dailygreenbar-swap the daily grind for the dailygreenbar and green smoothies

Sharing the green love! Part 1 Bali

2011-11-04T11:33:00.000+11:00

dailygreenbar is on the road! I started this trip in Ubud, Bali a couple of months ago and after stocking up on greens and fruit at the traditional food markets I went to Seminyak where I made a green smoothie with the hotel kitchen staff!
Something interesting I noticed was the fruit salad on the menu for breakfast in Ubud and Seminyak-watermelon, rockmelon and pawpaw...no different than any Western fruit salad. I wondered why they had no other tropical fruit after seeing it for sale on street markets.

When I asked what other fruit they had they brought out tiny bananas and sweet fragrant mangos from the kitchen but I drew a blank in both places when I asked about dragonfruit, jackfruit and durian and any other fruit.

One of the first things that I thought of before going to Bali was durian! I've heard so much about this fruit- the smell and the taste-the addictiveness and deliciousness once you get past the pong. The durian is native to Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia.

I finally found the Ubud traditional food market early one morning after much misdirection and a lift on the back of a motor scooter by a lone street sweeper down at the Monkey Forest! This market took up a huge block and seemed to be in a few ancient buildings with many levels...lots of greens, herbs, vegetables and fruit...and yes finally- durian! Yes and greens...

So the sad end to the durian story is...it was decided by someone in Ubud where I was staying that it wasn't ripe enough to cut up and eat the next morning so it went back in the fridge. The next day I left to go to Seminyak so the durian ended up in a taxi for about an hour with all the greens, other fruit and my bag and it had definitely ripened and had stunk the taxi out by the time it had picked me up half an hour away from Ubud...so the driver stopped at a roadside temple and left my durian here... ok I didn't get to eat it but it made a great photo. I've since read that the smell has led to the fruit's banishment from some hotels and transport in southeast Asia!

Little K kafe green juice

sign at K Kafe Ubud

One of the best thing about Bali was all the raw food cafes and restaurants. This was something I didn't expect at all. I went to the Little K Kafe, K Kafe and Klear Cafe in Ubud. Loved all the fresh vege juices and hot medicinal drinks like ginger lemon and mint served in huge glass mugs. Ayurvedic drinks too, one that had tumeric in it...mmm.

Making the green smoothie in Seminyak was interesting! I have no idea what the greens were I bought but they looked like spinach. We used ginger, lemon, bananas, mango and coconut oil I'd brought with me.

The blender wasn't very good so the texture was a bit lumpy- not my best effort but I think they got the general idea.

After making the green smoothie the manager came over to talk and asked if foreigners like smoothies like that. They usually make fruit slushies with ice but can do any type you want. If you are travelling there take some powdered super greens to blend with the hotel fruit and ice.
While we were talking I asked him about traditional fruit in Bali. He was actually surprised that people would want Indonesian fruit and not expect a normal Western fruit salad. I think next time overseas I'd take a translator with me to the markets to find out what the greens are and how they are used. Guess I'll have to look for some durian at markets here!

the dailygreenbar green smoothie recipe collection

2011-08-27T13:39:00.005+10:00

Green smoothie recipes? I've been collecting recipes over the last week from all corners of the Internet to use in my planned workshop and handout and now have so many if I test them all I'll be either drowning in green smoothies or I'll be here a year later still testing! You know I don't usually use any recipes because I think you get to a point if you've been doing this long enough you just know what works and what won't when you start adding ingredients to your blender. The golden rule- some form of liquid blended with some green stuff and fruit to make it drinkable and add some extras.

When you start telling others about green smoothies the first thing they will always want is a recipe. Cookbooks are always best sellers and a must have written by whoever is the latest and greatest celeb chef. Despite saying just blend some greens with fruit and water and use more fruit than greens at the beginning there is always scepticism! In my first year of blending over 4 years ago I made the same recipe ( 2 cups baby spinach/1 cucumber/2 stalks celery/lemon juice/ lime juice/ piece of ginger/ 1 apple and 2 bananas/water) and then I read Green For Life and discovered all these different greens. Blending with abandon... which has also translated for me into other areas of food- make a dip, hummus, soup? Blend whatever veges you have in the fridge with some liquid, herbs garlic and nuts!

If you test any of these recipes give me your feedback (with what recipe you used) on the dailygreenbar group on Facebook

You may find some unexpected combos that are tasty. I remember when I was in Bondi and found a bunch of sorrel in the organic shop in Gould St so I pulled out Victoria Boutenko's Green Smoothie Revolution that I carried around with me back then just for this reason. Looked up sorrel and there was this delicious recipe Love Potion I made later with watermelon and nectarines/tangerines. (The recipe also said 10 organically grown red rose petals and 4 x 3 leaf clovers and 1 organic 4 leaf clover but couldn't find any growing in Bondi or at the organic shop but I think this may have been a joke!)

Looking at some of these recipes I can tell mmm too watery too much banana not enough greens etc. Every recipe I've made I always think more lemon and more ginger and more greens and definitely chia to make it more filling. Yesterday I made a recipe from greensmoothiechallenge (cos/banana/water- included here) from their recipe section and I thought it needed more things like chia, celery, lemon and ginger...! Just remember to wash your greens well so you don't blend any bugs or Soil du jour!

I'd use these recipes as a starter or a base then add what you think it needs. Have fun, experiment and discover new combos!

Spinach/Apple/Orange

½ large lemon peeled 1 large orange peeled 1 large apple

2 cups or handfuls baby spinach 1 cup water

Spinach/Grapes/Pineapple/Banana

2 cups spinach 1 cup grapes ½ cup pineapple ½ banana

½ cup water 1 cup ice cubes

Spinach/Banana/Pineapple

2 cups spinach 1 cup frozen banana 1 cup frozen pineapple 1 cup water

Spinach/Pear

1 head of spinach 2 pears about 2 cups of water

Spinach/ Berry

3 big handfuls of baby spinach 1 cup raspberries 1 cup blueberries

1 apple or banana 2 cups of water

Spinach/ Mango/Coco

4 cups spinach 2 cups fresh or frozen mango 2 medium bananas

2 cups coconut water 1 cup ice cubes (optional if you use fresh mango) 1 tabs coconut oil

Spinach/Lime/Apple/Banana

1 bunch spinach 4 apples 1whole lime with peel 1 banana 2 cups water

Spinach/Celery/Parsley 4 Fuji apples 2 medium lemons without peel 1 banana 1 bunch parsley1 cup spinach 1 stalk celery small piece ginger

Spinach/Pear/Cucumber/Celery

1 cup spinach ½ inch ginger 1 lemon 1 cucumber 2 celery stalks

2 pears 1 cup water

Spinach/Grapes/Banana

2 cups spinach 1 frozen banana 1 cup frozen grapes 1 cup water

1 cup ice cubes

Mint/Cucumber

3-4 cucumbers 2-3 pears handful of fresh mint 2 cups of water

Kale/Orange/Blueberries

1 cup of water 1 banana 1 orange peeled 1 cup frozen blue berries

1 cup kale

Green Smoothie Girl Kale

2 cups water/fill blender up with kale plus handful parsley. Blend then add 1 large peeled grapefruit 1 mango frozen strawberries

Kale/Grapes/Mango

6 kale leaves either curly or Lacinato/dinosaur kale 4 cups grapes 2 cups mango 2 cups ice

Kale/Apple/Lemon

4 apples juice from 1½ lemons 4-5 leaves of kale water

Kale/Blueberries

1 head of dinosaur kale 2 small cartons of blueberries 2 bananas about 2 cups of water

MInt/Kale/Pear

4 ripe pears 4-5 leaves of kale ½ bunch of mint 2 cups water

Kale/Peach/Apple

1 banana or peach 1 apple 3-4 large kale leaves A few mint leaves

1 cup of water plus more to blend 4 ice cubes

Kale/Bosc pear/Raspberry

3 Bosc pears 1 handful of raspberries 4-5 leaves of kale water

Cos/Banana/Green Smoothie Challenge

1/2 bunch cos 3 bananas 2 cups water
I think this is too many bananas- needs some celery, greens and lemon to balance the flavour!

Cos/Strawberry/Banana

½ bunch cos 1cup strawberries 2 bananas 2 cups water

Cos/Mango/Ginger

½ head cos 1 cup pineapple 1 large mango 2 cm fresh ginger

Cos/Watermelon
8 leaves cos 5 cups watermelon 1 cup water

Cos/Grapes/Orange

6 to 8 leaves cos 1 cup red grapes 1 medium orange 1 banana 2 cups water

Cos/Melon

6 to 8 leaves cos 1⁄2 medium honeydew 2 cups water

Cos/Sprouts/Berries

3 big cos leaves 1 handful of sunflower sprouts 2 handfuls of baby spinach piece of aloe vera

6-7 big strawberries 1 handful of blueberries 1 cup of water

Green/Mango/Apple/Strawberries

2 cups any greens 8-10 strawberries ( stems included) 1 mango peeled 1 apple 1 banana juice of 1 lemon 2 cups of water

Green/Banana/Pawpaw

2 bananas 1 cup chopped pawpaw (red or yellow) 1 peeled orange a big handful of greens

Green/Strawberry/Pineapple

1½ cups strawberries (frozen or fresh)1 cup fresh pineapple chunks 2 cups spinach or other leafy green 1 cup water

Green/Berry

1 cup raspberries 2 mangoes 2 cup greens water

Dandelion/Parsley/Spinach

1 handful dandelion greens 1 handful parsley 1 handful spinach 1 banana 1 orange 1 cup frozen raspberries

Cacao/Green/Coco/Pineapple

meat and water from fresh coconut/1 cup fresh pineapple /¼ cup raw cacao nibs or powder/ 2 cups fresh baby spinach (or other leafy green)/ 3-4 ice cubes to chill (optional)

Celery/Kiwi/Banana

4 very ripe kiwis 1 ripe banana 3 stalks of celery 2 cups water

Parsley/Mango/Ginger/Celery

2 large mangos 1 bunch parsley lemon juice piece of ginger stalk of celery 2 cups water

Bokchoy/Fruit/Parsley

1 handful of parsley 1 small bunch of bok choy 1 large dragon fruit or mango 2 bananas 2 cups of water

Stuff Your Blender

2 cups water add and blend greens till they are up to 5-6 cup level. Add 1 lemon (or juice of a lemon if too lemony) 1 apple 1 frozen mango 2 stalks celery 2 tbs chia seeds 1 tbs coconut oil handful of dried goji berries.

My Everyday Greenie makes 1.5- 2 litres (3-4 a day or 2 and breakfast the next day) 8 ice cubes juice of 1 lemon plus skin of half a lemon 1 lime 1 orange peeled leaving white on big knob of ginger

1 cucumber 1 apple 3 stalks celery 4-6 cups any greens- water to blend 1 or 2 frozen bananas frozen mango or berries 1 tbs coconut oil 2 tbs ground chia seed handful goji berries

Cacao/Green/Coco/Pineapple

meat and water from fresh coconut/1 cup fresh pineapple /¼ cup raw cacao nibs or powder/ 2 cups fresh baby spinach (or other leafy green)/ 3-4 ice cubes to chill (optional)

Maca/Rocket/Chia

2 cups rocket 1 banana 1 apple 1 tsp chia seeds 1 tbs coconut oil 1 tbs maca powder 1½ 1 celery stalk 1½ cups water

Filling Mango/ Banana/ Oats/

1 large banana peeled ¾ cup blueberries (fresh or frozen) 1 cup mango ¼ cup rolled oats 5 small stalks of celery chopped 2 tsps of chia seeds soaked for 20 minutes or flax seeds (freshly ground) 2 cups spinach or other leafy green 1 cup water

Victoria Boutenko Green For Life Green Smoothie talk Sydney February 2011

Boutenko Recipes

Basic Balance
Victoria Boutenko
1 mango
1 cup kale
1 cup water
Yields 1 quart

Rocket Fuel Smoothie
Victoria Boutenko
2 cups green or red seedless grapes
3 golden kiwis, peeled
1 ripe orange, peeled, seeds removed
1 small leaf of aloe vera, with skin
5 leaves red leaf lettuce
2 cups water
Yields 2 quarts

Morning Zing Smoothie
Victoria Boutenko
½ bunch dandelion greens
2 stalks celery
½ inch fresh ginger root
2 peaches
½ pineapple
Yields 2 quarts

Parsley Passion Smoothie
Sergei Boutenko
1 bunch fresh parsley
1 cucumber, peeled
1 Fuji apple
1 ripe banana
1–2 cups water
Yields 2 quarts

