Green Smoothies

[Bohemian]

I wanted to do a Green Smoothie cleanse, but I've never had them before and was looking for advice. If anyone could help me that would be great. I would love it if I could find a few healthy recipes for some smoothies that taste wasn't too strong. Something light and easy to start me off drinking the smoothies. Any help you could offer would be much appreciated. :)

[love6kids]

I am celebrating my 10th day of my 10 day Green Smoothie Fast/Feast! Here are some tips:
Have lots of yummy fruits available for variety, as well as a good supply of greens. You will go through the greens like crazy. Make sure your blender is up to the challenge! Get mentally prepared and excited!
My very favorite GS is watermelon and spinach, with just a little bit of pineapple. I also added ice to this one. YUM!!
Be prepared to listen to your body as you go. If you need a nap, take a nap. Celebrate all the sensations and changes that occur during this time.
Let us know how it goes!!

[Bohemian]

Thanks! Are there any specific greens that work best? Are there any that maybe a little too robust? Do you use water or juice in the smoothie? Sorry I'm completely new to this and just want to make sure I can get the full benefits.

[love6kids]

You're welcome!
There are tons of different greens you can use. I have only used spinach and romaine, as those are readily available, and are relatively inexpensive. They are also very mild as far as taste, and in my opinion taste really, really good. As I continue, I'm sure my tastes will adjust/change, and I will add different greens.
In the watermelon smoothies, I don't add water, as the watermelon is already super juicy, but I do add ice. I just can't tell you how good these are. In my other smoothies, I do add water, otherwise they are way too thick for me.
As you read through the forum, you will see lots of ideas for smoothie recipes. Also, do a search online for green smoothie recipes, and you will find tons of information!

[Bohemian]

As far as health wise, is spinach healthy enough to truly get the benefits of a green smoothie cleanse or should I add other greens also?

[love6kids]

I believe it is, but in researching all the information here and on other sites, you may come to a different conclusion for yourself.

[jacsam]

Spinach is my favorite....especially if you can get it from your own garden. If your doing a fast I'd be sure to use the best quality you can find.

[Aleesha Sattva]

and change up your greens, veggies and fruits! don't become stagnant.

i just completed a 20 day green smoothie feast. you can read about it on my blog (in my sig) Aleesha's Raw Life

[Bohemian]

Thanks for all the help! Would it matter if I used fresh or frozen/canned, or a mixure of the two, or should I only use fresh? And I have both a blender and a smoothie maker, would it matter which I used? I also wondered if using yogurt would mess up the point of doing a green smoothie cleanse? ( I'm not a raw foodist, I'm a veg*n )

[lytlsprout]

Green for life by victoria boutenko is amazing lots of recipes etc. but i always just put a bunch of greens in my blender and whatever fruit sounds good at the time.

[Raene]

I love love love parsley smoothies. I mix bananas usually and mix up the other fruit...sometimes just bananas, sometimes add apples in, and sometimes pear. YUM!

[coco]

yogurt (which is not vegan btw) would totally mess up your green smoothie IMO.
if you are following the principles of food combining take care what you mix with what, like melon which should always be eaten on it's own and never mixed with any other foods. this can make for easier digestion and absorption, i'd think that would aid any kind of cleanse.
it shouldn't matter what tool you use for smoothies unless one of them can't handle the usage. try them both out and see how they do.
i would also recommend varying the greens as one kind every day will only give the nutrients it contains. a variety will provide a wider spectrum of vits and minerals. you could use fresh juice instead of water too (like carrot which is difficult to blend).
you can track your nutrient intake on a website like fitday.com to see what you may be missing or getting too much of.

[Bohemian]

Thanks a lot for that response and all the help!

[Kendra]

I agree that spinach is probably the best if you're just starting out - it tends to have a milder, sweeter flavor than lots of other greens. Romaine is also a good choice. I find kale to taste pretty bitter, and I'm still not ready for that. :) Pineapple adds a lot of sweetness. I also strongly recommend freezing the bananas if you use them at all (I use them in almost every smoothie) - it gives it a nice cold, thick consistency.

"Green for Life" recommends that you use varied greens for the smoothies - I'm still working on that. :) At this point, I cannot imagine life without my green smoothies. :)

[MOTH]

You guys...I haven't had a blender in about a MONTH. My other one completely broke down. I'm craving a green smoothie SOO BAD!

I am tempted to just buy a cheapie, but I feel like I wanna hold out for the vitamix that way it'll be the most rewarding green smoothie EVER! :D

[Aleesha Sattva]

i put carrots in my green smoothies all the time... but i also have a vita-mix!

in answer to your questions:

greens - always fresh
fruits - fresh or frozen
veggies - always fresh

hope that helps!

and i wouldn't add yogurt to the smoothies... they are soooo super yummy without yogurt.

oh and try adding in an orange (peeled only if the peel is thick) to your smoothie... makes it taste like a milkshake! (and assists your body to assimilate the iron from the greens)