The Healthy Green Drink Diet (13 page)

(twin gear) juicer. It operates at the slowest speed so oxidation is hardley an issue at all and has a two—

step process. First it crushes the fruits and greens and then it presses them. As you can imagine, triturating

juicers are quite expensive.

There are also specialized juicers specifically for wheatgrass; however, most masticating and triturating

juicers can handle wheatgrass as well. Since I only use a centrifugal juicer, I get my freshly squeezed

wheatgrass from either my local Sunday farmer’s market or my local Robeks.

It’s important to note that the lower the speed, the better in terms of nutrients. Significant oxidation

(oxygen causing the fruits and greens to decompose) occurs when green drinks are blended and to a lesser

degree when juiced. A triturating juicer causes the least amount of oxidation and is highly recommended

to those with serious health concerns.

I juice a lot less than I blend. In fact, I make a green smoothie at least once a day and regulate juicing to

when I need a quick pick-me-up or need to get rid of expiring fruits and vegetables. If I’m honest, it’s a

time thing. Juicing takes a lot of cleaning, assembling, and disassembling while blending is quick and

easy.

These recipes are a great starting place, and once you’ve learned the combinations you prefer, you can

begin to experiment.

My morning smoothie routine normally looks like this:

Fill the blender a quarter of the way with water or coconut water.

Add some frozen berries (whatever I have in the freezer).

Grab two giant handfuls of greens (whatever I have in the refrigerator).

Add a spoonful of raw almond butter or Libby’s Pumpkin.

Melt a big tablespoon of coconut oil in the microwave for thirty seconds and add it to the blender.

Blend.

Break this down into the template I spoke of and you have this:

Add some water.

Add fruit.

Add greens.

Add superfoods.

Blend.

For newbies and children, start with a higher percentage of fruits and slowly add more and more greens

until you’re ready to turn that sweet tooth into a green tooth. Also, skip the uncommon greens and stick

with spinach until your (or your kids’) palate adjusts.

It can’t get any easier than that. Be creative, try new things, experiment, and find what strikes your fancy.

Juicing vs. Blending

You’ll notice the recipes are split into two sections, smoothies and juices. But which is better? I’ll keep

this simple:

Juicing Benefits

Less oxidation. ever notice how a cut apple turns brown after leaving it on the counter for a while?

That’s called oxidation, and it’s the process of decomposition. The fruit is actually starting to

decompose and naturally, the nutrients are beginning to as well. Blending whips significant amounts of

air into the drink in order to work and therefore exposes the drink to a greater amount of oxidation. For

the least amount of oxidation, get a slow-speed triturating juicer.

Quick nutritional boost. Since all the fiber is removed, the vitamin, enzymes, and minerals in the juice