What people are saying
I feel so much better!
I have been drinking green smoothies daily for a month now. I have seen a huge improvement in my overall outlook on life. I handle stress SO much better and I feel happier. Another huge improvement for me was the decrease in my cravings for sugary foods. This was a big problem for me. Now even if I eat something sweet, I don’t want very much of it. It has been amazing how much better I feel since starting to drink green smoothies!
— Tammy M.
We drink green smoothies daily as a family
We drink green smoothies daily as a family. Even my 8-year old likes them and he is a soccer player convinced it helps with his game skills. Thank you!
— Laura W.
Chance Encounter
Robyn Openshaw’s 12 Steps to Whole Foods is by far the most comprehensive, must-read, nutritional material out there! Our family has spent years reading the latest raw-food books/plans and struggled with contradicting information. We found most recipes to be too time consuming, complicated, and expensive for our large family. And we still had questions—if we are to eat “every seed bearing thing,” why aren’t grains widely used in raw food recipes? What about good qualities of dairy, such as probiotics in yogurt, etc.? Most importantly, how can a mom of four with a limited budget possibly make it all work?
I found Robyn’s site by chance—and all of a sudden the answers (plus more!) we’d been searching for were right in front of our eyes. Robyn has covered pretty much every topic in the nutrition field with a simple, doable approach. We are excited to finally have found a way to make nutrition work for our family!
— Jennifer Bartlett
Feeling really good!
We are eating whole foods, including green smoothies, and feeling really good! I feel really good because my family is not eating any sugar, MSG, or preservatives.
My children ask before they eat things at relatives’ homes if they have these things in them!
My husband does irrigation work in central WA and so he is out in public every day, we go to town once a week, and so far none of us have gotten sick. I am praying it stays that way!
We really like the Almond Joy Fudge from Ch. 4, and my brother in law, whose wife is against anything I make (won’t eat it), told me he would pay me to make it for him!!
I made the Teriyaki Almonds for a camping trip in October and everyone gobbled them up! Some of them are going in on the Raw Almond group buy with us!
I like to make the whole wheat tortillas (Ch. 6) and fill them with different things like hummus, guacamole, and fresh veggies. For supper last night we had them as enchiladas, with brown rice, olives, salsa (homemade, canned), onions and homemade enchilada sauce. YUM!
We like Mexican food so I have made the Taco Lentils a lot (Ch. 6), which are especially good added to Taco Soup. I am even experimenting with converting sugar and white flour recipes (Ch. 11)–so far so good!
Early on in March we had a going away party for a friend of ours, he is allergic to dairy and so I made the ice cream in Ch. 11—YUM YUM! He really liked it and so did everyone else.
I made the Choc Chip Zucchini cookies for our camping trip and they were yum!
I like to read Robyn’s blog because she does the research for me and I don’t have work as hard to find things out! I still do a ton of research though. I like how it is all comprehensive in one spot. That way I don’t have to remember where I read it and it is easy to find.
I tell everyone about it, especially when they have health issues. Anyone who talks to me very long has heard of green smoothies. And some have tasted them. Anyone who eats at our house eats salad, whole food, and homemade salad dressing.
I have had little red bumps on my upper arms my whole life. Since I have not been eating any dairy they are gone. My husband’s chronic bad breath in the mornings is gone.
I wanted to try lactic fermentations (Ch. 9) next.
Love the dehydrator ideas (Ch. 7) and I am constantly learning new ways to use mine.
I really like the 12 Step blog for support. It’s nice to have somewhere to go and know that everyone eats this way and has the same problems with skeptics. It is great to know that we are not alone. GreenSmoothieGirl.com is a great place to ask questions and get answers.
Thank you, thank you!
— Beth W., Washington
I love everything about green smoothies
I love everything about green smoothies. They have made a great improvement in my life. I share them with anyone interested in tasting one and most everyone loves them as much as I do! People who are not open minded enough to try a small taste, well, they do not know what a grand, life-changing experience that are missing. I was so excited when my 21-year old daughter told me about green smoothies. I could not wait to try one. What an awesome gift to share with anyone that you love!!!
— Bonnie K.
