The Green Smoothie Controversy - To Smoothie or Not? The Argument for a Greens & Vegetable Heavy Smoothie

 

The Healthy Librarian's Vegetable-Heavy Smoothie - Mostly Kale (8 cups), 2 carrots, 1 orange, and 1 cup of berries

 

 

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version with all the links & photos--and to comment.  I love feedback.

Yesterday, I received this email from Gael, a long-time HHLL reader:

 

"This does not make me happy!"

To Smoothie or Not to Smoothie.  The Skinny on Blending Your Fruits & Vegetables.

 

Gael was referring to a recent blog post written by Lani Muelrath, presenting the case against smoothies.

Lani's post didnt' make me happy, either.  Not all smoothies are created equal.  And I don't agree with all of her arguments against them.  But, hey, there's room for differences of opinion.  

Until I see a study that looks exactly at the digestion & nutrient absorption of my power-packed Green Smoothie, and convinces me otherwise--I'm sticking to my Green Smoothies.  Using a study that compares an apple to apple sauce is just not the same!   Sorry. 

I wrote a lengthy response back to Gael, and then I decided to share it with all of you.

I'm not looking to stir up controversy.  I just want to present another point of view.

 

My Smoothies Have Grown-Up--More "Savory" Than Sweet

 

Not all Smoothies are created equal!   And they shouldn't be judged in the same way.

It's just like lumping the health of all vegans together. 

Think about getting more vegetables into your body--not more fruit.  No one has a problem eating enough fruit--right?   It's the kale that can be more of a challenge--especially if you work.

Make your smoothies with a 4:1 ratio of vegetables (mostly greens) to fruit, & concentrate on low-sugar high-nutrient fruits like mixed berries, citrus or kiwi, &  maybe 1/2 an apple.   I use 1 orange, 1 cup of berries, & maybe 1/2 of a large apple in a smoothie that's large enough to last 2 days---almost 64 ounces.  That's not much fruit, at all!  

The bulk of calories in this smoothie come from kale & carrots:  177 calories are from the vegetables!  That's 72%!!

My 64 ounce smoothie--that lasts 2 days--consists of:

• 8 packed cups of organic kale
• 2 large organic carrots
• 1 very juicy orange (or a kiwi)
• 1 cup of berries (usually mixed--but I only had wild blueberries today)
• Occasonally I'll also add 1/2 of a large Honey Crisp apple
• 3 cups of plain water--I like a drinkable smoothie

 

 

 

Nutrition Facts The Healthy Librarian's Vegetable Heavy Green smoothie Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 247 Total Fat 2.7g       Saturated Fat 0.2g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 164mg Carbohydrate 55.3g       Dietary Fiber 12.5g       Sugars 17.5g Protein 10.9g Vitamin A 1,295% Vitamin C 624% Calcium    45% Iron 31%

A Power-Packed Nutrient-Dense High-Fiber High-Protein Snack to Sip Through Out the Day

 

 

Here are my thoughts on Green Smoothies:

• The majority of the ingredients should be greens:  kale, collards, spinach, or Swiss Chard
• Include carrots or other, not-too-strong flavored vegetables, if you like.  Like celery, parsley, cucumbers, bok choy, or even cooked beets
• NEVER add a sweetener or fruit juice or yogurt or non-dairy milk!
• Fruit should be limited to about a quarter of the contents--I prefer berries, an orange, maybe 1/2 an apple.  All low-sugar fruits.
• There is no way I could consume all these greens without drinking an almost daily smoothie, and I don't drink it as a meal replacement--or down it all at once.  I'll divide it over the course of a day--as part of a snack, have a little with my lunch, after a work-out, or on my way home from work.   There is no sugar rush whatsoever from my smoothies.  It keeps me from overeating--and keeps my blood sugar steady.
• Diabetics or people with insulin-resistance may be wise to avoid them, consult their physicians---or drastically lower the fruit content of their smoothies.  
• Dr. Esselstyn advises his patients (primarily people with heart disease, & some with other complications like type-2 diabetes) to avoid them.  I want to make that very clear.  These are my opinions--not his.
  
