China Study and ETL are both on their way to my doorstep, since the recommendations for them were so prevalent throughout this thread.
Are soy substitutes for dairy allowed? Because I do like soy milk and could live with that substitution. Soy cheese I'd have to adapt to.
My last big concern is my penchant for Splenda. I use it once a day in the morning in my coffee, and I have not made my tastebuds grow up enough to like it black. I also like a bit of the brown sugar version in my oatmeal. Does anyone here use a natural sweetener for things like this?
...and is there any substitute for sugar-free Jell-O chocolate pudding? :giggle
I'm sure one or both of these books will answer further questions I have about supplements, but any tips from personal experience would be grand.
I switched from regular milk to soy milk and found that an easy switch. Soy milk is perfectly fine and I regularly use it on whole grain cereal for breakfast. You will need to decide whether you want the sweetened or unsweetened soy milk. ETL will recommend unsweetened because the sweetener is just empty calories and the simplest concept behind ETL is to just make sure you get good nutrition with every calorie (e.g. minimize your empty calories, maximize the nutrtional content of the calories you do consume).
I regularly use a little turbinado as a sweetener on oatmeal if I don't have fruit handy to go in it. It's raw cane sugar (brown in color) and has a better glycemic index than other forms of sugar. Though it's organic and lower in glycemic index, it's still mostly empty calories so to be used in moderation only.
I'm not aware of any advice against Splenda in TCS or ETL, particuarly in moderation (once per day). If anyone else recollects anything related to Splenda in those books, please chime in. For myself, I went from 5-6 diet sodas per day to none (I drink flavored waters now). I had read that it might help lower my cholesterol and clearly my body has to be better off without all the chemicals and caffeine from the diet sodas.
Good luck with the new books. Feel free to chime in here with any questions that come up.
As for the sugar-free Jello chocolate pudding, the best thing I can think of is a piece of fruit or a fruit smoothie. We went through a stage in our house where we worked hard to replace most junk food snacking with eating a piece of fruit. Once we got in the habit of having fresh fruit in the house, it wasn't too hard to retrain our impulses and still be plenty satisfied without any deprivation. In the seasons (like now), where we sometimes have perfectly ripe peaches around, it can be a real, real treat.
If you're talking about an occasional evening dessert (not a regular snack), there are also some excellent sorbets that are dairy free. One of my favorites is Haagen Daaz Coconut Sorbet. I find it at Whole Foods. It's definitely a "treat" because it has a fair amount of sugar in it, so moderation is important.
As for cheese, I just eat other things and don't look for a substitute. I know some people switch to a vegan diet and try to find replacement substitutes for everything they used to eat. I figured that wasn't going to work. Things like "meat and cheese substitutes" just didn't interest me at all and I figured they'd only make me long for the real thing because the substitutes wouldn't taste the same. Instead, I figured I needed to just learn a new way of eating that was centered around fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains. New recipes, new meals, new snacks. This was easier for the kids too because they weren't asking about a meat that tasted different than they expected - they were getting whole new recipes that they didn't have any preconceived expectations for.
You forgot the spinach!
Looks really delicious - especially as I didn't make one this am...but 32 oz at once? Mine would seperate before I got it finished!
Here is a green one from tonight.
Orange, kiwi, kale, asparagus, mushrooms, cucumber, flaxseed, peaches, strawberries, melon and a little honey. I think that is all.
I may have gone over the top with my combination of ingredients, but it tasted good.
Thanks, jfriend! I do mostly snack on fruits and veggies, but the pudding is around when I just want a taste of chocolate, which isn't very often. The occassional treat, as you say.
I'm lucky in that I weaned myself off sodas and lemonade 6 years ago and never looked back. Now it's one cup of coffee in the morning and water the rest of the day. I am a water junkie.
David, thank you for the recommendations. I love my nonfat plain yogurt with sliced banana and a bit of honey, though, so giving up on soy substitutes entirely may be a (very) gradual adjustment.
Thanks, jfriend! I do mostly snack on fruits and veggies, but the pudding is around when I just want a taste of chocolate, which isn't very often. The occassional treat, as you say.
I'm lucky in that I weaned myself off sodas and lemonade 6 years ago and never looked back. Now it's one cup of coffee in the morning and water the rest of the day. I am a water junkie.
David, thank you for the recommendations. I love my nonfat plain yogurt with sliced banana and a bit of honey, though, so giving up on soy substitutes entirely may be a (very) gradual adjustment.
Like ETL recommends for dairy and meat, I recommend you go hardcore for 6 weeks, then add stuff back that you want to. You will break the cycles that rule your eating. At least, that's how it worked for me.
