This isn't a recipe but an ingredient list for a really popular one at a place here. I haven't tried it but it's on my list of things to do.

spinach, kale, celery, cucumber, cactus, aloe vera, pineapple, flax seed, oatmeal, granola, orange juice, ice and honey blended together and poured into a 16 or 32 ounce glass.

Here's a picture of it. I have to get my nerve up - something about drinking green - I'm a weenie!!!!

Call California extremists but we don't consider adding fruit a green drink. It's kind of like starting a baby out on sweet drinks. They won't want anything else.

2 stalks celery
2 lemon cucumbers or 1/2 regular
Thumb size ginger
Quarter bunch of parsley
1 cup baby spinach
1/2 cup kale
1/2 cup squash
1/2 lime squeezed
2 TBSP flax, chia or hemp hearts
Big scoop of ice
1/2 cup water

Today we had beet greens instead of kale and we don't measure stuff so this is approximate.
Drink it quickly while cold. We all think its yummy around here.

Thanks for all the recipes. I am also trying to cut out or at least down on sugar so some of the above I think will add to many calories.
Maybe I can try golddust's recipe and just add an apple to start off with.

Then see if I can slowly reduce the apple.

Lyman, you may want to add more water - up to a cup or so.

If you need to cut out sugars that is a good idea Lyman.

It all depends on what you are trying to accomplish! I don't like to eat fruit, so for me, a morning smoothie with fruit, beans, greens and mushrooms is a good way to get in a good start with GBOMBS and to know I have crossed fruit, mushrooms, and half my greens off my list for the day.

Now if I can just get back to drinking them!

I never follow a recipe, it's easier that way.

I just fill my blender about half the way with some greens. I find if your starting out, spinach is the most mild tasting to get you used to the taste of greens. Then I add fruit, usually frozen pinapple or mango with banana which makes it sweeter. I fill about a quarter of the blender with almond milk, and then to the half way mark with water. You need a good amount of liquid to get it to blend properly.

Honestly, it's easier to play around with them then to follow recipes. No measuring and cutting up stuff if you have frozen fruits. If you have fresh and a great quality blender you can just throw whatever in them.

The easier they are to make, the more you will drink them. I find making these every morning so easy, and so much easier than preparing a breakfast for myself. Especially when I'm making something for the kids I won't eat, like waffles or pancakes.

To me, one of the keys if the drink is indeed green is citrus; I prefer oranges, clementines or pineapple. I also find that ice seems to help more than just water, something about the coldness makes it feel more right to me.

My favorite smoothie that is not actually green though is kale, blueberries, banana and a little alternative milk, if necessary. Sometimes a smidge of maple syrup. Another good one is Dr. Fuhrman's black forest smoothie and I think keys to that one are frozen cherries and cocoa in addition to the greens.

For me, the fruit makes the smoothie or green drink more likely to happen. I eat little fruit otherwise so I feel no guilt for it. It also makes them more likely to be consumed by my kids.

The great thing about green goo is there are plenty of ingredients people can add to suite individual tastes. I like them very cold too. I add lots of ice. The speed of the blender motor causes enough friction to heat up soup.

It's nice to always have fresh ice these days because we are using the auto ice maker a lot.

Do folks drink these green drinks because they don't regularly eat green veggies and fruit? Or is there some other reason? Is it a substitute for breakfast or taken as a supplement?

I have a really bad aversion to certain tastes and smells-if it tastes 'green' I can't eat it. Thus celery is completely off my list of foods I'll eat. Unripe bananas and most unripe fruit, and raw tomatoes are also on the list. Just the smell makes me gag.

Pesky, you are from Oregon... The state of openness. Try it for three weeks and then comment. I love my veggies and have always eaten them. Roasted, fried, boiled, whatever.

This is different. Almost renders my Latte machine useless, and I am a death before decath coffee drinker.

Talk about a natural high, this is it. You must try it. You can have toast after and it won't hurt you.

Well, I am going to buy ingred. today and give this a try.
I think I will try this one and see if it is drinkable with only half an apple. I really do not want carbs and do not know how else to get it tasty.

