When it comes to getting the most out of what you are eating, did you know that our highest most nutrient valued foods are greens? You will gain the most advancement in your health and in weight loss in proportion to the amount of greens you consume! People everywhere are waking up to the fact that they need to eat more green leafys. It has been coined the “Green Revolution!”
God gave us, after the fall, this statement; “…and thou shalt eat the herb of the field.” Gen. 3:18 I used to consider this term to mean “medicinal herbs.” I have found that herbs used in this context are merely “healthy drugs.” They don’t cure the problem which is lack of nutrients used to build up the body. When you build up your body with high nutrient dense foods, you may notice that not only the affected area you are concerned about goes away, but all the health issues may clear up as well! This is truly turning the age clock in reverse!
After doing a study with the concordance, I found out that the herbs talked about in the Bible are really leafy greens, or tender grasses, – green herbs! Collards, kale, bok choy, tatsoi, broccoli raab, turnip greens, mustard greens, spinach, wheat grass, barley grasses and all their many varieties are what you are looking for along with your regular salad greens-romaine, arugula, spring mix…
The next highest nutrient rich foods will be zucchini, peas, green beans, broccoli, and other green vegetables. Your goal would be to eat 2 lbs of these types of greens in a day! The more you get, the more your health will excel! (medicinal herbs have their place, but not in this context.)
I can just hear you asking, “How can I chew all those greens?” Green Smoothies are the way to go! Just keep adding more and more of the above mentioned greens to the blender along with your fruits and blend until smooth and green! What a delicious and beneficial way to get raw greens into your body! Leafy greens are not a problem to eat with fruit. They are really in a class all their own. Now, I would not mix broccoli and fruit. But, consider how you eat strawberries in a spinach salad, or, apples in a salad. Now you get the picture! It took me awhile to really think I could try this type of a smoothie. Once I did, I was pleasantly surprised! They really taste great!! Now I put loads of greens in. You may begin with just a few leaves to let you know it really is not bad at all, then add more and more! Other than that, eat lots of varied, beautiful salads! Center your meal around these rather than a tiny salad around a main cooked dish!
We have also found that a high raw food diet is loads of fun! We can’t get over all the fantastic raw food recipes there are today! My husband and I have been having so much fun with all the new flavors that just burst upon our taste buds! Cooked food depends upon the seasonings you put in or on them whereas raw food depends on the quality of produce you buy. These are the true flavors. Raw food is live food for a living, healthy, vibrant body and mind. The enzymes are intact and, especially if you have an organic garden, you will also increase your vitamin, mineral and phyto-chemical needs. There is so much synergistic values going on with whole foods over vitamin supplements.
There is no way humans can create and duplicate what God has put together! Green powders do not suffice. I have used several different brands of green powders for years and they did not do even close to what fresh, raw greens have done for me! I had no idea, until we decided to grow our own greens in a greenhouse for the winter, what a fistful of fresh picked greens would do for me in my smoothies until I tried it. It literally turns the biological clock backwards! The difference is remarkable and I challenge you to try this for 21 days, every single morning.
Include juicing greens and eating salads, you may even want to try blending your salad if the chewing is too much. Soaked nuts and seeds have increased nutrient value along with sprouts and microgreens of all kinds. Don’t forget lots of fresh fruit, especially those in season and your dark red and black beans full of fiber, protein and nutrition. By the way, greens are loaded with all the amino acids you need, fatty acids, phyto-chemicals and vitamins along with an abundance of minerals. In fact, did you know, calorie for calorie, broccoli contains more protein than a steak? Oh, and it is a more usable type of protein!
When you combine eating this way with the remaining 7 laws of health, of which I will not go into at this time, you will gain added value. Your body weight will shift and normalize, you will be more satisfied with less food as your nutrient needs are taken care of, your food bills will actually go down, especially if you join a food co-op and grow your own garden and fruit trees and berry bushes. I highly recommend this! We personally no longer need to spend hundreds of dollars a month on vitamins, minerals, herbs, green powders and such. Our health in every way has improved without that added expense! You may want to include a Vitamin B12 and a D. If you want a multivitamin, I would suggest one of the raw type ones that are totally natural, not made with chemicals!
In closing, I want to recommend a quote I read: “Let them preserve the health and increase the strength by avoiding large amounts of cooking which has filled the world with chronic invalids. We are coming to the time when recipes for cooking will NOT be needed, for God’s people will learn that the food God gave Adam in his sinless state is the BEST for keeping the body in a sinless state” Ellen G. White Volume 21 Manuscript Releases page 286. Wow! This was written in 1901! I would say she was a progressive lady!
How to make a Green Smoothie My Way
1. Place Apple, Orange or Pineapple juice, not from concentrate in a powerful blender, I recommend the Vita Mix or a Blendec. (You may graduate to water as your taste buds change.)
2. Next add bananas, apples, frozen blueberries, strawberries, mango, pineapple or whatever you want and like.
3. Then I usually add in flax seed, a Tablespoon per person and an avocado which will make it smooth and creamy. (If you want to lose excess weight, skip the higher fat foods, along with if you have cancer)
4. Extra add ins may include soaked almonds, coconut milk, pumpkin seeds, spirulina, maca or other superfoods of your choice.
5. Blend the above until very smooth and creamy
6. Add in your greens. A good beginner green would be spinach or romaine. Graduate and mix up your greens by adding kale, collards, turnip greens, mild mustard greens, wild greens such as dandelion greens and lambs quarters, mints, bok choy and other Asian greens, sprouts, the list is endless and the combinations are incomprehensible.
I am sure you will find your favorite way of doing this with the flavors you love! Blend until smooth and creamy. Use the tamper as needed. The consistency doing it this way is like a pudding. MMmmm!
Author: Nancy Clayburn
www.rawberrykitchen.com Check out our great prices on Vita-Mix and Blendtec blenders, perfect for Green Smoothies! Raw food recipes, sprouters, food processors, kitchen gadgets, juicers, books and health information. Raw Food Blog.