• If you are adding mostly fruit smoothies to your usual diet--you will likely gain weight!

 

Why Dr. Esselstyn Disapproves of Green Smoothies (my words--not a direct quote from him)

 

Dr. Esselstyn is not a fan of "Green" smoothies, because they're usually made with  lots of fruit--and for some folks that quick rush of sugar can be a problem for their blood sugar &/or their triglycerides--and maybe not much different than drinking fruit juice.  

And Esselstyn is a firm believer in chewing fruit--not drinking it--to get that amylase in the saliva flowing, I think.  Amylase is an enzyme found in the saliva that helps to digest starches & separate out glucose for storage & usage. Click here to learn more  And then there's the concern of getting too many added calories with the fruit in smoothies.  All valid concerns.

 

My Amateur Argument for Green Smoothies--Dr. Joel Fuhrman-Inspired

 

I respectfully disagree with Lani.  The study she cites as an argument against smoothie, compares eating an apple with eating applesauce or drinking  apple juice that has a fiber supplement added to it.  That is not enough to convince me.  Applesauce is a fruit, it's heat-processed, and the peel has been removed.  It's not comparable to drinking a fresh, vegetable-heavy Green Kale Smoothie. 

And the purpose of the Penn State study was more about the benefits of eating raw apples before a meal to curb your appetite--which is exactly how I use my Green Smoothie.  

 

My Mostly Vegetable Green Smoothie - Not Very Different From Vegetable Soup

Many people make sweet smoothies filled mostly with fruit--and sure, that could be a quick rush of insulin.   My smoothies are mostly kale & carrots, an orange, berries, & sometimes an apple.   They aren't at all sweet, and those are low-sugar foods.

With all due respect to the "Anti-Smoothie" Theory--that it interferes with satiety, makes you crave more calories, & that it "disrupts" fiber in a negative way--it just doesn't make sense to me!

Dr. Fuhrman specifically explains how breaking down the tough cellulose opens the vegetables' cell walls & makes it easier for us to absorb its nutrients.

 

The Up-Side of Smoothies--According to Dr. Joel Fuhrman

This comes from Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Eat for Health book, vol. 1.  It certainly makes sense to me--and I absolutely can see (literally) the benefits of my morning/afternoon "green heavy" smoothie snack & this excerpt is what influenced me to make vegetable-heavy green smoothies.

Juicing & Blending:

All plants are composed of cells whose walls consist mainly of cellulose, a type of carbohydrate.  Humans do not have the enzyme capable of breaking down cellulose, so we cannot utilize cellulose as an energy source.  The only way we can break down these walls and release the most nutrients possible from the cells into the blood is by thoroughly chewing fruits and vegetables.

However, when we chew a salad, we often don't do an efficient job of crushing every cell; about 70-90 percent of the cells are not broken open.  As a result, most of the valuable nutrients contained within those cells never enter our bloodstream and are lost.  They just travel through our bodies until they are excreted.  This is one of reasons why practicing the chewing exercises detailed in Phase One is so important to the Eat for Health plan.

An even more efficient way to ensure you receive these needed nutrients is using a blender to puree raw, leafy greens.  The blending process aids your body in the work of breaking down and assimilating nutrients.  It guarantees that a higher percentage of nutrients will be absorbed into your bloodstream.

Making "green smoothies" or "blended salads" is also a delicious and convenient way to pump up your consumption of greens.  It is amazing how many people love the taste of these liquefied mixtures of raw greens and fruit that can be made in a high-powered blender.  While you sip or eat a creamy smooth blended salad with a spoon, think about all of the nutrients that are now powering your body to restore and maintain optimal health.  Savory blended salads can be made with endless combinations of vegetables & fruits.

And it continues on.  

Heat softens the cellulose walls of vegetables--which is why we can often better absorb nutrients from vegetable soups -- we don't usually chew our soups--especially blended ones. 

 

 

Kicking Green Smoothies Up a Notch with Dr. MGs Power Green Smoothie - It Powers Her All Day

 

 

 

First off, I've got to tell you about son #2 (the 28 year-old)--a lawyer who rarely cooked when he was in law school.  That's when he first started to make Green Smoothies--as a way to get some quick, easy, quality nutrition into his body.  Eventually he kicked his smoothie-making up a notch, too.   He used to make his with mild spinach, heavy on the fruit.  Then he graduated into the kale world, and adding carrots in to the mix. 