My father-in-law is a chemist. He took one look at the properties of Splenda and promptly removed every scrap of it from their house. I'm not an expert, but I'd guess it doesn't fit very well into a whole foods plan. There is the idea of using certain things in moderation (I'm discovering I'm not that great at moderation), but I submit there are better things to use than Splenda. If necessary, an unrefined product like Sucanat (sugar cane natural) would probably be a better choice, and I'm sure there are others. The more unrefined, the more they contain the nutrients necessary to properly be used by the body. AFAIK, Splenda is a highly refined, not-so-natural product.
OK...off my soapbox.
Elaine
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
My father-in-law is a chemist. He took one look at the properties of Splenda and promptly removed every scrap of it from their house. I'm not an expert, but I'd guess it doesn't fit very well into a whole foods plan. There is the idea of using certain things in moderation (I'm discovering I'm not that great at moderation), but I submit there are better things to use than Splenda. If necessary, an unrefined product like Sucanat (sugar cane natural) would probably be a better choice, and I'm sure there are others. The more unrefined, the more they contain the nutrients necessary to properly be used by the body. AFAIK, Splenda is a highly refined, not-so-natural product.
OK...off my soapbox.
I make a lot of my smoothies the night before I want them for breakfast...to add a little more sweet to them I use dried STEVIA LEAVES....from most (there are more positive reports than negative) of the reports I have seen there are no bad after effects to Stevia and it can help with lowering the Blood Sugar for diabetics....when I use it on a regular basis it does justthat but it takes a lot of work to getthe amount of leaves to whatever figured out......you can used the white powered stevia (I recommend the 'NOW" brand as it seems the sweetest and comes with a measuring spoon, also disolves the best).......Stevia...not on the glycemic index...0 calories, o carbs, ZERO everything except sweetness and it is around 75X sweeter than sugar..........and you can grow it a home if you want too.
Yep, I'm aware of Stevia. We used to use it occasionally in iced tea, but we didn't care for the slight after-taste. Perhaps it was just the variety we had. Now we're fine with unsweetened teas. Art...have you found uses for Stevia beyond beverages?
Elaine
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
Yep, I'm aware of Stevia. We used to use it occasionally in iced tea, but we didn't care for the slight after-taste. Perhaps it was just the variety we had. Now we're fine with unsweetened teas. Art...have you found uses for Stevia beyond beverages?
there is a Stevia cookbook out....maybe 2.......I haven't purchaes any because I do not cook conventionally.....I only cook either in a microwave or on my Brinkman water (charcoal) smoker......no stove do I own:D...but yes when I cook Oatmeal I add a little of the leaves to it.....I do this forthe benefits of it on diabetes....I add it to a lot of things even if I woulkd never have added sugar to it for this reason....I have found it only has an after taste if I use toooooooo much.......
Thanks, jfriend! I do mostly snack on fruits and veggies, but the pudding is around when I just want a taste of chocolate, which isn't very often. The occassional treat, as you say.
I'm lucky in that I weaned myself off sodas and lemonade 6 years ago and never looked back. Now it's one cup of coffee in the morning and water the rest of the day. I am a water junkie.
David, thank you for the recommendations. I love my nonfat plain yogurt with sliced banana and a bit of honey, though, so giving up on soy substitutes entirely may be a (very) gradual adjustment.
For chocolate, (and I understand needing the occasional chocolate!) raw cocoa powder in things like vegan muffins and oatmeal really hits the spot. It's not exactly the same as digging into a moist delicious brownie or a creamy cup of pudding but once you cut back on the verboten stuff, it sure is heavenly.
Sure Dr Fuhrman recommends trying the eating plan for 6 weeks hardcore and it really does work. Or you can look at it Dr Campbell's way and think of it as a 1-month experiment. You can give up dairy for one month if you put your mind to it!
VitaMix
You may recall that I got a vitamix through the US Costco for my mom. Apparently it hasn't been used yet. Had a visit with her last night and she told me how much she was enjoying the "milkshakes" dad had been making for her, til one day when she found out what was in them! He had been loading them, per my advise, with spinach, avocado, flax seed etc. She has gotten to a point where she is actually eating (and dad is cooking) so I'm not so worried anymore. Will leave the vitamix with them for now.
The dh just called me to say that the local Costco has a vitamix (don't know the model #) for $400cdn! WooHoo. Should have it at home tonight! Am really excited about tomorrows smoothie. This a.m. I put spinach and avocado into one, but my blender leaves small green specs. Tomorrow, I expect perfectly pulverized spinach! Then it will be time to move to kale and other greens!!!
The dh just called me to say that the local Costco has a vitamix (don't know the model #) for $400cdn! WooHoo. Should have it at home tonight! Am really excited about tomorrows smoothie. This a.m. I put spinach and avocado into one, but my blender leaves small green specs. Tomorrow, I expect perfectly pulverized spinach! Then it will be time to move to kale and other greens!!!
ann
We just got the latest model I think, 5200, from our Costco for $395. Not sure if that's a great deal, but it seemed like a good one. Enjoy your pulverized spinach!
