A green smoothie is really simply an easy way to eat the green vegetables and fiber that we are supposed to be getting in our everyday meals. The Green Smoothie Diet was written by Robyn Openshaw, who is a health educator and nutrition devotee. Robyn believes that with the addition of green smoothies to your diet you can lose weight and positively impact your overall health.
Green smoothies are something that you can make at home if you have a high powered blender in your kitchen. Essentially they are a blend of green vegetables and fruit that provide a delicious and nutritious drink. By using the high powered blender, you gain additional health benefits. The blending process will actually break down the cellular walls of the plant so that digestion and absorption become very easy for the body to accomplish. It is recommended that you use the high powered blender, because it will last longer and do a better job of breaking down and releasing the nutrients of the tougher green vegetables like broccoli and kale. An added benefit of using a blender is that you retain all the fiber that nutritionists have been telling us we need to add to our diets. Fiber is good for our cholesterol levels, balanced blood sugar levels and may even lead to reduced risk of heart disease and colon cancer.
The Green Smoothie Diet calls for a full quart of the green stuff each day; this represents roughly 15 servings of fruit and vegetables. You can employ one of three options on the diet. A three day green smoothie fast, a thirty day full body cleanse and a permanent life style change. Besides the green smoothies you can also eat fruit, leafy greens, root vegetables, avocado, bee pollen, chia seed, raw chocolate, coconut, goji berries, yogurt, honey, maple syrup, stevia, wheat germ and flaxseed oil.
A typical daily meal plan might look something like the following:
Breakfast – green smoothie.
Snack – blueberries and mango, fresh.
Lunch – green smoothie.
Snack – ¼ cup raw almonds and raw vegetable crudités
Dinner – baked potato with large avocado salad
Pros of The Green Smoothies Diet
- The recommended quart of green smoothies represents 15 servings of fruit and vegetables each day.
- For those who don’t like leafy greens, this provides an alternative way of getting your daily dose.
- Regular smoothie consumption is reported to have multiple health benefits.
- Meal preparation is very fast and easy. Anyone can follow this plan.
- High daily intake of fiber.
- Includes shopping and storing tips for fruit and vegetables.
- Lots of recipes for green smoothies.
Cons of The Green Smoothies Diet
- Major adjustment away from most normal diets.
- May experience fatigue, joint pain and headaches in the first week of the diet while your body adjusts.
- Not suitable for those with diabetes.
- The raw vegan diet may not provide enough vitamins and minerals to reach recommended daily minimums.
- No mention of exercise, which is critical to any diet plan.
Summary
The Green Smoothie Diet is a great way to get lots of fruit, vegetables and fiber into your daily meals. If you are able to consume one quart per day you are likely to be boosting your nutritional content while reducing your caloric content. You will also avoid fat and hunger. You will also need to pay close attention to the rest of the diet, so as not to be deficient in other important vitamins and minerals. Exercise advice will need to be found somewhere else.
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