Table of Contents
Introduction 1
About This Book 2
Foolish Assumptions 2
Icons Used in This Book 3
Beyond the Book 4
Where to Go from Here 4
Part I Getting Started with Green Smoothies 5
Chapter 1 Reaping the Benefits of Green Smoothies 7
Understanding the Nutritional Value of a Green Smoothie 7
ChlorophyII: Drinking the green blood of plants 7
The pH factor: Getting alkaline 8
Enjoying enzyme energy 9
Calling fiber your friend 9
Boosting your mineral intake 9
Increasing vitamins for vitality 10
Picking green protein 10
Getting variety with greens 11
Smoothies versus Juice 12
Toasting to a Healthier You 12
Boosting immunity 13
Fighting fatigue 13
Living longer and better 13
Improving memory 14
Strengthening digestion 14
Losing weight naturally 15
Radiating Beauty from the inside Out 15
Improving your skin 16
Reversing gray hair 16
Strengthening nails 17
Brightening eyes 17
Tackling Effects of and Risks for Various Maladies 18
Heart disease 18
Diabetes 18
Cancer 19
Autoimmune disorders 19
Anxiety and depression 20
Chapter 2 Choosing the Best Equipment for Green Smoothies 21
Picking a Blender 21
Thinking about blender type 22
Not panicking over price 24
Looking for specific blender features 24
Location, location, location: Surveying your storage needs 26
Making Smoothies without Killing Your Blender 27
Storing Your Smoothies 28
Factoring Juicing into the Equation 29
Chapter 3 Shopping and Preparing for Your Green Smoothies 31
Knowing What to Look for in Smoothie Ingredients 31
Debating organic versus non-organic 323
Avoiding genetically modified fruits and vegetables 34
Buying Your Produce 35
Making a list 36
Starting with local farmers' markets 36
Finding produce on a budget 37
Caring for and Prepping Your Produce 39
Washing 40
Storing 40
Freezing 41
Part II Making Your Green Smoothie Taste Great 43
Chapter 4 Choosing Your Greens 45
Getting the Lowdown on Adding Greens 45
Introducing the Top Greens for Health 46
Kale 48
Spinach 48
Swiss chard 49
Watercress 49
Collard greens 50
Celery 50
Bok choy 51
Dandelion greens 51
Mustard greens 51
Turnip greens 52
Beet greens 52
Alfalfa sprouts 53
Fresh herbs 53
Lettuces 54
Using Green Powders Rather than Fresh Greens 55
Incorporating Wheatgrass 55
Eyeing wheatgrass's health benefits 56
Getting the most out of adding wheatgrass to a smoothie 57
Measuring out the right amount 58
Chapter 5 Deciding What to Use for Fruits and Sweeteners 59
Boosting Smoothie Nutrition by Adding Fruits 59
Beyond an Apple a Day: Picking the Top Fruits for Your Smoothies 60
Banana 61
Apple 61
Grapes 61
Avocado 62
Pear 63
Lemon and lime 63
Orange 64
Kiwi 64
Grapefruit 64
Berries 65
Peach and nectarine 66
Plum 66
Apricot 67
Papaya 67
Pineapple 68
Mango 68
Cantaloupe 68
Watermelon 69
Pomegranate 70
Persimmon 70
Cucumber 71
Tomato 71
Bell pepper 71
Considering Other Natural Sweetening Options 72
Raw honey 72
Stevia 73
Dates 73
Agave nectar 73
Avoiding Artificial Sweeteners 74
Chapter 6 Adding Superfoods, Medicinal Ingredients, Liquids, and More 75
Looking at the Pros and Cons of Eating Superfoods 76
Making a case for adding superfoods to your diet 77
Balancing superfoods with the rest of your diet 78
Examining Top Superfoods for Green Smoothies 79
Spirulina 79
Chlorella 80
Aloe vera 80
Acai powder 81
Bee pollen 81
Flaxseed 82
Coconut oil 82
Cinnamon 83
Goji berries 83
Maca powder 83
Adding Other Supplements 85
Letting your food be your medicine 85
Deciding when to use extras and what to use 85
Figuring Out Which Liquids Are Best for Your Smoothie 87
Hailing hydration: Water is best 87
Going cuckoo for coconut water 87
Getting the skinny on vegan milks 88
Knowing What to Leave out of Your Green Smoothie 90
