Alkaline Green Smoothie & New York City!

by Julie on January 11, 2011

You might ask, “What’s healthier than a green smoothie?”  Well… there’s green smoothies and then there’s Alkaline green smoothies!  Green is all the rage but you can get caught up in the hype of green and still not be doing yourself a very big favour.  Many of the green smoothie recipes are jammed with super sweet fruit and just because they are green, people are thinking they are optimally healthy.  They taste divine and it helps to mask the green business but is it a good idea? I say ‘No’ because I believe in minimizing your sugar intake, even fruit sugars especially the high sugar fruits like pineapple, bananas, mangoes and oranges, as they are acid forming and they elevate blood sugar just like any other sugar. The alkaline food chart is here if you want to take a peek at the alkalinity of various fruits.   I have other ways to make the green taste yummy and actually the green itself doesn’t taste bad in the first place.  You might say, “Well, fruit is healthy”- and yes it can be but moderation is key.  Many people don’t do moderation and who knows how many of these so called healthy green smoothies they have in a day or every morning.  I say mix it up and have the odd tropical fruit sweetened green smooth, but adapt the knowledge and the understanding of how healthy an alkalizing green smoothie is and then alternate or eventually switch to the better choice.

Even if you take a look at the franchises that offer smoothies and fresh juices you’d be surprised at the sugar content in those so called healthy smoothies and juices that people are replacing meals with.  If you have diabetic tendencies, any inflammation in your body, or perhaps yeast over growth or candida symptoms (check here to see if you have any) you will want to steer clear of high sugar at as this just exacerbate the problems.

Getting your daily greens at every meal is the best way to be optimally healthy.  Green plants are the building blocks of red blood cells and are naturally rich in alkaline minerals, vitamins, amino acids, proteins, and most of the essential resources your body needs.  Jason of Vital Living explains further how important green plants are for us- take a peek at his recent post here.
Adding an alkaline green smoothie to your daily routine is a fantastic way to further alkalize and an easy way for your body to assimilate the nutrients and the fiber as the blender breaks it down making it easier on your digestive track to absorb.  I am passionate about making sure I get my greens in as many ways possible as I crave the healthy feeling I get but sometimes I’m not in the mood to chomp a salad so I just blend my greens up.

Alkaline Green Smoothie
yield- 1 smoothie approx 12-16oz

6″ piece of cucumber
3 medium Kale leaves, torn
5 stems fresh mint
3 stems fresh parsley
1″ piece fresh ginger
1 avocado
1 cup coconut water
fresh juice of one lime
1-2 tsp udo’s oil
1-2 tbsp hemp seeds
2-3 drops stevia
Method
Place all ingredients into high speed blender and mix until smooth, adding a little filtered water if needed for consistency.  Enjoy!
Optionally, I sometimes add 1/2 cup frozen berries–blueberries, raspberries or strawberries as they are low sugar fruit that is healthier to add than the super sweet fruits.  However, you may find that you like the smoothie as is above.  The lime, the ginger and the mint are really nice together.  I have discovered that the coconut water is quite hydrating and I like the flavour it brings to the smoothie but it does contain a little natural sugar.  You might like to use almond milk in place if you want to avoid the sugar all together as it will still taste nice.  If I can actually find a young coconut in the market to open up so I can extract the juice and the meat, it’s a good day!  I love how fresh it is and the meat makes the smoothie just divine.  The bottled coconut water is okay but because it has been pasteurized the nutrient levels are considerably less, but still beneficial.  Just be sure to buy the unsweetened, unflavoured version.

I hope this smoothie becomes your “go to” recipe that you can play with for a variety of flavours.  I am actually wishing I could make one right now since I am tucked away in my New York City hotel room as the snow storm over takes the city but I didn’t pack the blender-dang!  But the good thing is that I am only blocks away from a few fabulous establishments that are raw and offer incredible smoothies, juices and delicious meals if I choose to brave the cold snow and winds.  I flew in for a special seminar with Seth Godin and have another 48 hours here but oh my, word the snow!

