Green Superfood Drink - Too Sweet ?

[proteus]

Hi, i'm about 50% raw right now ( up from about 5% raw ~ 2 years ago ) and i'm trying this Vitamineral Green thing which i add to my smoothie ...

But it seems too sweet. I mean if you use a little - its ok. But when you put several spoons in it got so sweet that i actually got thirsty from drinking the juice ( that i put it into ) as you would after pepsi.

So question is - what do you think is causing it ? Which ingredients in it ?

I want to be able to get more superfoods into myself but i'm also in need of losing weight so i cannot be stuffing myself with sugar.

What ( of the superfood type stuff ) do you think i could add to the mix to make it less sweet ? I am already using hemp but it isn't a superfood.

Thanks for any input !

[GlimR]

I found this..

Do you have the Nutritional Data for Vitamineral Green?
1 Tablespoon (one serving) equals 11.5 grams
Protein 4.37 Grams
Carbohydrates - 6.32 Grams (1.75 indigestible fiber)
Carbohydrates - 4.57 (less the fiber)
Fat = 0.80 grams
Calories - less than 25

I didn't see any sweetener in the ingredients and very little fruit, acerola, amla berry. I don't see how it could interfere with weight loss. As to the sweetness I have no idea.

[Shels]

Why are you taking it in the first place?

[streetsurfer]

I am already using hemp but it isn't a superfood.

I hear it is a superfood rich in complete proteins, healthy balance of omegas 3 an 6, amino acids, etc.


Try adding some kale, mustard greens, arugula or other pungent greens and see if that de-sweetens a little. Or how about a dash of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice?

You could be mixing it too concentrated at several spoons full of powder. Dilute per label and see if it is still too sweet. I could understand the thirsty feeling if you doubled/tripled the concentration.

[proteus]

I found this..

Do you have the Nutritional Data for Vitamineral Green?
1 Tablespoon (one serving) equals 11.5 grams
Protein 4.37 Grams
Carbohydrates - 6.32 Grams (1.75 indigestible fiber)
Carbohydrates - 4.57 (less the fiber)
Fat = 0.80 grams
Calories - less than 25

I didn't see any sweetener in the ingredients and very little fruit, acerola, amla berry. I don't see how it could interfere with weight loss. As to the sweetness I have no idea.

no i don't have the nutrition data for it - i actually need it.

where did you get these numbers from?

[proteus]

Why are you taking it in the first place?

seems like an easy way to add variety to the diet ? variety is good - no ?

[proteus]

Or how about a dash of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice?

i actually use this:

http://www.amazon.com/Foods-Vitamin-Crystals-Ascorbic-Pound/dp/B0013OUMVO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296522159&sr=8-1

but i try not to go over a gram per smoothie.


Try adding some kale, mustard greens, arugula or other pungent greens and see if that de-sweetens a little.

i wonder - the pungent taste - is that healthy ? i heard somewhere that things which are bitter ( like alcohol ) are usually not good for you.


You could be mixing it too concentrated at several spoons full of powder. Dilute per label and see if it is still too sweet. I could understand the thirsty feeling if you doubled/tripled the concentration.

yeah i think i need to work along these lines. but then i would have to use something else to make up for the nutrition.

Mike Adams seems to be a big fan of Chlorella and Spirulina ?

I am a little paranoid about using large quantities of Spinach because of oxalic acid or whatever it is. My father has kidney stones and my own kidneys last time i checked were not in stellar shape either ( i used to have an extremely unhealthy lifestyle ).

And the spring mix that i now ( due to convenience ) throw into my blender - that doesn't have much nutrition, does it ?

By nutrition by the way i don't refer to protein. I have protein sources. My concern with nutrition is to make sure i get EVERYTHING ELSE in that is good for me.

[Shels]

seems like an easy way to add variety to the diet ? variety is good - no ?

Well, yes variety is good, but I wouldn't call adding a powder variety. "Superfoods" themselves are mostly just hype. Also (someone correct me if I'm wrong), I'm pretty certain that you'd have to consume an unbelievable amount of spinach to have any worries about oxalic acid. There are plenty of things you can throw in there for nutrition and variety, and your hemp is a pretty hefty start - it's very nutrient-dense. Try a dark green, some different fruits, try to switch it out every day. :)

[somelikeitraw]

Proteus ~ Please read Green For Life by Victoria Boutenko. It will help you make a more informed decision regarding the greens in your life and your health. Her follow up book to that one, Green Smoothie Revolution, is also a must read.

One of the more important points she makes is that all greens have a small amount of toxins in them to keep them from being grazed into extinction. This means it is important to rotate your greens so that the minute amounts of toxins do not build up on you before your body processes them. She experienced this toxic build up herself and has no more problems now that she rotates her greens. Victoria has done exhaustive amounts of research and gives references to what she has learned. Absolutely invaluable info.