Elaine
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
So where are some good smoothie recipes at anyway? Besides heisting the JambaJuice recipe book
All over the net......let see how have I heard (ok seen) you and many others put (including me)....GOOGLE IS YOUR FRIEND:Drofl......oh yeah could search this thread also there are bunches on here too:D
Also....use your imagination.......get 5 or 6 or 2 or 3 or 4 fruits u like add some carrot and spinach or kale or broccoli and VITA MIX for around 2 minutes pour and drink..........1 st ingrediaent should always be at least a 1/4 cup of cold water.......and maybe more depending on the type of fruit....
So where are some good smoothie recipes at anyway? Besides heisting the JambaJuice recipe book
Here's a basic green smoothie that my kids love to drink. My 10-year old daughter asks for one before her soccer games because she thinks it gives her good energy for the game and I know it's healthier than what she used to eat.
Fill blender half full with washed spinach.
Add some water, enough to let you blend the spinach - start with 1/2 cup, add more of you can't get the spinach blended
Blend the spinach really well
Core and quarter a sweet red apple (I use Fuji apples)
Add one banana
Blend the apple and banana
Add frozen peaches and frozen mangos until the blender is about two thirds full
Add enough water to get it blended and to make it the consistency you want. Depending on your blender, you can make it really thick (eat it with a spoon) or drinkable.
This smoothie will be green in color. The apple seems to help make the smoothie sweet enough that it tastes great. The frozen fruit gives the smoothie that thick icy consistency without adding any ice. I've found that, if you care about the color of the smoothie (sometimes my kids do), you really have two choices: either you stay with lighter colored fruits so the spinach color controls the eventual color (a green smoothie) or you add a fruit that has a strong enough color to take over. I don't use strawberries, for example, because green and red make brown and it just looks weird. Tastes fine, but looks weird. It depends upon your audience.
Here's a different variation that will be dark blue instead of green. This is what I started my kids on when I didn't think they'd go for green.
Fill blender half full with washed spinach.
Add some water, enough to let you blend the spinach - start with 1/2 cup, add more of you can't get the spinach blended
Blend the spinach really well
Core and quarter a sweet red apple (I use Fuji apples)
Add one banana
Blend the apple and banana
Add frozen blueberries until the blender is about two thirds full
Add enough water to get it blended and to make it the consistency you want
If you're making it just for yourself, you may want to reduce the quantities. If you're making it for a first-time green smoothie drinker, you may want to start out with a little less spinach just to make sure you have a first time win. If you have a really powerful blender, you can probably just throw everything in together and mix it at once. I don't have a super powerful blender so it's more important for me to blend it in stages.
Yes Art. I know Google is my friend. It's been my friend for a long time. Initially, I'll trust the judgment of the fellow photogs in here over a random Google search.
I'm not real big on waste. So pitching in a bunch of stuff and hoping it turns out isn't hat appealing to me.
So where are some good smoothie recipes at anyway? Besides heisting the JambaJuice recipe book
My smoothie tips are a few dozen pages back by now, so I'll say them again
Buy a few bags of frozen fruits, we have frozen blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries. Get a bag of frozen greens, I buy frozen turnip or collard greens.
Then buy some of the freshest in season fruits you can find. In season means less environmental impact.
I start with 250ml of OJ (that's right suckers, METRIC!!! ) and I add 125ml or so of cran-grape or cran-pomegranate juice (okay so that's a cup and a half-cup for us 'mericans). Then I add equal parts fresh and frozen fruits and then put a bunch of the frozen greens on top. Blend and QED.
Some fun smoothie fresh fruit additions to try are kumquats (so good), pineapple (duh), pomegranate (takes a little time, but worth it), acai (pronounced ah-SIGH-ee, it's brazillian and it has more antioxidants than anything else on the planet I believe but you'll only find frozen or dried versions), goji berries (impress your meat-eating friends, goji berries have all of the essential amino acids), red currants, black currants, persimmon, papaya, melon, etc.
I'm not a fan of water in my smoothies. I find that a small amount of juice plus the juice in the fresh fruits is plenty to make a smoothie. You can simply adjust the blending time to make the smoothie as smooth or as thick as you'd like.
Y'all don't want to hear me, you just want to dance.
Yes Art. I know Google is my friend. It's been my friend for a long time. Initially, I'll trust the judgment of the fellow photogs in here over a random Google search.
I'm not real big on waste. So pitching in a bunch of stuff and hoping it turns out isn't hat appealing to me.