As a little surprise for you I have planned to share about a couple of these healthy food entrepreneurs of New York in my upcoming posts with an interview or two so do stay tuned–that is if I get out of this town with the near state of emergency snow storm that is happening out there RIGHT now!

Hope you have a great week.  Wish me luck with this storm!

Julie

ps.   I should mention that a good rule of thumb is to be sure your smoothie’s “green content” is more than 50% so that if you do choose to add sweeter fruits you will still end up with a good balance of alkaline benefits.

Related Posts with Thumbnails
Print Friendly
Pin It

{ 62 comments }

Vicki January 12, 2011 at 9:16 am

Happy New Year Julie!

I love your smoothies…. would it be ok to use unripe bananas for a low sugar fruit option? I hope you get the chance to venture out in the city, my vegan friend loves the raw cafe called ‘One Lucky Duck’ and their restaurant ‘Pure Food and Wine’.

Have a great time at the seminar!
xo

Julie January 16, 2011 at 5:22 pm

Hi Vicki, how in the world are you, well I hope! You can use green unripe bananas but I find them a little bitter. Avocados seem to work nicely and they are so amazing for you if you like them. I definitely went to both while in NYC and loved them a lot! Stay tuned for an interview with Sarma soon! The seminar was also quite fantastic. Hope to see you soon!

KRISTEN'S RAW January 12, 2011 at 2:14 pm

Beautiful pics 🙂 My family loves green smoothies. Today mine was homemade raw organic almond milk with an orange, orange zest, frozen strawberries and rainbow chard (with a dash a stevia).

Cheers,
Kristen

Julie January 16, 2011 at 5:23 pm

Sounds yummy Kristen, thanx for stopping in.

Leslie January 16, 2011 at 4:21 pm

Hi Jules -I really cannot wait to make this smoothie this week! It just looks so yummy!!! Thanks for a great trip -what fun!!!

Julie January 16, 2011 at 5:25 pm

Awe, thanx Leslie! Thank YOU for a wonderfully inspiring trip, it couldn’t have delivered more!

Maria @ Scandifoodie January 17, 2011 at 12:50 am

This smoothie sounds so excellent! I’d love to try it! I still haven’t found hemp seeds here in Australia, not sure if they are available here at all!

Julie January 17, 2011 at 10:34 am

Maria, I understand that currently Hemp Seeds and Hemp Foods are illegal in Australia. You can read more here. http://www.hempfoods.com.au/Hemp_Foods_Australia/Hemp_Foods.html
You can try blending a spoon or two of almond butter into your smoothie, it’s yummy! I haven’t tried this idea but I bet you would hardly taste a few spoonfuls of white beans and they would be hearty too!

Anna January 25, 2011 at 7:16 am

Hi Julie, When were you in NYC? I could have met up with you. Happy blogiversary too.

Julie January 26, 2011 at 8:57 am

Anna, Gosh I would have loved to meet up with you. I need to come back, not enough time this past trip. Next time:)

PartyBabble.com January 26, 2011 at 7:19 am

LOVE THIS! I am looking to develop a green/organic birthday party theme. Love the recipe, love the color, love the mason jar and love the straw. Thanks for the idea.

Julie January 26, 2011 at 8:58 am

Beth, glad you are inspired! The straws are paper and are found in specialty gift shops. Good luck with the party! Love the idea-when should I come?

Dewi February 4, 2011 at 6:16 pm

Julie! We met in Lululemon where you dropped off a few business cards… Just wanted to say what an awesome blog you’ve got going here with beautiful food photography! Green smoothies are the love of my life. I’ll be making one of your recipes tonight & look forward to seeing you around the store. Sweet work!