Savory Green Smoothies and Soups

Mediterranean Soup
Victoria Boutenko
3 cups spinach
3 stalks celery
1 sprig oregano
1 sprig thyme
1 red bell pepper
1 large avocado
1 cucumber
1 jalapeño pepper
1 lime, juiced
2 cups water
Enjoy with dulse leaves or flakes
Yields 3 quarts

Soup Gazpacho
Victoria Boutenko
3 leaves kale, stems removed
1 bunch basil
3 large tomatoes
2 stalks celery
1 red bell pepper
1 large avocado
1 lime, juiced
1 cup water
Yields 2 quarts

Thai Soup
Sergei Boutenko
2 cucumbers
1 large avocado
1 lime, juiced
3 cloves garlic
6 leaves curly kale, stems removed
½ teaspoon dried turmeric powder
½ inch fresh ginger root
2 cups water
Yields 2 quarts

Cucumber Dill-icious Soup
Valya Boutenko
2 cucumbers
½ bunch dill
1 large avocado
5 leaves dinosaur kale, stems removed
2 stalks celery
1 lime, juiced
3 cloves garlic
Yields 2 quarts

Green Puddings

Kent Mango Bliss
Victoria Boutenko
2 Kent mangoes
1 bunch chard, stems removed
1 pear
1 banana
Serve with kiwi.
Yields 3 cups

Green Pudding
Victoria Boutenko
1 bunch fresh parsley
5 grape leaves
½ pineapple
1 Abbot pear
1 orange, peeled
1 cup water
Yields 2 cups

Persimmon Pudding
Victoria Boutenko
3 fuyu persimmons, peeled, seeds removed
3 cups baby spinach
1 ripe banana
Yields 2 cups

The Pear-fect Smoothie
By Katya
2 d’Anjou pears
7 leaves purple kale, stems removed
1 leaf aloe vera
1 banana
Yields 2 cups

Applesauce
Valya Boutenko
4 apples
1 banana
1 head romaine lettuce
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups water
Yields 3 cups

Green Smoothies for Body Care

Aloe Facial Cleanser
Valya Boutenko
½ cucumber
½ avocado
1 large leaf aloe vera, with skin
Apply on skin as a sunscreen, or after sunburn, or to improve overall skin health. Keep on skin 10–30 minutes, then rinse off.
Yields 1 cup
Super Green Smoothies

Victoria’s Favorite Dark Green
Victoria Boutenko
1 bunch dandelion greens
4 Roma tomatoes
3 cups water
Yields 2 quarts

Heavy Metals Be Gone
Valya Boutenko
1 bunch cilantro
2 cups stinging nettles
1 bunch fresh parsley
3 stalks celery
1 lemon, juiced
2 mangoes
Yields 2 quarts

Green Smoothie Monster
Victoria Boutenko
4 leaves kale, stems removed
4 leaves chard, stems removed
½ bunch fresh parsley
1 leaf aloe vera
½ bunch dandelion greens
3 pears
1 banana
3 cups water
Yields 2 quarts

Dark Green Love
Victoria Boutenko
1 bunch dandelion greens
1 medium cucumber
3 cups water
Yields 2 quarts

Sergei Boutenko Sydney February 2011

Green Smoothies for Adventurous Souls

O-mega Aphrodisiac
Victoria Boutenko
3 cups wild purslane
1 small watermelon
3 limes, juiced
Yields 2 quarts

Revitalizing Energizer Smoothie
Victoria Boutenko
6 young grape leaves (they contain resveratrol, which triggers longevity genes)
3 leaves dinosaur kale, stems removed
2 mangoes
1 pint strawberries
2 cups orange juice
Yields 1 quart

Summer Splendor Smoothie
Sergei Boutenko
4 leaves chard, stems removed
3 stalks celery
1 head fresh parsley
6 apricots
3 peaches
½ vanilla bean
Yields 2 quarts

“Bitter Delight” Cocktail
Victoria Boutenko
1 large leaf aloe vera, with skin
4 leaves chard, stems removed
3 cups chickweed
1 banana
1 peach
1 pear
Yields 1 quart

Green Smoothies for Children

Miner’s Lettuce Smoothie
Sergei Boutenko
3 cups wild crafted miner’s lettuce (wild edible)
2 ripe pears
½ pint blueberries
2 cups water
Yields 2 quarts

Coco-Tango
Sergei Boutenko
Thai coconut, meat and water
5 leaves kale, stems removed
2 nectarines
2 peaches
1 mango
Yields 2 quarts

The Laughing Gorilla
Valya Boutenko
½ head cos lettuce
2 ripe bananas, peeled and frozen
2 oranges, peeled, seeds removed
1 mango
2 cups water
Yields 2 quarts
Warning: consumption of smoothie may
result in spontaneously occurring, extremely
contagious gorilla laughter

Emerald Applesauce
Aletha Nowitzky
4:5 apples
1 bunch fresh parsley
½ inch fresh ginger root
Yields 3 cups

Green Smoothies for Pets

Poochie’s Gourmet Green Smoothie
1 cup kale
1 banana
1 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kelp (granules or powder)
Add some torn nori sheets; dogs love it!

Fluffy’s Delight
1 cup wheatgrass clippings (or any other grass, not sprayed)
1 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 capsules fish oil (pour on the smoothie, in the bowl)
Pinch of catnip (optional)
Yields 7 servings: You may freeze it in an ice-cube tray and serve it by the cube.

Enjoy!

The Great Frozen Fruit Crusade Update

2011-08-04T13:00:00.006+10:00

what gets me up in the mornings!

Hi the great frozen fruit /green smoothies crusade continues. Still on it for obvious reasons- fast easy tasty simple healthy AND CONVENIENT-what more can you want for your green smoothie apart from...a blender! Here's an update.

Here's my original post over a year ago on where's the frozen fruit in our supermarkets -after the part about the happy discovery of leafy greens given their own section in this supermarket. Victoria Boutenko, who in Green For Life (review coming soon) believes greens should have their own food group, was thrilled to hear this when I told her in Sydney after her talk earlier this year. I actually started a group discussion about the frozen fruit thing and amazing how many didn't know it is an actual product people can buy in supermarkets around the world or they are driving a long way to buy small expensive packets of organic frozen fruit at healthfood shops. Something your average consumer won't ever be doing or have the time or money to do...

Life in the US. Dole Frozen mango chunks. Thanks fruitmonster for this pic- and Robert for sending me link.

So here's a frozen fruit UPDATE- I'm still asking in supermarkets and not getting any clear or rational answers or I'm told I have to contact the head office. So when I saw Cole's celebrity chef Curtis Stone on Australian free to air TV recently making a Mango Coconut Mousse and he pulled a bag of frozen mango chunks out of the freezer to blend I thought yes perfect.

Interesting too because the recipe is on Cole's website and they don't sell frozen mango in any of their shops I've visited from Canberra to the Gold Coast. So I contacted Coles via a Ask Curtis link and here are the emails from myself and Anna from Coles Recipe Team. As I said it's all just about promoting easy fast tasty solutions to healthy eating and that is why I remain so passionate about this. Once you get bitten by the green health bug and you want to start telling, sharing this with others it's something you care about with passion.

Like Robyn Openshaw Green Smoothie Girl has found in her research and as she talks about in her interview series -84% of the people she teaches green smoothies to then go and teach someone else- not because she tells them to "but because they are so excited about the health benefits-that's the thing that's truly viral..." I've experienced this exact thing and yes inspiring...

frozen fruit update emails July 2011

Hi Curtis. I saw you making a Coconut Mango mousse on TV and noticed you used a bag of frozen mango.What brand was this? I've been trying to find out for years why we can't buy frozen mango pineapple and pawpaw in our supermarkets like you can in 1-5 kilo packets in UK and US supermarkets. I've checked in supermarkets from Canberra to the Gold Coast and speaking to people they have no idea that it is an actual product. Consumers have only heard of frozen berries because that is all they see in our supermarkets. Our product produced in Queensland is sold to an overseas market.

I try to promote healthy eating through green smoothies using leafy greens and fruit and any queries to Coles etc have been ignored. Consumers need healthy choices and to be able to buy frozen fruit is fast and convenient. Thanks- my website www.dailygreenbar.com

Hi Jane,

Thanks for writing in. I passed your comment to Curtis and he didn't recall using frozen mango on TV in Australia. Was it possibly on a US program? I also passed your comments to the frozen food category at Coles and unfortunately none of our stores stock frozen mango, pineapple or paw paw. I have passed on the suggestion though, so hopefully it is something that might happen in the future.

Regards

Anna

Coles Recipes Team

Hi Anna thank you so much for your reply. Here's the link on your recipe website using the frozen mango.

http://recipes.coles.com.au/recipes/475/mango-and-coconut-mousse/

Sorry can't remember the title of TV program on free to air but I do remember he got a bag of frozen mango from the freezer and there was an ad for Coles?

I have contacted Coles a few times in the past about not selling frozen fruit after my initial research and my query was sent to the frozen foods buyer and I heard nothing.

I'm mystified why we can't buy frozen fruit like the US/ UK so anything you can do to change this would be great. Once you've used /tasted frozen tropical fruit in a smoothie it will become an essential item that is bought every week and also used in the same way that frozen berries are used by consumers.

Creative Gourmet the frozen berry people also make frozen mango cheeks but I've never seen them for sale and also the size of box is too small. You need to stock 1 to 5 kilo packs of the chunks of tropical fruit that is produced in Queensland by several manufacturers and available overseas. The only option now for consumers is to order and buy online!

Thanks

Jane

Hi Jane,

I went and spoke to the frozen foods buyer and the fresh produce team in person to get an answer for you. They said that at one stage we did sell frozen mangoes, which is probably when you saw Curtis cooking with it. Unfortunately, the reason we currently have limited frozen fruits is because there are currently no suppliers in Australia that can supply frozen pineapple, paw paw and mango.

Also as a result of the QLD floods there has been a major shortage on mango, which again limited the option for frozen mango production. The mangoes we do sell are sold fresh as this has a much higher demand given the limited supply.

They said they will continue to look out for other frozen fruit options as they become available within the Australian market and said it would be more likely as we head into summer when we have higher supply.

You also mentioned the creative gourmet cubes, which are sold in most stores. You are right though, they are quite small and not suitable for creating large quantities of smoothies.

Sorry we can't be of more help, but I will keep following it up for you and I would suggest writing in again in a few months.

Good luck and hopefully eventually we will find a supplier for our stores!

Regards

Anna

Thank you Anna. Forgot to send you this I wrote specifically using Coles ingredients. When you have frozen fruit you could have recipe card in the bagged salads area!
Jane
http://www.dailygreenbar.com/2010/06/quick-and-easy-green-smoothie.html

So the frozen fruit crusade is looking better than it was a year ago though according to suppliers yes you can still buy frozen mango and the floods, cyclones haven't affected supply at all. Plus fresh mangos having a higher demand than something you don't stock and people aren't aware of ?

You can buy a 3kg bag of diced frozen pineapple for $21 and a 3kg bag of mango cheeks $27 online and from The Berryman in Sydney. Hang on! I've just worked out I pay $20 for a kilo of mango cheeks from the Organic Butcher in Fyshwick who are supplied by Priam in Queanbeyan (who told me when I first called that freight costs are why we can't buy in our supermarkets!!!) who are suppled by The Berryman! Wonder how much a 10 min drive to Queanbeyan across the border will save me...after a ph call discovered Priam won't sell directly.

Way too many middle people here... plus rudeness. I just spoke to probably the most rudest person I've had the misfortune to have to speak to. A completely disinterested man at Priam who obviously could not wait to get me off the phone and stop asking basic questions told me Berryman's price is not for premium mango cheeks and he proudly told me, when I told him my reason for calling (and after he said no one would buy it in supermarkets because there's NO demand for it) that he doesn't eat mango, loves junk food and doesn't eat any greens if he can avoid them...and basically treated any query about supply/demand etc as a big fat joke while he was making aside comments to someone else in the office who was also laughing.... great attitude to promote your product.

Some people you meet just take on and embrace new ideas. Like Kevin who I met at the Yass Farmer's Market recently who could not wait to get home with his greens to blend them with the peaches that he grew and bananas. He'd had polio and was on a multitude of painkillers and hated it. Know the feeling...the disempowerment you feel and complete absence of solutions that are within your reach...

He was all fired up and giving me ideas about where I should go and who I should be telling about green smoothies to!

Kevin/ Yass Showground 2011

Also came across this blog on pregnancy and birth where an exhausted pregnant mother of a toddler preparing for the home birth of her second (exactly me once too in 89 but before green smoothies. I did make milky banana yoghurty smoothies- definitely not as nice or as healthy!)

and she came across a solution in the form of green smoothies and she was transformed.

I love what she writes after coming across a flyer for a workshop in a health food shop.

