– by Stacey Terry
Wow. Nothing burns my butter lettuce like fear-mongering. If you dropped by the Queen’s Facebook page this week, you may have noticed a video (see above) that our friend, Johanna, came across and shared with us. In it, Brian Clement makes some pretty disparaging claims saying that when you blend foods like green smoothies, “you’re killing 85 – 92% of the nutrients” due to oxidation.
After watching it, Johanna wrote, “Tell me what you think of this guy…I’m definitely taking his philosophies with a grain of salt but he is still bursting a few bubbles for me…”
Nooooo wonder.
While I can’t ever imagine being afraid of blended bananas and spinach, I know that trying to move forward and make decisions from a place of fear is never useful and always frustrating. Sometimes you need to relax, take another look at the fear, and then move forward from a place that feels good.
So, that said, here’s *my* feel-good and fearless Facebook reply to Brian Clement’s video, Think Green Smoothies Are Healthy? Not After Hearing this You Won’t
I Will Shout This from the Gardens and the Produce Aisles!
Hehe… it’s time again for Stacey’s Soapbox!!
I’ve seen this video before. It doesn’t faze me. It doesn’t stand up to my personal experience, or to the daily testimonials and transformational changes I receive from people who drink green smoothies.
Hehe… and with that grain of salt, always ask yourself, “What is being sold?” (That applies to us too!) In the end, because we are all so unique with so many contributing variables, it is in your best interest to experiment and find out which makes you feel better. Whether you choose green smoothies or green juices or green jelly beans, your result is the only one that matters. What will work for *you*.
Here’s my feeling. Every process we put our food through exposes it to oxidation (juicing, storing, freezing, blending, cooking, etc.), which does diminish nutritional value. And if you want to get really fanatic about it, then you’ll find yourself out in a field chewing your way through lunch… heehee…
Most of us aren’t scientists. We don’t run our lunch through the lab to analyze it before we eat it, so it’s anyone’s guess how much the nutrients are affected by blending vs. juicing for any particular meal. Personally, I believe that blending DOES make the nutrients more accessible because I feel more energetic when I drink them.
Even if you leave that issue alone, what I focus on is that I put A WHOLE HONKIN’ HEAD of kale in my green smoothies now for breakfast. I didn’t even eat kale or other greens before I got hooked on green smoothies. I blend and eat WAAAAY more greens than I ever would have chewed my way through.
To me, the difference is in the fiber. When I drink a full quart of green smoothie, I’m FULL! A meal of green smoothies totally satisfies me. I have to drink A LOT of green juice to get to that same place. I see green juices as being a great way of fasting or detoxifying on an intense, short-term basis. But I want the day-to-day approach. I’m looking for the easiest, most convenient and repeatable behavior.
I’m also cheap… 😉 Wasting the leftover juice pulp irritates me (unless you’re using your leftover pulp for other purposes, and I’ve gotten away from dehydrated crackers now). Psychologically, I also find it more challenging to be satisfied from a more watery meal. That, and looking at the juicer, knowing I’ll have to clean that sucker, just short-circuits my desire. The blender gets rinsed and it’s done. Soooo much easier. But that’s me.
I. Love. Green. Smoothies.
I am 100% biased in their favour. I will gleefully convince as many people as I can to try them and see for themselves. That said, I think green juices are great too! But just because I love green smoothies, I wouldn’t dissuade anyone from trying green juices, and at some point I myself may try a juice fast. But for daily living, green smoothies are my personal choice.
Ask yourself what will keep you adding greens to your diet. It’s the greens that make the difference. If you’re worried about food combining, pick up Green for Life by Victoria Boutenko. She classifies greens as their own category (“leafy greens”) and not as starchy vegetables. The fiber and minerals in the greens is the perfect complement to the sugar and minerals in the fruits.
Don’t let Brian burst your bubble babe! Only you control how you feel. Like I say… try them both and let *your* body tell you what’s true for you.
[ends rant with sassy slurp of spinach and bananas!!!]
As you can imagine, this discussion encouraged some lively chat on our Facebook page! If you still need reassurance and another perspective, then (with thanks to Sue Skidmore) you can watch this video featuring Victoria Boutenko discussing what she discovered when comparing oxidization differences between blending and juicing.
***
ENTER TO WIN A FREE DETOX:
Let’s talk green! From now until the start of our spring 21-Day Green Smoothie Detox, you can win a chance to join our LIVE, Full-Support program featuring Green Smoothie Girl, Robyn Openshaw, just by contributing your thoughts to one of our “Green Buzz” suggestions on the blog. (Be sure to include a valid name and e-mail address with your blog comment so that we can contact you). We’ll select a winner who shares a thoughtful comment on any new GSQ blog post between April 15th and April 29th, 2011. All comments will be approved before appearing. (Attention Facebook/Twitter readers: Comments must be made on the GSQ blog site to be entered in the draw!)
TODAY’S “GREEN BUZZ” TOPICS
- What has been *your* experience with drinking green smoothies versus green juices?
- What are your thoughts on the Brian Clement video?
- What would *you* say to Johanna to blow some green bubbles her way?