In his words,  "Oh yeah, kale really does make a difference.  Mom, did you know there's a web site all about the benefits of kale?   365 Days of Kale.  Written by a cancer-surviving dietitian.  Check it out!"   I did--you should, too. 

Now back to Dr. MG.  She's a busy second year medical resident or fellow (not sure which now) with whom I correspond occasionally.  She's got a crazy busy schedule--but Dr. MG is serious about nutrition & a nutrient-dense diet.  She blogs about medicine & life as a resident at Adverse Effects.

Almost a year ago, she picked right up on my comment that Dr. Esselstyn isn't a huge fan of smoothies, because he's concerned that they're too fruit heavy--and he thinks it's better to chew your food--not drink it.  Here's why I got hooked on green smoothies back in 2008.

Here's what Dr. MG had to say:

"Hey, green smoothies don't have to have too much fruit!

For today's smoothie I packed the hopper full of dandelion greens, dino kale, parsley, and arugula.

Then I added a lemon, baby beet, carrot, small knob of fresh turmeric root, chia seeds, wild blueberries, and a few frozen strawberries.

I admit I'd never choke this down without a nice thick glass straw, but it truly fills me up, gives me more energy, and my skin tone looks better than it has in years. Can't get around the no chewing, tho'."

 

Not enough info for me.  "Tell me more."   I wanted more exact amounts.  Dr. MG delivered & here's what she wrote back.  Honestly, I'm going to try some of her ingredients:  Fresh turmeric, the power-packed antioxidant--I never knew it came in any other form but powdered in a jar--beets, cayenne?  Wow!

 

"My smoothies are limited only by the size of the Vitamix container.

The vegetables:

I cram as many greens as I can into the hopper. Dandelion and arugula go bad fast, so I try to use them within a couple days of purchase. Kale, parsley, and cabbage keep longer. Oh, and I include the stems!

Today, I had no room for celery, but I usually add that, too. I usually add 1-2 carrots. Any size will do, but mine tend to be smaller as I buy them in 1 lb bags.

I add raw beet to most smoothies, either a single baby or a chunk of a larger one. Gives it a deep fuschia color.

The fruits:

I usually add half-to-one cup of frozen wild blueberries in every smoothie plus one other fruit. Today I added ~5 organic strawberries. I know they're not in season, but they add a nice flavor. I often add half a lightly peeled grapefruit.

Orange gives a very nice flavor, too. A peeled lemon or two is refreshing.

But the point is that adding two of the above fruits really doesn't break the sugar bank. On rare occasions I'll add half a banana or a whole one if I'm serving someone less accustomed to weird smoothies. :-)

The spices:

I get the turmeric at Whole Foods. For the sake of accuracy, I should add that it's a rhizome, or an underground stem. It has a fairly unique flavor that is stronger than the powdered version.

Fresh ginger (also a rhizome!) goes wonderfully in smoothies.

Savory smoothies (e.g., lemon/parsley/tomato/beet/celery) do very well with a little cayenne.

MG's Mixing Technique:

I fill the container about 3/4 full with water after I add the solid contents.

When blending, I always wrap a clean rag around the tamper and spout to avoid splash. 

About That Glass Straw: 

I want to emphasize the importance of a good glass straw to get these smoothies down. At a minimum, the veggie bits get stuck in teeth and blueberries/beets stain.

For more strongly flavored smoothies, the straw really softens the flavor. You can water the smoothie down more if it's too thick for a straw.

I use smoothie straws from glassdharma.com. They're strong, not too expensive, and have a great warranty. The skinnier version is great for tea or coffee. Be sure to get the pipewire cleaner (comes with all sets or is available for sale). Hope this helps. I'm the first to admit that this approach is unconventional, but I know I'd be a lot less healthy without my veggie-heavy smoothies. Let me know how your smoothie adventures go!

