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Simple and cheap way to make a BIG change in your health

Customer Rating:

Even wild edible plants (weeds) can be used for greens, so it's not just for yuppies. What a great way to get more greens into your diet! I can understand wanting to see more scientific research like another reviewer, but I think the author's theory is strong - based on diet of chimpanzees. Just a few leaves of kale, dandelion, purslane, or spinach for example, some water, and a few fruits to make it sweet and thick; add to your blender. Blend, drink, rinse. Then you're on your way to better health. Easy, cheap, and very filling. Hey, I'd rather just live on frappuccinos and subway sandwiches, but I also want to lower my odds of ending up at the hospital. I've been drinking green smoothies for two months now and I am seeing some good changes - better skin, better moods & energy, weight loss, regular BMs, and I didn't catch my husband's severe cold, for a few. I am convinced Boutenko is on to something big with the idea of green smoothies as a way to sustain some level of raw food intake. Yes, I'm becoming a bit of a groupie. Eating more greens is a diet change anyone can make and it might just give us (speaking as an American) freedom from the debilitating health cycle we seem to be in now: processed food -> degenerative disease -> hospital -> chronic medicine -> worsening health. This book may not have as much scientific data as possible (check out The Live Food Factor by Susan Schenck), and may be heavy on the anecdotes, but it is a very important work. I did not find it to be an ad for the Vitamix blender. She mentions it on 2 pages near the beginning because this blender lasts much longer and blends more smoothly. I used a regular inexpensive blender for several weeks and it worked just fine. (I ended up getting a Vitamix because I can make more things with it).

Green for Life	Customer Rating:
I loved this book. It was easy to read and love the reciepes in the back. I feel so great since I started eating my greens. Great purchase!!!

Smoothies taste surprising good

Customer Rating:

The recipes for smoothies in this book taste surprisingly good. I say surprisingly good because they don't look like they would taste good. Some of the smoothies I made were bright green in color and others were a dark brown -- not very appetizing to look at, but once I tasted them, they tasted great! That's because the ratio of fruit is higher than the ratio of greens. So although you'd think a smoothie using kale might taste bitter, it actually tastes sweet. The funniest part about this experiment is the looks on my co-worker's faces when they see me drinking this stuff. They look at me like I'm an alien and I have to keep telling them that despite appearances, they actually taste great. They don't believe me, but hopefully you will. Try them, you'll like them!

Educated Layperson's Rationale for Green Smoothies + Tasty Recipes

Customer Rating:

Although not a nutrition professional, Victoria Boutenko makes an excellent case for adding green smoothies into one's daily diet. Her strongest arguments include comparing the standard American diet and typical raw foodist diet with the natural chimpanzee diet, as well as dozens of testimonials. There is at least one place, however where she got the facts wrong: On page 95 she says "chlorophyll provides iron to organs." In reality, the cholorophyll molecule contains no iron. While similar to the hemogloban molecule, the chlorophyll molecule has a magnesium atom in place of the iron atom. That one error in no way negates the entire book. Most people definitely need more greens and fruit in their diet, and green smoothies are an excellent and tasty way to sneak in these good foods and nutrients. I've tried some of Victoria's smoothies in person when I've heard her speak, and they're always delicious. I always feel better when I drink green smoothies. Her book is quite motivating, and I plan to incorporate them into my diet every day. I encourage people to read the book, get all fired up about green smoothies, make them and drink them every day. :-) Advice for using the recipes: Making a green smoothie is more of an art than a science. Use them as rough guidelines. I noticed the Boutenko recipes often call for about 3 servings of fruit and 2 of vegetables + 1 cup water, so that's what I put in my green smoothie today: 2 small peaches and a large banana + about 5 leaves of dino kale. I added a few mint leaves for flavor. Be sure to taste your smoothie before serving to make sure it's sweet enough to be palatable. (Especially if you taste bitters easily like I do.) Mine needed a bit more sweetening, so I added a couple dates, being sure to take the pit out first. Dates can be very helpful for sweetening, as can extra ripe fruit.

simple yet revolutionary	Customer Rating:
I have tried raw food diets but found it time consuming and difficult. This book has provided me with the solutions I have been looking for: healthy diet that tastes great, requies little prep time and leaves you feeling quite satisfied. I recommend giving it a try.