Now don’t get me wrong, I really didn’t get too excited about this at first. After all, everyone knows greens are good for you right?! That you should eat more of them?

But…. there was something about the way those few ‘green smoothie converts’ spoke at that little health food store workshop that night: the high-energy passion in their voice, the sparkle in their eyes, the apparent relief that they had in fact found the solution that they had been seeking (whether that be increased energy, or weight loss or a calm nervous system).

Within 2 days I began to feel more energetic, clear headed, and able to again cope with late pregnancy while mothering my toddler; within 7 days I was feeling more alive and excited about life than I had done certainly within the last 2 months of pregnancy, and probably within the last 10 years of my life!

The transformation was quite startling and obvious to my husband, and he soon wanted to partake in this weird green swamp sludge that was coming out of our blender. Again, the benefits were clear for all to be seen as he started to rapidly recover from long held body aches and pains that had accumulated through years of working in the construction industry.

My 1 year old didn’t want to miss out on the daily ritual either, and as she began to drink her own little cup of sweet, green goodness, the dark circles under her eyes (which to be honest I hadn’t really even noticed up to that point) disappeared within days.

We all began to radiate with health (even as we continued to eat our regular meals of pasta, bread and potatoes). We had enough energy to be present for each other despite long days working or mothering, and most exciting of all, I had my wish granted: I was now looking forward to this birth with confidence, knowing I had the energy I needed to see it through.

Yes...what gets me up in the mornings!!

Yass NSW/ showground

8/11 update. I drove out to Costco Canberra hoping hoping that they may have frozen tropical fruit like their US stores.The first thing that caught my eye were the greens in a very chilly cold room. Anyone for 27 kilos of baby spinach?

They also had cheap baby cos and $4.69 packets of 350gms of baby spinach and kilo packs of mesclun salad...but NO frozen tropical fruit chunks which was the purpose of my trip out there, so really they are no different from any other Australian supermarket. Just the usual big kilo bags of frozen mixed berries and raspberries, strawberries and blueberries that you can buy 10 kilos of if you want...to go with your 10 kilos of baby spinach!!

mothers hold the power!

2011-05-07T20:03:00.010+10:00

Hi! It's Mother's Day tomorrow so it's absolutely the right time to be writing about kids and green smoothies. I've been wanting to write this for a while and a recent trip to Sydney to see VIctoria Boutenko and all the fun green smoothie making with my niece and nephew has reinspired me to do this.

I love how Robyn Openshaw's The Green Smoothie Girl main mission in life is to inspire and help mothers to get their children to eat healthy food. As a mother of 4 she believes we are the most important person in our children's lives/health because mothers hold the power of the nutritional dollar as they are mostly doing the food shopping and cooking and have the most influence over what their kids are eating. Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution LA started last night here and the majority of people who turned up wanting change in their kid's school lunches were mothers.

We have the power to change the world just through food and through our children- ultimately bringing up super healthy children who become healthy adults who in turn will pass this power onto their own children!

So the number one challenge for parents everywhere is to get their children to eat vegetables...especially leafy greens...the dreaded greens like spinach are among the most hated vege by children everywhere. "Eat your greens!" - which ironically are the most healthy and nutritious food on the planet.

Of course the BEST way to do this is green smoothies! Transform those hated greens into a delicious fun super healthy drink by blending with fruit and sit back and watch your kids drink them up! I really wish I had known about this when mine were younger. They are now green smoothie fans which is great. Here are some tips to help if you have young kids or relatives or know any parents that might be interested and are doing the daily struggle with their kids and food.

1.be the best role model you can for healthy eating and let your kids see you drinking your greenie and lovin it! Try and live by example.

2. get them involved in the making, chopping, choosing of ingredients and what to buy when shopping. Get excited about the greens in the supermarket. Ask them to choose their favourite fruit. Ask them as you are making to taste test it and what they think it needs. More lemon? More banana?

3. for really reluctant newbies or anyone that doesn't like trying anything new don't let them see you putting any greens in! Even some adults go urrggghhh when they see the greens going in the blender or know there's spinach in there- until they taste it! Often adults who were brought up eating fresh fruit and veges from a young age are the ones who don't develop sugar cravings when they are in their teens and older.

4. serve the smoothie in a non-see through cup with lid with a fun straw

5. give your green or purple smoothie a name - Monster Hulk smoothie, Big Green Monster, Purple Tongued Lizard Dragon Juice, Octonaut Super Slime or whoever their fave superhero is. Don't forget Shrek and the Incredible Hulk are green....well it is the age of marketing food with toys and movies ....even Iron Man downs a green smoothie in one of his movies! Incredibly the sale of onions rose in 2010 because kids wanted to eat them like Shrek did and were actually asking their parents to buy them. Imagine if Shrek was getting into green smoothies! FInd inspiration in unexpected places.

4.show them pics online of all the kids with green moustaches and take their green moustache photo. Celebrate healthy food!

6.add BLUEBERRIES! turn your green smoothie into a purple monster to hide the green.

7. make green or purple ice blocks! Sometimes reluctant drinkers will eat a green smoothie iceblock because it's cold and well it's green ice cream. We scream we scream for green ice cream!! Try 2 cups spinach/2 cups frozen berries for purple or mango for green /2 bananas/1 cup of water

8. Arm yourself with info. Here's Robyn talking to her son about greens and giving hints about how to talk to your kids about food and nutrition and why they should be eating healthy and why green smoothies!!!

(Love the mason jar) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEoiGkUHnhQ

Green Smoothie Revolution by Victoria Boutenko has a section on kid's recipes.

Adventures Of Junk Food Dude by Robyn Openshaw- Green Smoothie Guy and Junk Food Dude are the characters! Victoria Boutenko has also written 2 books for younger children

A Gift From Little Bear and Fruit I Love

Try these recipes from Green Smoothie Revolution and experiment! Add ground chia seed to boost the protein.
-8 cos (romaine) lettuce leaves/ 2 mangoes/ 1 peach/ 2-3 cups water
-1 cup packed spinach/1 orange peeled and seeded/1 banana/4 frozen strawberries/ 1/4 cup water
-2 cups spinach/1 avocado/1 fresh young coconut meat and water/1/2 tsp vanilla
-3 stalks celery/2 bananas/2 cups fresh strawberries/1 pear/2 cups water
-2 cups baby spinach/1 young fresh coconut meat and water/1 peeled orange
-1 cup spinach/ 1/4 ripe pineapple

have fun!

Supermarkets! Where's our frozen fruit??

2011-03-27T13:53:00.033+11:00

Hi all! If you are on Twitter I send out links to great articles I read that have green smoothie/nutrition/health relevance and info and recipes. Like yesterday- I came across Martha Stewart's GreenMachineSmoothie recipe-yes even Martha Stewart! eg

Martha GS 1 cp packed spinachleaves 1 1/4 cps white grape juice or pear juice 1/2 avocado 1 green apple, peeled cut in 1-inch bits 1 cup ice

Haven't tried this but looks a bit watery... but the avocado makes it creamy... and only one cup of greens. Plus I don't bother peeling my apples and I use all the seeds too- just watch the peach pits! About a week ago I kept finding small rocks in my smoothie and then a bigger one at bottom and realised I'd accidently blended 2 peach pits. Oh so that's what all that noise was!

I actually started feeling a bit strange a while after and started Googling- (cyberchondria!!) then rang the PoisonsInfo hotline as peachpits contain arsenic.The really helpful guy (didn't think I was strange at all drinking blended spinach!) said I didn't eat enough of them and talked me out of feeling like I'd been poisoned! So watch those peach pits- not healthy for your blender either!

I had a great day yesterday at the Harvest Festival here in Canberra helping out at the Vege stand and talking to people I met about green smoothies (what else!) and giving away and running out of cards. Hi all you newbies if you are here for the first time. People are SO interested in learning new simple ways of eating healthy basic food. You can't get more basic than greens and fruit eg a green smoothie!

I bought 2 bunches of kale and some cucumber from a local organic grower at the festival for this morning's smoothie-but had run out of lemon/coconut oil/ginger and had no other fruit/berries other than frozen banana plus chia so I realised how much green smoothies need lemon juice and half a lemon skin AND ginger...plus variety in your fruit. Not the best I've made!

I'm trying to come up with the best breakfast newbie green smoothie recipe to use at a green smoothie workshop I'm hoping to run with another green smoothie fanatic I met recently- not watery- eg spoon stand-upable and filling so if you have any faves send them to me at dailygreenbar@gmail.com and I'll put them up here. Thanks.

Have a look at what I discovered in Woolies at Brookvale in Sydney. Leafy greens finally get recognised as a separate food group to vegetables and fruit under their own sign in the fruit and veg section! Two shelves of gorgeous leafy greens.

Leafy green carrot tops, beetroot greens and radish greens here too. Exciting to see them all brought together like this. Greendar going off! All they need is some green smoothie recipe cards! Great Woolworths-wow I actually put great and supermarket in the same sentence!

Because we're continually told to eat leafy green vegetables to put them all together in their own section like this is great marketing and the educational/awareness aspect is wonderful.

"Oh so that's a leafy vegetable" etc but I guess without green smoothie info the beet, radish and carrot greens are ending up in the bin or compost...!

So still on supermarkets the Great Frozen Fruit Search continues- been doing this for over 2-3 years now. Even in the Gold Coast Queensland (as far north as I drove) supermarkets you cannot buy frozen fruit.
Costco, Walmart, Trader Joes and other supermarkets in the US sell 1 to 5 kilo bags of OUR frozen mango, pineapple and other frozen fruit that is processed in Queensland and sent overseas. So many US green smoothie fans always mention using this in their recipes online.

Coles Woolworths Aldi etc have ignored all of my emails/ph calls etc trying to find out why they don't /won't sell frozen fruit here and some frozen fruit distributors (eg The Berryman ) I've contacted have first told me about what I can buy from them in bulk- (they have kiwi/passionfruit/guava/mango/pineapple etc and purees too) and then when I push them for answers say they would prefer not to deal with the big supermarkets....

The Berryman in Brookvale Sydney directed me to a local distributor in Queanbeyan (Priam) near here who said I could buy frozen mango at the organic butcher (!!) at the local markets- $20 for 13 mango cheeks and you have to chop first before blending...not sure why this is so hard to do!

So I've run out of ideas- sick of leaving my dailygreenbar card with buyers in every supermarket I go into, explain why and what etc and get no response. Of course you can always get online and order in bulk from Queensland...mmm don't think so and yes of course in season you can buy fresh and process and freeze yourself but I'm thinking of time poor people who want/need quick healthy, tasty, simple options and be able to buy this at their local supermarkets.

Once again regarding supermarkets it's all about money and not about choice and promoting a healthy food- think about the ease and convenience of being able to use frozen tropical fruit in our green smoothies out of season and all year!

Oh and by the way thanks for trying Creative Gourmet ( the pricey small box frozen berry people) for coming up with these Smoothie Cubes...found these in Brookvale too. They come in these combos Breakfast/Tropical/Berry/Strawberry.
Breakfast combo has LSA,banana,honey,oats,apple and cinnamon. Berry Antioxidant tries hard with banana, blueberries, raspberries, goji berries, LSA, chia paste. Strawberry-banana, strawberry, apple and chia paste.

Tropical- banana, passionfruit,mango, pineapple and apple. The best combo I think-what we NEED combined in KILO packets and not processed into small cubes like these and sold at $6 for 300gms. It's too easy to use a whole box in the blender as they are really small and on every box- Just Add Milk! Mm no thanks!

The MORE people start demanding frozen fruit in our supermarkets the more they'll take notice. Costco is building out at the airport here-near where I buy my kilo pkts of frozen strawberries, raspberries, mixed berries and blueberries from the SupaBarn warehouse. The Costco guy I spoke to in their just opening Melbourne store said it may be a money/ manufacturer/ distributors issue. So Aust growers are selling their product overseas for more than what they get from the big supermarkets here?!

He was from the US- knew exactly what I meant and found it strange that we can't buy here.

He used frozen fruit in his smoothies-not green but may have another convert! in the morning when he was at home in the US. He suggested when a Costco opens near you to write your "product idea" on the suggestion board near the front door. OK- will be down there every week with the biggest texta I can find!!!! Would love ANY ideas you can come up with people. Thanks!! ...get evangelising...! :)

The Grow sculpture in Canberra city- by Stephen Short.

getting to the heart of it.....

