As a peaceful warrior, I would choose when, where and how I would behave.
With that commitment, I began to live the life of a warrior.
~Dan Millman

Wednesday, November 15, 2006



Choices are the hinges of destiny.-Edwin Markham


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Blenders, blenders, blenders...if you are not eating at least 2 servings of fresh fruit a day, you should consider blending them. A smoothie is a very simple way to get much needed nutrients. But smoothies are not limited to fruits! You can green them up and change your life. It's true!
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You can enjoy a smoothie for breakfast, as a snack, after a workout or as an on-the-go meal. You can make them simple and fruity or complex and green. There is so much versatility and not really any excuses. Most blenders will do fine. The big daddy of them all is the Vita-Mix.
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Now, you may have seem a demo at your local home and garden show...they are not inexpensive, but you can get one for anywhere between $325 and $499 depending on color, model etc. THEY ARE WORTH IT. If you have the disposable income. They will last you for years and they are made to be a workhorse. I make soups, smoothies, salad dressing, sauces, fresh grind grains, you name it.
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THE CHALLENGE is to add one blended drink to your daily routine. Start with something as simple as 8 oz water, a banana and some berries. If you are a protien powder fan, add a serving of that, flax seeds for fiber and omega 3's. The point here is to eat living foods. Those that are not cooked. If you are brave and ready to go. Add a couple of romaine lettuce leaves into your smoothie. The evidence on greens in the diet is overwhelming! A great book to discover this nugget is called Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko. http://www.rawfamily.com/articles.htm. They have a fascinating story, good research and tasty recipes. Next time you are browsing through the bookstore, just give it a glance! Simple, easy and realistic.
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Start exploring, dust off that blender, enjoy extra energy and a true fast food that the whole family can enjoy.
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In the raw today. ~j

2 comments:

Mike said...

Hi Jgirl,

Great topic. My breakie usually consists of a smoothie with the following:

Nonfat yogurt
Plain soymilk
Plain soyprotein
Frozen fruit (pineapple/mango/blueberries, etc)
Ground flax
Glutamine
Scoop of "supergreen" powder

The big question- what are your thoughts on the many "green veggie powders" out on the market? Do they actually provide any benefit? I know actual veggies would be ideal but these powders tout how they will give you all the nutrients of eating your daily servings of veggies. I doubt that but figure they can't hurt, especially since I don't seem to get as many veggies as I should. Fruits aren't a problem but veggies are a struggle.

Thanks for your time!!

Unknown said...

Hi Mike!

Yes, this is an ongoing topic! Greens are so important to the human diet. We are malnourished without them. So, however you include them is beneficial. Chlorophyl and human blood are very close in their make up.

This is why fresh is best. There is just no better way to get *living* food. Especially blended. You increase the surface area of the green and it becomes more absorbable. So, when you can...go fresh. More doesn't alway mean better. It's what the body does with it that counts. Otherwise it is just waste.

Powders, ever changing, ever marketed, easy to take with you. The main thing is to use a product that is organic or you know where the greens came from. When you consume in concentration, you want to be sure you are not ingesting herbicides, pesticides and other xenobiotics...

A blend with sprouts, algae and greens is best. A great variety of nutrients that support oxygen and feeding the cells. Blend, blend, blend. You can increase your veggie intake by enjoying green smoothies over mainly fruit.

My favs are Enzymatic Therapy, Western Botanicals, Best of Greens and Mercola recommended (great research). There are many others of good quality as well. Dave Guiterrez is an authroity that I like regarding greens. :-) do you have a fav?

Okay, soy...I am not a big fan of soy. Fermented organic soy, yes. But the quality of soy in this country is shameful. That doesn't mean I know it all. We used soy for a long time and I gave it to my babies instead of milk. This is a road of discovery. I encourage you to do some research on it. Here are a couple of links to get you started if you are interested.

http://www.mercola.com/2004/dec/4/soy_truth.htm
http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/soy.html
http://www.googlesyndicatedsearch.com/u/WestonAPriceFoundation?q=soy
http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/index.htm
http://www.mercola.com/2004/dec/4/soy_truth.htm

Yikes, Mike! Sorry so long...Have a great day! ~j