Research on green smoothies: do you get sick less?
In my research I report on in detail, in The Green Smoothies Diet, I asked 175 regular green smoothie drinkers what health benefits they achieved. Because to participate, you had to be in the habit for only 30 days or less, I had one issue I wanted to explore that I wasn’t able to.
So I have a question for you now. This isn’t particularly scientific, but I would like to know from those of you who have gone through a winter with your green smoothie habit:
Aside from any initial “cleansing reaction” (diarrhea, headaches, etc. are experienced by 18.5% in my study, for up to 2 weeks after beginning a very healthy new habit) . . .
Did you notice getting sick less after beginning to drink green smoothies regularly?
I would like to hear about your experience here, if you’ve been down the path for a while. That is one of the greatest benefits for me and my family: before massively increasing our greens consumption, we used to get sick, and now we don’t.
Please tell us your experience.
Posted in: Green Smoothies
Yes, I hardly ever get sick. No vaccines or anything for many, many years. Now, I can say that, no matter how raw one is, if you “burn the candles at both ends”, like not getting enough sleep, etc, one can leave oneself open to a compromised immune system and get sick. I went through this recently and I fought it off with rest and fluids. Simple.
last year:
Josh age 4 coughed EVERY day (labor day to labor day), tired always, got sick instantly if we went off Flovent. first name basis with doc, one ER trip for breathing/asthma like probs.
this year (8-12 oz smoothies and probiotic):
Josh age 5, no coughs, lots of energy, no flovent, no flu even when he shared a sucker with his sister who had it! He got the sucker at school and wanted to be nice.
Swine flu is easily treatable with homeopathy. If you have swine flu or know someone who does, feel free to contact my friend, Dr.John Mulliken, at https://bestnaturaldoctor.com
No need for the H1N1 flu shot and all this bull hockey… BLESSINGS!
I’ve been doing green smoothies for 2 years and have not been sick.
The smoothie replaced the sandwich and I also do fresh raw carrot juice. Diet is 90% raw and organic. Health benefits is a win win.
YES! YES! YES! I wholeheartedly agree that drinking green smoothies keeps you healthy. I have been drinking them consistently for a couple of years and I might get sick once a year. I have sinus issues usually, but even that is lessened when I regularly drink my green smoothies. The more you drink…the better you will feel. It is totally amazing.
Unfortunately, I began doing green smoothies during what I now believe was my first gall bladder attack, and the combination of mixed fruits and greens gave me severe and almost instantaneous cramping. My system just couldn’t handle such a load, even though I am very health concious and eat a great deal of fresh fruits and salads on a daily basis. Anything I ate for about a week then set off further upset. I have continued using green smoothies carefully since getting better but still find I can get an upset system with gassy discomfort at times, so I’m back to worrying that some things just shouldn’t be combined. I’ve always believed fruits were best digested all alone, though I realize they make the green smoothies much tastier. I’d love to know how to handle these problems and never have another week of gastric distress – anyone?
Hey Robin,
Love what you’re doing!
I WANT to drink more Green Smoothies but i get such loose bowels when I do….. I’ve tried lots of different kinds, but they all just give me teh trotts! What should I do? This doesn’t happen if I eat raw food, only if i blend it all up together…… advice?
We have been drinking green smoothies for about 2.5 years now. We alternate days of drinking carrot, apple, orange juice with green smoothies (only because we do not like the texture of carrots in our green smoothies – and I think juicing is really a pain compared to making green smoothies:) We attend a huge church and my kids are in the nursery three times a week and in mother’s day out, too, so they are exposed to a lot of other children’s germs. I am 8 months pregnant and my husband is a pilot who travels all over. None of us have been sick at all since last Thanksgiving when we went to visit family without our blender and were exposed directly to people that were ill – and we got over that in just a couple of days. No viruses, no fever, no colds – nothing!! No – we will not be getting any flu vaccines, – our immune systems work great – I don’t want to alter it by injecting some foreign substances in my body. We have been directly exposed twice, recently, to people that had the swine flu (and didn’t know it until after) and have not contracted it. I believe even if we do contract it, our immune systems will be strong enough that it won’t be as severe as it has been for others.
yes, we get sick less when we are drinking green smoothies. we are also regular which helps the system as well. my son, age 6, came home from school the other day and said “mommy, i feel like i am getting sick. can you fix me a green smoothie?” no joke! i was so excited becaused my kids were so reluctant to drink it when we started but they clearly see the difference.
Just started GS about 2 weeks ago…A-MAZING!!!! I already feel more energetic and have been sleeping better, less aches and pains, less cravings for sweets and junk food…and more. I can’t wait to see more results the longer I drink them. Our school has been hit hard by sickness this week and I don’t anticipate getting sick at all this winter thanks to Green Smoothies!!!! I am so excited, now if I can get my family to start drinking them! Baby steps… 🙂
My wife and i have been drinking our green daily for 4 years now and have not had a cold, flu, or anything. DRINK YOUR GREENS!!!!
Live Healthy…Live Happy
I can never mix fruits and fats in my smoothies, i have to do just one of them or i get very dizzy. I also get really really tired if i drink fruit juices, so normally i just spice it up with parsley instead of fruits. It would be really interesting if someone else has had these problems or know what can be causing them? I don’t get the flu with or without the greens, my immune system is a bit overactive in the Th2 part.
My husband and I drink green smoothies everyday – they aren’t your exact recipe – we use freeze dried kale, spinach, etc. just because it saves us a lot of money. However, all the veggies that are in your smoothie are in our drink as well. We also add the fresh bananas and berries and flax seed like your recipe. I have lupus, which is an auto-immune disease. We have been drinking these green smoothies for over a year and a half everyday. We very rarely miss a day! I can definately say that our energy is higher, we are very rarely sick, and the smoothies have helped me prevent flares.
I’ve been drinking green smoothies for at least five years. You know how Kale comes in quite a few leaves tied together. Well, my rule is to put the whole bunch in the vita-mix at once, even if I have to tamp it down in the 5 1/2 cups of ionized/filtered water I put in. Then comes the apple, banana, nuts, hemp hearts, parsley and pineapple. Have I benefited from what my son-in-law calls, “green gruel?” I’m 73 and, as my family doctor says, “healthy as a horse.”
Would it have been different for me if I’d stayed on the meat and potatoes diet with vitamin supplements? Don’t know really, but I don’t think my good health is based on genetics, etc. so I’ll staying with my regime of green gruel and organic granola, etc..
4 days from now, it will be 1 year since I dropped meat from my diet. I went all out in the beginning by eating vegan but since then have introduced small amounts of cheese (pizza is just wrong without it) and local/home produced eggs. About 6 months ago I discovered green smoothies and there will be no turning back to my old habits for me! I feel better, am rarely sick, and have quit taking all of the medications I was previously on (2 for cholesterol, 1 for migraines, anit-depressants). In the last year I have been migraine free, I have so much energy and have introduced green smoothies to my family and anyone who will give them a try. My husband is hooked! He says he feels so much better when he drinks his morning smoothie. I have lost 48 pounds and he has lost 12. Keep up the good work Robyn!!!