Jessica August 18, 2011 at 9:37 pm

Hello Julie,

I am a student who wants to try many of your juice and smoothie recipes but do not have the means for both a juicer and a blender. Is it possible to make all the juice recipes but as smoothies? Does your body absorb juice vs. smoothies differently? If I could work with just a blender I’d be very happy.
Thank you for the help and I love the website chalk full of ideas,

Jessica

admin August 19, 2011 at 12:02 am

HI Jessica, If you can only manage a blender then go with that for now but use the smoothie recipes. The juice ones are really meant for juicing. Juicing is very different from smoothies as the fiber is removed and allows you to absorb a large volume of greens with concentrated nutrients that are very easily and quickly absorbed by your body. A smoothie is still very good as it is blended and breaks down the fibers so it doesn’t exert much energy to metabolize it but is also a good way to eat a large amount of greens versus chewing a salad or all those ingredients. My words of wisdom for a young person like yourself; If I could turn back the clock and have had the knowledge I have today when I was your age my life would have been completely different-health wise and energy wise. If I knew what I know now, I would have forfeited nightclubs and beverage budgets along with fashion shopping for juicers, blenders and green veggies the moment I left home, I’m not kidding! My juicer and high speed blender are my 2 most used appliances every single day and more than once in a day, many days. Had I juiced and made smoothies for the last 20 years my pregnancies would have been healthier, my kids would have been fed differently from birth and our families diet much easier to manage versus the transition we are undergoing. I would have also avoided my entire back issue. However I wouldn’t be here right now sharing with you! THIS is my journey and I appreciate you following:) Thanks for stopping in and don’t hesitate to ask more questions.

Jessica September 15, 2011 at 10:26 pm

What does it taste like? Is it super ginger-y? Does it “taste green”? I usually use quite a bit of fruit to hide the strong green flavor but want a healthier option (and one that’s not so calorie-heavy!).

Julie September 23, 2011 at 8:26 pm

HI Jessica, if you aren’t keen on ginger you can omit it but it is really good for you. It’s kinda of a faint ginger taste if you just put a small piece in. The smoothie will taste more green, the more greens you add. Start with small amounts and use a mild tasting green like spinach and slowly increase the amount of greens switching to kale and chard and eventually you will become quite accustomed to the flavour so much that you will really desire your morning smoothie. Let me know how you do:)

Loved the Recipe September 17, 2011 at 6:09 pm

Loved the recipe until I got to the agave part. Agave is worse for you than sugar.

Julie September 23, 2011 at 8:39 pm

Knotweedbee, thank you for your comment. I was a proponent of agave syrup in small quantities until recently when I learned in my holistic nutrition studies last week that the some agave is being spiked with gmo corn syrup but it is not labelled as such. I’m not convinced it’s worse that refined sugar as all sugars, naturally occurring in fruit or not, are all recognized in the same manner by our body and are very poisonous for our body too. I have written about sugars in this post to share my thoughts about using it in extreme moderation or not at all. My plan is to edit and suggest organic dates or home made date paste for sweeteners in my previously posted recipes as this is the best option besides powdered dried stevia leaves that have not been bleached or processed. I appreciate your comment and acknowledge the dangers of agave and all sweeteners even more after my further studies on the matter. Thanks for stopping by:)

Susanne October 7, 2011 at 1:51 pm

I found your web site by accident and I am inspired to try going alkaline for a month. I love smoothies and this recipe looks great. However, where I live I can’t get kale except for a few weeks every fall. What can I use for a substitute?

Julie October 7, 2011 at 2:29 pm

Well… You can use Swiss chard, collard greens, spinach, fresh mint, dandelion greens, anything green that stikes your fancy!
Let me know how it goes and hollar if you need any support:) all the best!!

Susanne October 7, 2011 at 3:02 pm

Thank you so much for your quick and very supportive answer! I’m afraid Swiss chard has the same tiny season here in Norway as kale. And collard greens are not to be found. I can find plenty of dandelion, but not from october to april… So I guess that leaves me with spinach 🙂 How about different kinds of salad — while that have the desired effect?

Julie October 7, 2011 at 10:36 pm

Susanne, so Norway hey! I am part Norwegian and have many, many relatives in Oslo and Elverum. What part of the country are you in? Re- greens, it’s best to use what is in season so go for it with dandelion and spinach- I love using spinach, it’s rather mild so it fits nicely. You can use other salad greens too but be sure they are all organic as pesticide residue is very high on greens, but don’s use iceberg as there are practically nil nutrients in this lettuce. Also, prepackaged organic greens in plastic boxes have been bleached to maintain freshness, so buy bundles and wash it yourself to avoid chlorine chemicals. Thanx for stopping by:)

Amanda October 7, 2011 at 3:36 pm

Is this smoothie supposed to taste like a garden? Maybe I used too much mint.

