Green Smoothie Revolution Part 1
Green Smoothie Revolution.
by Victoria Boutenko.
PREFACE.
THE GREEN SMOOTHIE REVOLUTION HAS BEGUN.
THE GREEN SMOOTHIE REVOLUTION IS HAPPENING NOW, THROUGH you and me and everybody else in the world who is enjoying this delicious green drink. The most stunning fact about this magic potion is that while it is supergreen in color and extremely healthy, it is also delicious beyond anyone's expectations and is easy to like. In my cla.s.ses and workshops I have watched thousands of people undergo a profound transformation when they try a green smoothie for the first time. Their disgust and trepidation about the "green stuff" suddenly turns to delight at the smoothie's surprisingly delicious taste. I inevitably hear an audible "Wow!" and watch people licking their cups clean. you and me and everybody else in the world who is enjoying this delicious green drink. The most stunning fact about this magic potion is that while it is supergreen in color and extremely healthy, it is also delicious beyond anyone's expectations and is easy to like. In my cla.s.ses and workshops I have watched thousands of people undergo a profound transformation when they try a green smoothie for the first time. Their disgust and trepidation about the "green stuff" suddenly turns to delight at the smoothie's surprisingly delicious taste. I inevitably hear an audible "Wow!" and watch people licking their cups clean.
Having spent fifteen years trying to inspire people to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into their daily diets, I remember how hard it used to be to convince others to eat more raw food. For many years I drove eight hundred miles along the West Coast teaching weekly cla.s.ses about raw food. I taught a ten-week course in cities from San Francisco to Seattle. Then, after a week's break at the end of a course, I would start all over again. Despite my colossal efforts, the majority of my students found it challenging to maintain a raw food diet.
That situation has radically changed with the arrival of the green smoothie. Ever since I put together the very first green smoothie in August 2004, the drink rapidly started gaining popularity without much promotion on my part. Today, more people are aware of green smoothies than of a raw food diet. I can now order a variety of green smoothies at several of my local juice bars, and even at the drive-through near the airport in Medford, Oregon. Many TV shows and magazines are endorsing green smoothies, and when my children recently took me to the movies, I almost fell off my seat as I watched Iron Man pull out a blender and proceed to make a green smoothie.
Ever since the invention of the green smoothie, I have been drinking them daily and sharing them with others. I love green smoothies so much that I am committed to drinking them until the last day of my life. Everyone in my family fell in love with them, and many of our friends did too. Wherever I go, I gather new information from green smoothie fans worldwide. Through everyday blending, research, and letters from our readers, we have compiled the best recipes and basic principles of green smoothie creation and consumption in this new book.
I hope you enjoy discovering the world of green smoothies, and finding your favorite recipes for optimum health. Happy blending!
-Victoria Boutenko
PART ONE.
UNLEASHING THE HEALING POWER OF GREENS.
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THE MIRACLE OF GREENSWe can only appreciate the miracle of a sunrise if we have waited in the darkness.-AUTHOR UNKNOWN I GET GOOSE b.u.mPS EVERY TIME I READ ABOUT PHOTOSYNTHESIS. Greens are the only living thing in the world that can transform sunshine into the food that all creatures can consume. There would be no life on our planet without green leaves. The life purpose of all greens is to produce chlorophyll. Dedicated to maximum possible chlorophyll production, green leaves grow, stretch, spread, and quickly take over available s.p.a.ce under the sun. That is why we have to constantly cut, clip, and trim the gra.s.s, bushes, and trees around us.
Chlorophyll is a miraculous substance, in essence liquefied sunshine. The chlorophyll molecule is the basis for every form of carbohydrate on our planet. That means there is no sugar, honey, potato, spaghetti, rice, or bread that did not originate from a molecule of chlorophyll. All of the energy in food comes from the sun. Plants wisely utilize the sugars created from chlorophyll. As plants don't have their own legs and cannot move, they purposely make their fruit sweet in order to attract animals, insects, birds, and humans to help spread their seeds. That is why fruits look so attractive to us. They are brightly colored, sweet, and smell enticing. Another large part of the sugars made from chlorophyll is transferred to the roots. As you know, the roots of plants have a sweet taste; for example, carrots, beets, yams, potatoes, and turnips. For this reason a large percentage of the world's sugar is produced from root vegetables. All of this leaves one to wonder what the purpose of sweetness in roots could be. Whom can they attract, hidden in the ground, hairy and dirty? There are countless varieties of fungi, microbes, amoebas, bacteria, and microorganisms whose lives depend on the sugar in plant roots. In Teaming with Microbes Teaming with Microbes, Jeff Lowenfels and Wayne Lewis give us some idea of how crowded the neighborhood is: "A mere teaspoon of good garden soil, as measured by microbial geneticists, contains a billion invisible bacteria, several yards of equally invisible fungal hyphae, several thousand protozoa, and a few dozen nematodes."1 These microorganisms all have a big sweet tooth, consuming sugar from the roots of plants and multiplying. They transform organic matter such as dead animals and plants into inorganic minerals. The richness and fertility of the soil is totally dependent on microorganism activity. Without microorganisms, soil turns into dust. The roots of plants are covered with tiny hairs called rhizoids. Through these rhizoids, plants absorb dissolved mineral compounds from the soil when they drink water. As water enters the root hairs and moves through the plant, it carries nutrients to all parts of the plant. These microorganisms all have a big sweet tooth, consuming sugar from the roots of plants and multiplying. They transform organic matter such as dead animals and plants into inorganic minerals. The richness and fertility of the soil is totally dependent on microorganism activity. Without microorganisms, soil turns into dust. The roots of plants are covered with tiny hairs called rhizoids. Through these rhizoids, plants absorb dissolved mineral compounds from the soil when they drink water. As water enters the root hairs and moves through the plant, it carries nutrients to all parts of the plant.