1 cup kale
bit of ginger
1/2 cup parsley
1/2 apple
2 1/4 cups water

Lyban,Your recipe is similar to the first smoothie I made and it tasted terrible. Baby spinach, cucumber and celery really help the flavor. Juicing recipes and smoothie recipes are different. Don't confuse the two like I did.

Let us know how it turns out.

So yummy!

OK, I'm gonna try it (gulp!). Goldust, can you tell me if the quantities you listed are for one serving or two? Also, assuming the ginger is peeled? How about the cucumber and squash? I see I forgot to buy kale; is that a must have? TIA.

I make a blender full and make everyone around some. Usually I drink two 12 oz glasses in the morning. Just experiment and you will figure it out. Start with lots of celery and cucumber so you can enjoy the taste. Work the other ingredients in a little at a time. I like it better without an apple, BYMMV.

My Sandy was over the other day. She does fruit smoothies every day. I made her some green goo and she loved it. Today I made her taste my carrot juice at the mall and she loved it too.

Let us know how it goes.

OK, I did it.
Last night I put in my food Processor:
1/3 cup chopped kale
1/2 of a cucumber
1/2 inch slice of ginger
3 celery stalks
1 cup loosely filled spinach
Parsley
1/2 of an apple
2 cups water
Then I pureed it all and put it in two large jars

This morning I took one jar from refrigerator and put everything in the blender with 1 cup water and about 3 ice cubes. Blended it up for about 1 min. and drank.
I have another one ready for blender tomorrow morning.

Not bad taste at all, very refreshing and very easy to drink.
Eventually I will try to take out the apple but as it is I am having 1/4 of an apple a day.
Trying to cut carbs.

any other advice welcome.
Thanks all .

Trying to cut carbs.

You do realize that everything in your drink is carbs? Do you mean that you are trying to limit sugars?

Good carbs though. One should not cut out good carbs. I understand you are trying to cut out carbs that turn into sugar in your body.

I think the smoothies are delicious. I'm glad you like them too.

Terriks and Golddust,

I am not sure what I mean. I am just trying to get started on a low carb, high fat diet.
No sugars if possible
I am truly ignorant in this department and am not sure about this good carb versus bad carbs. I guess I have to go and try to research this more.
Thanks

lyban, good carb vs bad carb means simple sugars (anything white, processed, contains wheat) versus complex carbs-those found in vegetables and some fruits and some whole grains.

Low carb, high fat-are you talking Atkins? If that is the case, you don't eat any fruit/veggies for the first two weeks, and after that, it's very low veggie content, and little to no fruits.

Better to cut out the simple carbs-all sugar, anything with added sugar (would end in 'ose' as in fructose, sucralose, etc), high fructose corn syrup (hidden in tons of processed foods), and even 'wheat' products-unless it's 100% whole grain-and even then I'd limit any bread product since they usually use a lot of processed flours.

Eat more veggies, less bread and less red meat.

If you are prone to calcium oxalate kidney stones, I would not advice drinking green goo. This smoothie is rich with oxalates. Aimee learned the hard way.

We are going to try to find another recipe lower in oxalates.

Pesky
thank you for that info.

I am not really sure which plan I want to follow.
All I know is that I have to lose weight and have tried many types of diets in the past and lately I keep hearing about cutting out the carbs. and eating more meat.

I have never tried this type of plan, in the past I always did more of the calories in and out type of diet.

So even though bread and pasta are my downfalls I think I have to try cutting this along with all bad carbs.
What really has me stumped is what vegetables I can eat.
Like I said I am not really following Atkins or Zone . Just want to try something different and I thought that having that green drink was a good start.
But now I am not so sure.
Golddust mentions not to have it if prone to calcium oxalate stones. ( Thank you Golddust) I do get some gout in big toe once in a while, so now I am not too sure about the green drink???

See what I mean everytime I think I am ready to proceed , I find out I am wrong about what to have.

Any and all advice welcomed.