Smoothie Words of Advice from the Doc:

You know, I should add that I really don't use recipes for the smoothies. I buy whatever looks good at Whole Foods (oh, how I miss California farmers markets!) and chuck it into the VitaMix.

My rule of thumb is that if you can eat it raw then it's fit for the VitaMix!:-)

I might limit certain potent ingredients if I'm serving the uninitiated since I can see how my smoothie tastes have evolved since I started doing this last June. Another great perk is that my produce never goes bad anymore!"

 

 

Dr.  Maring's Amazing V-7 Juice

 

 

"A well known vegetable juice blend (can you guess which one?) has 480 mg of sodium in its "classic" version.  In response to new national guidelines about sodium intake - 2300 mg per day for many, but 1500 mg per day for all people 51 years of age and older, African Americans of all ages, or anyone with heart disease, kidney disease or hypertension - they offer a lower sodium version that has 140 mg per cup.

Here's a homemade Farmer's Market knock-off I call V-7 for obvious reasons.  As a teaspoon of salt has about 2300 mg of sodium, you can make your own low sodium version with a half teaspoon of salt for 8 cups.  The heavy dose of Tabasco doesn't add that much sodium as it only has about 30 mg per teaspoon."

-Dr. Preston Maring, a Kaiser Permanente physician and surgeon with 36 years of experience in obstetrics and gynecology.  Because of his passion for organic local produce & cooking, Maring started the Friday Fresh Farmer’s Market at Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center in May 2003-

 

This was written at the end of the summer--August, 2011. 

When you go away in August, you better believe you come home to loaded-down tomato plants.

Before even unpacking the car, my husband headed out to the backyard to see how his beloved tomato plants were doing.  He filled baskets with mega-giant Brandywine heirloom tomatoes and plenty of sweet 100 cherry tomatoes.

On Monday morning before heading off to work I spotted Dr. Maring's recipe for V-7 juice on my RSS feed & printed it off for my husband to see.  Hint! Hint!

He fell for the bait.  When I got home I found 2 half-gallon jugs filled with this gorgeous amazing anti-oxidant orange-colored smoothie concoction.   OMG!  Fabulous!

Of course he improvised a bit.  He added more garlic than Dr. Maring.  Maybe more tomatoes.  And a dash or two of Worcestershire Sauce.   But, this is just a template.  Create your own V-7 Juice.

I think even Dr. Esselstyn would approve of this all vegetable smoothie.  He's not a fan of "Green" smoothies because they're usually made with fruit--and for some folks that quick rush of sugar can be a problem for their blood sugar &/or their triglycerides--and maybe not much different than drinking fruit juice.   And Esselstyn is a firm believer in chewing fruit--not drinking it--to get that amylase in the saliva flowing, I think.   And then there's the issue of added calories with the fruit in smoothies. 

 

Dr. Maring's V-7 Juice (modified by my husband) - A Smoothie Maybe Even Dr. Esselstyn Would Approve Of

Click here for the original recipe

 

Ingredients

Makes about 8 or more cups — about 2 servings of vegetables per cup

8 heirloom tomatoes, cored and chunked  (our heirlooms were gigantic--so my husband used about 4)  NOTE:  I think the fresh heirloom tomatoes are the secret to the delicious taste.
6 medium carrots, chunked
4 celery stalks, chunked
1 medium yellow onion, chunked
About 1/2 cup fresh parsley, loosely packed
1/2 bunch spinach  (about 4 cups)
4 cloves garlic  (my husband grew his own this year--OMG what a difference from the grocery store variety.  He used Georgia Fire garlic for this juice)
Water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (to taste)

Worcestershire sauce to taste (vegan or regular)

Note:  He made ours in a Vita-Mix (of course), in batches, as Dr. Maring suggests.

Dr. Maring suggests doing this about 4 cups at a time in your blender or food processor. Divide the veggies — 1/2 the tomatoes, carrots, etc. Put the squishier vegetables in first, e.g. tomatoes and onions. Add the rest of the vegetables then water to make four cups. Blenderize. Transfer to whatever storage container you are going to use in the refrigerator. Process the remaining vegetables with water. Mix all together and stir in salt and Tabasco. Chill. Maring says his turned out sort of a weird green color but it sure tasted good.