The plant's main purpose for acc.u.mulating nutrients is to develop future seeds, which require a high density of nutrients to fulfill their function of reproduction. First, they need to endure a variety of weather conditions such as frost, drought, wind, rain, or heat. In addition to needing strong immunity and the ability to survive any number of circ.u.mstances, including the possibility of spending many hours in someone's digestive tract, seeds need to be able to remain dormant for extremely long periods before the proper conditions to sprout arrive. Nutrient density ensures the survival of the seed for hundreds, even thousands of years. In her article on the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway, Martha Hunter Shepard describes seeds' extraordinary potential for survival: "The longest-lasting seed we know of is the sorghum. We have some indication that in certain conditions it could survive some 20,000 years."2 After the seeds germinate, they still need a lot of energy and nutrition in order to sprout and survive. We see how sprouts of gra.s.s sometimes grow through a thick layer of asphalt, moving rocks or thick layers of clay. The sprouts should be able to survive after heavy animals step on them or nibble at them. If seeds didn't have the necessary nutrition, this wouldn't be possible. This is why plants work hard to feed their underground supply of microorganisms and harvest their minerals. After the seeds germinate, they still need a lot of energy and nutrition in order to sprout and survive. We see how sprouts of gra.s.s sometimes grow through a thick layer of asphalt, moving rocks or thick layers of clay. The sprouts should be able to survive after heavy animals step on them or nibble at them. If seeds didn't have the necessary nutrition, this wouldn't be possible. This is why plants work hard to feed their underground supply of microorganisms and harvest their minerals.
Plants begin to acc.u.mulate nutrients long before their seeds are formed. There is no better place for acc.u.mulating and storing nutrients than in the leaves. This puts greens in the category of the most nutritious foods on the planet This puts greens in the category of the most nutritious foods on the planet. One may ask, "Aren't seeds the most nutritious part of the plant, then?" While seeds are indeed rich in nutrients, plants don't want their "babies" to be eaten, and therefore protect their seeds by saturating them with all kinds of inhibitors, alkaloids, and other poisonous ingredients.
The best time to harvest greens is before the formation of seeds, because that is when green leaves contain the highest concentration of nutrients. After a plant blossoms, nutrients begin to acc.u.mulate inside its seeds. Once the seeds are gone, there are almost no nutrients left in the leaves. They turn yellow and brown, bitter and tough, and eventually fall off the plant so that the remaining nutrients return to the soil and the plant can rest until the next growing season.
In the next chapter we'll look at why harnessing the miraculous nutrition of greens is so crucial for our health.
1Jeff Lowenfels and Wayne Lewis, Teaming with Microbes Teaming with Microbes (Portland, OR: Timber Press, 2006). (Portland, OR: Timber Press, 2006).2Martha Hunter Shepard, "Banking on the Future," Rhodes Magazine Rhodes Magazine 15 (Fall 2008). 15 (Fall 2008).
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GREENS, THE KEY INGREDIENT IN HUMAN NUTRITIONWe know the truth, not only by reason, but also by the heart. -BLAISE PASCAL HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED HOW MANY GREEN LEAVES ARE CONSTANTLY growing on this planet? I don't think it is possible to estimate the amount of green ma.s.s on the earth. I only know that the prevailing color on our planet is green because of green leaves. growing on this planet? I don't think it is possible to estimate the amount of green ma.s.s on the earth. I only know that the prevailing color on our planet is green because of green leaves.
When something is as abundant as greens, we tend to consider it insignificant. Eventually we stop noticing it. For many of us in our busy lives, greens have been reduced to a part of the landscape. Some people view greens as food for the animals. For some folks, greens are a plain nuisance-there are leaves to rake, gra.s.s to cut, and weeds to pull. Similarly, we have come to take the greens on our plates for granted.
