A couple of months ago I was given a book in German: Gruene Smoothies – Die supergesunde Mini-Mahlzeit aus dem Mixer by Dr. Med. Christian Guth and Burkhard Hickisch (translated: Green Smoothies – the super healthy mini meal out of the blender). I read it within a day or two and immediately started experimenting with green smoothies in my power blender. It was love at first sight. I love the taste, the way they make me feel and within a couple of weeks I experienced amazing changes in my well being and energy levels, quality of sleep, digestion,  less craving for sweet things, and I even lost a little weight without even trying! I am now drinking 2 – 3 green smoothies a day.

Here is part 1 of a summary of the book.  In part 2 and 3 of this series of articles you will also find recipes and testimonials of people drinking green smoothies daily. Personally I don’t follow any particular recipe, just some rough guidelines, which I will also include in the series.

What makes Green Smoothies so special?

Benefits of Green Smoothies in a nutshell:

• they supply our bodies with a long list of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, trace elements and anti-oxidants on a daily basis.
• they keep us physically and mentally fit
• they help to regulate body weight
• they support healthy sleep
• they enable you to nourish children in a simple way  – healthily with lots of variations
• they make it easy for older people to take in sufficient fresh foods
• they promote nutrition out of the region one lives in and according to seasons

Green Smoothies containing green leaves, fruit, sprouted seeds and herbs in their unaltered/unprocessed state protect the organism from harmful influences in our environment and are a very powerful protection and prevention of degenerative diseases like arterosclerosis, heart attack, stroke, cancer, Alzheimer, Parkinson, depression, stress and burnout.

5 a day – not so easy

Many of us know by now that we are supposed to eat a minimum of 2 fruits and 3 vegetables daily, preferably raw, in order to maintain health. In reality, however, we don’t always manage this in our busy lives. We also do not chew our food enough, so the body cannot absorb vital nutrients. With Green Smoothies we now have the possibility to ingest large amounts of green leafy vegetables, other raw plants and fruit in a way that is tasty and easy to digest. The nutrients are absorbed quickly by the digestive system and are available for the whole organism in a very short time.

If you belong to the people who don’t like eating large amounts of vegetables and fruit, you can now look forward to tasty, super-healthy drinks on a daily basis.

Plants do not only nourish us. Due to their secondary ingredients certain plants like peppermint belong to the group of healing plants and can therefore heal physical and psychiatric ailments.

Did you know…

that stinging nettle leaves contain more than double the vitamin C of lemon juice?

Strong bones & protection from ostoeporosis

All plants contain calcium. Parsley, carrot and radish tops and beetroot leaves are especially rich in calcium. Magnesium, a further important element for bones and teeth, is the central atom in each chlorophyll molecule. Chlorophyll releases magnesium into the body and binds harmful heavy metals, which have accumulated in the body. This is one of the biochemical basis for the detoxifying effect of Green Smoothies. The third element is phosphorus, the most abundant mineral in the body after calcium, which is also present in each plant. Interestingly the mineral content in the leaves is much higher than in the root. Generally it can be said that the leaves are by far more nutrient dense than the root. Therefore, add carrot, radish and kohlrabi tops to the smoothies instead of throwing them away.

Protein

It has been scientifically proven that the human body does not need animal protein for growth and regeneration. That is also true for the growing child. The difference between plant protein and animal protein is that plant protein is almost free of purins. Purins turn into health damaging acids in the human organism.

Fatty Acids

The human body needs fat to function properly. Our brain consists of 60 % fat and each cell needs various fats to its work. However it is  important to ingest healthy fats and avoid harmful fats. Green leaves also contain fats, therefore your body also receives very valuable, healthy fats when drinking Green Smoothies.

Fibre

Plants contain a lot of fibre, which are an essential part of a healthy diet. Water-insoluble fibre like cellulose or lignin support digestion and ensure strong intestinal activity which leads to fast elimination of harmful substances. This prevents chronic inflammation of the mucous lining of the intestines like diverticulitis (a frequent ailment of older people) as well as colon cancer. In addition fibre binds gall bladder salts, which indirectly leads to lower cholesterol levels. Water soluble fibre (like mucous and pectin) are converted to fatty acids by the good bacteria in the colon, which keep the mucous lining inside the colon healthy. Since fibre should always be taken with plenty of fluid, the Green Smoothie is ideal: it contains plenty of both.

A welcome digestive aid

The blending of the plants causes them to become ‘pre-digested’. This relieves the stomach and intestines greatly. People, who have problems digesting raw food, usually do extremely well with Green Smoothies.

Green Smoothies end the preconceived idea that fruit and raw salads are difficult to digest when eaten at night. Because of the finely blended mixture Green Smoothies are easily digested at any time of day. However, the general rule of not eating within a few hours of bed time, still applies.

And to end part 1 of the series of articles on Green Smoothies, here is a recipe to get you started:

Sweet Starter Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe banana
• 2 apples or pears
• 2 hand full baby spinach leaves
• 4 kohlrabi leaves or 6 beet root leaves
• green carrot tops of 3 – 4 carrots
• 1/2 litre of filtered water (or enough water to cover all the ingredients in the blender)

Method

1. Depending on strength of blender, cut fruit into pieces (a power blender can handle large pieces easily)
2. Remove stems from leaves & chop leaves for blender to handle
3. Add water
4. Start on the lowest setting of the blender and slowly increase speed to high. Blend until contents are very finely blended and smooth.

Note: how much water you add depends on how liquid you like your smoothie.

Green smoothies can be stored in the fridge for several days, as long as they are in a sealed glass container. The nutrients stay active and intensify.

Drink in between or before meals.

Go to

Part 2: How to make Green Smoothies

Part 3: Practical Tips; Benefits for the Immune System & the Brain

Part 4: Benefits for the Digestive System

Part 5: Successful Anti-Aging

Part 6: Benefits for Women’s Health

Part 7: Healthy Skin with Green Beauty Smoothies

Part 8: Building Muscles naturally with Green Smoothies

Part 9: More Love , More Joy, More Libido

Part 10: Prevention of Cancer

Part 10: