Rockridge University Press - Green Smoothies for Beginners: Essentials to Get Started

Copyright 2013 by Rockridge University Press, Berkeley, California

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, Rockridge University Press, 918 Parker St, Suite A-12, Berkeley, CA 94710.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The Publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering medical, legal or other professional advice or services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the Publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an individual, organization or website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the Publisher endorses the information the individual, organization or website may provide or recommendations they/it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.

For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at (866) 744-2665, or outside the U.S. at (510) 253-0500.

Rockridge University Press publishes its books in a variety of electronic and print formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books, and vice versa.

TRADEMARKS: Rockridge University Press and the Rockridge University Press logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Callisto Media Inc. and/or its affiliates, in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Rockridge University Press is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

ISBN: Print 978-1-62315-098-3 | eBook 978-1-62315-099-0

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

T hroughout history, the consumption of raw fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices has been used as preventive medicine and to promote good health and healing, but for some reason, it never really caught on in the Western diet. And as people moved further away from unprocessed fruits and vegetables in their diets, health issues such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and strokes have radically increased.

The so-called diseases of excess are now at epidemic proportions. Fortunately, theres a simple answer for those interested in embracing a healthful lifestyle: put down the cheeseburger and pick up the smoothie! Dont cringethe pages to come will show you how to make this delicious.

Curing your health problems and avoiding disease is really as uncomplicated as changing your diet. As people learn more about how their bodies function and what causes disease, its becoming obvious that the key to living a long, healthy life is to eat right and exercise. Sounds simple, but thats truly all there is to it. In the course of this book, you will learn how to incorporate green fruits and vegetables into your diet in eye-opening ways that may surprise youand youre going to love them!

Whats the Big Deal about Green Smoothies?

The big deal is that they can literally save your life! Green fruits and vegetables contain chlorophyll, a special nutrient that you wont find in their brightly colored brothers and sisters. This will be covered in greater detail later, but for now, just know that your body needs chlorophyll to fight disease, keep your digestive tract and cardiovascular system clean and healthy, and fuel your brain and body. In essence, you cant live well without green veggies, as consumers of the fast-food Western diet are proving.

There are two reasons many people dont eat as much produce as they should: time and taste. Its much easier to grab a cheeseburger and fries or a sub than it is to sit down and eat a huge salad. No one would argue that chips are more convenient to carry around than a veggie plate, and a chocolate bar is certainly less messy to consume than an orange. However, in making these choices, youre trading health for convenience. Smoothies, on the other hand, provide a perfect solution to both of these excuses, being at once portable and delicious!

If youre eating a typical Western diet based on fast food, empty calories, and few nutrients, youre probably suffering from physical maladies such as energy crashes, acne, indigestion, constipation, and brain fog. You may write these symptoms off as the price of life on the go, but theyre actually the first signs that your body isnt getting what it needs to function properly. Fortunately, there is a way that you can quickly and easily get all of the benefits of eating a huge salad without actually having to do so.

In the following pages, you will learn all about the health benefits of green smoothies and how to create tasty, green drinks to suit your taste buds. Not in the mood to be creative? No problem; youll find simple detox plans here, along with tasty recipes for restoring health, energy, and beauty from the inside out. Getting healthy has never been so easy and delicious.

GREEN SMOOTHIES: WHATS ALL THE HYPE?

Y ouve probably seen beautiful, skinny people carrying cups full of what looks like pond ooze and just cant imagine yourself actually drinking something that color, even though you realize its probably excellent for your bodys well-being. Well, you should know youre seriously missing out! As scientists have come to understand just how much diet contributes to health, the importance of eating a healthful diet has never been more obvious, and one of the easiest ways to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your daily regimen is by tossing them into the blender.

There are about a million fad diets out there promising health and beauty, but most of them are garbage. Limiting your diet to only certain foods, eliminating an entire food group, or ingesting large amounts of one particular vitamin or supplement is almost certainly a recipe for failure, if for no other reason than the fact that your brain isnt wired to accept deprivation for long. The good news is that green smoothies arent a passing fad, and they dont require you to eliminate anything from your diet unless youre on a cleansebut thatll be covered later.

Green smoothies are simply an expedient, tasty, tried-and-true way to eat more fruits and vegetablesnothing more and nothing less. One of the many benefits youll likely reap is that youll find yourself eating less and craving fewer bad foods. This will occur because your body will finally be getting what it needs, and the fiber in the smoothies will make you feel full for several hours after you drink it. The result, of course, will be a slimmer, healthier you.