2011-02-16T13:07:00.018+11:00

I recently caught up with an old friend I knew when I was 17 and in the years that have passed both of us had that moment where your life is hanging by a thread and modern medicine yanks you back into the world of the living. His was life saving heart surgery 2 years ago and mine was cancer in 95 and near death in 2004 that I wrote about here

His experience- starting with weeks of daily headaches, high blood pressure, a diagnosis of a a blocked artery ended with a life saving bi-femural bypass operation. His heart disease, hypertension and high blood pressure experience got me thinking about food, nutrition and doctors again. Everytime I hear or read someone's story about how they changed what they were eating by starting to drink green smoothies and eat more plant based food and their blood pressure dropping to the point they were no longer taking medication- I am more convinced about the healing power of the right foods- if you give your body what it needs it will know what to do with it- heal.

The new movie Forks Over Knives coming out soon is about this and the doctors who are breaking the back of heart disease, obesity and diabetes through plant based food diets- I cannot wait for it to open here. It is presently on screens in the US and steadily gaining interest and opening in more cities. Complete life turn around and say goodbye to heart disease!

The magic answer to health disease lies in foods that contain nutrients, vitamins and minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium and are antioxidants and vasodilators that naturally lower blood pressure and hypertension. Top of the list would be celery- this has compounds that make muscles in your arteries relax and open wider. This of course allows the blood to flow at a lower pressure and is wonderful for hypertension. Of course if you don't have high blood pressure or heart disease these are really healthy heart foods.

Potassium? Yes an important electrolyte so we're looking at more major GREEN SMOOTHIE ingredients here-all the leafy greens like spinach and fruits like bananas! The folates in spinach and all leafy greens do the same as celery- reduce hypertension and relax blood vessels. I always add a Lebanese cucumber everyday-great source of potassium and counters effects of sodium.

All great fruits are apples oranges (use the whole peeled orange in the blender) raisins guavas pawpaw/papaya melons mangoes peaches pineapple and strawberries. Lemon juice which is a green smoothie essential and also some lemon skin helps to make capillaries flexible. Start your day with some warm water with fresh lemon juice for high blood pressure then get green smoothie making.

Research has proved pomegranates are also beneficial for hypertension along with green tea because of their high level of antioxidants. You can buy the juice to use as the liquid in your green smoothie and also make green tea and cool it down in the fridge overnight before using the next morning.

wheatgrass is a blood pressure star by using the compounds in the chlorophyll to help the blood capillaries and reducing blood pressure. You can buy this fresh or in frozen shots.

The essential fatty acids in coconut oil have so many benefits to heart health and has other healing properties- here's a great article by Dr Mercola on coconut oil and another just on coconut oil and heart health

I add a tbsp to my green smoothie everyday-delicious-especially with tropical fruit like pineapple and limes. It's also great for your skin. If you can find hemp seed oil there is also evidence that this nutritional supplement is great for heart disease and high blood pressure-I haven't tried it yet so can't tell you what it tastes like in a green smoothie.

Chia seeds are another superfood you can add and has even gone mainstream and is available in any health food shop. I love chia seed and add 2 tabs everyday plus you can make puddings with it and sprinkle on cereal. Here's my info on omega 3 and chia seeds if you want more info.

Research has also shown watermelon and particularly dried roasted watermelon seeds act significantly in the same way. I remember in Cairo Egyptians always having these and sunflower, pumpkin seeds and pistachios always ready to eat as a traditional snack. Grind the roasted watemelon seeds and add to your green smoothie.
I love frozen chunks of watermelon in my green smoothie. If you are using it fresh you won't need as much water or juice. Just keep it out of the way of the ants!

Here's the link to basic green smoothie info and recipe-enjoy!

knowledge intuition experience and...urgghh green smoothie reactions?

2010-11-27T14:34:00.024+11:00

Hi fellow bar-hoppers. When I saw this quote it reminded me of one of my favourites from Albert Einstein who always placed imagination, creativity and fantasy before knowledge- "Imagination is more important than knowledge". He also said "It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge..." and from someone who has worked in the education system this still remains every teacher's challenge!

SInce discovering green smoothies a few years ago I have devoured every book and website I can find in my thirst for knowledge, info and other's experiences. I have also read all the science and proof and evidence I can find about greens/food/nutrition/disease and illness prevention but ultimately I think when you are taking control of your own health and body and discovering what works for you it comes down to intuition and experience.

Only you know what works and what you are feeling when you starting making positive or any changes in your life. Intuition that what I'm doing is the RIGHT thing to do for me...

I love reading other peoples testimonials/transformations about changes they are making and the illnesses they have lived with for years disappearing just after making green smoothies part of their daily routine- like this morning- a friend's comment on Facebook (and even the dog's getting into them!) Her comment got me up on here writing this- thanks Karen for the inspiration.

"Am at day 3 of green smoothies ... feel fabulous ... body has heaved a huge sigh of relief! Dogs beg for it! We're all getting healthy. One hour walk done. Now off to work."

So after the knowledge came intuition that what I was doing felt right- I started feeling so incredibly well and inspired in the first year at how simple this was and easy making and drinking green smoothies every day that all I wanted to do was share this new knowledge and my experiences with family, friends and anyone I met at markets buying greens. This was one of the driving forces behind starting the dailygreenbar...

You will come across the cynics and unbelievers of course- people who are resistant to any change and who defend their food and lifestyle and also refuse to believe anything different despite the evidence that what we eat can have a positive/negative/healing force.

Some people need to acquire the knowledge and intuition themselves through their own experiences...change is not easy and it also takes as long to break a life long bad habit as it does to stick to a new one sometimes....drink a green smoothie and more every day for 2 weeks, first thing in the morning when you need your max nutrition and experience the flow on effect of gradually losing cravings and eating better etc and there is no going back!

Here's a basic recipe you can make for a beginner- from someone who set up a stand in a market and gave away free samples-her story here inspiring!spreading the green love Make them a bit heavier on the fruit at the beginning-get more imaginative and use more and different greens as they get used to it- take your blender into work and do a demo!

1/2 cup frozen mango 1/4 cup frozen pineapple or banana

1/2 cup strawberries 2 handfuls organic spinach cold filtered water (or coconut water/juice)

You may get some urrgghhh reactions from people at first- I came across this recently- written by Lucy who has lived in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Texas and now Portland and the reactions she has had from others about her green smoothie. green smoothie reactions

"The most fascinating aspect of moving to Portland for me is the fact that I won’t be laughed at for being primarily a raw vegan. This is obviously a very important part of who I am, but it’s very difficult to maintain. Texas was a joke when it came to this particular part of me. About 9.8 out of 10 people, upon fully explaining to them what a raw vegan was, would look back at me and say one of the following: “Oh… Huh. But you still eat chicken, right? You need protein. Where would you get your protein?!” “What? You can only eat raw stuff? So you eat raw meat?!”

“A ‘Green Smoothie’?! UGH! That sounds and looks DISGUSTING. I could never eat something like that!”

“So… YOU WANNA GO TO MCDONALDS AND GET A BURGER?!?!?!?!??! HAHAHAHA!”

“Well, come over to my BBQ this weekend anyway. Eat my steak. It’s the best you’ll ever have! Trust me! I’ll make it special for you and it will change your mind about being a vee-gan. Just try it.”

These are all seriously very common responses I would get on daily basis. It was mind blowing. The most interesting part of it all was just getting used to the blunt rudeness of people. For example, I’d be sitting somewhere drinking my green smoothie and someone would walk past me, obnoxiously stop and stare at my drink and start with a loud gasp:

“UGH! What IS that?!??!!?!” Of course, then I’d calmly explain what a green smoothie is, then they’d come back with a: “EWWWW!!! I COULD NEVER DRINK THAT. THAT’S DISGUSTING.”

Really? A healthy smoothie made from organic fruits and organic leafy greens is DISGUSTING? I don’t get it. I would understand if I used weird ingredients like raw eggs, raw shrimp, POOP, rocks, vomit, frog legs, etc. Yeah. Then it would be pretty disgusting. But fruits and greens? People’s complete disregard for common decency never failed to astonish me."

Mmm maybe just don't mention the V word! Ground breaking Docs working at the coalface of disease prevention/reversal in the US are using the term plant based diet instead (which can sometimes include small amounts of fish occasionally-eg Bill Clinton). This term seems to be less incendiary than the V words...vegetarian/vegan-

Image problems? Well popular media likes to reinforce this -most annoying ad of the year-so far... Woolworths ad for their Macro Wholefood range

It drags out every cliche and stereotype that exists- the hippy clothes, the hair, flute, tambourine, bean bags and general loony behaviour. OK so if it supposed to be funny I'm not laughing!

I had a look at some of their products and big revolutionary out there wacky deal- packaged cereal, muesli, dried fruit, nuts, chips, kids lunchbox stuff etc-yes organic which is good and "natural" whatever their definition is of natural....

The helpless faintly bewildered victim of wacky hippy with the basket has the right idea- unpackaged greens and fresh stuff from the fruit and vege section. The screen from the website (where you can watch the ads- get something preferably soft to throw at the screen!!) has even more- now there's a guitar, 70's psychedelic font, chickens and references to Eastern religion! Imagination?? ZERO- except tongue in cheek creativity not informed by any knowledge base of facts at all...like what makes this healthy?? watch the ads here

Want healthy? All we need is a blender and an open mind- and throw in some knowledge intuition and experience...add some imagination...and no stereotypes please...enjoy!

The China Study and green smoothies-life changing!

2010-11-12T17:11:00.018+11:00

"When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use; When diet is correct, medicine is of no need." - Ayurvedic Proverb

heart disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, kidney disease, multiple sclerosis, eye disease, auto immune diseases, arthritis, Alzheimers and dementia- what do these diseases have in common- apart from the fact that most of us know friends or family who have died of them or have them now.... what they do have in common is that they can all be prevented with and also cured by eating a whole food plant based diet.

The China Study is a study based on comparing animal protein eaters with plant based protein eaters and the rates and levels of disease prevention and cure. It was written by T.Colin Campbell PhD and his son Thomas M. Campbell II and was first published in 2007. Colin Campbell is a scientist/nutritionist at Cornell University and has done extensive research and studies into this dating back to the 40's.

This book is over 300 pages long and has stunning implications that involve everyone from government to media to Big Medicine and for every patient that has given up or who finds themselves in the doctor's office AGAIN hoping for a quick fix via the prescription pad..

these are the 10 main points I learnt from The China Study- it was really hard isolating the facts from the research that involved doctors using the findings but these are the key points

1.despite the evidence via research and studies cited in this book that an animal based diet (eg meat and dairy proteins) is the main cause of heart disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, kidney disease, multiple sclerosis, eye disease, auto immune diseases, Alzheimers and dementia- you will not be told by your doctor, specialist, cardiologist or oncologist to change what you eat to a plant based whole food diet to reverse your disease or be given any nutritional advice ever. Countries like China in the study have low and zero rates of these diseases in the areas that eat a whole food plant based diet.

2. your cardiologist/ surgeon/oncologist prefers to operate with their fancy equipment in the drama of the operating theatre feeling god like and then prescribe the latest meat and dairy industry funded new heart medication- rather than cure you by helping you change your diet to a plant based whole food one. The same nutrition that prevents disease in its early stages (before diagnosis) can also halt or reverse disease in its later stages.

3. if you are overweight your doctor will prescribe medication or milk and sugar based meal replacement shakes and high meat diets for you to lose weight rather than tell you of the latest research in these areas. There is also a cure for both diabetes 1 and 2 and this is in plant based foods...patients who have reversed their diabetes and are completely off medication report going to their doctors who say nothing but keep doing what you are doing- rather than ask questions and find out for themselves what they can tell other patients.

4. if you have osteoporosis or any bone density problems your doctor, nutritionist and the media/dairy industry will tell you to eat more dairy and drink more milk and take another pill-despite the evidence that in countries where there is high calcium intake from dairy and also higher amounts of animal protein eaten there are high rates of hip fractures and osteoporosis.

5. plant based foods (and we are talking much more variety of food than just meat fish chicken dairy etc) have equal protein to animal foods and MORE beta-carotene, fibre, Vit C, folate, Vit E, Iron, magnesium, calcium and LESS or ZERO fat and cholesterol. Even more reason to keep drinking green smoothies! We never see these facts being promoted by vege fruit growers or Govt funded food/nutrition panels- just more ads promoting beef, lamb and fast food etc

6. if you are a doctor who has seen the evidence of dramatic change and reversal of disease in your patients by changing their diets away from animal protein you will probably be ostracised and ridiculed by your peers, called names behind your back, treated like a crackpot and refused support, promotion and funding for your programme by the health and hospital system. A cure for cancer? one doctor said. Where's the money in that?

7.nutrition research and official Govt boards and panels are funded and at times have members from Big Food- the meat and dairy industry. The author spent years on these and has first hand accounts of this and the difficulties in dealing with a Govt that is in bed with the meat and dairy industry. Every "official" nutrition guideline you read is tainted with these associations.