Yet green leaves are vital for the survival of all living beings on our planet, including humans. In fact, green leaves are as essential for human existence as water, air, and sunlight. I have conducted a lot of research and found that the nutritional composition of greens matches human nutritional needs amazingly well. Greens contain all the essential minerals, vitamins, and even amino acids that humans need for optimal health. The only nutrient not found in greens is vitamin B12. You can find more information about the nutritional value of greens in my book Green for Life. Green for Life.3 I have found much evidence that green leaves have been a primary staple in the diets of humans from the beginning of time. According to archaeological research, skeletons of the first humans were discovered in eastern Africa,4 where the climate at that time was a tropical rain forest. After studying these bones, scientists concluded that humans first lived in the upper canopy level of trees. Examination of their large and square molars, covered with thick enamel, suggests that prehistoric humans ate green leaves along with fruit, blossoms, seeds, bark, and insects. where the climate at that time was a tropical rain forest. After studying these bones, scientists concluded that humans first lived in the upper canopy level of trees. Examination of their large and square molars, covered with thick enamel, suggests that prehistoric humans ate green leaves along with fruit, blossoms, seeds, bark, and insects.5 Doc.u.mented evidence of the popularity of greens goes back as far as early medieval times. For example, according to German researcher P. Hanelt, "a number of leafy crucifers that no longer exist were used throughout Europe as salad vegetables and scurvy remedies from the sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries."6 Another scientific researcher tells us how greens "such as cabbage, radish, turnip, mustard, and horseradish flourished throughout Europe by the sixteenth century. Cabbage itself reached cult status as a cure for all diseases." Another scientific researcher tells us how greens "such as cabbage, radish, turnip, mustard, and horseradish flourished throughout Europe by the sixteenth century. Cabbage itself reached cult status as a cure for all diseases."7 As my book 12 Steps to Raw Foods 12 Steps to Raw Foods discusses in greater detail, greens have been a staple in the human diet for thousands of years. Throughout human history, people consumed almost exclusively wholesome natural products grown in rich, healthy soil. This way of eating underwent a dramatic shift approximately 180 years ago, when the industrial revolution began. Along with railways, sewing machines, and factories, the processes of canning, refining sugar, and milling white flour were invented. These three innovations were the major contributors to an unprecedented shift in the human diet. While people eagerly embraced convenient, inexpensive, and "progressive" ways of eating, they dramatically reduced their consumption of wholesome foods, especially green vegetables. They replaced highly nutritious natural products with white flour, white sugar, hydrogenated oils, artificial additives, and many other heavily processed foods. discusses in greater detail, greens have been a staple in the human diet for thousands of years. Throughout human history, people consumed almost exclusively wholesome natural products grown in rich, healthy soil. This way of eating underwent a dramatic shift approximately 180 years ago, when the industrial revolution began. Along with railways, sewing machines, and factories, the processes of canning, refining sugar, and milling white flour were invented. These three innovations were the major contributors to an unprecedented shift in the human diet. While people eagerly embraced convenient, inexpensive, and "progressive" ways of eating, they dramatically reduced their consumption of wholesome foods, especially green vegetables. They replaced highly nutritious natural products with white flour, white sugar, hydrogenated oils, artificial additives, and many other heavily processed foods.
Within a matter of years, eating predominantly processed and refined foods became commonplace and, like riding a bicycle and using electricity, was considered a symbol of progress, similar to having a computer and cell phone today. No one suspected that these new foods were high in calories and low in nutrition; on the contrary, most consumers believed that canned, refined, and other processed foods were easier to digest than whole foods. When people began developing various symptoms of deficiencies, they did not a.s.sociate their illnesses with their newly acquired eating habits. The invention and incorporation of artificial fertilizers, preservatives, and other toxic chemicals further added to nutritional deficiencies. Within several decades, four illnesses spread as a direct result of consuming food depleted of essential nutrients: scurvy, rickets, beriberi, and pellagra. Each of these diseases became epidemic, and thousands of lives were lost. For example, in 1915 more than ten thousand people died of pellagra in the United States alone.8 At that time the majority of doctors didn't connect the cause of these diseases with lack of nutrition and therefore they searched for a cure beyond food. During the industrial revolution enormous progress was made in the field of chemistry so physicians began prescribing an ever-increasing variety of medical drugs to help their patients. Unfortunately, doctors were unaware that most medicines administered to patients interfered with the absorption of vital nutrients, causing further nutritional deficiencies. Today a great deal of research is available that explains how medical drugs can create nutritional deficiencies in the human body. For example, iron, one of the most essential minerals for human health, can be obtained from a wide variety of foods, both from animal and vegetable sources. However, despite iron's widespread availability, iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the United States, affecting 7.8 million adolescent girls and women of childbearing age, and 700,000 children aged 12 years.9 In her book In her book Drug-Induced Nutritional Deficiencies Drug-Induced Nutritional Deficiencies, Dr. Daphne A. Roe explains that iron absorption has been shown to be depressed by such commonly used medicines as aspirin, antacid, and antibiotics.10 By adding spinach and other greens rich in iron to our diets, we could eliminate the most common nutritional deficiency and possibly improve our immunity to such a degree that we wouldn't have need of medications. By adding spinach and other greens rich in iron to our diets, we could eliminate the most common nutritional deficiency and possibly improve our immunity to such a degree that we wouldn't have need of medications.
Nowadays it is a well-known fact that nutritional deficiencies were the original cause of scurvy,11 beriberi, pellagra, and rickets. For instance, scurvy can be safely and effectively treated by simply adding fresh fruits and vegetables to the sufferer's diet. However, until the end of the nineteenth century, "typical cures for scurvy included purging with salt water, bleeding, eating sulphuric acid or vinegar, and smearing mercury paste onto the open sores." beriberi, pellagra, and rickets. For instance, scurvy can be safely and effectively treated by simply adding fresh fruits and vegetables to the sufferer's diet. However, until the end of the nineteenth century, "typical cures for scurvy included purging with salt water, bleeding, eating sulphuric acid or vinegar, and smearing mercury paste onto the open sores."12 No wonder that "more than two million sailors perished from scurvy" during the two centuries prior to discovery of vitamin C. I wonder if in another two centuries science will discover that some scary diseases of today could be treated by just adding fresh organic produce to our diets. No wonder that "more than two million sailors perished from scurvy" during the two centuries prior to discovery of vitamin C. I wonder if in another two centuries science will discover that some scary diseases of today could be treated by just adding fresh organic produce to our diets.
During the nineteenth century, greater use of chemical medical treatments, increased consumption of processed foods, and more widespread use of toxic substances in everyday life greatly contributed to nutritional deficiencies and toxicity among the general populace. Deficiency and toxicity laid the foundation for the rapid decline in public health. Degenerative diseases began to grow considerably. One of those exploding ailments was cancer.