I don't understand the high fat part of your diet. Why would you want to have a high fat diet?

Have you thought about cutting out all processed foods? Focusing on a whole foods natural diet will lead to better health. Especially if you consider milk and cheese processed foods.

I have what many consider an extreme diet: vegan and whole foods only. I think most Americans don't realize the damage caused by many preservatives or additives. I find it amazing the food we have on our grocery shelves compared to that in Germany. They really monitor the additives etc. It's also interesting how many people rely on the fake sugars and convince themselves the fake sugar is healthy.

Green goos have their place. But have you thought about focusing on eating something low glycemic but packed with protein in the morning such as a quinoa porridge? If you love pasta have you tried quinoa pasta? It won't be the same as the empty carb semolina pasta... But most people like it. And it is a good replacement when spaghetti squash just won't do. Eating the rainbow at every meal helps too. If you love sandwiches have you ever tried any of the Ezekiel sprouted breads or wraps? They May require some taste adjustment, but I love a grilled eggplant sandwich on the bread or a grilled hummus veggie spelt wrap. And too many people overlook the versatility of black eyed peas, chickpeas and lentils!

I think everyone could benefit by trying to eat more vegan meals... Even mark bittman went vegan before 6!

Good luck as you embark on a healthier lifestyle, but I'd urge to research your intended low carb high fat diet more. It doesn't sound the healthiest.

I'm thinking she is meaning high protein rather than high fat . . .

Thank you IHGS,

That is the type of imput I am looking for. I have never had quinoa. I do not even know what to do with it.
But am willing to try all
. Do you have a way to make quinia porridge?
Also the quinia pasta intrigues me, I will look for some in my store. Would I need a health store or would the grocery store carry this.

I guess when I say high fat I mean a version of Atkins which I thought was no bad carbs and more meat.

I think Vegan would be too hard for me at this time and I want to be realistic in my attempt so I can continue this for hopefully my lifetime.

I just finished reading: Why we are fat and found it quite interesting.
Now I am reading Primal Blueprint and have Wheat Belly on my night table for when I am finished. They are all pretty much in the camp of no bad carbs and more meat..

In your opinion is my green drink that I posted above good to have or not?

Thanks again

I would recommend Eat for Health too. it is made up of two books. one is info and one is recipes. Good luck Lyban!

Lyban,
To each their own. Sometimes drastic changes are much harder in our head than in practice. I was raised vegetarian, I thought I could never give up my cheese or ice cream or milk. It has been easier than I ever imagined. I find it interesting after several cardiac episodes bill Clinton is now almost a vegan. Lots of other baby boomers have done it after the hugely popular Engine2 and Forks over Knives books.

Anyway, I hope you find the lifestyle choice that works for you! Was there any particular reason you ruled out the more moderate lifestyle choices of Mediterranean influenced diets?

I have found quinoa pasta at my mother's regular grocery store but not my in laws. We shop at whole foods and they carry it. I believe vitacost.com carries it as well. Spaghetti Squash is also a nice occassional substitute for traditional pasta.

I know Heidi at 101cookbooks.com has a breakfast quinoa bowl as well.

But I usually make mine really simple. If you've never hadquinoa before try the Ancient Grains brand. It is prerinsed and doesn't have the bitter taste that many brands have. If you try different brand put it in a sieve with very very very fine mesh and rinse several times.

I like a mix of red, black and white quinoa. But all red will work just fine.
1 cup quinoa (all red or a mix of red, white, or black)
1 1/2 cups water
2 cinnamon sticks
1/4 teaspoon salt (I usually forget this)
Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 15 -20 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and let stand for a few minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks. I the rake a fork across it a few times to fluff the quinoa.

Divide quinoa among bowls (should serve 4 but we finish it off between 3 bowls each morning). I prefer mine topped with a spoon or two of 100% maple syrup And walnuts. My son loves his with no sugar added almond or hemp milk, a handful of blueberries, a little honey and some almonds. The husband just adds in whatever berries or stone fruit we have in the house, a pinch of sea salt and 1/2 c soy milk.

