Well my darlings, are you ready for a new challenge?
I noticed that Sugar Free February went really well and that many of you not only embraced the challenge but were sad it was over. I suggest we start something new this month. Because, as I have already told you, healthy eating is not an exercise of removing food from our diets, but a process of adding foods with a rich nutritional value that are good for our health instead. For this, I propose starting to consume green juices for a week (such as spinach or cabbage) that are rich sources of magnesium, iron and calcium, antioxidant vitamins A, C, K and folic acid. This great cocktail of vitamins and trace elements protects the health of the eyes, protects the heart, helps us have strong bones, slows the aging of the cells and makes our skin and hair shine. And all this with just a handful of vegetables per day! Imagine how much healthier you will feel if you establish this in your diet forever, not just for a week! But because everyone needs somewhere to start from, let’s try this together and those who want can keep doing it. The idea for this challenge was stolen from my beloved Criss Karr, who managed deal with cancer through green juices and a vegan diet. Based on a latest research, we need to consume at least 7 servings of vegetables and fruits per day (1 portion = a handful) to reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Ideally, we should consume more vegetables and fewer fruits as fruits contain sugar (personally I try to limit them to 2 servings a day). A green smothered breakfast can easily get you 4 servings of vegetables and fruits, and only have 4 other servings remaining for other meals (easy to consume).
In addition, green smoothies enhance the immune system, help reduce cholesterol as they are a rich source of fibre, help in weight loss as fibre keeps it saturated for longer and increases our energy. Some Reminders for Green Enthusiasts:
– It is preferable to consume our vegetables and fruits in smoothies rather than juices, since smoothies keep the fibre that helps in good bowel function and offer a faster feeling of satiety. Also, plant fibres are nature’s mechanism to protect us from fruit over-consumption (and therefore fructose, which is a form of sugar overloading the liver) as they give the feeling of satiety faster than a juice. More about juice and smoothie differences here.
– It is important to alternate the green vegetables we use to get a wider range of vitamins, trace elements and phytonutrients.
– It would be good to add a little turmeric or ginger or lemon juice to our smoothies to facilitate the digestion of raw vegetables.
– It is also good to avoid eating too many frozen products as this may affect digestion. In Ayurveda it is recommended that all liquids should be at room temperature and never frozen.
– Finally, it is important that vegetables with most pesticides should be bought organically, or even buy any vegetable organically if possible. The EWG list of high-risk vegetables is a life-saver for our money.
– Green juices are good and beneficial but not for everyone! They should be avoided from those suffering from thyroid conditions, as most green leafy cells suppress the metabolism of iodine, which is necessary for the formation of the thyroid hormone. It is also advisable for those who take blood thinners to avoid this diet, as vitamin K, which is abundant in green leafy, antagonizes the action of these drugs. It is also good for people who have a history or predisposition to kidney stones to avoid this diet because it contains oxalic acid that binds with calcium in the body and can create stones. So, if you belong to some of the above categories, please avoid participating in the challenge, and as always if you have any health problems, consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet (as innocent as a change may seem!)
The instructions to participate in the challenge are as follows:
– Consume at least one green smoothie or juice. NO, MOJITOS DON’T COUNT!
– You can choose if you want to consume the smoothie in the morning or in the evening. I personally prefer to drink my smoothies every morning but if for any reason you can’t have it in the morning you can consume it in the evening as long as you still have one per day.
– The rest of the day you just eat what you want, though it would be good to avoid sugar and processed foods as much as possible to maximize the results.
– Anyone who decides to follow the challenge will receive recipes for 7 delicious green smoothies that I have selected for you in the mail as well as a list of the ingredients you’ll need to make the smoothies (you see how easy it is, don’t you?). You will choose what you want to make every day, thus shaping your own program. If you have a green smoothie that you love a lot and you want to make it or replace one of my own you are free to do it, it will just mess up the shopping list.
– There will be a team on Facebook posting the smoothies we make every day and our impressions on them, as well as a photo competition for the most beautiful smoothies.
You must admit this challenge is very easy! I think we can do it and it will be nice to start a healthy habit together!