8. whole food nutrition represents the combined activities of countless foods- the whole is greater than its parts. Everything works together to help health ...or cause disease. Funding and research is more concerned with isolating individual "miracle" properties and then producing this in supplements and tablet form...to be sold and marketed to an advice and easy fix hungry pill popping public- who will be sold anything as long as they have been told it's good for you...!

9. disease does not occur just because of our genes- everything starts with genes and we can control whether they do become cancer etc through what we eat. Money is spent on genetic research so gene therapy/medication becomes the cure and everyone can keep eating their disease causing Western diet. People who move to the West from their plant based diet eating countries develop these same Western diseases.

10. why haven't you heard any of this before? Because of the Golden Rule- "the person who has the gold makes the rules" The hard truth is that government, science, medicine, pharmaceutical funded medical schools, industry and media promotes profits over health, technology over food and confusion over clarity....and as leading cardiologist Caldwell B.Esselstyn Jr (who uses plant based diets to reverse heart disease- Bill Clinton is one of his more well known success stories-link below) says

"What does the 20thC of medicine have to offer? We have pills and we have procedures...but whoever says "Maybe we ought to stop disease?"

The powerful meat/dairy companies risk losing money if consumers shift away from animal protein to plant based whole foods... so the message is to eat more...

There seems to be some interesting things happening around this recently- the Meatless Monday movement in the States/ a new movie coming out soon called Forks Over Knives that features some of the doctors in the China Study- the ones who are working with patients and reversing disease through food. The PCRM-Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine includes doctors from The China Study also.

AND best of all green smoothies becoming more popular as each month goes by- Google hits are up to 1 730 000 hits for green smoothie from beginning of the year when it was 811 000!! Green smoothies are a perfect way to start a transition to this new way of eating- away from disease and towards a healthy happy long life.They are the ultimate plant based whole food!

Here are some links including the must watch Forks Over Knives trailer.

http://forksoverknives.com/

http://www.vegsource.com/news/2010/09/cnn-interviews-caldwell-esselstyn-md-dean-ornish-md-about-bill-clintons-plant-based-diet.html

http://www.drmcdougall.com/index.html

http://www.vegsource.com/news/2009/12/rip-esselstyn-making-his-engine-2-plant-strong-diet-mainstream.html

http://engine2diet.com/

Morgan Spurlock and what's wrong with the system

the last word-dead food vs live food/the not so
happymeal that doesn't rot!

Davies Happy Meal Project photos here

we scream for green Halloween smoothie!

2010-10-31T13:01:00.006+11:00

Hi Halloween is tonight in case you'd missed all the creepy stuff for sale in every shop you go into. But I think they should definitely use less orange and more green!
This might be a perfect time to get your kids or anyone you know drinking green smoothies- mainly the reluctant ones- you know the ones who walk past as you're drinking your smoothie and go ergghhh! and refuse to try even a little bit- even though everyone else is drinking them- mainly because it's GREEN...and green just can't taste good can it??
Well green is good for kids at Halloween because it's the stuff that all monsters ooze and drip...green slime.

Have fun with it- serve in shot glasses for the adults and hang some coloured snakes off the edge of the glass- make a Slimy Green Monster smoothie (use a basic baby spinach/ water/ice/ mango/ frozen banana/ kiwi/ lime mix) and also a Blood Red smoothie by adding frozen mixed berries and a blood red orange to your basic mix. Float a lolly eyeball or teeth in it for the kids!

Green is the new black! I'm reading The China Study -the most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted at the moment by T. Colin Campbell / Thomas M Campbell and even though I'm barely into it (up to page 109) his research and findings are so incredible I am going to have to write in depth about this some other time. Basically he studied animal based protein eaters (dairy/meat) and compared their level of cancer with high plant protein eaters. This study was controversial because doctors in the West refuse to believe that animal protein, which is of course the mainstay of our Western SAD diet, is the cause of heart disease, cancer and other diseases...there is so much more to read in this -if you see a copy (reprinted in 2009) grab it....

As green smoothies become more popular and you naturally start eating a more whole food plant based diet I think you start thinking seriously about what the medical and health system are just not doing enough of and why there are so many people getting sick with avoidable illnesses and how we can change this current state of ignorance and lack of education about Western diet related illness.

I know this happened to me- and every time I hear about the current health crisis and our overloaded over worked hospitals all I can think is PREVENTION is the key for the future...and why do we never hear this word? We need to start at the beginning and fix what we are consuming daily eg move to a plant based diet away from the animal protein and get some general awareness and acceptance out there in the medical/ health system.

so there is no better time to get your kids and family into drinking healthy plant protein packed green smoothies that can have amazing health implications for your long term health. Plus you get have fun exploring new greens and ingredients. Enjoy...boo!

green smoothies go commercial...?

2010-10-22T21:27:00.015+11:00

Hi I have the feeling the world's not quite ready yet to replace all the drinks in vending machines with bottled green stuff but..... I always check the fridges in stores/cafes/delis to see if green smoothies have gone into production and gone mainstream. Yesterday I found my first sort of green one at a local supermarket.

Charlie's Honest Smoothie- Spirulina and Fruit.

In the bottle
pressed apples 69% mashed bananas 15% squeezed oranges 10% pulped kiwifruit 5% dried spirulina 0.3% and vitamin C.

Taste test
Honestly? Really fruity... they don't label this as a GREEN smoothie and it's not because it only has 0.3% greens so yes green in colour- but really light on the greens heavy on the fruit and tasted like mashed banana. My verdict is yes buy the 300ml $3.49 if you're out and need a quick healthy fruit hit- but I'd be buying the litre bottle to add to green smoothies as the liquid base for more greens only for the convenience factor-- chuck in more greens like baby spinach and maybe some lemon juice to balance out the taste and chia -easy, tasty, fast and out the door....

Charlie's are a NZ company- http://www.charlies.co.nz/index.html?#products/Smoothies and are available for fundraising in NZ- great idea and healthy alternative to the neverending stream of boxes of chocolate for sale!

On the definitely more green side re variety of ingredients a friend in Melbourne told me about an Emma and Toms LifeJuice GreenPower drink. Emma and Tom have an interesting story- childhood friends who left the corporate world to form this Australian company- they were inspired by overseas juice companies use of whole fruit in their juices. Watch their story/interview on Sky News Business Channel and YouTube- http://www.emmaandtom.com/news.html
http://www.emmaandtom.com/range.html

Emma and Toms LifeJuice GreenPower drink
In the bottle
On the front of the bottle- apple banana passionfruit plum and lemon with all natural green botanicals-no added sugar no concentrates nothing artificial- and on the back- apple juice 60% banana puree 14% passionfruit pulp 12% plum puree 12% lemon juice 1% spirulina chlorella alfalfa kelp spinach stinging nettle dulse seaweed.

Taste test
Really tart- tangy passionfruit is the overriding taste here and it's not as thick as Charlie's. Once again great to buy if you want a quick sort of green hit when out and as an alternative to plain fruit juice-also to add to your green smoothie.

They sell mainly to the cafe deli market and a year ago they had 3000 outlets. The Freedom Cafe here sell their Wellbeing Water range. I found some GreenPower today at an IGA in the city- 350 ml bottles-

Production techniques from the website. "Emma and Tom’s whole fruit smoothies are the tastiest fruit juices on the market, and provide more vitamins and minerals than regular juices as they have added functional botanicals such as spirulina for extra iron, stinging nettle to cleanse the body and grape seed extract for an antioxidant boost.
Unlike many hot-filled, stewed fruit juices on the Australian market, Emma and Tom’s whole fruit smoothies are flash pasteurised and cold filled. In order to ensure a bacteria-free product the juice is quickly heated for 10 seconds then reduced back to 4 degrees where it stays refrigerated until our customers pick it up from the fridge of their favourite café (just like milk)."

Nudie Juice-Green Crushie also Australian.

In the bottle
apple/ plum/ kiwi passionfruit/ lemon...and a 1.1% (they call it a dash!) of spirulina, green tea, wheatgrass and passionflower-so once again heavy on the fruit like the previous two brands and really light on the greens.

Taste test I haven't tried this one-I've only seen their fruit ones...maybe buyers are thinking ergghhh green- no one's going to buy this!

So the question is- is there a market for bottled commercial green smoothies like we're making? eg the real deal- REAL green smoothies and not just bottled greeny coloured pureed fruit with a tiny percentage of greens...and would they sell? These commercial green juices are a long way from homemade green smoothies but are great to grab when you're out IF you can find them and also to add to your green smoothie.
They might be useful too to make green smoothies a bit more acceptable in the mainstream and increase their popularity. But in the end...

fresh is always best of course- here's Jane's Honest Green Power Superfood Smoothie I made today- blend the usual base- 8 ice blocks/cup and 1/2 water/1 orange/juice 2 lemons plus skin of half/ ginger- add greens- I used sorrel, Russian kale, celery, cucumber and blend up to 5-6 cup level then add frozen banana, 2 medjool dates,1 kiwi,1 apple, 2 tbs ground chia---enjoy!

Here's something else I also discovered recently- driving past the National Gallery of Australia one night and they were projecting work from the collection on the outside walls...love greens in all shapes and forms...

new greens on the block!

2010-10-03T15:33:00.008+11:00

Hi! The Sunday farmer's market is my primary source of greens for green smoothies because of the variety for sale- especially kale in all its shapes and forms. The main organic seller usually has huge bunches of curly and dinosaur kale and different Asian greens so I always go there first before they sell out.

So today I walk in the hall and they're not in the usual spot so I think OK no kale so I walk over to where I always buy my silverbeet, beetroot greens and huge bunches of gorgeous continental parsley. The grower- from Dilliro Vegetables from Thirlmere in NSW- told me he uses garlic spray instead of chemicals to keep the pests off- this is probably why his veges are so tasty!

On his table are these huge piles of unfamiliar leafy greens- my greendar is going off with excitement- new greens to find out about and share with you.

There are parsnips with the long stems and greens attached, two types of kohlrabi and big huge heads of dark green leafy cabbages. Parsnip greens look like large celery leaves and flat leaf parsley and I think smell like them too.

These parsnip greens looked so fresh and smelt wonderful. But...the online jury is still out re parsnip greens toxic/edible etc so I'm still researching this. I am waiting for people to get back to me so will keep you posted. The only green you definitely cannot eat is rhubarb-really toxic and don't forget rotate your greens and try and use a variety during the week.

The actual parsnip part was yummy roasted in olive oil with garlic and cumin seeds then added to my vege pumpkin sweet potato lentil white bean soup.

Next to the parsnips are a vege and another green I have never seen before- kohlrabi. Thick green stalks with large flat leaves at the top and a small turnip like base and next to it a purple variety. Kohlrabi is from the brassica family- so super healthy and anti-cancer. The whole kohlrabi plant can be eaten raw (though I used just the leaves in my smoothies) and 1 cup has nearly 5 grams of fibre and is really high in Vitamin C, omega 3 and potassium.

The new leafy greens don't end here...next to the kohlrabi there are big cabbages-but not like the Savoy you see cut and cling wrapped at the supermarket. These babies have dark green outer leaves still attached to a big stalk- I didn't know cabbage usually came with huge dark green (eg healthy) leaves like this.

Cabbage is loaded with calcium, iron, iodine, potassium, sulphur and phosphorus and vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C, E, K and folic acid as well as being a rich source of a number of phytonutrients which block the reaction of cancer-causing substances like lots of leafy greens...this is why green smoothies are SO good- and best of all you are getting all these greens raw.

I think I will leave the inner lighter part of the cabbage for other dishes but these outer leaves are going in the green smoothies. This is cabbage straight from the ground and best of all uncut- as soon as it is cut up into wedges it starts to lose nutrients especially vitamin C.

Kohlrabi and cabbage leaves can definitely be used in green smoothies- as usual with a new green add one or two leaves at a time to a milder green like baby or English spinach until you get used to the taste.

Monday Green Cabbage/Spinach /Cucumber Smoothie

1.blend 1 orange (with rind removed- white part left on for extra fibre) with cup water or juice/ ginger/ 8 ice blocks/half a lemon and juice of 2 lemons

2.add 2-4 dark green cabbage leaves (without stems) and 3 bunches English spinach inc stems and blend greens up to 5 cup line

3.add 1 large Lebanese cucumber/ 2 tbs ground chia/ handful of koji berries/ kiwi/ frozen banana / cup of frozen blueberries or frozen pineapple- add some stevia to your glass if not sweet enough and too green. I only had one small frozen banana left to add so it needed stevia-enjoy!

The United States Of Kale!