Your green goo seemed to avoid the most common pitfall which is too much fruit. So I think it is fine. I wouldn't find it filling enough and would be starving by mid morning.

Anyway I'm not anti fruit. I just think it has no purpose in a green drink unless someone needs a shot of simple carbs before exercise. We eat a good amount of fruit in this house. Our son is allowed to reach for any low glycemic fruit throughout the day. We usually have several varietals of apples & pears, plus berries, cherries, grapefruit, and whatever stone fruit is in season. My husband and I usually put fruit in our post work out recovery drink or we eat dates on a long mountain bike ride. then again were not focused on losing weight but maintaining fuel for our body. So a vanilla pea protein smoothie with kale blueberry and banana makes sense for us.

Finally, I think part of the problem with health in this country is too much conflicting competing interests influencing nutritional research. So few of our studies are completed without bias in nutritional science. Big agriculture does not deserve a seat at university tables when they develop new research. It also should not be involved with national councils that set nutritional guidelines. Is it any wonder eggs, dairy, pork etc are vilified for a few years then all of a sudden are deemed healthy once again? it can be soooo overwhelming and frustrating when you begin to embark on a new lifestyle choice because guru a seems to say this while guru b say a is wrong and the cycle continues...

p.s. you may want to watch the forks over knives video on amazon or read the china study for counter balance to your paleo books. Just for a more well rounded understanding of nutrition.

Thank you ihgs for such a lot of info again.
You give me a lot to think about and I will read your recommended sites.
I will also try your quinoa recipe.
I agreed that the conflicting advice out there is wicked.
Off to do more research.

Boopadaboo
Thank you also for the name of that book. I will look it up.

Lyban, no problem. I hope I do not come off as preachy or close minded. I understand vegan lifestyle isnt for everyone, but a lot of healthy recipes and knowledge can be gained from vegan/vegetarian guides and cookbooks. You may want to check out mark bittman's vb6 (vegan before six) book about his adopted approach to eating and the reason behind his weight loss.

Are you exercising? I know we helped my father in law shed 80 lbs! He could never find the time for n hour at the gym. Personally, I think he just dreaded the drive and entire process. So my husband created 10 minute session of cardio and resistance training for him. Nothing extreme, the FIL did 4-5 of those sessions a day. It helped increase his energy, build his strength and slim down! Huge success! He now walks the golf course and takes his dog for 1 to 2 hour hikes a day. Little changes can make a huge difference!

I just read an interview with Bill Clinton in this month's AARP magazine about his mostly vegan lifestyle. Very inspiring, and he looks great.

I toast my Quinoa before cooking it in veggie stock. Before I did that, I felt it was too bland. I just stir it in the pot until it toasts with nothing else added. Much better results.

Red Thai rice or black rice should replace white rice. I love Thai rice. It has a nutty flavor. It's unshelled.

Whole grain anything is MUCH better than multigrain anything. The Dr told DH to look toward a Meditaranian diet to treat his high glycemic scores. He drinks green goo without consequence.

Aimee has had several kidney stones in the past. To see how oxalates affect gout, google the two words together.

Btw, quinoa for risotto is fantastic! We use the quinoa from Costco and thai red rice from the local Asian grocery store. I find red rice so much tastier than brown rice.

Don't overwhelm yourself with plans and information. Make it simple. Just eat lots of varied colored vegetables (all you want), fruits and berries, some nuts and seeds, and lean meat selections (grass fed or fish, for healthy fats). Piece of meat no larger than the size of the palm of your hand.

Avoid white flour and sugar, and as much processed food as possible. Of course, no bad fatty foods. Olive or canola oil are recommended.

If you are up to it later, check out J. J. Virgin's health plan for eliminating food sensitivities which most of us apparently have. Those 7 foods are peanuts, soy, corn, dairy, gluten, eggs, sugar and artificial sweeteners.

P.S. She does say you can individually introduce them back in after 3 weeks to determine which you are sensitive to.

