How green smoothies helped me heal

Yummie fresh minty green smoothie

To me, green smoothies have been a true savior. 

I had been fighting various obvious digestive issues such as heartburn, bloating and constipation since the early 2000s, and gradually made my way from something akin to SAD - the Standard American Diet - by way of five elements cooking of the traditional Chinese school to eating all vegetarian and eventually all vegan. While each of these steps brought with it certain improvements in my digestive and overall health, I was at a loss as to how I would make cooked vegan foods work for me. 

This was in June/July 2011. Especially during the work week, this was an almost insurmountable challenge: Frankfurt offers most things that other metropolitan centers have, but a thriving alternative eating scene is not the city's forte. Eventually, I found ONE all vegetarian restaurant that also offered very limited vegan choices at decent prices. At first, I was delighted and relieved. However, it quickly grew old; I was lacking variety and I became discouraged and increasingly cranky.

One of my friends saw my frustration and gave me the saving tip: “Solveig, I’ve heard about this new thing, green smoothies. I have a weblink, but haven’t really done much research myself on this.” - Thank you, Elke! <3 - So I figured, what the heck, let’s give it a try. I googled “Victoria Boutenko” the woman who invented and popularized green smoothies, and got hooked by her story. What she was writing made so much sense to me intuitively that I decided to just go for it. I bought one of Victoria’s recipe books, and got started by making myself a cup of green smoothie in place of a normal dessert. 

I did not have to force myself to eat more greens, I started craving them!

After a few days only, my body began requiring more greens - salad for dinner was a new favorite. Imagine my surprise: salad for dinner! And that after I hadn’t been able to digest anything fresh and uncooked at night for the longest time! You read me right: I did not have to force myself to eat more greens, I started craving them!

My acupuncturist was appalled - after all, his school of thought advocates cooked dinners. Those had served me well up to that point, and then no more. As this good man was unwilling to keep his dietary advice to himself, and stop bugging me about needing to go back to his own meat-eating ways, I decided to quit acupuncture and focus on what my body was starting to tell me so clearly in terms of the food it needed. 

I decided ... to focus on what my body was starting to tell me so clearly in terms of the food it needed. 

My Positive Health Changes, Courtesy of Chlorophyll & Co.

Here are some of the benefits I experienced after switching to green smoothies and then vegan raw foods as prompted by my body once I had started with green smoothies. At the time of this writing, my nutrition is around 85% raw and 90% vegan, as I value a stress free life over being dogmatic with my food. And sometimes I simply enjoy some smoked salmon (not vegan), a piece of sprouted bread (not raw), or a delicious serving of raw goat cheese (not vegan).

The most important thing about this gradual path to a healthy body is not the speed at which you go, but that it has the potential to stick - to the extent that you integrate the tips and tricks in this guide into your lifestyle as new habits.

I noticed the overwhelming majority of the following benefits within 8-10 weeks of making the switch to loads of green smoothies and raw vegan food (accompanied by daily enemas over 2 weeks as I was aware of the strong detox process I had started):

Please note that the following is not a promise that you will experience the same benefits, nor can the timeline be any indication for your evolution toward health, as everyone goes at their own speed and will show different developments. That’s perfectly ok, too. We appreciate being different!

The most important thing about this gradual path to a healthy body is not the speed at which you go, but that it has the potential to stick - to the extent that you integrate the tips and tricks in this guide into your lifestyle as new habits.

Here are the top 25 changes I have noticed in myself:

1. clear, soft, glowing skin everywhere (bye bye cellulite!)
   
2. greatly improved sleep
   
3. ability to wake up without an alarm clock (early in the morning), completely rested and eager to start each new day
4. weight loss: 8kg or ca. 16lbs within just 10 weeks after switching from cooked vegan to green smoothies and raw vegan foods - and no soggy skin whatsoever! Please do note that this was my body’s reaction to the major detoxification that I put it through. My sustainable feel-good weight is some 2-5kg higher - and I’ve managed to regain this weight and maintain this for more than a year now
5. greater capacity to enjoy life and focus on the good aspects
6. improved temperature adjustment of my body, e.g. ability to tolerate humidity and heat in tropical locations, no more cold feet in cold weather, no more shivering in air-conditioned offices
   
7. loss of body odor - to a point where I rarely need to use a very minimalistic solid crystal deodorant. Please note that body odor may be totally eliminated on a 100% raw and vegan diet with lots of leafy greens + at a slow detox pace.
   
8. no more pain in my lower back - immediate reappearance of this pain when I revert to eating sugar or anything containing gluten
   
9. shiny, healthy hair; much less hair loss, easier to comb through
   
10. strong, smooth finger nails (formerly brittle as they get!), and healthier toe nails, with the usual yellowish hue that often comes the older we get (and the more animal proteins we ingest) gradually disappearing
    
11. reduced propensity to getting physically tired: when I leave the office at the end of the day, I no longer feel drained and still have energy to do things I love instead of just lounging in front of the TV
    
12. much improved posture, despite the slight deformity of my spine that had caused me pain since my teenage years
    
13. greatly improved physical shape and flexibility as well as previously unknown stamina while exercising (swimming, running, biking, yoga)
    
14. no more heartburn, constipation or bloating (unless I miscombine meals, which is a whole different topic)
    
15. no more sinus issues, ear infections or colds - and I used to contract at least 2-3 of those per cold season
    
16. no more need for stimulants to wake up or master energetic lows throughout the day: I’ve never been a huge coffee drinker, but definitely a recovered coke addict. Now I don’t even know when I’ve had my last coke. I don’t need it, don’t crave it, don’t have it
    
17. no more PMS (!), lighter and more regular menses
    
18. increased desire to eat live foods that nourish me, while at the same time being able to tolerate it gracefully when my social contacts enjoy their usual fare of meat, potatoes, bread, cheeses in my presence
    
19. no more grinding my teeth at night
    
20. hardly any neck or shoulder tightness anymore (and I used to spend a large portion of my paycheck on massages and treatments of all sorts)
    
21. greatly enhanced physical and mental flexibility
    
22. much improved stress resistance
    
23. great joy derived from the positive and uplifting feedback I get from my peers about my behavior, energy and looks
    
24. enjoyable shopping experiences: I’m still getting used to fitting into sizes I last wore at the age of 16. When I like something, I try it on and it usually fits. Talk about a paradigm shift, ladies! I’ve also been able to dig out some old favorites from my basement that I had kept for the daughter I’ve always been hoping to have
    
25. easy maintenance of weight and body shape

Ready to help your body heal?

Well, I could talk about the blessings I green smoothies brought into my life all day long. The only way to find out what can happen for you is to try it.

Emerald green greetings,

Solveig Caroline