The oldest known description of human cancer is found in an Egyptian papyrus written between 30001500 BC BC.13 However, according to Dr. Max Gerson, cancer continued to be an exceptionally rare disease until the beginning of the industrial revolution. However, according to Dr. Max Gerson, cancer continued to be an exceptionally rare disease until the beginning of the industrial revolution.14 During the nineteenth century the numbers of people diagnosed with cancer started to grow rapidly in developed countries. By 1900, 64 out of every 100,000 Americans died from cancer. These already high numbers continued to grow and tripled by 2000. During the nineteenth century the numbers of people diagnosed with cancer started to grow rapidly in developed countries. By 1900, 64 out of every 100,000 Americans died from cancer. These already high numbers continued to grow and tripled by 2000.15 Now we are told that by 2010 cancer will become the leading cause of death worldwide. Now we are told that by 2010 cancer will become the leading cause of death worldwide.16 Today, as we continue to increase the amount of processed foods in our diets, the level of public health is falling so quickly that we can observe the dramatic plunge even in the course of one generation. I am only fifty-four, but in my short lifetime I can clearly observe the decline in the health of contemporary youth. For example, when I was in middle school, among the forty students in my cla.s.s there was only one boy who wore gla.s.ses. n.o.body wore braces, and there was only one overweight girl, who was made fun of by everyone else. Recently I was teaching a cla.s.s at a local middle school, and I noticed that a third of the cla.s.s wore very stylish gla.s.ses, many students had braces, many were overweight, and most had acne. On top of that, their teacher told me that several of his students had been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and that numerous children from the cla.s.s were on different kinds of medications, including antidepressants. Obviously the process of deterioration of our health is continuing, and maybe even escalating.
You and I belong to approximately the seventh generation of people living on predominantly processed food. White flour, white sugar, artificial additives, and many other components of processed foods have contributed to the deficiency and toxicity that modern people have. I consider the dramatic reduction of green vegetables in our diet to be by far the most detrimental choice that we have ever made for our health. Here we are in the twenty-first century, with "over 50 percent of Americans deficient in the five most important nutrients and over 80 percent of Americans deficient in one or more essential nutrients," according to the USDA.17 Our deficiencies continue to acc.u.mulate and have already reached such an extent that our skeletal and facial features have begun to change. For example, from lack of calcium, vitamin D, and other essential nutrients, the facial bones of many people are underdeveloped, causing a constriction of the dental arches, which results in tooth crowding. According to Dr. Weston A. Price, "this is a typical expression of inadequate nutrition of the parents." Our deficiencies continue to acc.u.mulate and have already reached such an extent that our skeletal and facial features have begun to change. For example, from lack of calcium, vitamin D, and other essential nutrients, the facial bones of many people are underdeveloped, causing a constriction of the dental arches, which results in tooth crowding. According to Dr. Weston A. Price, "this is a typical expression of inadequate nutrition of the parents."18 Most young people today have jaws that are so narrow and short that there is simply not enough s.p.a.ce for all of their teeth. The majority of our daughters and sons are compelled to remove their wisdom teeth, even when there are no cavities in them. Furthermore, after the painful extraction of all four wisdom teeth, their jaws are often still too narrow for the rest of their teeth. It's common for young people to wear braces so their crowded teeth don't grow crookedly. Most young people today have jaws that are so narrow and short that there is simply not enough s.p.a.ce for all of their teeth. The majority of our daughters and sons are compelled to remove their wisdom teeth, even when there are no cavities in them. Furthermore, after the painful extraction of all four wisdom teeth, their jaws are often still too narrow for the rest of their teeth. It's common for young people to wear braces so their crowded teeth don't grow crookedly.
Some years ago I read in Survival in the 21st Century Survival in the 21st Century19 by Viktoras Kulvinskas that smaller earlobes in humans suggest weak genetic inheritance. I have spent countless hours in libraries looking through archives of photographs taken around the world in the last one hundred and fifty years. My observation is that in the West we are seeing smaller ear lobes with each generation. Vitamin K is crucial for ear cartilage, and for all cartilage elsewhere in the human body. Coincidentally, this vitamin can be found almost exclusively in green leaves. As pregnant mothers and babies typically do not consume enough greens, babies don't have enough vitamin K, and thus with each generation their ears become a little smaller. I speculate that the rest of our organs that contain cartilage are also affected by a lack of vitamin K. I wonder if the back problems that thirty-one million Americans by Viktoras Kulvinskas that smaller earlobes in humans suggest weak genetic inheritance. I have spent countless hours in libraries looking through archives of photographs taken around the world in the last one hundred and fifty years. My observation is that in the West we are seeing smaller ear lobes with each generation. Vitamin K is crucial for ear cartilage, and for all cartilage elsewhere in the human body. Coincidentally, this vitamin can be found almost exclusively in green leaves. As pregnant mothers and babies typically do not consume enough greens, babies don't have enough vitamin K, and thus with each generation their ears become a little smaller. I speculate that the rest of our organs that contain cartilage are also affected by a lack of vitamin K. I wonder if the back problems that thirty-one million Americans20 suffer from, along with more than two hundred thousand knee replacements per year, suffer from, along with more than two hundred thousand knee replacements per year,21 are also connected to the lack of vitamin K and consistent shortage of greens in our diet. Vibrant health is not possible without the regular consumption of vitamin K. are also connected to the lack of vitamin K and consistent shortage of greens in our diet. Vibrant health is not possible without the regular consumption of vitamin K.
Vitamin K deficiency has been linked to the following disorders:22 skin cancer liver cancer heavy menstrual bleeding nose bleeds hemorrhaging easy bruising osteoporosis hematomas Vitamin K deficiency has also been linked to the following birth defects: shortened fingers cupped ears flat nasal bridges underdevelopment of the nose, mouth, and mid-face mental r.e.t.a.r.dation neural tube defects Unfortunately, according to the USDA 2003 Annual Performance Report 2003 Annual Performance Report, "Vitamin K is the least studied vitamin."23 All green leaves are abundant in this important, overlooked vitamin. All green leaves are abundant in this important, overlooked vitamin.