This post was edited by snookums2 on Sat, Aug 10, 13 at 10:48

Golddust, with the high energy goo, do you use a Vitamix or just a regular blender? Is the Vitamix one of the blenders that maximizes nutrients the way it breaks food down? I don't see anything on the site that says that but some of them claim to.

I have an old Vitamix 3600. OLD. Lol. Picked it up at a yard sale years and years ago. It had everything with it. Recently I replaced the dome top as the plastic cracked. Other than that, it works fine. I would call it a work horse verses a counter top statement, like the Kitchenaid mixers. It has a stainless container so it took a time or two to make smoothies without a random chunk or two.

You need a decent blender with a plunger. Maybe the Ninja? I haven't researched blenders and don't want to until mine dies.

I just have a regular one. Forget the brand, Oster maybe. I used to make fruit smoothies in one, over 30 years ago! They did make me feel better -- even though some of those ingredients are not recommended today, lol. Not sure if the veggies need something more powerful. I guess I will just try it and see. Can't afford a Vitamix but I really want the high nutrient effect of these drinks and am hoping it doesn't require special equipment (as they would lead you to believe on TV). lol

I don't think I could ever drink 24 oz in the morning though! lol 12 would be quite a bit for me, I think.

Wow you really lucked out on that yard sale. They are terribly expensive. They're supposed to be a lifetime appliance though.

This post was edited by snookums2 on Sat, Aug 10, 13 at 0:24

I do green smoothies from time to time. My blender wasn't blending them up that well and I didn't want to invest in a Vitamix or Blendtech etc. So this past January I bought the cheesy infomercial Nutribullet from Bed bath and beyond for 80.00 (using a 20% off coupon).

I was surprised at how well it actually works, clean up is so easy and fast, and it doesn't take up a lot of counter space, which is nice. I can make individual sized drinks in the blending containers, add a drinking lid that attaches on to them and I don't even need to dirty an extra glass. I can put whole or roughly chopped up fruits and veggies (frozen or fresh), whole nuts etc. with water filled up to the line, and it liquidizes it. I like that I can fill one of the mixing containers the night before, put it in the fridge and stick it right on the machine in the morning and blend it up.

The only issue I've had with it is sometimes if the top isn't screwed on tight enough it can leak a little into the machine. I haven't had this happen very often to where it's a problem, and when it has leaked into the machine, so far, it hasn't seemed to affect the machine or it's performance.

The machine came with a nice recipe book for different smoothies to try with different health benefits written by David Wolfe (raw food nutritionist).

This post was edited by roobear on Sat, Aug 10, 13 at 9:07

I just might try that nutribullet at $80. I can see where the blender might not get it fine enough. The fruit smoothies were quite thick and tasted very good. Have read about the lid problem. Saw the infomercial last night, and they claim the machine blasts the cells open to release more nutrients. I'd think our stomachs would do that! But who knows. I suppose years from now they will be saying it's better to allow your stomach to break it down that much.

Worth noting, Dr. Fuhrman recommends eating some nuts with your "salads". The healthy fats act to deliver 10X the nutrients in the meal than without them. I think Golddust might have wings at that point. I am going to try that recipe!

This post was edited by snookums2 on Sat, Aug 10, 13 at 22:24

Texanjana: I just read that article on Bill Clinton. thanks for the suggestion

Gwlola: I am going to give that red rice a try, thanks

Snookums: OK thanks, I will look up JJ Virgins and what I do for the green goo is make up a couple of days worth in my food processor. refridgerate and then blend in a regular oster blender with more water the morning I want it and add a few ice cubes also.

I am starting to see the light at the end of tunnel after reading so much.
Thanks you everyone for all the advice. I am off for a few days of vacation and coming home wednesday and hope to start this new way of eating then.

Look for her on PBS. There are a number of new age doctors doing the circuit there. They all focus on foods.

I will try the food processor + blender method.

We have been eating a hand full of almonds a day. The bullet is a great alternative but it makes much smaller batches and needs more water. I gave mine to Aimee.