Cheers,
-Jon
AWww Jon I was just having a touch of fun with ya.......something to remember though.....if all of the ingredients are stuff you like it will still be good for you even if it looks like.......not real appetizing so to speak.....I have made a few smoothies that had a real bitter taste but I was looking for food to lower B/S and even though I had used POMS before but never the rind....its the rind of most fruit and veggies that had the magic in them.....I could not sweeten that smoothie enuff to get rid of the bitter but I drank them for 2 days and my B/S started a downward spiral.....then no more POMS in town......
You have said your a cook.....all great recipes start out as an EXPERIMENT and go thru the being tosssed in the garbage can until it is perfected.....just make small amounts so the waste is minimul......and also we all have different tastes for our food just like cameras and computers......
AWww Jon I was just having a touch of fun with ya.......something to remember though.....if all of the ingredients are stuff you like it will still be good for you even if it looks like.......not real appetizing so to speak.....I have made a few smoothies that had a real bitter taste but I was looking for food to lower B/S and even though I had used POMS before but never the rind....its the rind of most fruit and veggies that had the magic in them.....I could not sweeten that smoothie enuff to get rid of the bitter but I drank them for 2 days and my B/S started a downward spiral.....then no more POMS in town......
You have said your a cook.....all great recipes start out as an EXPERIMENT and go thru the being tosssed in the garbage can until it is perfected.....just make small amounts so the waste is minimul......and also we all have different tastes for our food just like cameras and computers......
Thanks for the advise Art
My words may have been mis-understood. I didn't take any offense. I was just replying
It's actually pretty strange. I've always been able to cook and know how a meal will taste when I add something before I even add it. I guess years of cooking just do that. But smoothies totally elude me
I've seen some recipes where I'd bet a paycheck that it wold be gross but it was a home run and vice versa.
I juice for breakfast and lunch already. So combining veggies doesn't confuse me. Maybe it's the yogurt that wacks everything out in my head
Whoops.. I'm rambling..
First vitamix smootie:
1 avocado
1/2 blender full of spinach - maybe 2 loosely packed cups
4 small carrots
2 to 3 cups frozen berries.
I tried to let it go without adding any extra liquid...but was defeated. Added som orange juice, then water, then more berries because I didn't like the orange taste.
Everything was well pulverized.
Time to do a big grocery shop - lots of fresh and frozen veg while I wait on my garden to grow.
Glad to retire my smoothie blender- it was ailing and certainly would not have handled carrots
And I want a green smootie! Berries - blueberry or blackberry- will turn anything red if you don't like green!
First vitamix smootie:
1 avocado
1/2 blender full of spinach - maybe 2 loosely packed cups
4 small carrots
2 to 3 cups frozen berries.
I tried to let it go without adding any extra liquid...but was defeated. Added som orange juice, then water, then more berries because I didn't like the orange taste.
Everything was well pulverized.
Time to do a big grocery shop - lots of fresh and frozen veg while I wait on my garden to grow.
Glad to retire my smoothie blender- it was ailing and certainly would not have handled carrots
And I want a green smootie! Berries - blueberry or blackberry- will turn anything red if you don't like green!
Did you VITAMIX come with a recipe book?? The Herbed Tomatois great....I do the cooked version as I just can't get by that dirt breown look...cooking it ( i use a crock pot) makes it a nice rich red......
There is also a great GREEN smoothie in there.........
I showed them the palms of my hands and they said, "Orange. Definitely orange there. Now that we know it's from that weird diet of yours, I can see the orange in your face, but I never would have thought that if you hadn't said. It still makes your skin look great."
Just be careful you don't end up this orange. :yikes
I'm not a fan of water in my smoothies. I find that a small amount of juice plus the juice in the fresh fruits is plenty to make a smoothie. You can simply adjust the blending time to make the smoothie as smooth or as thick as you'd like.
I used to use a combination of apple juice and water. The apple juice definitely makes it sweeter. But, I decided that there are better things for you than commerical fruit juices (lots of calories without some of the other good fruit stuff) so now I use just enough water to let the mixer do it's job. I find that the apple I put in the smoothie adds enough sweetness.
But, the great thing about smoothies is there are an infinite number of ways to make them and no two batches are ever quite the same and certainly none of us make them the same way. But, they are all good!
I made my first fruit smoothie with the tamper, that made it easier and I was not quite ready to have it pulled down. :yikes at least it does not touch.
I ordered the kit from Costco and it came with the Vita-Mix bag. It is very nice, wheeled, backpack straps and is big 24 x 16 x ~12. Hopefully it will inspire me to take it to my friend's or on the job and make a few smoothies on the go. :eat
Time to start expanding what I do with it and see what else I can make.
I made my first fruit smoothie with the tamper, that made it easier and I was not quite ready to have it pulled down. :yikes at least it does not touch.