Vitamin K is only one of countless nutrients that are crucial for human health. Today nutritional deficiencies and body toxicity are quickly becoming the norm. By bringing greens back into our everyday menu we can slow down and even reverse the degeneration of our health. Green smoothies are the best way to achieve this goal.
3Victoria Boutenko, Green for Life Green for Life (Ashland, OR: Raw Family Publishing, 2005). (Ashland, OR: Raw Family Publishing, 2005).4N. Boauz, Quarry: Closing in on the Missing Link Quarry: Closing in on the Missing Link (New York: The Free Press, 1993). (New York: The Free Press, 1993).5Victoria Boutenko, 12 Steps to Raw Foods 12 Steps to Raw Foods (Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 2007). (Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 2007).6P. Hanelt, "Lesser-known or Forgotten Cruciferous Vegetables and Their History," Acta Horticulturae Acta Horticulturae, no. 459 (1998): 3945.7G. R. Fenwick, R. K. Heaney, and W. J. Mullin, "Glucosinolates and Their Breakdown Products in Food and Food Plants," CRC Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition CRC Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 18 (1983): 123201. 18 (1983): 123201.8www.hbci.com/wenonah/new/howfindv.htm9"Iron deficiency-United States, 19992000." Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, October 11, 2002.10Daphne A. Roe, MD, Drug-Induced Nutritional Deficiencies Drug-Induced Nutritional Deficiencies (Westport, CT: AVI Publishing Company, Inc., 1978). (Westport, CT: AVI Publishing Company, Inc., 1978).11Stephen R. Bown, Scurvy: How a Surgeon, a Mariner, and a Gentleman Solved the Greatest Medical Mystery of the Age of Sail Scurvy: How a Surgeon, a Mariner, and a Gentleman Solved the Greatest Medical Mystery of the Age of Sail. (Markham, Ontario, Canada: Thomas Allen & Son, 2003).12Ibid.13www.cancer.org14Max Gerson, MD, A Cancer Therapy: Results of Fifty Cases and the Cure of Advanced Cancer by Diet Therapy : A Summary of 30 Years of Clinical Experimentation A Cancer Therapy: Results of Fifty Cases and the Cure of Advanced Cancer by Diet Therapy : A Summary of 30 Years of Clinical Experimentation (Greenfield Center, NY: Greenfield Review Press, 1997). (Greenfield Center, NY: Greenfield Review Press, 1997).15U.S. News and World Report, December 27, 1999. December 27, 1999.16N. Mulcahy, "Cancer to Become Leading Cause of Death Worldwide by 2010," Medscape Medical News Medscape Medical News, December 10, 2008.17www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=1565618W. A. Price, DDS, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration Nutrition and Physical Degeneration (La Mesa, CA: Price Pottinger Nutrition Foundation, 2003). (La Mesa, CA: Price Pottinger Nutrition Foundation, 2003).19Viktoras P. Kulvinskas, Survival in the 21st Century Survival in the 21st Century (Fairfield, IA: 21st Century Publications, 1981). (Fairfield, IA: 21st Century Publications, 1981).20A. Kugel, "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Chronic Back Pain-A Thing of the Past with Ergonomics," Medical News Today Medical News Today, July 9, 2005.21D. Heck, "Revision Rates after Knee Replacement in the United States," Medical Care Medical Care 36, no. 5 (May 1998):661669. 36, no. 5 (May 1998):661669.22 http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_vitamin_K_deficiency_cause23www.usda.gov
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THE FIRST GREEN SMOOTHIEWhen the solution is simple, G.o.d is answering.-ALBERT EINSTEIN FOR DECADES DIETICIANS HAVE BEEN EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT the benefits of greens, but it was never clear how best to incorporate fresh greens into everyone's daily diet. The only option for eating greens seemed to be the salad. The problem is that in our industrialized world, the taste of greens is not as appealing as the stimulating taste of processed foods. That is why despite Popeye cartoons and Jolly Green Giant advertis.e.m.e.nts, mothers pushing broccoli on their children, wheatgra.s.s shots in juice bars, and a variety of green powders becoming available in recent years, greens still remained a nonessential side dish or even an unpleasant requirement for the majority of consumers. the benefits of greens, but it was never clear how best to incorporate fresh greens into everyone's daily diet. The only option for eating greens seemed to be the salad. The problem is that in our industrialized world, the taste of greens is not as appealing as the stimulating taste of processed foods. That is why despite Popeye cartoons and Jolly Green Giant advertis.e.m.e.nts, mothers pushing broccoli on their children, wheatgra.s.s shots in juice bars, and a variety of green powders becoming available in recent years, greens still remained a nonessential side dish or even an unpleasant requirement for the majority of consumers.
That was also true for me. I knew I needed to eat greens but disliked the taste of them. By 2004 I had already been eating a raw food diet for more than ten years,24 and although switching to an all-raw diet had allowed me to reverse my most serious conditions-edema, arrhythmia, and depression-I still wasn't experiencing the most vibrant health that I was looking for. and although switching to an all-raw diet had allowed me to reverse my most serious conditions-edema, arrhythmia, and depression-I still wasn't experiencing the most vibrant health that I was looking for.