As you can see, ours was a gorgeous pinky orange.

 

Nutrition Facts Dr. Maring's Low Sodium V7 Juice
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	78
Total Fat	1g
Saturated Fat	0g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	142mg
Carbohydrate	17.1g
Dietary Fiber	4.2g
Sugars	8.1g
Protein	2.5g
Vitamin A 319% Vitamin C 67% Calcium    6% Iron 9%

 

Honestly, after tasting this savory blend of juice, I just might start making fruit-free savory smoothies a regular habit!

And maybe tonight I'll turn some of the leftover V-7 into a super-healthy Bloody Mary!

 

So, there you have it.

A lot of words that can be summed up into just five: I think Veg-Heavy Smoothies Rock!!

Please tell me what you think!  To Smoothie or Not?  That is the question.

 

Comments

[Sue in Denver]

Hi HL,
I follow Esselstyn's "diet" almost perfectly, and five days a week I have this green smoothie (thrown into the VitaMix):
-A huge handful of organic spinach
-1/3 bunch organic kale
-1 head organic romaine
-1 tablespoon Chia or ground flax seed
-One lemon (excluding peel)
Fill Vitamix with cold, filtered water and blend well!
Delicious and just what you said--no way would I/could I eat all those greens every day!

[Sue in Denver]

PS-my "smoothie" is more juice-like in consistency.

[The Healthy Librarian]

@Sue, how could anyone have a problem with the kind of smoothie you're drinking! And just out of curiosity--do you notice any differences when you skip a day or two? I know I do!

You make me want to really blend up a salad, complete with a little balsamic vinegar--for a truly blended salad, and see how that tastes.

[La Donna Flagg]

I was concerned about the amount of fruit in my smoothie and I may try the suggestions above, but I add a cup of white beans along with some greens to mine for similar reasons.

[The Healthy Librarian]

@La Donna. Beans? Now that is an interesting addition. Amazing all the new uses for beans I'm discovering. In brownies, in chocolate humus, as a luscious lemon sauce for roasted vegetables.

[Teresa Kato]

So jazzed to read this post. I had read Lani's rationale for excluding green smoothies from a healthy diet and disagreed on a practical level (I feel great when I include them in my diet) but didn't have the research background or the science savvy to dispute it. I was particularly flummoxed by the seeming backing of Dr. Esselstyn, one of my health heroes (and you're another, by the way), so I truly appreciate your spin on Essie's view... his dietary recommendations and limitations are geared toward those with heart disease and other conditions that I do not have. Thanks to you HL... I will happily continue drinking my beloved green smoothies several days a week!

[elizabeth]

I think your green drink is great. Definitely the right way to do a "smoothie". I have a huge garden and make green juices with the excess, but would like to switch to smoothies. I've never been into smoothies because they usually make me too cold, but don't think your recipe would. Vitamix is on my wish list. My question for you and other readers is, have your ever used frozen kale? I briefly blanch and freeze all my kale in the summer, for winter eating, and have a whole freezer full.

[Chell]

Hi HL. Great topic. As it isn't possible for our kids to spread the smoothie out over the course of the day, we will typically have one with our breakfast and one with dinner. Do you think this might be too much sugar intake at one sitting? Also, I'm not sure I understand the nutritional differences in drinking a vegetable drink via juicing versus a green smoothie from a blender. I know Dr. Fuhrman recommends juicing. Can you help out with this? Thanks so much!

[The Healthy Librarian]

@Teresa. Thank you so much! I know I feel the difference when I drink them from when I'm out-of-town, and cannot. I see only positives for my particular body.

@Elizabeth. David Hunker over on HHLL - HL facebook was just saying he uses WF frozen kale exclusively. If I had a supply from my garden, I would use it. Only a food scientist could give you the low-down of the differences. I haven't a clue.

@Chell. If I had young kids & they were willing to drink a smoothie, I'd be very happy. You could always serve them some in the am, & some after school, or after dinner. If I'm understanding your question--juicing usually means extracting the juice from the fiber, and that for sure could give someone a sugar rush. Blending is the same as using a VitaMix or a high-power blender that liquifies the vegetables & fruit and retains the fiber.

