a while now. Earlier this year I read Victoria Boutenko's book, "Green for Life" and decided to try green smoothies. I had one a day for a few weeks. One day I noticed white spots on a few of my nails. White spots means a discharge of sugar. I had never had this happen in all of the years that I drank regular smoothies, but within weeks of drinking green smoothies, I was getting spots.

I stopped drinking green and went back to regular fruit smoothies and have not had this happen since. I wondered if it was the bananas, but the amount I used did not change in either smoothie. I made them the exact same way except to add spinach, collards or romaine. :confused:

Has anyone noticed this happening?

[Bampot]

Hey, no I havem't noticed this happening to me. But I would say white spots on the nails means you're lacking in Zinc - I think that's a common reason. (I'm studying naturopathic nutrition, and haven't heard the theory that it's related to a discharge of sugar - but I must emphasise that I'm still learning
and not trained yet, so please everybody if you know different, then tell me!)

Maybe try googling 'nails' and 'Zinc deficiency' and see what it says - that's what I've always understood it to be about.

If so, I'd recommend adding some pumpkin seeds to your diet daily and see if that helps (lots of Zinc in them). You could add them to the green smoothies or to a salad?

x

Edit: I did a quick google search and found the following on Zinc deficiency symptoms: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ate/weightandnutrition/203910.html
I know it says take a zinc supplement, but you could just get your zinc from nuts and seeds instead.

[tisha]

This information is according to a book called, "Your Body Never Lies" by Michio Kushi. I have been studying Chinese medicine for a while and how to "read" a body. It could be a zinc deficiency. It's just weird that it only happened when I added greens. Now that I'm back to fruit colored smoothies, I'm not seeing white spots on my nails.

[Bampot]

Yeh that is weird - ooh good for you studying chinese medicine, I hope to learn more about that next year on my course. Maybe something is inhibiting your absorption of Zinc - though I don't know why greens would have that effect.

Maybe try different greens than you used originally and see if that makes a difference.

Also maybe just keep going on the green smoothies for say a month and see if the white spots disappear in the long term - maybe your body is trying to balance itself and that can take time. I do believe greens are very healing.

Good luck! :)

[EZ rider]

I wonder if food combining could be causing nutrients like zinc to not be absorbed ? Some combinations of food do not digest well together because the digestive environment is different for different groups of foods. The food combining concept is explained in the book "Fit For Life" by Harvey & Marilyn Diamond.

[Veganforlife]

I agree with what the others have posted. I definitely would not cut out the greens from your green smoothies, but change them up. Green smoothies are sooooo beneficial and cutting something out because your are experiencing spots on your fingernails when the rest of your body is benefiting so very much to me is a little silly. I would keep going with them. How are you feeling otherwise? What other way are you getting greens and to the amount that a green smoothie provides? The choice is yours, but I would keep on going with it.

[Raw Angel Mom]

We all are different! But i can say that green smoothies or green juice has been my life saver. So many miracles is happening with my body. You are the first one that i heard for possible problem.

Try to isolate it. Also buy ORGANIC greens only. Change the kind of greens also. Increase your intake of fiber. When we detox, if we don't have enough fiber, it will act out on our skin or come out somehow. Fiber is very key. Maybe you can make some flax seed crakers and eat this more. Add psyllium in your desert, sauce or tomato sauce. It will tickened them and you will have the fiver.

[tisha]

Thanks for the advice. Cutting out green smoothies is not the answer, but I am curious why my nails did get spots. According to chinese medicine, spots and ridges and peeling nails are signs that the body is struggling in some area. So I can't discount this totally.

I got some collard greens at the store a couple of days ago. I am going to start fixing green smoothies again. My ds just asked me this morning if we couldn't do green smoothies again. And there isn't any other way that I've found to get as many greens during the day as when they are in a smoothie.


Thanks, again.
tisha