Julie October 7, 2011 at 10:42 pm

HI Amanda, it may have tasted really green to you if you are not accustomed to eating much greens, but if you weren’t keen on it, don’t dismay, just adjust the amount of green to a bit less until you find it more palatable and this will happen in time as you enjoy them more often. You’ll also start feeling the energy and will mentally appreciate and crave the greens. So go easy and adjust it so you love it.

Susanne October 8, 2011 at 12:05 pm

Cool that you are part Norwegian! I live in Oslo.
In winter, no vegetables are in season here 🙂 We can still get veggies, but not locally grown.
Thanks for a great web site!

Bonnie McLean February 5, 2012 at 11:40 pm

Are the Earthbound Farm organic ‘packaged in plastic boxes’ lettuces, etc. we can get in Thrifty’s and Lifestyles bleached?

Julie February 19, 2012 at 2:14 pm

Hi Bonnie, I contacted Earthbound and this is the reply I got as I was just wanting to confirm what I had been told in class by an instructor.

Dear Julie,
Thank you for contacting us about an Earthbound Farm Salad.
In answer to your question about how we wash our salads. After our Earthbound Farm salads lettuces are harvested, they are tested, then washed with a chilled, lightly chlorinated water, spun dry and packaged. This procedure is in compliance with the USDA organic regulations and is used to ensure the highest food safety standards.
Since we began farming 27 years ago on two and a half acres in Carmel Valley, California, and through the years as we’ve grown, we have maintained an unwavering commitment to producing the highest quality, freshest, safest, most delicious and healthful organic salads.
We value you as our customer and hope you’ll continue to put Earthbound Farm organic products on your table.

Sincerely,

Tish
Consumer Relations

So it is your call. I researched and discovered that there is a product called Citrox that I can’t find much on right now but it claims to be superior and safer than chlorine for treating vegetables. I need to do more research but am curious how many organic processors use this instead.
Thanx for your question.

Sophia March 2, 2012 at 6:46 pm

Just found your site. Love it! I am reading the post about organic salad being washed with chemicals. Did you find out any more info on that? Also, I ‘d love to know where you are doing your studies! I think I would like to pursue the same degree. What a dream! You are so blessed!

Julie March 13, 2012 at 10:46 am

Hi Sophia, I contacted Earthbound and this is the reply I got as I was just wanting to confirm what I had been told in class by an instructor.

Dear Julie,
Thank you for contacting us about an Earthbound Farm Salad.
In answer to your question about how we wash our salads. After our Earthbound Farm salads lettuces are harvested, they are tested, then washed with a chilled, lightly chlorinated water, spun dry and packaged. This procedure is in compliance with the USDA organic regulations and is used to ensure the highest food safety standards.
Since we began farming 27 years ago on two and a half acres in Carmel Valley, California, and through the years as we’ve grown, we have maintained an unwavering commitment to producing the highest quality, freshest, safest, most delicious and healthful organic salads.
We value you as our customer and hope you’ll continue to put Earthbound Farm organic products on your table.

Sincerely,

Tish
Consumer Relations

So it is your call. I researched and discovered that there is a product called Citrox that I can’t find much on right now but it claims to be superior and safer than chlorine for treating vegetables. I need to do more research but am curious how many organic processors use this instead.

I am attending IHN, Institute of Holisitic Nutrition in Vancouver and am luuuuving it! I am blessed yes indeed!
Thanx for your questions.

Helen March 16, 2012 at 7:18 am

I’ve been reading up on alkalizing and acid-forming foods lately because my arthritis has been acting up. Sure enough, when I tested my saliva and urine pH levels, the results were below neutral and on the acidic side (6.4 urine & 6.2 saliva). One of the things I read is that even though citrus fruits are acidic tasting, after they are digested they are actually alkalizing. Lemons are actually one of the most alkaline foods along with watermelon. I am going to pay closer attention to what I eat now so that the pH level of my blood will be normal (between 7.35 & 7.45) – which would require a diet of 75% alkaline forming foods.