2010-09-17T13:31:00.057+10:00

Canned chopped spinach? mmm I don't think so…especially when there are so many gorgeous fresh greens we can buy for our green smoothies- like kale. Kale's in season now which is exciting for green smoothie makers- the cold and frost makes it sweeter. I had never seen or heard of kale until a few years ago when I started drinking green smoothies and discovered the world of greens.

During WW2 the growing of kale and greens in the U.K. was encouraged by the Dig For Victory campaign where people turned their gardens into the only source of fresh produce available because of rationing. Kale was easy to grow and highly nutritious- interesting how after the war in the 50's/60's food processing, supermarkets and fast food really took off so less fresh food and greens were eaten- and diabetes, cancer and obesity levels started growing.

Kale is the absolute standout super green- it has double the amount of calcium when compared to broccoli or silverbeet. Packed with chlorophyll, iron, vitamins C & A, it is also one of the best plant sources of sulphur which prevents the accumulation of waste body toxins and is an excellent blood purifier with antiseptic effects for the whole digestive tract. Cooking destroys quite a few of these benefits so the best way to have kale is drink it in your green smoothie.

There are quite a few different types of kale which can be confusing.

The most greenest one as in the most nutritious is the dark almost black fibrous kale which is sold as- Tuscan kale, dinosaur, cavallo nero, black cabbage, black kale, lacinato, Italian lacinato, black cabbage, black leaf kale, black palm, black tuscan palm tree, Tuscan black, nero di Toscana…here's some dinosaur kale growing in the Herb Farm Mudgeeraba Gold Coast Queensland and for sale at local markets as black cabbage.

Curly kale is sometimes called Scottish kale- where kale was a big part of the traditional diet that the saying to be "off one's kale" is to feel too ill to eat! I buy this at the farmers market in a huge bunch- it has really fibrous hard stems and is not as strong tasting as the dinosaur kale.

Russian red kale at the Herb Farm Mudgeeraba Gold Coast Queensland-this is also called redbor kale and can be purple or gray-green with pointy or rounded leaves like dandelion and it has red stems.

Flowering or ornamental cabbage is actually kale and is edible as long as it hasn't been sprayed. I haven't seen this for sale at the markets as a green-only at plant stalls.

This is kai-lan, kai-ann, jie-lan or gai-lan Chinese kale- sometimes known as Chinese broccoli or leaf broccoli.

and last but not least flat leaf kale -also known as collard greens. The only place I've seen this was at the Miami Gold Coast Organic Markets. Yes great in salads and juicing but even better in green smoothies!

my basic green smoothie

1. blend 1 orange with a cup of water 8 ice blocks lemon and lime juice and half a lemon including skin

2.add greens and blend up to 5-6 cup line

3. add fruit/ 2 tbsp ground chia/ 1 tbsp coconut oil/ ginger

Because kale is so nutrient rich it can be strong tasting if you use it as your sole green. Start off with a few stalks with some milder baby spinach and work up to using more. Passionfruit, a whole or half a lemon with the skin, lots of frozen banana, ginger, stevia natural sweetener and lime help make it tasty-enjoy!

MacDonalds... where's the green?

2010-09-03T14:43:00.003+10:00

OK so I've been driving since 9 am and it's now 3 in the afternoon and have finished all my green smoothie made the day before when I left Queensland- it survived 8 hours in the car with ice packs and the leftover in a camp kitchen fridge near Coffs Harbour.

I'm somewhere south of Kempsey and see the golden arches loom up in the distance and think ok it's been about 20 years since I've walked in a MacDonald's door so think let's see what the (green and leafy healthy) options are and if they've improved in 20 years.

Straight off the first thing I notice here is NO vegetarian option at all- no veggie burger or veggie wrap- I'd eaten my first Subway in Queensland a few days before- all salad on wholemeal no cheese. You would think MacDonalds would offer something like this but no. The 3 young workers put their collective Maccas minds together and come up with a garden salad tandoori (white bread) wrap without the chicken- OK easy simple but definitely lacking greeness in the green department…here's the pic of the tandoori wrap looking nothing like the veggie wrap they made for me…

I am sitting at a table and the walls have large photo murals of trees and lots of leaves. MacDonalds is doing the greenwash image thing just like Woolworths and BP with their green logos. But there's just not much green in evidence in the food.

Yes Ronald it's fun to explore new things- but I'm not lovin' this insipid tasteless iceberg lettuce in my garden salad wrap…iceberg is so safe so school canteen… yes it's crisp and crunchy- because it's mainly water. But it's not very green and the least nutritious of all the leafy greens you can buy.

Why is this still the standard lettuce served when there are so many more greener salad options-like cos lettuce. The greener and darker the better- and healthier as we know after making green smoothies- take note Healthy Heart tick people.

I know green smoothies are just a bit too out there for Maccas- even the healthy juice and smoothie bars I went to on the Gold Coast Northern NSW and Byron Bay didn't have green smoothies on the menu…

but come on- your lack of green's Garden Salad is about as close to a green leafy veggie garden as my green smoothie this morning was to a steakhouse. Source some local greens and add a regional Green Market Garden Salad to the menu- stick it in a wholemeal or spelt wrap and I may visit again on my next long drive.

it's a vegetable it's green it's leafy! green smoothies

2010-08-24T23:05:00.012+10:00

It's a vegetable. It's green. And it's leafy!

Green smoothies are about buying greens at the local farmer's markets and also making and sharing green smoothies with family and friends. They are also about going where there is no path and leaving a trail for others to follow…being a trailblazer rather than a fast food follower...

I'm in Queensland exploring local Farmer's Markets amongst other things like still trying to answer the why can't we buy frozen mango, pineapple etc in our supermarkets question…! I'm always interested in seeing all the different types of greens available and what sort of greens people are buying.

I'm staying in Miami and the Gold Coast Organic Market is 2 blocks away at the local high school. I was surprised at all the variety of kale there and that I could buy big bunches of dandelion…I love dandelion because it is one of best greens you can use in green smoothies- if you can find it. I see it everywhere- growing between the cracks in the pavement and along overgrown paths, alongside damp sandstone walls in Tamarama beach in Sydney and in gardens where edible weeds have been able to grow wild.

The great thing about the Miami market was the info about greens on laminated posters at some of the stalls. The only thing they didn't mention was green smoothies. I talked to 2 people who asked about the curly kale and the Russian red kale I was buying (the usual What's that? What do you do with it?) and of course told them about green smoothies.

Some of the greens sold here are flat leaf kale (collard) Russian red kale Chinese kale (kai ann) beetroot greens parsley dandelion mustard greens tatsoi silverbeet English spinach Euro spinach baby spinach curly kale bokchoy wheatgrass mizuna bokchoi Daikon radish greens and broccoli greens.

We've been making green smoothies every day with heaps of greens and orange ice water base and combos of mango passionfruit lime banana chia coconut oil pineapple kiwi strawberries lemon and limes picked fresh from the tree in the garden.

Here are two of my gorgeous nephews Nicholas and Austin with their green smoothie moustaches!

anti-cancer green smoothie and my story

2010-08-02T13:34:00.552+10:00

Hi I wanted to write about anti-cancer foods today so this is the time to share my cancer story with you. It's long...lots to cover over 10 years of sickness plus recovery!

It started in 1995 with invasive right temporal lobe surgery for a malignant brain tumour- an astocytoma/glioma. I was lucky according to the neurosurgeon that it was low grade and discovered fairly early. It was the following treatment and years of medication that had the most impact on my life...

I had symptoms for years of misdiagnosed headaches (attributed to various things eg. migraines/hormones/high blood pressure/candida) combined with severe fatigue, digestion and stomach problems and nausea that lasted up to 2 days sometimes 3 times a month.

Eventually I found a chiropractor naturopath who changed my diet-

no sugar/dairy/coffee/tea/yeast/wheat and the headaches disappeared. When I started experiencing headaches combined with dizziness I thought I just needed to get back to that diet and stop drinking coffee! But the floaty dizzy feelings were different so I went to the GP late 94 also thinking I may have low blood pressure.

The neurosurgeon rang me at home after seeing the MRI and said "yes it's a brain tumour and the hospital will call you...and I'm leaving scripts stuck on my door as I'm going on holidays."

That was the extent of information given to me. I didn't even know what a tumour was back then. He rang my parents and told them I couldn't drive as there was a chance I may have a seizure so I had to move back home with my 2 children who were under 6. Only sIx weeks before we'd moved into our new home after my marriage had ended so yes really bad timing!

The scripts were for Dexamethasone (a steroid that reduces swelling in your brain) and Dilantin (anticonvulsants). They were my first introduction to prescription medications...I didn't even take over the counter painkillers back then and I didn't drink or smoke...

2 months later I was in hospital having the brain operation. The neurosurgeon actually rang my mother even though I was 34 after the biopsy and told her the tumour was malignant and she came in and told me...the word cancer was never mentioned.

One day in the radiotherapy waiting room I picked up some brochures and one was on brain tumours- that's where and how I discovered malignant actually meant cancer. I spent time in the hospital library after this reading textbooks, researching and then contacting the US Brain Tumour Association online.

After 8 weeks of radiotherapy I saw the neurosurgeon and had a long list of questions for him- eg why hadn't I been asked any questions about diet, lifestyle, work, where I'd lived etc etc and also about my grandfather who died in his 70s of the same brain tumour but in a different place in his brain. I'd asked his hospital in Sydney to send me his medical record and there it was- astrocytoma glioma. He was considered "not a candidate for radiotherapy" and then went to a nursing home where he died 6 months later. I had some acupuncture while I still had private health cover during radiotherapy and can only describe it as mentally lifesaving!

The doctor spent 5 minutes looking at his surgery then he was rushing out the door saying he had no time for questions...

LIfe stopped for me after the radiotherapy. I felt drained of all energy and interest in anything. I couldn't drive, couldn't work, was still at my parent's house and I was having weird symptoms, severe headaches and dizziness.

The GP gave me a variety of anti-depressants, anti-convulsants and painkillers. Then one day he gave me a script for Endone...oxycodone instead of the usual Panadeine Forte for my neck, jaw and head pain.

I moved back home and life was relatively pain free but it wasn't a solution. My tolerance to these grew then I was given MS Contin morphine tabs then finally Physeptone…which for me was the lifestopper.

Physeptone was prescribed in March 2000 to replace the Endone...really all I needed to stop taking this was chiropractic plus all the healthy holistic naturopathic advice they give you but I couldn't afford it. I would come out of the chemist with a box of 100-200 Endone tablets and after a year of this and my usage increasing they decided that physeptone was what I needed.

Physeptone is an opioid analgesic methadone tablet that is used for pain relief. All opioid painkillers are addictive and have side effects-including severe depression.

This started the years I was unable to get out of bed...and becoming severely depressed and unable to think rationally or clearly about where I was what I was doing.The highlight of my day in the years just before 2004 was the knock on the door signalling the arrival of the daily cocktail of addictive opiate painkillers and diazepam…they were my assurance that the mental pain and anguish of my life would be gone for another day. These had been delivered to my door on the GP's instructions from 99-2000. All the doctors and neurologists had to offer me was what they wrote on their prescription pads and my GP actually told my concerned family I"d probably end up in a nursing home!!!

I also had undiagnosed early menopause with all the associated symptoms that I had no rational explanation for. This was from the damage to my pituitary gland from radiotherapy and I was on medication for high prolactin also from the radiotherapy that had psychotic side effects…and another side effect from all the medication was an ulcerated oesophagus… which also required medication...plus anti nausea and reflux GERD medication. The radiotherapy had also given me hearing loss in my right ear and loud ringing/ tinnitus.

In August 2004 10 years after my operation I woke up in intensive care with a tube down my throat not knowing where I was or what had happened. My first thought- I'm in hospital.

My 15 year old daughter hadn't gone to school the day she saved my life when she found me having a seizure. I'd had a medication (Tegretol) low sodium related seizure that continued
in the ambulance all the way to emergency. My lungs had collapsed, I stopped breathing and woke up in ICU intubated after being in a coma for 2 days.

After a few scans I went home about a fortnight later. I had a broken left ankle after falling over in hospital after a reaction to a new anti-convulsant that also gave me hallucinations and severe vertigo...you can only laugh in hindsight!

So I was sent home with a plastic bag containing the same 8 medications I'd been prescribed previously and a different just in case anticonvulsant and…got back in the bed I was unable
to get out of for the previous 2/3 years- because of a severely depressed nervous system and seriously toxic body/brain.

After being home for about a week after hospital and unable to keep my eyes open for any length of time or even concentrate enough to read (and I read SO many books during those bed years!) I woke up one morning, looked over at the envelope of tablets on the bedside table and in that moment (cue light bulb over head symbol!) I decided to stop taking EVERY medication I was on and STOP going to anymore doctors and take control of my own health and body as no one else was going to do it except me...