I ordered the kit from Costco and it came with the Vita-Mix bag. It is very nice, wheeled, backpack straps and is big 24 x 16 x ~12. Hopefully it will inspire me to take it to my friend's or on the job and make a few smoothies on the go. :eat
Time to start expanding what I do with it and see what else I can make.
I used to use a combination of apple juice and water. The apple juice definitely makes it sweeter. But, I decided that there are better things for you than commerical fruit juices (lots of calories without some of the other good fruit stuff) so now I use just enough water to let the mixer do it's job. I find that the apple I put in the smoothie adds enough sweetness.
But, the great thing about smoothies is there are an infinite number of ways to make them and no two batches are ever quite the same and certainly none of us make them the same way. But, they are all good!
Indeed. I loves me some smoothies. Even though I don't have a VITAMIX
Y'all don't want to hear me, you just want to dance.
For chocolate, (and I understand needing the occasional chocolate!) raw cocoa powder in things like vegan muffins and oatmeal really hits the spot. It's not exactly the same as digging into a moist delicious brownie or a creamy cup of pudding but once you cut back on the verboten stuff, it sure is heavenly.
Sure Dr Fuhrman recommends trying the eating plan for 6 weeks hardcore and it really does work. Or you can look at it Dr Campbell's way and think of it as a 1-month experiment. You can give up dairy for one month if you put your mind to it!
On both of these I can give a big . I am still not 100% ETL people but I am pretty much a Whole Food Vegan. I am still there yet. I am not sure if I am ever going to be there, but so far 8% down on the weight in about seven weeks or so.
However what I like the most about this diet approach and why I like the foods in the [URL="ttp://www.tastebook.com/collections/59367-SmugDiet-?sh_id=6974&sharing_access_key=662de3ea9fe748731b3744476c14e0941bbf15a2"]Tastebook[/URL] as well as other web finds so much is that I do not feel like my body is fighting the food so much. ... I would eat stuff that I liked the taste of but my body did not like so much and made sure to let me know.
Also after about 4 weeks I can say that my tastes in food changed quite a bit. I now crave salads and greens and don't even like the look of a cheeseburger. I will say that give it a few weeks and you will be surprised. To quote Dr. Campbell, after a month if it doesn't work for you, what is the worst thing that happens you go back to eating the old stuff.
Oprah's big cleanse
So today I had a business lunch. So we get there and I look at the menu and every salad is cheese and bacon and... well you get the idea.
So I explain I want a greens salad no cheese, no bacon... the stuff I want. The waitress says, "I know what you want I am doing the Oprah 21 Day Cleanse also." At which point I go, huh? I have no idea what she is talking about. So out comes a ceasar salad, bathed in dressing, "An egg-less version of the traditional salad with parmesan croutons." So I explain, no dairy, eventually I got a ceasar salad hold the croutons and dressing. I have learned it is easier to get something off the menu without something than to ask for something special.
So I wanted to ask if anyone else is crossing paths with people who think we are doing the Oprah Cleanse?
However what I like the most about this diet approach and why I like the foods in the Tastebook...
Holy Toledo, thank you for that link! How very cool.
I just got my books yesterday and will dig in soon, but all these smoothie recipes and pictures made me want to experience the green smoothie myself, so I decided to have a go at it. I was a bit cautious since this was my first try, and I didn't have fresh greens on hand (already used them all--it's nearly grocery shopping time!), so I tossed in:
1 cup frozen spinach
1 cup carrots
1 banana
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup water
1/4 tsp honey
Cinammon
Ground cloves
It turned out okay. Looks horrid, and I used too much cloves, but not bad for my first try. Certainly drinkable. And now I have the rest of the spinach for dinner tonight! :eat
I also dug up the vegetarian cookbooks I have on hand and have been flagging recipes for ideas. Mmmm, new recipe experimentation. Always fun!
Comments
I switched from regular milk to soy milk and found that an easy switch. Soy milk is perfectly fine and I regularly use it on whole grain cereal for breakfast. You will need to decide whether you want the sweetened or unsweetened soy milk. ETL will recommend unsweetened because the sweetener is just empty calories and the simplest concept behind ETL is to just make sure you get good nutrition with every calorie (e.g. minimize your empty calories, maximize the nutrtional content of the calories you do consume).
I regularly use a little turbinado as a sweetener on oatmeal if I don't have fruit handy to go in it. It's raw cane sugar (brown in color) and has a better glycemic index than other forms of sugar. Though it's organic and lower in glycemic index, it's still mostly empty calories so to be used in moderation only.
