Friday, February 24, 2012

day 1 of 30 green smoothie days in a row

so i have a new plan.

i have just changed my blog name from "keep on raw in the real world" to "get real". get real just seems more appropriate. being 100% raw isn't all that realistic and doesn't seem to be as important to me anymore as continuing to eat "real" food in a way that benefits my body the most.

my inspiration is victoria boutenko's green for life. i guess you just can't eat the same thing all the time or get into food ruts and her update on her (already!) classic book makes sense! i am also reading her raw and beyond (ie not being so consumed by consuming only raw foods) book which has been super inspiring.

basically, fresh organic greens are the most important food group that the majority of us are not getting enough of, or at least in an absorbable-by-the-body way. there really should be a food group called "greens" and at the very least, produce should have an extra category for them beyond fruits and veggies. (as an aside - has anyone else noticed in yaletown's choices market, they have been renovating, that the organic section has switched places with the conventional produce? last night i had picked up everything i needed and then noticed that i didn't have any organic things in my basket and had to put everything back to start again! i felt totally tricked. or oblivious. ANYWAYS.)

i don't even know where to begin with the green smoothies and not being so focussed on 100% raw (not that i have been the last year or so but still... it's been on my mind). first of all, i have thought that i ate a fair bit of greens... but... apparently if i am not chewing them to the point of them becoming a creamy swirl in my mouth, they are of no use to me and could even be harmful. (i'm going on memory here so perhaps you are best to take the book out of the library yourself... i'm going to have to commit to buying this one, i figure! 3 weeks is going to come up fast!) anyways... by blending your greens, you get all the goodness you need out of the greens in the first place, including the fibre. ah, and she addressed the proper food combining thing... fruit is fine with the greens (makes it easier to drink them while you are acquiring a taste for them!) because greens are not vegetables and they are not starchy. and oh goodness, i can't wait for the neighbourhood farmers market to start up again in the summer when i can get fresh beets and carrots and all... all of these root veggies whose green TOPS have more goodness in them than the root? i wasn't always excited to use the tops in salads and such. blending them into the freshest of smoothies is way more appealing and exciting!
and... her point about chimpanzees: we share 99.4% the same genes as chimps, why don't we eat like them? super super good point. and they don't eat many root veggies. not to say they avoid them, but they only eat them if there isn't an abundance of greens and fruits. and nuts and oils are to be eaten sparingly.
i totally identified with victoria's recount of her raw diet health "plateau"... reaching a certain level and then seeming to regress in a way. or having small health issues pop up. and i totally related to her saying how she would be eating super heavy stuff at night, like nuts and things, and not feeling satisfied.
and i'm super curious about the results of doing one green smoothie per day for 30 days, at minimum! it looks like doing that and eating your normal way (vegan or not) can reap the same benefits of a raw diet. i would love to have stronger nails and hair and more energy like i did when i first went raw! and to not have the desire to eat late at night!

wow, i feel like i'm at a book club meeting about victoria's books and i'm discussing them with myself. what a ramble! i guess i am just too excited to be practicing some of these ideas that totally make sense to me!

i am excited to see what happens as i do one green smoothie a day! and i'm getting paul to do it too ^_^ he has been wanting to eat more healthy and i think having one green smoothie a day is going to be the perfect thing for him!

i'm going to keep track on here so that i hold myself to this and see what kind of smoothies i like the best!

today's smoothie (and i somehow didn't take a photo! boo!):

dandelion leaves
cilantro
romaine lettuce
pear
frozen mango
frozen banana

yum! some spiciness from the dandelion and overall, so refreshing. even took some leftovers to work to drink 2 hours later and it was still exciting!

i forgot how paul hates cilantro so i didn't leave him any of my smoothie but i had thawed out a drink me "ruby" smoothie that i didn't drink at work so that was his greens smoothie today! kale, orange juice, raspberries and beets. and i learned from my readings yesterday, that if your pee changes colour after consuming beets, you have low stomach acid. interesting huh? (or is that just interesting to me...)

4 comments:

  1. Where do you buy dandelions and can you tell me some benefits of eating dandelions? Thanks!

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  2. i got mine at choices probably! please buy organic! i won't buy any conventional produce now - i would rather just eat something else if i can't find what i want, pesticide and gmo-free!
    anyways... i know that the dandelion greens are great for cleansing. i looked them up on the leaflady.org and it says that dandelion greens can, "depending on the peculiarities of your body chemistry: prevent or cure liver diseases, such as hepatitis or jaundice; act as a tonic and gentle diuretic to purify your blood, cleanse your system, dissolve kidney stones, and otherwise improve gastro-intestinal health; assist in weight reduction; cleanse your skin and eliminate acne; improve your bowel function, working equally well to relieve both constipation and diarrhea; prevent or lower high blood pressure; prevent or cure anemia; lower your serum cholesterol by as much as half; eliminate or drastically reduce acid indigestion and gas buildup by cutting the heaviness of fatty foods; prevent or cure various forms of cancer; prevent or control diabetes mellitus; and, at the same time, have no negative side effects and selectively act on only what ails you."
    sounds pretty awesome, huh? ^_^ i probably should be picking them up more often!
    i can't WAIT to have my vitamix back in action! blending these guys with fruit is my favourite. or else i can only handle a few in salad - they are pretty strong! i am curious to try them again!

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  3. Well, I went all out on an organic greens and supplement binge today and have been reading, making and eating all day! A lot of work but so educational and worth it! I can't believe the crap I've been putting into my body and my stupid refusal to eat breakfast! HOw retarded is that! I went out with my dad and brought back a bunch of organic greens - no vitamix yet though but I want to find one soon! I had organic dandelions for the first time! You are right! They are bitter! I couldn't believe Keith just took and a bunch and shoved it in his mouth raw with no dressing or anything! I mix mine with other greens and drizzled with my own homemade dressing! Im so obsessed about immune boosting organic veg and fruits now and can't wait to eat more tomorrow :-)

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  4. eek! yay!!! i am so excited for you!!! awww keith is so brave! hehe. i totally believe that our bodies want to heal themselves and they just need a chance to. i really hope you feel an amazing difference by eating more organic and unprocessed foods! (and i hope you can find a vitamix soon! and gah, i hope my parts come soon. the magic bullet is just not doing it for me!)

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