I realised in that moment how the radiotherapy and medication had severely affected my quality of life and nervous system for 9 years to the point I could not work and could not get out of bed or leave home for days at my lowest point. In hindsight I had undiagnosed significant depression and severe nutritional deficiencies both resulting from my cancer and treatment and the painkillers were masking/numbing this.

Just making and committing to this decision was empowering. I took control, rang the chemist and told him I didn't need any tablets that day…and made one last visit to the doctor just for clarification on when I started taking certain medication as the previous years had morphed into a black memory miasma.

So September 2004- within 2 weeks of stopping all medication I had what I describe as a black fog lifting out of my head and there I was…back- me back in my body and head for the first time in almost 10 years! Interestingly my sense of taste and smell came back.

I got out of bed, moved the TV back to the loungeroom and started thinking about every hospital and doctor visit I'd had since I was diagnosed. I knew exactly what I needed and why I had lost 10 years of my life on this rollercoaster I'd been unable to get off since that first diagnosis and literally being subsumed by the whole cancer hospital doctors pharmaceutical industry where people come a far last.

Obviously what I was feeling for the first time in years was some rage, indignation and anger-no not bitterness or regret but just a fight back/take control feeling that was empowering and made me want to be a survivor rather than a victim…

As my brain started detoxing and rational thought and logic kicked back in I started thinking about the 3 previous admissions to hospital for low sodium and how absolutely nothing was said about food/sodium/nutrition. On all the medication I was taking I had zero appetite and was hardly eating anything-I was always sent home and told to limit my water intake.

I had an initial detox that seemed to last a few horrible months combined with giving up coffee withdrawal. My usual morning routine before the coma in 2004 was wake up, take my tablets then make strong espresso in the bialetti so I could try to stay awake and maintain basic functions.

I'd drink a huge mug of espresso with milk and about 10 or more nutrasweet tablets….

I decided to go completely dairy and egg free a short time after giving up coffee.

For years I was eating just enough to stay alive. I was a vegetarian who had started eating meat years before cancer then stopped when I was diagnosed and couldn't face eating it.I was eating no raw food and vegetables and eating too many eggs with lots of cheese on toast. I remember tomato and grated carrot toasted sandwiches were a staple and creamy packet microwaved pastas.

I remember having major anxiety every time I went into a supermarket being faced with too many decisions. I actually don't remember a lot of details about these years...

I started eating more nutrient rich whole food, threw out any packaged processed food from the cupboard and fridge (cheese,eggs, sugar, white pasta, the Arnott's shortbread biscuits that I ate for breakfast dipped in my Nutrasweet saturated espresso!) and drank litres of water with lemon juice, made lots of vege bean soup and then started walking…round the block for 5-10 minutes then increasing it daily to 40-60 minutes around where I was living.

I went to the neurologist to have a test to check the epilepsy so I could get a normal license. I'd been on a restricted driver's license since the operation when I was automatically prescribed anti-convulsants- Dilantin, Epilim, Lamictal then Tegretol which all had severe side effects. These are routinely prescribed for just in case of epilepsy when you have a brain tumour. The EEG test showed what I thought-

I didn't have any form of epilepsy…the only seizures I'd had were a blackout 6 weeks before diagnosis and the low sodium seizure in 2004.

I dragged out all the books I had on nutrition and healthy food, some going back to when I was 17 when I was making alfalfa sprouts, wholemeal bread and torturing my family with lentil casserole... and I started researching first sodium then making a list of all the healthiest foods I should be eating under vitamin and mineral sections. Any food that was listed in a few sections I started eating-eg oats/celery carrot and apple juices/ vegetables/leafy greens/ wholegrains/ beans, nuts and seeds. I knew I needed healing-and food was definitely the best place to start. The main thing that was missing from 10 years of doctors, specialists, scans, blood tests and hospital.

The year after my operation I had small temporal lobe seizures where I had the operation that were changes in consciousness- smell taste hearing music etc but the daily medication I took for 10 years was much worse than the actual feeling of something weird going on in your brain. I haven't experienced any since 2004 and being medication free... and the

EEG proved this! I drove straight to have my license changed and a new photo taken.

I started drinking green smoothies in January 09 after reading some info on raw food on the internet. Over 2007/8 I had gained about 12 kilos after I returned to work and the emotional impact of my mother dying in August 2007. I felt really low- lethargic, low energy, severe upper back and neck muscle tension, anxiety and had decreasing interest in work/life and was also having cravings for sugar/coffee and chocolate bars and chips.

I had started drinking coffee (with rice milk) again after giving up in 2004 to try and increase my energy levels and focus to get through a day an exhausting (mentally/physically) day at work.

I felt there was much more I could do- on my mind/body/health balance and what I was eating, why I was craving certain bad stuff and stress/energy levels etc but didn't know what I needed. I'd settled into an easy cook the same foods and freeze them cycle and was eating zero raw food and no leafy greens- I didn't even know what kale was!

So the research began again- the first raw online site I went to had a demo on green smoothie making! Straight away I knew this was doable and what I needed-I"d had some major molar damage from the radiotherapy/anticonvulsants so chewing lots of hard stuff

and tough leafy greens was out...my original recipe used 2 stalks celery/

1 cucumber / 2 big handfuls of baby spinach/ 1/4 of a lemon/lemon juice/

1-2 bananas/ 1 green apple/big piece of ginger. I still have the bookmark I scribbled this recipe down on back then- Green Drink.

Wow I can only describe the feeling of that first week blending and drinking a green smoothie for breakfast as pure energy coursing through my veins and body.

I wanted to drink more during the day whenever I was hungry. I wanted to tell EVERYONE I met how amazing this could make you feel!! SO I discovered greens, green smoothies and thousands of people around the world feeling the same as I was.

I had stable mood and energy levels throughout the day, more motivation, concentration, less gallstone symptoms and immediate weight loss. Skin, hair, teeth and nails- I could see the difference.

The main thing is I feel something I can only describe as 'zingier'-like an internal buzzy feeling of something that just feels right. My increased energy and exercise means no more muscle tension and joint pain and just feel (mind AND body) generally more in balance. So there has been this amazing ripple effect in all areas of my life.

I stopped wanting to eat anything sugary or stodgy and was inadvertently eating more fresh raw food-15 kgs melted away and I craved real fresh raw food for the first time in my life- it was so incredible I wanted to share this with everyone.

I stuck to baby spinach in that first year, then read more resources like Victoria Boutenko's books and Robyn Openshaw's green smoothie book then started this blog, printed green smoothie info cards to give people and started researching all the different greens and going to Farmer's Markets and talking to growers about greens! I met Victoria Boutenko recently in Sydney at her green smoothie talk and her final words were "Use good health as your tool to go out there and teach and inspire others!"

I discovered a testimonial I wrote in the new 2010 edition of Green For Life! I'd forgotten I'd sent it to her when she was asking for testimonials of the effects of green smoothies in your life.

My Year Of Green Smoothies page 125. Not sure why it hasn't been attributed to me. I think I changed my email. But I know it's me!

I was so inspired by the testimonials I read online of the changes in health people were experiencing and the list of health benefits eg- it was like this huge secret with so many health benefits that all these people out there knew and wanted to pass along to others. Robyn Openshaw has said that 84% of people she teaches green smoothies to then go and teach others. Not because she tells them to but because they feel the incredible changes that adding this to your life has.

Boost your immune system

Increase digestion efficiency

Help stabilise blood sugar and hormone levels

Balance body pH

Increase your energy

Reduce joint pain and arthritis

Reduce illness and cravings

Boost mental performance

Improve skin hair and nails and help acne, eczema and psoriasis

Help maintain a healthy weight

So this is why I'm really passionate about the healing power of whole foods and healthy eating and why I am critical of mainstream medicines complete disregard and ignorance of nutrition and whole body wellness and disease prevention…and their myopic sole reliance on just medication for every illness.

I've always said "There are more ways to enter a house than through the front door!"

My prescription for general good health and happiness? Green smoothies!! Keep reading

for anti-cancer green smoothie ideas and ingredients. Jane

Cancer and green smoothies ? Eating fruit and vegetables every day reduces risks of getting cancer but which ones have the best anti-cancer properties and what do they have

to do with green smoothies?

Here's the science. They're called anti-angiogenic and they are cancer fighting because they contain naturally-occurring compounds known as angiogenesis inhibitors. Angiogenesis inhibitors stop the spread of cancer by preventing tumours from creating

new blood vessels. Without new blood vessels, the tumours cannot survive…biotech companies are starting to look into this and add elements to cancer drugs...

These anti-angiogenic foods include

Greens-kale parsley bokchoy broccoli

Fruit/berries-orange red grapes blueberries strawberries cherries raspberries blackberries/cranberries pineapple apple lemon

Green tea ginger and dark chocolate!

Does this list sound a bit familiar? Yes- because these are some of the main ingredients

of a green smoothie..except the dark chocolate of course but hey we can always be adaptable! No surprise that green smoothies are getting such a big wrap by daily drinkers and healthy food advocates. I wonder what it will take for the dieticians, nutritionists, GP's, doctors and oncologists to get on board…

"The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine, or the slowest form of poison." Dr. Ann Wigmore

The not so green MasterChef

2010-07-25T16:04:00.007+10:00

Hi-I think this has been the greenest thing ever made on MasterChef- no it's NOT a green smoothie though it had potential. It's Claire blending ice, cooked spinach, peas, salt and chicken stock for the gel layer in Adam Melonas' Green Peas and Egg which involves nitrogen, a blast freezer and fake peas-yes those peas are fake!

The finale of MasterChef is tonight - like millions of others I've been watching this every night but after a Masterclass a few weeks ago that prompted TodayTonight to call it The Cream and Butter Show I am over the TV food hype…and then George made a terrine on another night with a tiny sprig of green micro herb garnish on top of it and then said "You've got to eat your greens Gary!" Oh you have no idea George. Can you imagine his reaction to a green smoothie!

I wonder if Coles had stocked up on butter before that Masterclass. On the menu- butter butter more butter and throw in some white flour sugar oil white rice meat and anyone for a triple bypass with that?

OK I get that this is not supposed to be everyday food but do viewers get past the wow celeb chef factor and that this is not what real food is about? It's all so complicated. MasterChef last year was widely praised for being so NICE and compassionate and getting people especially kids in the kitchen cooking and plating up like it was some new performance sport. They could have used the show and Masterclass to use cheap available ingredients to create something healthy fast and uncomplicated that would not require hours sourcing all the ingredients. Real food that is tasty and something that might inspire people to think Hey I can make this…but would it rate and get the same amount of viewers and advertising dollar?

What happened to celebrating real food and the reasons why we eat and why? It's The Gary and George Fat Chef Show…watching these celeb chefs on our screens showing us how it's done and making this fat and salt laden food is normalising it….sad if this is the only way we think about food and eating. Viewers and ratings want celeb chefs and distorted fancy complicated food that barely covers the plate (always white and the food looks like a sample) and is plated up looking like an artwork with the main emphasis on appearance and then the balance of flavours….

Michelle the trainer from Biggest Loser was on Celeb MasterChef last year and lasted 1 show. She tried to cook healthy real food...no salt but still tasty…but George took one taste and his judgement? "needs salt…" and she was out. Skye from this year was widely criticised for making as her signature dish in the first episode a raw avocado chocolate mousse- and saying that she usually uses organic food. Twitter was going off that night with anti Skye comments. So the healthy foodies don't last very long I get that….and when you have judges like George, Gary and Matt Preston with their salty fatty cooked food deadened fine dining palates you have no chance.

So the question is would Coles or any other big food company still pay $3 million to advertise and have product placement on the show if the emphasis was on the MInimal and less on the Master?

I was in Coles the other day and there's some obvious in your face MasterChef promotion- every aisle has red MasterChef banners and end of aisle cards/recipes.

While we are on Food/TV- Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution USA started 2 weeks ago on Fridays ch 10-inspiring... Jamie Oliver takes on the fried processed food in school lunches in the US and tries to change the food culture in one of the USA's most unhealthiest towns- don't miss this. This is about real food and real cooking solutions to a major health problem. In the last ep- 6 year olds not being able to identify a tomato or potato…or any other vegetable- they know "ketchup/fries" but had no idea where they came from- sad...and all I keep thinking is green smoothies green smoothies!

pining for (summery) green smoothie

2010-07-19T12:05:00.003+10:00

Hi fellow bar hoppers- this morning it was below zero outside and I was so cold I had to cut the tips of the index fingers off my gloves so I could use my phone's touch screen- and I was still inside! This is when you wish (memo to JuliaG…) there were building regulations here that make insulation and double glazing mandatory like in many European countries…I have large north facing glass sliding doors along 2 rooms at front of apartment that let cold in and heat out but on the upside the winter sun coming in on sunny days is so warm don't have to use heating during day.