In search of the perfect human diet, I decided to look for an animal genetically close to human beings. I found that chimpanzees share an estimated 99.4 percent of their genes with humans. At the same time, these animals possess an extremely strong natural immunity to AIDS, hepat.i.tis C, cancer, and other fatal human illnesses. I was thinking that if we share 99.4 percent the same genes, our diets should be 99.4 percent similar. It appeared that the opposite was true; that is, the Standard American Diet is about 99 percent different from the diet of wild chimpanzees. See for yourself: [image]
The Standard American Diet is almost 100 percent cooked or processed, while the diet of chimpanzees is 100 percent raw and whole foods. As you can see from the charts below, even the diet of the typical raw foodist resembles the diet of chimpanzees by only 50 percent.
[image]
When I recognized how many greens we humans are supposed to consume daily, it became clear to me that I had to come up with an utterly new approach to our diet. From the study of human anatomy I learned that for the best possible absorption, greens have to enter the digestive tract in liquefied form. Greens are high in cellulose, which makes them difficult for the digestive system to break down. In perfectly healthy human bodies without any nutritional deficiencies, greens are liquefied by two processes: first, by thorough chewing, and then by being mixed with stomach acid. Unfortunately, many people today don't have normal levels of hydrochloric acid in their stomach due to mineral deficiencies, particularly of zinc.
You can ask your doctor to perform a stomach acid test on you. How might you know that you have low stomach acid? If you ever vomited as a child, you might remember that the acids from your stomach burned your throat to such an extent that it hurt for several hours. Maybe you can compare this experience with another incident of vomiting later in your life. Do you remember whether or not the burning sensation was still present, weaker, or not felt at all? That might be an indication of a reduced level of hydrochloric acid in your stomach.
People who cannot chew their food thoroughly and who have low hydrochloric acid eventually stop enjoying greens and even develop a distaste for them. This is a defense mechanism of the human body, as if it is telling us, "Honey, you are not able to digest these greens, and they only become a burden on your digestive system, so I'm going to make you nauseous so you stop eating greens completely." It is a vicious cycle: as humans consume more processed food, they become increasingly deficient in nutrients. Then, being unable to create stomach acid, they stop consuming greens and become even more deficient. Their health continues to deteriorate.
When I first began researching the details of digesting greens, I was already missing my most important molars and my stomach acid was extremely low, so I started looking for a way of liquefying large quant.i.ties of greens. At first I decided to blend dark leafy greens in a high-speed blender. However, after doing so, when I opened the lid I had to quickly close it as the smell was unbearable. I knew right away that I couldn't possibly drink that mixture, but I knew that I was on the right track. Blender load after blender load was poured into the compost. Several days pa.s.sed before I came across a paragraph in Jane Goodall's book about chimpanzees in which she mentioned that sometimes chimpanzees would take a piece of fruit, roll it in a green leaf, and eat it as a sandwich. I stared at that paragraph, thinking it was poor food-combining for humans. But then I thought that maybe chimps know better.
So I peeled some bananas and blended them with kale. With trepidation I opened the lid of the blender. To my relief, the smell of bananas masked the smell of chlorophyll. Despite being bright green in color, my smoothie smelled great. I was so excited that I began drinking it right from the blender. I tasted my supergreen drink and discovered that the bananas also dominated the taste of chlorophyll. I was stunned by this discovery. I was able to trick my body into consuming a large amount of greens without any resistance. I didn't feel nauseous. In fact, I ecstatically enjoyed greens for the first time in my life. This discovery marked the beginning of my own green smoothie revolution.
As I was drinking my very first green smoothie, it dawned on me that my children could also enjoy eating greens this way. And my friends, neighbors, coworkers, students, and, oh, my goodness, the whole world too! At this point I started dancing in my office, and then in the street. I made more green smoothies, took a stack of paper cups, and went outside. I offered smoothies to my neighbors and to pa.s.sers-by. I wanted to see if they would also like the taste of green smoothies, and they did. I couldn't stop laughing and shouting with delight. I recognized that green smoothies were a perfect solution for people like me, of whom there were millions.
24For a more complete story of the Boutenko family on a raw diet, see Appendix 3 Appendix 3.
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THE IMPORTANCE OF ROTATING GREENS IN YOUR SMOOTHIESTo improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.-WINSTON CHURCHILL WHEN I FIRST CAME UP WITH THE GREEN SMOOTHIE IDEA, I DECIDED I needed the darkest possible green leaves in my smoothies so that I could undo the damage of not consuming enough greens earlier in my life. That is why for several months I was almost exclusively blending dinosaur kale. This green received its name because it resembles the skin of a dinosaur. Also known as Italian kale, it belongs to the I needed the darkest possible green leaves in my smoothies so that I could undo the damage of not consuming enough greens earlier in my life. That is why for several months I was almost exclusively blending dinosaur kale. This green received its name because it resembles the skin of a dinosaur. Also known as Italian kale, it belongs to the Bra.s.sica Bra.s.sica family and is found in most supermarkets around the world. Valya and I especially enjoyed smoothies made with this kale. However, after three months of drinking the same recipe, we started to notice a feeling of slight numbness on our faces. I immediately connected this symptom with the green smoothie, as it was the only change in our family's lifestyle. I remember thinking, family and is found in most supermarkets around the world. Valya and I especially enjoyed smoothies made with this kale. However, after three months of drinking the same recipe, we started to notice a feeling of slight numbness on our faces. I immediately connected this symptom with the green smoothie, as it was the only change in our family's lifestyle. I remember thinking, Oh, no! I don't want to give up our beloved smoothies Oh, no! I don't want to give up our beloved smoothies. I started to research the nutritional content of greens and soon discovered that there was a reason for our symptoms.