[Chell]

Thanks, HL, for your response regarding the kids. It's always helpful to put things into perspective. As a recovering perfectionist, I can easily lose sight of the bigger picture. Not to say that continual improvement isn't important, but it's definitely a process rather than a destination. ; )

Regarding juicing vs blending - wouldn't one cup of 100% vegetable juice pack more nutrition than one cup of 100% vegetable smoothie? I understand that the fiber in a smoothie is very beneficial to our digestive system, and so I'm trying to understand the juicing proponents and what the experts would say.

[Jim Richardson]

Glad to see kale getting more publicity here. Many don't realize that kale is one vegetable you can pick fresh all through winter in most climates, even here in the "Great White North". Ask people who live in Finland near the Arctic circle about kale; it's a staple there as they cannot grow too many things outside. I live on a hilltop south of Buffalo, NY, typically over 200" of snow each year, one of the snowiest spots in the USA. As a geezer, by now I've tried every seed variety of kale I could get my hands on and recommend Winterbor as the clear #1 choice for autumn and winter eating and hardiness to both snow loading and raw cold temperatures. It is hardy beyond belief and tastes as good as any you can buy. I have about 40 18-inch diameter plants in my garden at the moment, and even though growth has halted under the snow, it's enough to last me 3 pickings a week until spring when the snow melts and the sun returns. One caution: if you have deer on your property, they love it and will even dig the roots under snow as well. You must grow it within 4 foot tall fencing in about 4 foot wide galleries or small circular 4 foot fencing areas: deer will not leap into such small areas. I also have 3 cats who love it cooked as a treat, not raw, but I don't expect many people to believe me. I wouldn't have. Red Russian is also a tasty variety that doesn't have the look of borecole but wilts quickly so you seldom see it in markets, and it not as cold-hardy as Winterbor hybrid. But both are easy to grow and start from seed and have few insect pests. I have yet to spray any of my plants. Hope this helps. Fresh garden veggies in the dead of winter?! -- not many people can say that but you can too if you try.

Jim Richardson, catsadored.com

[Janet Mace]

I read this post as I ate some leftover Cajun Kale/Rice soup (made a batch yesterday as it really RAINED in So. Calif. and it gave me plenty of time to shop and cook). I love all the vegan stews and soups, but smoothies do not tempt me at all. I don't like drinking my food, I guess and I never used a juicer that I paid over $300 for back in our hippie years of the 1970's, so VitaMix is out of the question. It's an interesting debate I guess, but I'll just watch from the sidelines.

[Carole Hwang]

Thanks for the super timely post! After months of Osterizing, I finally got a Vitamix over the weekend. Smoothie on! I could never chew the amount of kale and carrots that I have in my smoothies!

[linda mandel]

Debbie, could you explain why you wrote not to put non-dairy milk in a smoothie? I have a green smoothie for breakfast, and without the soy milk, it does not hold me as long.

My smooothie is kale, cooked squash or carrots, berries, flax, 1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk and a scoop of Shakeology (for the special nutrients it provides).

Thanks, Linda

[The Healthy Librarian]

@Jim, I'm putting my husband-the vegetable gardener--in touch with you!! He wasn't too successful growing kale this summer--and I want to save money by growing it--not buying it! He needs to know your tricks of the trade, although you've shared a lot in this post already! Thank you so much!

@ Chell: I'm definitely not an expert, but veg juice would certainly seem healthier than fruit juice. I'm all about eating the fiber. But, others think there are advantages both as a juice & a blended drink. Can't help you too much in that dept.

@Linda: So sorry about that off-the-cuff comment about "not adding non-dairy milk or yogurt" As far as I know there's no scientific or logical reason to leave them out. I just meant it as, "It's not necessary to add non-dairy milk or yogurt to your smoothie" -- because a lot people think you have to add "milk" or "yogurt" to make it a nutritious smoothie. There's no reason to leave it out! If it tastes better that way--for sure you should do it!!! I better edit that comment ASAP.