So I was pining for something warming tropical and summery when I made my green smoothie this morning. When I woke up I had a starter of yesterday's small bit of leftover gs with a tbsp barley grass powder, water and lemon juice. I bought a baby pineapple yesterday and I checked this was ripe first- not like the one I bought last week-I have discovered green pineapples are not going to ripen- look for yellow and if it smells pineappley it should be ok.

There were two women in front of me picking up and smelling the baby pineapples and having what seemed an in-depth conversation about them and then they moved to the kiwis and then asked me what the difference was between normal and golden kiwis as I was reaching for some too. I googled it for them on phone-love having internet access outside of my wireless now. I should have checked the pineapple ripeness info myself there or asked them in turn- anyway the diff is gold kiwis are yellower, sweeter and less acidic. Less hairier skin too.

Today's Pining For Summer green smoothie all measured and weighed!

1 cup water/ 8 blocks ice/ 1 tangelo- another newbie in the daily green bar kitchen-orange with big knob on top-X between tangerine and grapefruit or pomelo
blend then add to liquid 4 cups kale/2 cups baby spinach (6 cups greens) 2-3 cups pineapple/ 2 kiwis/ 2 frozen bananas/ginger/1 tbsp coconut oil/ 2 tbs ground chia /handful dried goji berries and 1/8 of lemon including rind, juice of 2 lemons and 2 limes (the kale can be very strong tasting- ginger and lemon cuts through this) enjoy

happy green smoothies and Omega 3

2010-07-12T18:19:00.012+10:00

Hi -a new study in the US has shown vegetarians are less likely to be depressed and are happier than meat eaters. This result surprised the researchers who believed that lower levels of omega 3s from fish (EPA/DHA linked to mental and emotional health ) in vegetarian diets would mean vegetarians would be less happier and have depression, anxiety, and mood problems.

Researchers believed plant-source omega-3s ALA, found in plants, nuts, oils, flax and chia are less effective in boosting brain and physical health than EPA and DHA from fish, since it’s harder for us to convert these plant sources into usable amino acids. The study group ate a healthy diet high in vegetables and fruit that included omega 3 ALA rich nuts seeds, leafy greens and oils.

ALA (Alpha-Linolenic Acid) omega 3 is found mainly in dark green leafy vegetables, flax, chia and hemp seeds (hemp seeds are not available commercially in Australia yet- waiting for authorisation as a valid food source) walnuts, and a variety of vegetable oils. Dark green vegetables and particularly purslane-which contains more Omega-3 ALA fatty acids than any other leafy vegetable plant, freshly ground flax seeds, chia seeds and raw walnuts are the healthiest sources of ALA.

Chia seed, originally from South America is really the Omega 3 star- chia has three times the amount of Omega-3 than Omega-6 and is 6 times richer in Omega 3 than fish. Everytime you add chia or ground flax to your green smoothie you are increasing the Omega 3 and its health benefits.

And that is WHY regular green smoothie drinkers have reported definite changes in mood, anxiety and depression! It's all these healthy Omega 3's in the leafy greens, chia and flaxseed. enjoy… and get happy.

daily green smoothie recipes (in 140 characters…it's a challenge…) and other healthy info here https://twitter.com/dailygreenbar

Broccoli greens green smoothie

2010-07-07T11:31:00.001+10:00

Hi I sometimes read about people using broccoli in green smoothies and have always thought mmm don't know about the texture and eating it raw- until the weekend and my greendar went off and I spied a huge head of leafy greens surrounding a gorgeous big head of broccoli with stem attached. I was actually more interested in the leafy part than the actual broccoli. Funny how green smoothies can make you so excited when you come across a new green…and after all it is just a vegetable...

I think when you actually start salivating in front of a green leafy veggie you can honestly admit to yourself OK I am fully converted and there's NO way back ever to eating SAD* now!!! Put me on a desert island without food and a blender and I'll be eating leaves and hoping there'd be some bananas and coconuts there as well…!!

Broccoli is one of the most abused veges along with carrots- it usually ends up being overcooked into a mushy blob- I like it crunchy in stirfrys or m/wed in tamari ginger and garlic with some sweet chiili sauce to finish. Green smoothies are perfect if you want to retain all the nutrients and enzymes in broccoli (and every other green) and eat it raw which is ultimately the best way to eat all our greens.

I don't have to tell you how healthy broccoli is- part of the Brassica family (kale cauliflower brussel sprouts cabbage etc anti cancer) high levels of fibre (the magic sponge) vitamins BACE, iron and calcium. I think you need to mix it with other greens in smoothie like spinach to make texture smoother and only try and use super crunchy fresh.

Today's (being brave) Broccoli green smoothie-

Blend 1 orange with 12 iceblocks and 1 cup water and juice of a lemon and lime

add broccoli greens/ broccoli heads/ silverbeet/ parsley/ tatsoi or bok choy blend up to 4-5 cup line

add 2 tbsp ground chia/ apple/ frozen banana blueberries/more lemon to taste-yummy- really thick and filling. enjoy...

*Standard/American/Australian/Diet

keeping it sweet green smoothie

2010-06-28T15:27:00.001+10:00

Low Fruit Sugar Green Smoothies

Hi- funny how sugar was considered essential in our diet. Hello- empty calories!! Some people can have problems with fruit and sugar levels in a green smoothie- when you are starting out everyone tends to overdo the fruit to hide the taste of greens. When you overdo the sugar you can have a spike in your insulin levels followed by a crash in your blood glucose levels making you experience symptoms of low blood sugar- sudden severe hunger/shaky or light-headedness/nervousness or irritability/sweating/headaches/nervousness/anxiety/tiredness…

interestingly these are also symptoms of hormone imbalances- testimonials I've read about green smoothies have often mentioned that any hormonal problems vanished since drinking green smoothies…I have high prolactin levels and no oestrogen resulting from radiotherapy for a brain tumour a while ago and used to have all the above symptoms and more -still have the high prolactin/no oestrogen but no more physical symptoms since discovering green smoothies.

Greens in a green smoothie really help you absorb fruit sugars more slowly because of the high fibre content and also keeping your blood sugar levels normal. No extremes… more greens than fruit is what were all trying to get to after we get used to drinking our greens!

Anyone with adrenal gland problems can also have blood sugar problems and bad digestion so need to avoid high sugar fruit. Eating more often can help keep your blood sugar stable. Low fruit green smoothies are perfect for this- always make a full blender load in the morning and designate as yours in the fridge!

Some of the low fruit sugar fruits that are perfect for green smoothies are-

berries kiwi pears feijoa pawpaw nectarines apple apricots peaches rockmelon and watermelon.

You can freeze any of these to replace the creamy frozen banana thickness. Also ice and 2 tablespoons of ground chia thickens up a green smoothie- making it really filling.

Chia is really packed with protein- protein also helps stabilise your blood sugar levels. The more filling your gs is means you won't be hungry after and it will sustain you for longer. enjoy!

Food Rules and green smoothies

2010-06-21T12:04:00.002+10:00

Hi- if you read one book this year (well hoping you read more than one- support your local bookseller!) make it this one- Food Rules An Eater's Manual (Michael Pollan). Yes here we are in 2010 needing a manual.

This is an easily accessible abridged version of his In Defence Of Food. He narrated Food Inc.-great movie-take everyone you know to see it. Food Rules is published in a gorgeous old Penguin B format which looks like a facsimile….the design suits the content- that is getting back to basics and thinking about food like our great grandmothers!

Why? Their generation spent less money on health care and more on healthy food…as they would say "better to pay the grocer- than the doctor" and another personal fave saying from the book -rule no 37 "the whiter the bread, the sooner you'll be dead"

We've reversed this food/health balance…the less we spend on food (eg cheap served through the car window food and processed supermarket food) the more we all spend on health care… and my own personal gripe- if food and nutrition are SO important why is this ignored by doctors, who seem to consider nutrition and healthy disease controlling food choices as some sort of black magic.

There is a lot of wisdom in Food Rules and its relevance to us green smoothie drinkers is ALL of his 64 rules relate to why we drink green smoothies…so here's the short version-

1.eat food- eg the real stuff- not the "edible foodlike substances" as he calls them that are sold in the supermarket

2.don't eat anything that your great grandmother wouldn't recognise as food- imagine she's next to you in the supermarket looking in your trolley!

3.avoid food products containing ingredients that a third grader can't pronounce and avoid food products with more than 5 ingredients-the rule is the longer the list of ingredients avoid it.

4.eat foods that eventually rot- food is alive and should eventually die. The more processed a food is = a longer shelf life= less nutrition (except honey- lasts for centuries!)

5.get out of the supermarket- keep it local/fresh where you will find fresh whole foods harvested at the peak of their taste and nutritional content- the kind your great grandmother would recognise and the food that will eventually rot and die…

6.if it came from a plant eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't. Can you see or picture the ingredients growing in their natural state?

7.eat wild foods when you can- eg wild greens are some of the most nutritious plants in the world. These greens are not bred for shelf life so have higher levels of everything.

8.eat sweet foods as you find them in nature- eat the whole fruit that comes prepackaged with the fibre (not juiced)

Here are his basic rules as summed up by the author.

Eat food, not too much and mostly plants. (Especially leaves!! rule number 22.)

So there's the whole green smoothie philosophy right there in 8 words! Enjoy…

here's Pollan's version of Food Rules from NY Times readers here http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/10/11/magazine/20091011-foodrules.html

quick and easy green smoothie

2010-06-08T18:06:00.000+10:00

Hi- here's a really quick and easy no chopping 3 ingredient green smoothie- and takes about that long to make- about 3 minutes! I decided to explore Coles to see what pre-packed greens I could buy for a quick and simple green smoothie.

This is a great one to make a newbie who hasn't tried a green smoothie before. It uses the standard beginner combo of 2 cups liquid/ice / 2 cups greens and frozen banana. The liquid is a cup of Coles Viten Juice and about a cup of ice. This juice has a combo of grape, orange, apple, peach, apricot, pear, mango, passionfruit, lemon and guava puree.

This is yummy in this green smoothie and not very expensive $2.55 for 2 litres and I have also frozen some in ice cube trays to use when I'm low on fruit.

For the greens I used a $3.49 120 gms bag of prewashed Coles Spinach and Kale Salad mix- this has kale, beet leaves, rocket and baby spinach. It was exciting seeing kale and baby beet leaves finally make it to these prepackaged salad mixes which are perfect for green smoothies-drink your salad!

Last green smoothie essential ingredient is frozen banana and you're done. enjoy...

ow-injury repairing green smoothie

2010-06-01T11:18:00.004+10:00

hi-after falling over nearly 2 weeks ago and doing something really painful to my ribs, chest and back and being in excruciating pain since I have been thinking about nutrients that help repair muscle, tendon and tissue damage. These green smoothie ingredients are high in these healing vitamins and minerals so have the best post injury/ exercise injury benefits.

B6- spinach banana sunflower seeds

E- sunflower seeds avocado spinach

C- barley grass orange berries kiwi lemon

Niacin- avocados dates leafy greens

Zinc- bananas blackberries strawberries avocado cucumber kiwi lettuce
pumpkin seeds peaches wheat germ cocoa powder and chocolate

Selenium- plant foods like barley grass and leafy greens are the major dietary sources of selenium in most countries throughout the world. The amount of selenium in soil, which varies by region, determines the amount of selenium in the plant foods that are grown in that soil.

Magnesium- greens again because the centre of the chlorophyll molecule (which gives green vegetables their colour) contains magnesium and also bananas are really high in this essential mineral.

I've only made 2 essential trips lately- to the chiropractor (thankyou Natasha!) and to the farmer's markets for greens. I also bought some powdered organic barley grass to give my green smoothies a bit of extra green healing help. On the mornings I couldn't chop anything I blended this with banana for a quick green smoothie.

Barley grass is very high in organic sodium-much more than celery, which is great for arthritis. Arthritis is really common after any physical injury. Organic sodium dissolves calcium deposited on the joints and also replenishes organic sodium in the lining of the stomach. This helps digestion by helping the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Also it helps clear out toxins from any medication and painkillers because the chlorophyll is a natural detoxifier that rids the intestines of stored toxins.

SO my injury repairing green smoothie - bunch of dinosaur kale (saw this labelled as tuscan cabbage recently) and spinach, powdered barley grass, cucumber, orange, kiwi, banana, lemon, ginger, 3 dates and a handful of sunflower seeds and mixed berries

enjoy!