Renea May 15, 2012 at 6:38 pm

I could be mistaken, but isn’t mixing fruits (excluding limes, lemon, and apples) and vegetables acid-forming? The marriage confuses and slows down the digestive process, due to the sugar found in fruits. Something about fermentation. I don’t remember the exact reason, but I read in the book, Alkalize or Die, that most fruits and vegetables should not be mixed (in any form).

Google it. If I am right, there goes another reason why we shouldn’t mix fruits with our green smoothies. Green as in vegetables only. 😉

julie May 28, 2012 at 9:11 pm

Hi Renea… yes you are remembering correctly, there is fermentation that occurs when fruit is improperly combined and it is the worst with meat and carbs. As for mixing it with veggies, specifically greens it may vary for some but typically this is tolerated as there is less likelihood for fermentation as they both are digested fairly quickly especially when they are blended as this predigests the molecules of food making it process thru your system much faster so fermentation doesn’t have time to occur.

Meat is so slow to process and the fruit will definitely hit the meat and then cause fermentation.

I try to stick to fairly low sugar fruits (apples, firm pears etc and avoid super sweet tropical fruits) in smoothies or a very tiny ratio to lots of greens. Also because the goal is to alkalize 80-20 so maxing out on too much tropical fruit in a smoothie with a small handful of spinach to make it green defeats the purpose!
Hope this helps:)

Hayley June 12, 2012 at 5:49 pm

This looks great. My only question is if you should have this for breakfast alone or eat something else as well?

admin June 16, 2012 at 9:05 am

Hayley, I typically have green juice upon waking after a good glass of filtered water with lemon or alkaline water and then I have a smoothie like this 30-60 mins later (I make and take many mornings). My nutrient intake for each day was significantly increased and I feel great because of it. So many people miss the opportunity to consume alkaline veggies in the morning and have grains, sugar and coffee (it used to be me too). Anyone who gradually switches over always sees a huge difference in their overall health and their energy. You certainly can just do the smoothie– I do this when I’m short on time occasionally (although I always miss my green juice) but I still feel full for the morning. Recently, I have been adding pumpkin seed protein powder along side the hemp seeds and I like it a lot, it is boosting my plant protein intake for the day. Cheers:)

lesley June 16, 2012 at 4:13 pm

Hello,
I just discovered your beautiful and helpful blog and am looking forward to exploring all its corners. For now tho’, I have a question.

I’ve been enjoying green smoothies for several months now (sporadically). We have some lovely chard in the garden now and last week I googled chard smoothie recipes. I came across alot of negative opinions about the oxalates in chard (and kale and spinach) as well as opinions that, in general, we aren’t “meant” to eat raw veggies.

I went ahead and made the smoothie and found it even more delicious than my usual kale ones…but have been wondering ever since about the varying opinions. I know that everything isn’t good for everyone, but I would value any thoughts you have on the conflicting ideas about the oxalate-containing greens.

With thanks!

Lori September 6, 2012 at 12:59 pm

Like most people I am time challenged but I know I really need to kick up my vegie intake, I’m looking at smoothies but wanted to find out how long one would keep in the fridge if I put it in a glass mason jar? It would make it much easier if I could do a few at once in the evening and then grab a jar to drink?

admin September 12, 2012 at 8:17 pm

Lori, you can use vitamin C powder as a natural preservative if you have to keep your smoothie over night! It’s fine tasting so you can put maybe a teaspoon in to keep the veggies from oxidizing. But it won’t taste as fresh of course. I sometimes put most of the ingredients in the blender and put the blender jug in the fridge but then quickly blend it in the morning and if you make a double batch you will have enough for lunch which will stay nice til then. Hope this is helpful:)

jim September 19, 2012 at 7:38 am

Do the hemp seeds cause a false positive for THC in random urinalysis

admin September 19, 2012 at 11:45 am

Hi Jim, as far as I know the answer is NO but I found this for you on line- take a peek:)
Q. If I recently consumed hemp foods, could I fail a drug test?
A. If the only source of the psychoactive THC in your body is from hemp foods, produced from Canadian grown hemp seeds and eaten in reasonable quantities, it is virtually impossible to fail a drug test by ingesting hemp foods due to the fact that THC levels in our products are barely measurable.