[Chris in Ithaca]

I'm so glad you posted this! I too had read with dismay Lani Muelrath's post a couple days ago, & felt pretty strongly that it was too general a dismissal of smoothies (IMHO):). As you've said, I know I couldn't consistently eat the amount of greens I can pack into a smoothie, and felt that if the alternative is not ingesting the greens, I was way better off getting those greens nutrients (fiber included) in me, than not. There are so many smoothie recipes out there that are really heavy on the fruits, with usually a small amount of just spinach added to qualify as a green smoothie. (Green-washing in smoothie-dom!) As those of us who've been drinking them awhile know, your tolerance for earthy over sweetness grows. I've used frozen greens when I had none fresh, and find that a fresh beet gives some sweetness & nutrients (& really improves the color!). I've always used water as the liquid too. Dr. E talks about the lack of satiety from not eating greens whole, but as you've said, Debby, I don't use them as a meal replacement, but as a supplement/healthy snack. Thanks again for posting this!

[The Healthy Librarian]

@Chris in Ithaca: So well said, Chris!!! I really appreciate your thoughtful & articulate response.

Where have I been? I only discovered Lani Muelrath about 3 weeks ago when a reader sent me her post in response to Tara Parker Pope's "Fat Trap" article on Jan. 1st. And then another reader sent me this smoothie post.

[Chris in Ithaca]

You're so busy reading and watching the source "docs" (pun intended!) and sharing them with the rest of us, along with all your knowledgeable commentary and notes! I've learned so much from you, and always look forward to your latest posts. merci beau coup.

[elizabeth]

There seem to be many Vitamix models, which do you recommend?

[The Healthy Librarian]

@Elizath, the basic 5200 with a 64 ounce container will work great.

[Mitzi]

Smoothies can be a nutritional life-saver when things get so hectic and stressful that there is no time to eat, or GI trouble interferes. I developed stress-induced gastritis a few years ago, and started dropping weight (I'm tall and thin- went from 5'10" 145 lbs to 133 in spurts of loss over a few months). The only way I stopped the loss was with smoothies- including peanut butter and/or chocolate with frozen fruit and soy milk. NOT Esselstyn approved, I know, but I had to do something to get calories to go down and get absorbed. I'll have to try the vegetable kind when I can purchase a better blender. My weight stabilized (still eating lots of snacks) at about 137- what I weighed at 30!
For people who struggle to keep weight or are recovering from illness, the right smoothie can be a way to get good nutrition in a palatable form.

[Natala]

There is a lot of discussion in this thread on this subject: http://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=22483

For me - as someone who was an out of control diabetic and morbidly obese they are not a good idea. Even as you describe. When you strip the fiber from the vegetable or fruit there are issues that arise. For people who are thin and do not have health problems - maybe they work just fine and they don't notice the really bad effects of the smoothie, but to suggest them for people who are sick or obese would be a really big problem, especially with issues of blood pressure (Dr. E says they raise BP as well). Dr. Esselstyn, McDougall, Klapper, Jeff Novick, Dr. Sultana, Goldhammer, Lederman and Doug Lisle (who wrote Pleasure Trap) are all against them in the daily meal plan , especially for people who are suffering from heart disease/diabetes/obesity- sure as a treat like a milkshake, maybe but not for a daily meal.

I know that many people are hooked on smoothies and juice - they taste great :) big rush of calories and sugar always does, so it makes sense why people feel great as soon as they eat them. But for me - someone who is still losing weight and working hard at completely reversing diabetes? They are not a healthy choice - but a dangerous one.

There is so much goodness in chewing food and letting our bodies take care of the digestion process with out aiding it by sticking it in a blender and breaking it down. I love just letting my body do what it does best. Drinking calories is just a problematic thing for anyone who is trying to lose weight or who has diabetes.

After all, some of the healthiest populations on the planet are not throwing all of their food in blenders and juicers. I like what Goldhammer says on this - eat food, as close to how it looks in nature as possible.

So - my thing is - if you are healthy, thin and you enjoy them from time to time - sure go ahead. But this advice for anyone who is suffering and sick is going to cause some pretty bad health problems, which I know no one wants for anyone.

