Raw/Green Smoothie to Replace Meal—Is This Bad?

[TangentLInes]

Hi,

I've been making raw, green smoothies for breakfast every morning for the last two weeks. I'll sometimes have a raw smoothie for dinner, as well.

My partner has been telling me to cut it down a bit with the consumption of smoothies because it's as if I'm eating like a person without teeth or a senior citizen, which isn't necessarily natural. What I'm eating, although healthy, isn't "normal" because the food, while whole and raw, is processed and mashed up in a blender (Blendtec).

Is he right? Should I not eat so many smoothies and instead eat the foods in its natural form? Should I not be drinking a whole bunch of blueberries mixed with kale, strawberries, and peas and instead just eat those foods on a plate? What are the positive and negatives of drinking your meal via smoothie?

I'm a bit confused. Any help or feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!

TL

[AllergyGirl]

The green smoothies are good for you, and it's far easier to consume a bunch of greens that have been blended than to chew and digest those same greens whole. The greens tend to be very fibrous, and you can't adequately chew them well enough to break them down in that quantity. Victoria Boutenko talks about this in one of her books - she starts off by talking about how she'd been trying to eat them, but kept having tummy troubles. But when she put blended them with bananas and made them into smoothies, she tolerated them just fine in large quantities.

So I'd say - if you enjoy them, and your body tolerates them, then by all means continue on with the green smoothies. I almost always have one for breakfast, and sometimes have a second one later in the day as well. I just make sure I do eat things that require chewing throughout the day as well, unless I'm fasting, then it's just drink drink drink. :P

[christinajade]

There's a top on here about chewing your smoothies. Chewing is supposed to help with and/or activate your enzymes so it is important to chew a little when you are drinking your smoothies.

[Revvell]

I know someone who eliminated 200 pounds in a year and all he drank/ate were smoozies. Having said that, chewing is what begins the digestive system (although, in you case, the blender began the digestive system) yet, like ALL bones, in order to stay strong, the jaw bones need pressure sooo, my suggest, eat/drink whatever you enjoy and add some hard stuff to maintain tooth/bone pressure throughout the day.

[SevenKindsOfCookie]

Like others have said. Chewing is very important for teeth health. I usually chew a couple of celery sticks after a green smoothie for that specific reasons. Not only is it fairly tough to chew properly, but it also contains minerals which helps with teeth regeneration.

Green smoothies are awesome. Even though I have no trouble whatsoever to eat that amount of greens in a salad, I never chew it properly when it eating it that way. And it's perfectly fine as a meal replacement.

[Dimond]

Blended raw meals are the key to great health. 1-2 per day is ideal.

[Green_Woman]

Green Smoothies = great. Chewing = great. Chewing Green Smoothies = AWESOME. Chewing crunchy foods on top of chewing green smoothies = SUPER AWESOME.


;)

[freespirit]

I think the reason to drink green smoothies is becasue most of us dont have the time to sit around and eat a bunch of kale -chewed thoroughly. Smoothies let you get all that nutrition conveiniently.

smoothie it up!

[Mary Kay]

Ditto on what Green Woman said.

I also think it's good as a meal replacement.

Mary Kay

[Caris]

The Victoria Boutenko book mentioned above is "Green for Life."

Smoothies are fantastic, because our teeth aren't strong enough anymore to release all the nutrients from tough greens (kale, chard, etc).

I feel best when I get in 32 oz of green juice and 32 oz of green smoothie every day. I "chew" my juice and my smoothies. And I do eat plenty of crunchy veggies too. Also, make sure you either rinse with water or brush your teeth after green smoothies, as the sugar in the fruit can be bad for your teeth.

Congratulations on elevating your health!!

[valkyriesmyst]

I try to make a smoothie every morning before I go to work and that is my breakfast. I can't imagine a typical SAD breakfast being better anyways .

Also, I put chia seeds in mine which MAKES me chew my smoothie. Plus they are supposed to be good for you.

[Samalmarr]

I say use them or loose them. Basically chewing will help you retain your teeth.

I would say if u have time and the ability chew your vegtables espically ones which are easy to eat such as tomatoes and cucumbers.

Obviously a green smoothie is far healthier than oats and milk for breakfast so have 1 or 2 day max but dont stop eating lol.

[TheHealthyAdvocate]

I have also been asking myself the same question recently. I have been making green smoothies for my breakfasts, every other day, or my lunches. I don't think this is bad. I believe it gives our digestive systems a break from the other meals we are consuming in their whole forms.

Drinking all of your meals, however, doesn't seem too natural to me. But that doesn't sound like you are doing that. Just like everyone has said here, putting some pressure on your teeth, just as you do when you're exercising to your bones, you are promoting strength and growth.