I'm not aware of any advice against Splenda in TCS or ETL, particuarly in moderation (once per day). If anyone else recollects anything related to Splenda in those books, please chime in. For myself, I went from 5-6 diet sodas per day to none (I drink flavored waters now). I had read that it might help lower my cholesterol and clearly my body has to be better off without all the chemicals and caffeine from the diet sodas.
Good luck with the new books. Feel free to chime in here with any questions that come up.
As for the sugar-free Jello chocolate pudding, the best thing I can think of is a piece of fruit or a fruit smoothie. We went through a stage in our house where we worked hard to replace most junk food snacking with eating a piece of fruit. Once we got in the habit of having fresh fruit in the house, it wasn't too hard to retrain our impulses and still be plenty satisfied without any deprivation. In the seasons (like now), where we sometimes have perfectly ripe peaches around, it can be a real, real treat.
If you're talking about an occasional evening dessert (not a regular snack), there are also some excellent sorbets that are dairy free. One of my favorites is Haagen Daaz Coconut Sorbet. I find it at Whole Foods. It's definitely a "treat" because it has a fair amount of sugar in it, so moderation is important.
As for cheese, I just eat other things and don't look for a substitute. I know some people switch to a vegan diet and try to find replacement substitutes for everything they used to eat. I figured that wasn't going to work. Things like "meat and cheese substitutes" just didn't interest me at all and I figured they'd only make me long for the real thing because the substitutes wouldn't taste the same. Instead, I figured I needed to just learn a new way of eating that was centered around fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains. New recipes, new meals, new snacks. This was easier for the kids too because they weren't asking about a meat that tasted different than they expected - they were getting whole new recipes that they didn't have any preconceived expectations for.
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Oatmeal: mush up a ripe banana in it. Or cook it with diced apples and dates in it.
The big thing to do re: sugar, salt, fat is to adjust your taste to do without. You get used to it.
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Here is a green one from tonight.
Orange, kiwi, kale, asparagus, mushrooms, cucumber, flaxseed, peaches, strawberries, melon and a little honey. I think that is all.
I may have gone over the top with my combination of ingredients, but it tasted good.
I'm lucky in that I weaned myself off sodas and lemonade 6 years ago and never looked back. Now it's one cup of coffee in the morning and water the rest of the day. I am a water junkie.
David, thank you for the recommendations. I love my nonfat plain yogurt with sliced banana and a bit of honey, though, so giving up on soy substitutes entirely may be a (very) gradual adjustment.
Like ETL recommends for dairy and meat, I recommend you go hardcore for 6 weeks, then add stuff back that you want to. You will break the cycles that rule your eating. At least, that's how it worked for me.
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
OK...off my soapbox.
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
Elaine Heasley Photography
I make a lot of my smoothies the night before I want them for breakfast...to add a little more sweet to them I use dried STEVIA LEAVES....from most (there are more positive reports than negative) of the reports I have seen there are no bad after effects to Stevia and it can help with lowering the Blood Sugar for diabetics....when I use it on a regular basis it does justthat but it takes a lot of work to getthe amount of leaves to whatever figured out......you can used the white powered stevia (I recommend the 'NOW" brand as it seems the sweetest and comes with a measuring spoon, also disolves the best).......Stevia...not on the glycemic index...0 calories, o carbs, ZERO everything except sweetness and it is around 75X sweeter than sugar..........and you can grow it a home if you want too.
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
Elaine Heasley Photography
there is a Stevia cookbook out....maybe 2.......I haven't purchaes any because I do not cook conventionally.....I only cook either in a microwave or on my Brinkman water (charcoal) smoker......no stove do I own:D...but yes when I cook Oatmeal I add a little of the leaves to it.....I do this forthe benefits of it on diabetes....I add it to a lot of things even if I woulkd never have added sugar to it for this reason....I have found it only has an after taste if I use toooooooo much.......
For chocolate, (and I understand needing the occasional chocolate!) raw cocoa powder in things like vegan muffins and oatmeal really hits the spot. It's not exactly the same as digging into a moist delicious brownie or a creamy cup of pudding but once you cut back on the verboten stuff, it sure is heavenly.
Sure Dr Fuhrman recommends trying the eating plan for 6 weeks hardcore and it really does work. Or you can look at it Dr Campbell's way and think of it as a 1-month experiment. You can give up dairy for one month if you put your mind to it!
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You may recall that I got a vitamix through the US Costco for my mom. Apparently it hasn't been used yet. Had a visit with her last night and she told me how much she was enjoying the "milkshakes" dad had been making for her, til one day when she found out what was in them! He had been loading them, per my advise, with spinach, avocado, flax seed etc. She has gotten to a point where she is actually eating (and dad is cooking) so I'm not so worried anymore. Will leave the vitamix with them for now.