Ditching dairy: Yogurt, milk, and cottage cheese 90
Refusing refined sugar 90
Ignoring ice 91
Putting the brakes on protein powders 91
Chapter 7 Adjusting Smoothie Ingredients to Suit Your Taste 93
Adding Greens, Fruit, or Water to Get Your Smoothie Just Right 93
When to add more greens 94
When to add more fruit 95
When to add more water 96
Incorporating the Right Parts of Your Produce 97
Debating skin-on produce 97
Using or losing fruit cores and seeds 98
Tossing stems and leaves in or out 99
Making use of leftover ingredients 99
Part III: Green Smoothies for Every Day 101
Chapter 8 Morning Green Smoothies 103
Getting a Healthy Start to a Good Day 104
Chapter 9 Midday Green Smoothies 111
Getting That Afternoon Energy Boost 111
Chapter 10 Evening Green Smoothies 119
Considering the Sense of an Evening Smoothie 119
Chapter 11 Green Smoothies for Kids 127
Perfect Transition! Making Green Smoothies Baby's First Food 127
Trying Toddlers' Green Smoothies 134
Healthy is Cool! Gearing Green Smoothies toward Teens 140
Part IV: Green Smoothies to Meet Your Individual Health Needs 145
Chapter 12 Green Smoothies for a Healthier You 147
Cooling the Burn of Acid Reflux 148
Eating Your Way to Fabulous Skin 156
Finding Relief from Constipation 163
Achieving Goals with Weight Loss 171
Chapter 13 Green Smoothies for Chronic or Serious Medical Conditions 179
Winning the Battle with Inflammation 180
Minimizing Heart Disease Risk 188
Navigating Diet Choices When You Have Diabetes 194
Healing after Surgery, Chemo, or Radiation 201
Chapter 14 Green Smoothies to Maximize Your Workouts 205
Gatting Nutrition before and after Workouts 206
Benefitting from a pre-workout smoothie 206
Recovering with a post-workout smoothie 207
Chapter 15 Green Smoothies for Fertility Pregnancy, and Beyond 213
Using Smoothies to Boost Fertility 214
Meeting Nutrition Needs with Smoothies during Pregnancy 220
Packing Smoothies with Calories and Nutrients while Breast-Feeding 226
Chapter 16 Green Smoothies for Detoxification 231
Cleaning Your Body from the Inside Out 232
Catching common signs you need to detox 232
Recognizing why getting rid of excess toxins is important 233
Green Smoothie Detox: One Day per Week 234
Green Smoothie Detox: Simple Three-Day Cleanse 235
Making your detox shopping list 235
Walking through the detox day by day 236
Sticking with it for three days 237
Managing your reactions 237
Common questions about the three-day green smoothie detox 238
Part V The Part of Tens 245
Chapter 17 Ten Green Smoothie Myths Debunked 247
Green Smoothies Are Too High in Calories 247
Green Smoothies Are Too High in Iron 248
Green Smoothies Have Too Much Oxalic Acid 248
Green Leafy Vegetables Are Toxic 249
You Can Overdose on Votamins A and K in Smoothies 249
Chewing Your Foods Is Better for Digestion 250
Green Smoothies Require an Expensive Blender 250
The Blender's Heat Destroys the Enzymes in a Green Smoothie 251
A Store-Bought Green Smoothie Is Just as Good as a Homemade One 251
Some People Shouldn't Drink Green Smoothies 252
Chapter 18 Ten Common Questions about Green Smoothies 253
How Can I Lose Weight on Green Smoothies? 253
How can I Gain Weight on Green Smoothies? 254
How Do I Get More Protein, Iron, and Calcium in My Smoothies?254
Why Do I Feel Gas and Bloating after My Green Smoothie? 255
Do I Have to Use Greens in My Green Smoothie? 255
Can I Use Powdered Greens instead of Fresh Greens 256
Which Is Better: A Green Smoothie or a Green Juice? 256
Is It Possible to Drink Too Much Green Smoothie? 257
Do I Need to Take a Daily Vitamin if I'm Drinking Green Smoothies? 257
Do Green Smoothies Work against Cellulite? 258
Appendix: Metric Conversion Guide 259
Index 263