Green leaves are typically the most nutritious part of a plant, and creatures naturally want to eat them. Plants carry a trace of alkaloids in their leaves to ensure that animals will move on to eat other green plants and will not exterminate any one species. Although alkaloids are poisonous in large quant.i.ties, in small quant.i.ties they cannot hurt you, and even strengthen the immune system. The science of homeopathy is based on this principle. However, if you keep consuming kale, or spinach, or any other single green for many weeks without rotation, eventually the same type of alkaloids can acc.u.mulate in your body and cause unwanted symptoms of poisoning. Most greens contain different kinds of alkaloids, which is why, by rotating the variety of greens in our smoothies, we can avoid poisoning and strengthen our immunity.
We do not have to rotate our fruits very often because fruits rarely contain alkaloids. In fact, fruits were intended by nature to be eaten in order to spread their seeds. That is why ripe fruit is sweet, aromatic, and bright in color.
You can rotate your greens in any way that is convenient to you. Some people put a different type of green in their smoothie every day. Others put a variety of greens in each smoothie. I recommend rotating a minimum of seven varieties of greens, one for each day of the week. Try to get as much variety as possible. The larger the a.s.sortment of greens you consume, the broader the spectrum of vital nutrients your body receives.
While I don't know the exact number of edible greens on our planet, I do know that there are thousands. In his book Native American Ethn.o.botony Native American Ethn.o.botony,25 Daniel Moerman has listed 1,649 species of edible plants used by Native Americans alone. Since dramatically reducing our consumption of greens in the last two centuries, we have lost our knowledge of most edible greens. Now we have to rely on various people around the world to restore our ability to recognize edible plants. As I travel and meet smoothie drinkers, I collect bits and pieces of information about edible greens. My son Sergei has a hiking company, Harmony Hikes, that takes groups of people out into the wilderness and teaches them to identify edible and poisonous plants. During the spring and summer he shows up with a basket of many different species of plants that we gratefully throw in the blender. Sergei is a big enthusiast of wild edibles and believes that they are nature's true superfoods. He created several short videos about the most common wild edible plants and has placed them on YouTube for your education and enjoyment. Daniel Moerman has listed 1,649 species of edible plants used by Native Americans alone. Since dramatically reducing our consumption of greens in the last two centuries, we have lost our knowledge of most edible greens. Now we have to rely on various people around the world to restore our ability to recognize edible plants. As I travel and meet smoothie drinkers, I collect bits and pieces of information about edible greens. My son Sergei has a hiking company, Harmony Hikes, that takes groups of people out into the wilderness and teaches them to identify edible and poisonous plants. During the spring and summer he shows up with a basket of many different species of plants that we gratefully throw in the blender. Sergei is a big enthusiast of wild edibles and believes that they are nature's true superfoods. He created several short videos about the most common wild edible plants and has placed them on YouTube for your education and enjoyment.
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The following is a list of edible greens that can be found in most regions. I would like to acknowledge the biggest contributor to my list, Gabrielle Chavez, an author, teacher, and gardener from Portland, Oregon.
CULTIVATED GREENS.
Amaranth kale (all types) kale (all types) Arugula (rocket) mache mache bamboo leaves mitsuna mitsuna beet greens mustard greens mustard greens bok choy lettuce lettuce cactus, nopal leaves (all types, red and green) (all types, red and green) carrot tops orach orach Celery pumpkin or squash leaves pumpkin or squash leaves chard (all types) radicchio radicchio Collard greens radish tops radish tops cuc.u.mber leaves romaine lettuce romaine lettuce Endive salad burnet salad burnet Escarole spinach spinach frisee lettuce turnip greens turnip greens goji (wolfberry) leaves wheatgra.s.s wheatgra.s.s grape leaves .
WILD EDIBLES AND WEEDS.
Chickweed Purslane Purslane Clover rose leaves and flowers rose leaves and flowers dandelion (greens and flowers) Sorrel Sorrel Knotweed stinging nettles stinging nettles Lambsquarters watercress watercress Lovage wild mustard wild mustard Malva wild radish wild radish miner's lettuce wild strawberries wild strawberries oxeye daisy flowers and leaves wild violets wild violets Plantain yellow dock yellow dock
HERBS.
baby dill parsley (Italian or parsley (Italian or Basil flat leaf, and curly) flat leaf, and curly) Bergamot peppermint leaves peppermint leaves Cilantro shiso shiso Fennel spearmint spearmint lemon balm stevia stevia Mint .
SPROUTS.
For variety, we include several kinds of sprouts in our diet, but never more than a handful, and only one or two times per week. From approximately the third to the sixth day of their lives, sprouts contain higher levels of alkaloids as a means of protection against animals nipping them off and killing them.26 That doesn't mean that sprouts are necessarily dangerous, only that we need to limit our intake. Most sprouts are rich in B vitamins and contain many times more nutrients than the leaves of a fully developed plant because sprouts need more nutrition for their fast growing period. In my green smoothies I use only sprouts that have green leaves on them. That doesn't mean that sprouts are necessarily dangerous, only that we need to limit our intake. Most sprouts are rich in B vitamins and contain many times more nutrients than the leaves of a fully developed plant because sprouts need more nutrition for their fast growing period. In my green smoothies I use only sprouts that have green leaves on them.
alfalfabroccolibuckwheat "lettuce" (sprouts)cloverfenugreekradishsunflower MEDICINAL HERBS.