Both of these books are great and I highly recommend them to everyone, raw eaters or cooked eaters alike.

Also, have you found the 70 Green Smoothies thread (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=54452) here on this site? Good stuff!

[proteus]

all greens have a small amount of toxins in them

thanks for the heads up, i haven't thought about this previously hmm.


Victoria Boutenko

are there good books by anybody else on the subject? for some reason i am skeptical of this particular author. i started reading the reviews on that book on Amazon once and i never did get over some of the negative reviews.

i wanted to buy some book by Ani Phyo but then i realized it doesn't have any juicing in it which according to people like Matt Monarch is sort of the whole point of Raw. Maybe i was looking at the wrong book?

[proteus]

"Superfoods" themselves are mostly just hype.

in what sense? i am not expecting any miracles from them - i am just expecting quality nutrition. i want a dense source of vitamins, minerals and hopefully some enzymes and phytonutrients.

[January Noir]

no i don't have the nutrition data for it - i actually need it.

where did you get these numbers from?

The nutrition info. is not on the container?

[proteus]

The nutrition info. is not on the container?

this is the container label:

http://www.greendrinkreviews.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/vitamineralgreen-3.jpg

[January Noir]

this is the container label:

http://www.greendrinkreviews.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/vitamineralgreen-3.jpg

I've seen this before on Raw food internet sites. It says that it's potent and to start with one teaspoon and increase, but not so much it's too much. I would only take 1-2 tbsp in a day. That should be enough. Just use a tbsp in your smoothie and maybe another later in the day with water or on food.

It also says it clashes with carrot juice (carrot juice is naturally very sweet).

I take Garden of Life's Perfect Food. I put a scoop in my daily smoothie from time to time for extra nutrition and it mixes well and tastes good.

[JennaHoneyBear]

ive noticed that some powders are too sweet!! I'm with ya on that one! and i used to eat sugar packets off of restaurant tables!

i think powders are great, its just hard to find a good one.

[verbena]

i heard somewhere that things which are bitter ( like alcohol ) are usually not good for you.

This is not necessarily true! Bitter tasting plants or liquids aid digestion by stimulating the gall bladder to produce and release bile into the digestive tract. Bile also acts as a natural laxative. We would have naturally eaten bitter greens in our foraging days. With modern SAD diets of high fat and high sugar our palates have become less and less acustommed to bitter tasting foods.

[Rastadawta]

Hi Proteus,
Fellow Brooklynite here! Just wanted to congratulate you on incorporating more raw meals into your diet. About adding superfoods into your diet, I am not a great fan of taking powders since there is a shelf life of this product. Which means what kind of additives are added to create an more shelf stable product. i do have maca:juicy: and Lucuma:woohoo:, yet I usually use these powders for desserts or in some cacao smoothies. For nutrition, get Alissa's book #1 which would help in creating more raw simple dishes. Many other authors have recipe books which nutritional information if you are concern with minerals, fat soluble vitamins, etc. Juicing is a great way of allowing the nutrition to enter the blood stream quicker. Make up your own recipes. For example, I had a rolled oat, spinach and strawberry smoothie this morning and it wasn't bad. Don't think I would have it again.:8. My favorite Juice mixture is carrot, beet, spinach in that order, love the colors and taste, yet my husbands hate it. Your body will made the decision for you, Last thought, in order to minimize your kidney stones, cut down or eliminate all animal sources. This you allow you body to eliminate ketosis of the body and bring it into an more an alkaline state. Good luck. :fruitline:

[proteus]

ive noticed that some powders are too sweet!! I'm with ya on that one! and i used to eat sugar packets off of restaurant tables!

i think powders are great, its just hard to find a good one.

great minds think alike ...

pictures of food in your blog look ultra-realistic. which means that either i am hungry or ... what camera do you use ?

[somelikeitraw]

are there good books by anybody else on the subject? for some reason i am skeptical of this particular author. i started reading the reviews on that book on Amazon once and i never did get over some of the negative reviews.

I am not aware of any other author that has done as much research on greens as Victoria. May I respectfully suggest that you try to find the books I mentioned at a library or look through them at a health food store or raw restaurant that might have them? This way you could make up your own mind if any of the info resonates with you before investing any money. I read some of those negative reviews and they do not seem valid to me, and the one labeling anyone who likes the book as a groupie was offensive to me. The only person I consider myself a groupie for is my husband :wuv. I do find that every raw book I read has things that resonate with me and things that don't. The second book I mentioned has a lot more recipes. I had many AHA! moments reading each of them.