One of the big things to come out of Victoria Boutenko’s book, Green Smoothie Revolution, was the way the 20-40 age group embraced the green drink in this decade with gusto, preferring to sip salads through a straw…even for breakfast!
The “envy” comes from all those over 50-somethings who somehow missed out on this new fad that has taken health food stores and juice bars by storm. But wait, they are about to catch up. At GreenAcres, we sell an enormous amount of green drinks and smoothies—way more than even our popular chocolate energy drink or our carrot/apple drink. It’s green-on-the-go all the way, everyday. And many of those customers are in their 50s, 60s, and 70s and up.
“I just don’t feel quite right,” says a customer, a mother of two, “if I don’t have my green drink at least twice a week. It just gives me a boost. There’s something about instant nutrition…well, I don’t know how to explain it.” We think she explained it just fine. It’s all about energy; balancing out those Omega 6s with Omega 3s; not feeling guilty if there’s no time to sit down to a big salad. “It’s kind of like a runner’s high,” says one young man. “It just gives me a jolt that lasts the whole day. Better than a cup of Starbucks.”
Boutenko recommends starting a green drink regimen with one cup of greens, plus fruit, plus water, and then working up to several quarts a day. That would be the equivalent of eating most of your meals through a straw—a little severe for most of us, still, there’s a lot of science behind liquid green.
- Greens are the most nutritious foods on the planet. The only nutrient not found in greens is Vitamin B-12.
- Greens are an abundant protein source, rich in chlorophyll and the original source of Omega 3s. They improve assimilation, stomach acid production and pH.
- The chlorophyll in greens has been described as “liquid sunshine” which has a long list of healing properties affecting all of the body’s systems.
- It’s safe to give greens to children and pets…it’s just an all-‘round healthy food.
Boutenko builds her case for greens with an interesting thought: “The dramatic reduction of green vegetables in our diet is by far the most detrimental choice we’ve ever made. Just look at our jaw structures. There’s no room in most jaws for wisdom teeth, and most need braces. The same with earlobes. They’re much smaller than those of our ancestors.” Hmmmm. Never thought of that!
So what’s so good about drinking your greens? Again, Boutenko makes her case:
- Most people have low stomach acid and don’t chew thoroughly, hence many nutrients are lost when taken in conventionally.
- We can assimilate several times more vital nutrients from the small particles in blended greens.
What are the best greens? Boutenko suggests choosing greens, one for every day of the week, from among these: kale, collards, spinach, romaine, bok choy, chard, mustard, radish tops, turnip greens, wheatgrass, lettuce, parsley, watercress…the list is endless.
Each green contains a type of alkaloid that is benign in small quantities. By rotating greens, no single alkaloid builds up in the body. Also, fruit plus greens does not ferment in the system (no gas). And that’s a good thing!
Next time you’re in GreenAcres, ask our deli crew about the green drink or smoothie, and see if you like it. Don’t be envious of your neighbor who looks like he’s got tons of energy. You can, too!