The dh just called me to say that the local Costco has a vitamix (don't know the model #) for $400cdn! WooHoo. Should have it at home tonight! Am really excited about tomorrows smoothie. This a.m. I put spinach and avocado into one, but my blender leaves small green specs. Tomorrow, I expect perfectly pulverized spinach! Then it will be time to move to kale and other greens!!!
ann
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We just got the latest model I think, 5200, from our Costco for $395. Not sure if that's a great deal, but it seemed like a good one. Enjoy your pulverized spinach!
Comments and constructive critique always welcome!
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Now I look at it and say, yum!
I find them to be really filling and satisfying so I'm not hungry for a long time.
All over the net......let see how have I heard (ok seen) you and many others put (including me)....GOOGLE IS YOUR FRIEND:D
Also....use your imagination.......get 5 or 6 or 2 or 3 or 4 fruits u like add some carrot and spinach or kale or broccoli and VITA MIX for around 2 minutes pour and drink..........1 st ingrediaent should always be at least a 1/4 cup of cold water.......and maybe more depending on the type of fruit....
:ivar :ivar :ivar :ivar :ivar :ivar :ivar :ivar :ivar
Here's a basic green smoothie that my kids love to drink. My 10-year old daughter asks for one before her soccer games because she thinks it gives her good energy for the game and I know it's healthier than what she used to eat.
- Fill blender half full with washed spinach.
- Add some water, enough to let you blend the spinach - start with 1/2 cup, add more of you can't get the spinach blended
- Blend the spinach really well
- Core and quarter a sweet red apple (I use Fuji apples)
- Add one banana
- Blend the apple and banana
- Add frozen peaches and frozen mangos until the blender is about two thirds full
- Add enough water to get it blended and to make it the consistency you want. Depending on your blender, you can make it really thick (eat it with a spoon) or drinkable.
This smoothie will be green in color. The apple seems to help make the smoothie sweet enough that it tastes great. The frozen fruit gives the smoothie that thick icy consistency without adding any ice. I've found that, if you care about the color of the smoothie (sometimes my kids do), you really have two choices: either you stay with lighter colored fruits so the spinach color controls the eventual color (a green smoothie) or you add a fruit that has a strong enough color to take over. I don't use strawberries, for example, because green and red make brown and it just looks weird. Tastes fine, but looks weird. It depends upon your audience.Here's a different variation that will be dark blue instead of green. This is what I started my kids on when I didn't think they'd go for green.
- Fill blender half full with washed spinach.
- Add some water, enough to let you blend the spinach - start with 1/2 cup, add more of you can't get the spinach blended
- Blend the spinach really well
- Core and quarter a sweet red apple (I use Fuji apples)
- Add one banana
- Blend the apple and banana
- Add frozen blueberries until the blender is about two thirds full
- Add enough water to get it blended and to make it the consistency you want
If you're making it just for yourself, you may want to reduce the quantities. If you're making it for a first-time green smoothie drinker, you may want to start out with a little less spinach just to make sure you have a first time win. If you have a really powerful blender, you can probably just throw everything in together and mix it at once. I don't have a super powerful blender so it's more important for me to blend it in stages.Homepage • Popular
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Yes Art. I know Google is my friend. It's been my friend for a long time. Initially, I'll trust the judgment of the fellow photogs in here over a random Google search.
I'm not real big on waste. So pitching in a bunch of stuff and hoping it turns out isn't hat appealing to me.
Cheers,
-Jon
Buy a few bags of frozen fruits, we have frozen blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries. Get a bag of frozen greens, I buy frozen turnip or collard greens.
Then buy some of the freshest in season fruits you can find. In season means less environmental impact.
I start with 250ml of OJ (that's right suckers, METRIC!!!
Some fun smoothie fresh fruit additions to try are kumquats (so good), pineapple (duh), pomegranate (takes a little time, but worth it), acai (pronounced ah-SIGH-ee, it's brazillian and it has more antioxidants than anything else on the planet I believe but you'll only find frozen or dried versions), goji berries (impress your meat-eating friends, goji berries have all of the essential amino acids), red currants, black currants, persimmon, papaya, melon, etc.
I'm not a fan of water in my smoothies. I find that a small amount of juice plus the juice in the fresh fruits is plenty to make a smoothie. You can simply adjust the blending time to make the smoothie as smooth or as thick as you'd like.
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AWww Jon I was just having a touch of fun with ya.......something to remember though.....if all of the ingredients are stuff you like it will still be good for you even if it looks like.......not real appetizing so to speak.....I have made a few smoothies that had a real bitter taste but I was looking for food to lower B/S and even though I had used POMS before but never the rind....its the rind of most fruit and veggies that had the magic in them.....I could not sweeten that smoothie enuff to get rid of the bitter but I drank them for 2 days and my B/S started a downward spiral.....then no more POMS in town......