The TestPledge program is a voluntary commitment by the North American hemp food industry to limit THC concentrations to levels where they cannot result in positive drug tests. Nutiva joined the TestPledge program in 2001. Nutiva’s hemp food products meet Canadian government and TestPledge standards for hemp foods.

We recommend that you read the TestPledge Answers page first. If you need more technical information please download and read the study summary “Evaluating Interference of THC in Hemp Food Products With Employee Drug Testing,” which was prepared by Gero Leson, D.Env. and Petra Pless. Please click here to download. )scroll down and find link on this link (PDF file 21k)

10-17-2007
Here is an e-mail about Nutiva Organic Hemp Protein powder and drug testing from a Department of Defense employee:

I work for the Department of Defense and was finally selected for random urinalysis after 18 years. I wasn’t the least bit worried – until that night when I went home to fix a fruit shake in which I use your hemp protein powder. As I took it out of the refrigerator, it suddenly occurred to me that it has a very small amount of THC in it. Having been a drug/alcohol abuse officer in the Air Force years ago, I understood the potential implications, including the fact that THC is detectable far longer than many drugs of abuse. I called Nutiva the next day, and was told that because you can’t ever know what other behaviors a customer may be engaging in, you cannot say for certain that your products could not cause a positive urinalysis for THC. However, I was assured that it was HIGHLY unlikely by itself – especially the protein powder because of the way it’s processed (i.e. lower oil content than some other products). I promised to provide you with feedback either way my test turned out. My understanding is that the Department of Defense uses state-of-the-art testing. I passed, despite using your hemp protein powder multiple times every week for months. I know it’s no guarantee, but it may relieve others who are not using illegal substances but who may be using your products, and become concerned about drug testing. Thanks.

Julie October 27, 2012 at 10:40 am

Hi Julie!
I love the idea of this smoothie. Can I use a regular blender? I don’t have a Vita Mix and would love to make this daily got myself. I have a really hard time getting my alkaline level to where it needs to be and I find myself getting discouraged very easily… this my help me.
Thank you!
Julie

julie October 27, 2012 at 10:51 am

Hi Julie. absolutely try your blender. Worst case is it will have more texture but thats fine if you don’t mind it. I like some of my smoothies to be textural cuz then I can taste the ingredients more so. Don’t give up, this is a lifestyle, there’s bound to be some bumps in the road. Just start again and look at it day by day. Balance the best you can and then try to do a bit better the next day. All the best and keep me posted on your progress! You can do it!

Jilly Jensen January 11, 2013 at 3:52 am

My god that’s good. Used almond instead of coconut and didn’t have any hemp seeds or udo’s oil but it’s still GORGEOUS. Love the flavours of mint and parsley that comes through.

Thanks.

Sofya February 3, 2013 at 7:30 pm

Hi!

This smoothie sounds amazing and I can’t wait to make it. I am looking at buying some udo’s oil but I don’t know much about it. From what I can see there are a few varieties, could you recommend one?

Many thanks!

Julie February 20, 2013 at 10:48 pm

Hi Sofya, I would just get the 3-6-9 omega oil which is balanced with a good ratio of each. If you have any health issues you may want to assess it further and pay attention to your intake of omega 6 as it can contribute to excessive inflammation in the body. Some inflammatory response in the body is normal but if it is out of balance then you need to address your dietary intake. Inflammation imbalance symptoms are most any kind of ailments from minor to major. If you don’t suffer from any issues you should be fine with the 3-6-9. Just be sure to pay attention to the other oils you do consume and that they are healthy and not heated oils in your cooking-add them after cooking. Use coconut oil for sauteing or steam fry instead.