[Natala]

oh - and Dr. Campbell is also against them - forgot to mention him :)

[Anna]

I just cannot bring myself to drink vegetables - to me, it's like drinking vomit! Amazing how we're all so different.

[wendy (healthy girls kitchen)]

When I first started making "green smoothies" they were more fruit than greens. But as time passed, they looked like this: spinach, kale, celery, parsley, 1/2 apple, 1 whole orange peeled but with the seeds, flax, water and ice. I was overweight when I started and had NO TROUBLE losing weight drinking the fruit heavy smoothie every morning for over a year. I only changed because my taste buds changed and I preferred a less sweet taste, plus, as my tolerance grew my interest grew in really upping the nutrient content of the smoothies. I can tell you that I never felt better than when I drank those smoothies every day. Oh, and my cholesterol plummeted from 231 to 147 on the sweet version smoothies.

What can I say? I'm not a doctor or a scientist but also find myself at the center of this controversy as a blogger. Just as there are a now list of Docs against the smoothie, there are lists of professionals who recommend them. In fact, in a recent Doug Lisle lecture he was asked a direct question about green smoothies and he specifically said that people should look for other things to cut out of their diet if they are having trouble losing weight, NOT the green smoothie. So why Natala mentions Doug Lisle as being anti-smoothie is a bit confusing.

I feel that with the restriction that we choose to place on ourselves eating the no-oil, very little processed food, vegan way, we had better be very careful about spreading fear about drinking green smoothies. They were a staple of my soup, smoothie, salad weight loss effort a few years ago that was a wild success. Now what, I should only eat soups and salads? Really?

Sorry, but I want to make sure there is some solid evidence backing up these docs claims before I eliminate something that has worked so well for me in the past with real quantifiable results.

[The Healthy Librarian]

Bravo, Wendy!! Couldn't agree with you more.

And here's a very interesting finding: I heard from someone who is a type 1 diabetic (must take insulin), who drinks green (veg heavy) smoothies, so she checks her blood sugar 1, 2, & 3 hours afterwards No change in blood sugar. In fact she cannot take insulin before a smoothie. The smoothie has no effect on her glucose levels.

[wendy (healthy girls kitchen)]

Thanks Debby. We really need more research on this.

[The Healthy Librarian]

I agree completely. And I'm pushing for research studies on plant-based diet issues at work. Stay tuned.

[Silvia]

I thought about green smoothies for a long time before this debate.
And I was really thankful that Dr. Esselstyn answered one of my questions concerning smoothies which arose after listening to Dr. Lustig (fructose being metabolized in the liver): If fiber and fructose are separated by blending then fructose seems to be mainly metabolized by the liver.
But then I reflected that smoothies are really important to me in terms of well being. I am thin, I am in need of nutrients and I seem to have difficulties with absorption: In terms of weight smoothies seem to make no difference in my case. I eat / drink them as snack two times per day. But there is no way I could eat as many green vegetables without the smoothies so for me this means a real difference in point of nutrients.
Mine consist of 1 banana, Greens (dandelion, salads, kale, whatever green I can find)to fill the Vitamix, sometimes fennel or an orange for mildness and always about 1/2 cup frozen berries.
I am really thankful to Dr. Esselstyn for pointing out the problems of smoothies. I decided to keep them daily because I feel better when I have them. But I keep in mind that too much fruit in smoothies has to be regarded as a kind of treat because of fructose metabolism and a link to inflammation (according to Dr. Esselstyn Q@A on his homepage).
Knowing what Dr. Esselstyn says I wouldn't actually advise people to drink them if they have some kind of health problem (especially because most green smoothies are 'greenwashed': love this expression). I think we should decide individually according to our own reactions, health status etc.
Somehow this reminds me of the carbohydrate debate (Fuhrman / McDougall). It is too easy to focus on the differences which are really small in comparison.
I am trying to keep this in perspective: An oil-free vegan plantstrong diet with or without smoothies is really, really healthy. Let's focus on what unites us.
What the experts give us are guidelines. In the end we need to decide what works for us by trial and error.

[Silvia]

By the way: adding beans is a genius idea (La Donna Flagg)!
I have to try this!