Lyman, it sounds like you are moving quickly to the right track. I feel excited for you and wish you all the best as you move toward securing your health. There comes a time for all of us where bad habits are no longer free. I'm still working on a few...

I hope some of you will check out the monthly Healthy check in thread and join the conversation there. Speaking for myself, I enjoy reading multiple opinions and life experiences related to being healthy. It's not just about weight loss but exercise tips & ideas, food choices in general, and encouragement and support for healthy lifestyles.

Well, I made the goo today! It wasn't bad. A bit bitter. My proportions were off so I added another large stalk of celery which maybe was too much. Added some lemon juice and cayenne, even half a packet of Stevia. The pepper livened it up for me! Had about 8 ounces and seemed to be enjoying it a bit by the end. It's a good way to eliminate things like salad dressing, salt and sauces!

Also tried the red quinoa, toasted first, cooked and topped with a stewed tomato dish. It didn't seem to have much flavor, imo, but it felt like I was eating something healthy, lol. I woke up starving, like they say is caused by eating bad carbs. Googled and read some bad information on it. Followed by "it's a miracle food". Not sure what's going on there.

The goo was thick and had a lot of texture, food processed then liquified in the blender. I did add some water and ice. Does it come out smoother and more pureed in the Vitamix? How long until I can fly?

This post was edited by snookums2 on Sun, Aug 11, 13 at 23:47

Snook, you relived my first day of smoothies. It was awful. Now it's good. Keep experimenting. My green goos taste great now. (Don't add green beans from the garden. We had to throw it out. Like drinking fish bones.)

Living healthy is a journey, for sure.

Snookums, quinoa is a grain. Granted a grain with high protein which makes it more valuable in some lifestyles compared to others. I think it's neither bad nor good. As far as carbs go, it's on the healthier side, but it can make blood sugars rise too fast in those who have issues with moderate glycemic foods. Maybe that is why you woke up starving?

As for the quinoa tasting bland... I never toast it, but then I never toasted rice or couscous either. I'm just not that patient :) however I always toast my spices and then cook my dishes. I think it really pays off in my quinoa dishes which are just studded with all the spices. I also tend to layer my spices, for example we might do a black bean mango quinoa salad... So I flavor the black beans with cumin chili powder, I toss the chopped veggies with lime juice, and I season the quino with toasted Mexican oregano, smoked paprika, coriander and cumin, and a smidgen of tomato paste. Then I top with avocado and and a bit of fresh mango pico.

If you are not supersensitive to moderate glycemic foods then give the quinoa another try.

Green goos take a while to master. You'll find your perfect recipe in time. It took me forever to get a good ration of chia seeds in ours.

I just recently started eating quinoa and I like it. I think it has a nutty taste. I don't toast it either.

The green drinks are not for everyone. We all have different tastes! As much as I love veggies, I just am not crazy over a green smoothie. And we've tried many different ways. I am happy with the amount of veggies I eat.

A tip on the green smoothies though - and I can't remember if I read this in Parade or Good Housekeeping - but there was a small article about people having teeth troubles. Those who drink green smoothies regularly. Because of the acidity, they can damage the enamel on your teeth. It was suggested to use a straw and to wait 30 minutes before brushing your teeth after drinking one. I do believe it was suggested to rinse your mouth with water after drinking the green goo though.

tina

iheart, I like your cooking techniques! As for my blood sugar, I have been wondering about it but on the hypoglycemic side. I think I will use my cat's old glucometer to see what it does with meals. One of the best things you can do for your health is maintain a steady blood sugar level, no radical ups and downs. I usually go by how I feel after eating certain foods but will be interesting to see if there's a relationship to sugar levels.

Tina, thanks for the info on our teeth! I did not know that about a non-sugar drink like veggies! Amazing.

I like that these eliminate any additives to our produce, like sauces or dressings. Even though I use olive oil and nothing unhealthy in it, it can really add up.

Anyone try the oil pulling? I was thinking about starting a thread about that but then thought I sort of vaguely remember it being discussed here.

this was posted to a juicing group I belong to on facebook. Made me thing of this thread!