Keri February 10, 2013 at 3:27 pm

Hi! I have a question… This sounds amazing, and I LOVE avocado… But I’m horribly allergic to it 🙁 Any suggestions for replacing it?? 😀 Fantastic blog!!

Julie February 20, 2013 at 11:24 pm

Hi Keri, you must have an overflowing toxic bucket-toxic load to have such an allergy. By doing a serious whole body cleanse, alkalizing and flushing toxins you will reduce or eliminate most any food sensitivities, believe it or not! I was severely allergic to salmon for 20 yrs, now I can eat it and I did for a long while after I cleaned up my body til I chose to be vegan. In place of avocado try raw zucchini which creams up nicely with hemp seeds:) and be sure to add the good omega 3 oils in place of leaving out the avocado until you can eat them again. Good luck!

Cathy March 10, 2013 at 5:24 pm

Recently began the journey of alkalizing my family’s diet. I tried the recipe for the green smoothie (called it a Leprechan Smoothie for the 6 and 4-year old) and they tried it (wasn’t love for them). It was a little heavy on the ginger for me but I will definitely try it again with less. For the cuke, is it meant to be peeled and seeded? What about the ginger – does it get peeled? For the parsley, mint and kale, are you removing the stems and ribs and just using the leafy parts? Sorry to be such a perfectionist. 🙂 I used a regular blender and with all the peeling (not the ginger), seeding and stripping I mentioned above, the smoothie was nicely smooth however I wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing out on some great nutrients or just being over-the-top with the prep. I am currently overwhelmed with all there is to know about this way of eating but I am committed to learn.

admin May 13, 2013 at 10:22 am

Cathy, we use english cukes so I just chop and blend. With really seedy ones with tough skin I might seed and peel but hardly. I don’t peel ginger, just roughly chop or grate depending on the power of the blender. I just toss the herbs in stem and all, trimming just a bit of the bottom portion. You are doing AWESOME! Keep up the good work and keep trying those smoothies on the kids! I sweeten with a couple drops of alcohol free stevia for my kids and they are happier:)

Mark March 23, 2013 at 12:24 pm

I have been juicing much of this recipe for about 3 months and love it! I always think your missing out on more benifits of the “ruffage” I’m curious to try this in smoothie form I’ve never been much of a veggie eater but am trying a lot of new things lately! Thank you!

julie April 9, 2013 at 11:01 pm

Mark, I recommend juicing and blending but the juicing is optimal for concentrated nutrients and is very easily assimilated. Blending is less concentrated as you can’t very well consume the equivalent in nutrients as the volume is much greater when the fibre remains and it digests slower because of the fibre. Of course fibre is very important for good health so juicing doesn’t replace it, but instead is done in addition unless one is doing a short term cleanse to flush toxins and rebalance the body. Some days I juice (which I do daily) then a while later make a smoothie, both for my breakfast. As you may, choose what works for you.

Ayco April 11, 2013 at 3:18 pm

I really love this smoothy but I recently read that eating raw kale may cause hypothyroidism due to it being a cruciferous vegetable. Can you suggest any alternative vegetables for kale?

Thanks!

– Ayco

sonia regina May 12, 2013 at 4:57 pm

Hi Julia: How are you? I’d like to know what do you suggest for sweetener, because Where I live, I can’t get a healthy stevia. What can I use for a substitute? I often add bananas? it’s okay? Banana and avocado are nice together? Can I use chia seed in place udos oil? Please I hope the answer as soon as possible. Thank you for help me.

Julie Cove May 13, 2013 at 10:16 am

Hi Sonia, sweet foods are surely nice and I luv them so stevia helps sweeten even when you are having vegetables but the next best thing to sweeten with of course is real food sweeteners like fruit instead of processed sugar of course. However in alkalizing the body it’s all about the balance of acidic foods to the alkaline. If you want sweetness say in a smoothie make sure to follow the 80% alkaline to 20% acidic in your ingredients-so just a small piece of banana with avocado and lots of greens etc.
And yes you can use chia for your Omega source- it’s a great one. Just have enough and be sure to soak it and or drink water with it. All the best.