You have said your a cook.....all great recipes start out as an EXPERIMENT and go thru the being tosssed in the garbage can until it is perfected.....just make small amounts so the waste is minimul......and also we all have different tastes for our food just like cameras and computers......
My words may have been mis-understood. I didn't take any offense. I was just replying
It's actually pretty strange. I've always been able to cook and know how a meal will taste when I add something before I even add it. I guess years of cooking just do that. But smoothies totally elude me
I've seen some recipes where I'd bet a paycheck that it wold be gross but it was a home run and vice versa.
I juice for breakfast and lunch already. So combining veggies doesn't confuse me. Maybe it's the yogurt that wacks everything out in my head
Whoops.. I'm rambling..
-J
1 avocado
1/2 blender full of spinach - maybe 2 loosely packed cups
4 small carrots
2 to 3 cups frozen berries.
I tried to let it go without adding any extra liquid...but was defeated. Added som orange juice, then water, then more berries because I didn't like the orange taste.
Everything was well pulverized.
Time to do a big grocery shop - lots of fresh and frozen veg while I wait on my garden to grow.
Glad to retire my smoothie blender- it was ailing and certainly would not have handled carrots
And I want a green smootie! Berries - blueberry or blackberry- will turn anything red if you don't like green!
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Did you VITAMIX come with a recipe book?? The Herbed Tomatois great....I do the cooked version as I just can't get by that dirt breown look...cooking it ( i use a crock pot) makes it a nice rich red......
There is also a great GREEN smoothie in there.........
Glad it is working for you...................
Just be careful you don't end up this orange. :yikes
I used to use a combination of apple juice and water. The apple juice definitely makes it sweeter. But, I decided that there are better things for you than commerical fruit juices (lots of calories without some of the other good fruit stuff) so now I use just enough water to let the mixer do it's job. I find that the apple I put in the smoothie adds enough sweetness.
But, the great thing about smoothies is there are an infinite number of ways to make them and no two batches are ever quite the same and certainly none of us make them the same way. But, they are all good!
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I made my first fruit smoothie with the tamper, that made it easier and I was not quite ready to have it pulled down. :yikes at least it does not touch.
I ordered the kit from Costco and it came with the Vita-Mix bag. It is very nice, wheeled, backpack straps and is big 24 x 16 x ~12. Hopefully it will inspire me to take it to my friend's or on the job and make a few smoothies on the go. :eat
Time to start expanding what I do with it and see what else I can make.
Sorbet. Yum.
Hummus. Yum.
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On both of these I can give a big
However what I like the most about this diet approach and why I like the foods in the [URL="ttp://www.tastebook.com/collections/59367-SmugDiet-?sh_id=6974&sharing_access_key=662de3ea9fe748731b3744476c14e0941bbf15a2"]Tastebook[/URL] as well as other web finds so much is that I do not feel like my body is fighting the food so much. ... I would eat stuff that I liked the taste of but my body did not like so much and made sure to let me know.
Also after about 4 weeks I can say that my tastes in food changed quite a bit. I now crave salads and greens and don't even like the look of a cheeseburger. I will say that give it a few weeks and you will be surprised. To quote Dr. Campbell, after a month if it doesn't work for you, what is the worst thing that happens you go back to eating the old stuff.
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So today I had a business lunch. So we get there and I look at the menu and every salad is cheese and bacon and... well you get the idea.
So I explain I want a greens salad no cheese, no bacon... the stuff I want. The waitress says, "I know what you want I am doing the Oprah 21 Day Cleanse also." At which point I go, huh? I have no idea what she is talking about. So out comes a ceasar salad, bathed in dressing, "An egg-less version of the traditional salad with parmesan croutons." So I explain, no dairy, eventually I got a ceasar salad hold the croutons and dressing. I have learned it is easier to get something off the menu without something than to ask for something special.
So I wanted to ask if anyone else is crossing paths with people who think we are doing the Oprah Cleanse?
Link to Oprah's Blog
Link to what the cleanse is
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Holy Toledo, thank you for that link!
I just got my books yesterday and will dig in soon, but all these smoothie recipes and pictures made me want to experience the green smoothie myself, so I decided to have a go at it. I was a bit cautious since this was my first try, and I didn't have fresh greens on hand (already used them all--it's nearly grocery shopping time!), so I tossed in:
1 cup frozen spinach
1 cup carrots
1 banana
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup water
1/4 tsp honey
Cinammon
Ground cloves
It turned out okay. Looks horrid, and I used too much cloves, but not bad for my first try. Certainly drinkable. And now I have the rest of the spinach for dinner tonight! :eat
I also dug up the vegetarian cookbooks I have on hand and have been flagging recipes for ideas. Mmmm, new recipe experimentation. Always fun!