Medicinal herbs are edible but contain higher-than-usual levels of alkaloids and have to be used in smaller amounts. I enjoy a variety of medicinal herbs in my smoothies in the summer, but I always put them in my smoothie with other greens, and not very often. Use them sparingly, and if you're not sure, leave them out.
aloe leaf horsetail horsetail borage leaves and flowers Hosta Hosta calendula flowers and leaves j.a.panese maple j.a.panese maple cardoon leaves young leaves young leaves Chervil Lamium Lamium weed weed Cleaver (bedstraw) Lapsana communis Lapsana communis Clover (nipplewort) (nipplewort) comfrey flowers and leaves Lavatera Lavatera flowers and leaves flowers and leaves fig leaves milk thistle milk thistle Filaree oca oca Ginkgo Douglas fir young needles Douglas fir young needles hollyhock flowers salsify salsify and leaves sweet cicely sweet cicely
POISONOUS PLANTS.
I urge you to exercise caution. There are approximately one hundred and fifty poisonous plants in North America. Be aware and learn to identify the following twenty-two most toxic plants.27 American yew jimsonweed jimsonweed Atamasco lily mayapple mayapple baneberry Ohio buckeye Ohio buckeye blue flag poison hemlock poison hemlock b.u.t.tercup poison ivy poison ivy b.u.t.terfly weed poison oak poison oak death camas pokeweed pokeweed dogbane southwestern coral bean southwestern coral bean false h.e.l.lebore star of Bethlehem star of Bethlehem foxglove water hemlock water hemlock horse nettle yellow flag yellow flag
List does not include poisonous mushrooms.
Wild edibles always contain more vitamins and minerals than commercially marketed plants. Weeds have not been "spoiled" with farmers' care, in contrast to the "good" plants of the garden. In order to survive in spite of constant weeding, pulling, and spraying, weeds have had to develop strong survival properties. For example, to stay alive without being watered, most weeds have developed unbelievably long roots. Alfalfa's roots grow up to twenty feet long, reaching for the most fertile layers of the soil. As a result, all wild plants possess more nutrients than commercially grown plants. I feel so silly now when I remember how I used to always pull out the "nasty" lambsquarters from my garden to let my "precious" iceberg lettuce grow. Now I collect seeds of dandelions, stinging nettles, lambsquarters, and other weeds in the fall and grow them in my garden along with kale and spinach to increase the variety of greens in my smoothies.
I enjoy the rich flavor and slightly bitter taste of weeds. In my family we have found that the longer we consume green smoothies, the more we appreciate bitter greens such as dandelion, parsley, endive, escarole, and frisee. During our recent trip to Australia, Valya and I noticed how bitter the greens tasted there. Even chard, spinach, and lettuce, which we consider mild-tasting in the United States, were so bitter there that we wondered if they were different plants. Australian farmers explained to us that their greens grow in volcanic soil, which is very fertile and rich in minerals. I wanted to know if the bitterness of these greens meant they were high in nutrients. I browsed the Internet and found scientific research confirming this to be true. According to University of Washington researcher Adam Drewnowski, "The phytochemicals are antioxidants, and they are all bitter. Antioxidants are chemicals that prevent damage to cells in the body. Avoiding fruits and vegetables that produce bitter sensations in your mouth could translate into a loss of important health benefits. The same chemicals in plants that make for a bitter taste may also prevent cancer and heart disease."28 Even knowing about the wonderful benefits of bitter greens, many people would still not be able to consume a lot them due to their unpleasant taste. Blending with fruit turns bitter greens into an enjoyable treat. By including bitter greens in your smoothies you might acquire a taste for them. When I started drinking green smoothies five years ago, I couldn't tolerate the bitter taste of dandelions and blended them together with a lot of sweet fruit. Now dandelions have become one of my favorite salad greens. Even knowing about the wonderful benefits of bitter greens, many people would still not be able to consume a lot them due to their unpleasant taste. Blending with fruit turns bitter greens into an enjoyable treat. By including bitter greens in your smoothies you might acquire a taste for them. When I started drinking green smoothies five years ago, I couldn't tolerate the bitter taste of dandelions and blended them together with a lot of sweet fruit. Now dandelions have become one of my favorite salad greens.
Once in a while I read in the news or receive an e-mail about kale, spinach, parsley, or some other green having a toxic ingredient and therefore being dangerous for human consumption. This may be true, but not to such a degree that we should exclude any particular green from our diet. Let us learn to increase the variety of greens in our diet and to constantly rotate them for better nutritional results.
25Daniel Moerman, Native American Ethn.o.botany Native American Ethn.o.botany (Portland, OR: Timber Press, 1998). (Portland, OR: Timber Press, 1998).26Elizabeth Baker, Unbelievably Easy Sprouting Unbelievably Easy Sprouting (Poulsbo, WA: Drelwood, 2000). (Poulsbo, WA: Drelwood, 2000).27T. S. Elias and P. A. d.y.k.eman, Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide (New York: Sterling, 1990). (New York: Sterling, 1990).28Adam Drewnowski, PhD, and Carmen Gomez-Carneros, "Bitter Bounty: Worst-Tasting Produce May Be the Best for You," American Journal of Clinical Nutrition American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, December 2000.
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BLENDING VERSUS JUICINGTo manage a system effectively, you might focus on the interactions of the parts rather than their behavior taken separately.-PAUL ERLICH AFTER I PUBLISHED MY FIRST BOOK ABOUT GREEN SMOOTHIES, I received many inquiries from my readers asking whether blending was preferable to juicing. I also heard that some nutritionists were concerned that blending might accelerate the oxidation of food. I was very curious to find the answer for myself and began to research this question. received many inquiries from my readers asking whether blending was preferable to juicing. I also heard that some nutritionists were concerned that blending might accelerate the oxidation of food. I was very curious to find the answer for myself and began to research this question.