Kandy June 15, 2013 at 3:47 pm

I do a green smoothie with celery, parsley, cucumbers, lime along with a bit of spring lettuce mix and spinach. I am diabetic so my green smoothies are more like green smoothie salads, lol. Sometimes I add hemp powder, spirulina and chia seeds. Avocado if I happen to have some on hand to make it a bit thicker and creamier. They are delicious!

Itaya June 24, 2013 at 10:26 am

Wonderful sounding recipe! I have a veggie smoothie one to two times a day every day. The only fruit I use is lemons and I love my smoothies! Using liquid Stevia definitely makes a huge difference I believe. I wrote an article sharing a few of my Veggie Smoothie recipes as I was having a challenging time finding recipes for all vegetable smoothies.

I wanted to look at the list of alkaline fruits on the link above but the link doesn’t work. Just thought I would let you know so that you can hopefully update the link. 🙂

rose budd July 14, 2013 at 9:17 pm

Ayco!!!!!!! I wish they would answer your great ?????????
I am hypothyroidism and just had endometreal cancer and my lady friend has a herbology degree and showed me a book that the 2 things I have ..do have a connection..
PLEASE ANSWER THE QUESTION FROM ABOVE ABOUT THE KALE…THANKS..

admin August 23, 2013 at 10:03 pm

Hi Rose, my apologies, I am back logged with my comments to say the least! Alkalizing is the way to balance and heal the body. I highly recommend reading The pH Miracle by Dr. Robert O.Young, the new revised edition. It is very comprehensive and inspiring:) Live blood analysis will show both of these concerns hypothyroidism and endometreal cancer and help you see your healing progress. Hope this helps. I will eventually get to the other comment.

Ellen October 2, 2013 at 9:33 pm

Thank you! I have been looking for a good green smoothie recipe for agessssss.
All the other ones I have come across are full of gluggy unhealthy stuff or weird expensive materials like maca and spirulina blah blah blah..

admin October 2, 2013 at 9:56 pm

Ellen, thank you and you are welcome!
The link seemed to work for me but otherwise the chart is on the top menu bar under alkaline chart on our site:)

Hilda March 31, 2014 at 2:06 am

Hello 🙂 … I have a done some green smoothies, trying to keep a relative 70%-80% green vegetables, my question is, my dear husband is committed to this akaline diet, but he’s having a rought time with the green smothies which are more easy for me to make in the mornings for breakfast. I tried today a mix with spinach, cucumber, 4 strawberries, a glass of water, and linseeds, but it was -as you can imagine- a bit sour. Stevia is not very weel seen in Europe, nor in where I live. Can you tell me ideas of how can I sweeting up a bit the taste of smoothies?

Also, with the alkaline diet, is it ok to eat soy yogurt, soy chocolat milk, almond milk from the stores? I have found the most ecological ones, but they are stll on the fridge since I am not sure that fits our new style.

I await your kind reply,

Hilda M.

Julie March 31, 2014 at 10:21 am

Hilda, I like to use lime juice and lots of fresh mint to make my smoothies taste nice. Try looking for xylitol, it is similar to stevia, but use in moderation. Lucuma is a nut and is low glycemic. You can also add a firm green pear as it is low in sugar and will be nice with the lime and the mint. I also love pure no sugar added coconut water, it is naturally sweet with many minerals that are awesome instead of using water. Try a few brands to find a nice tasting one-some are very blaaahh. It sometimes takes time for the taste buds to crave the greens. go slowly and he will eventually enjoy the taste. Also try Amazon.com for ordering the stevia on line. All the best to you and keep up the good work, it is soooo worth it!

Comments on this entry are closed.

Previous post:

Next post:

Disclaimer: The content on this site is not written with intentions to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatments. Our content is for information purposes only and should not be used to diagnose or treat health issues of any sort. Our information and statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Copyright Julie Cove and Yvonne Becker, 2009-2010. Please do not use or copy any information, recipes or photos without permission or without noting its origins on your blog or website.