Easy to Understand and Implement – Even With Lots of Food Allergies
I have LOVED 12 Steps! The book is very informational and easy to understand and implement. I did tackle a couple habits at once since I already had the green smoothie drinking part down as well as some others. The biggest thing I want to comment on are the recipes. Recipes are KEY to success and you need GOOD tasting recipes to make transitions like these. Robyn’s recipes are FANTASTIC! I have yet to try any that we did not love and now use as a family favorite consecutively. Whenever I am “experimenting” with new recipes my hubby gets nervous, but if I tell him it’s a 12 Step recipe he calms down and doesn’t worry since there’s not one he hasn’t loved. (He’s my skeptic at times). I really like that I can count on the recipes being tasty since I’ve read/owned many, many health books with crap recipes in them. BLAH! These are great!
Another thing I wanted to mention about the recipes I’ve enjoyed is that we eat gluten, dairy, egg, and soy free and a huge majority of the recipes are naturally free of these things. There are still plenty of worthwhile recipes in the collections having these restrictions that make it worth the purchase. I have shared 12 Steps with family and friends. My aunt bought the program and has loved it, and I have several other friends who are slowly making their way (they do green smoothies now–hooray!).
I love that Robyn has broken it into 12 Steps and if you can add them into your life you will be so much healthier and happier!
— Laura Tervort
Surprised how good they taste
My family—including my picky two-year-old—really enjoys green smoothies. We like the fact that we’re taking a significant step toward better health, and we’ve had far fewer illnesses since incorporating them into our diet. We’ve also made them for visiting family and friends, and they’re all pleasantly surprised at how good they taste.
— Kari W, Utah
My day is not complete without a smoothie!
My day is not complete without a smoothie! If I go without one, I feel bad physically and mentally. My children love them, too, and want them every day so they can have energy and strong muscles.
— Jenny L.
Wedding Ring Now Falls Off—Lost 12 lbs!
I felt well on the Detox and I plan to do it again. I lost 12 lbs. and feel less bloated—my wedding ring falls off! One week post detox, I am still down 10 lbs.
I would recommend the detox to others, and have done so! Recipes can be an acquired taste, as they are bland, so invest in some salt-free, sugar-free natural seasonings before starting. I understand it is a cleanse and you are trying to rest your body. I would also encourage the Phase 2 option. After the first few days I started juicing some of my meals and doing the enemas, which was key to my decrease in chronic headaches I had prior to doing the detox.
I did feel that encouraging a buddy, and vice versa, was the ticket for my success! A couple of the other detoxers were great at answering questions.
*results may vary
— Dedrianne O., Blaine, Minnesota
Green smoothies are now a daily part of my life!
Green smoothies are now a daily part of my life! I have much more energy now and GS is a complete meal, more nutritious than eating out! I have been a vegetarian for 30 years and this has definitely improved my health! As a teacher (now retired) and a lifeguard for the Kentucky State Park System for 32 summers, green smoothies help me to stay in great shape!
— Steve House
Not Turning Back—This Will Be My Way of Life Now!
The past 26 days of detoxing has been an amazing journey for me. I was hesitant at first because 26 days is a long time.
To my surprise, I enjoyed it very much. The program is very well organized and easy to follow. I almost felt that there was more food than I needed. I never felt hungry or deprived. I absolutely loved the satisfaction of the green smoothies as well as the provided recipes.
I have lost 8.5 pounds, although my goal was just to get healthy. I was already at a normal weight. Giving up coffee was a bit of a struggle, but my quality of sleep is just amazing. I finally sleep the whole night through.
I am so glad that I did the full support program. The detox manual was very concise and I had it with me all of the time. I listened to the calls in the evening—and what a pleasure it was to be able to ask Robyn a question live. She is right there doing the same detox with us, and very down to earth and approachable. I also kept in contact with my buddy who was assigned to me.
I learned so much and I feel so great and I am drinking a green smoothie as I write this. I am not turning back. This will be my way of life now. So grateful for the last 26 days. It was fun “crossing the finish line!”
— Jill K., Rockford, Illinois
I am a totally different person!
Green Smoothies have impacted my life in so many ways. I had gained 65 pounds from my first pregnancy on my “organic” processed-food diet. My self-esteem and confidence was crumbling around me. My energy levels ran on low even though I am only in my twenties. I remember when I was introduced to the concept of green smoothies at a health food store. A lady was handing out free samples. I used to work at a smoothie bar and the thought of adding greens to smoothies had never occurred to me.
It was two years ago when I discovered this amazing drink, and I have had one every day since. People started to comment on how radiant” my skin looked and asked how I was losing weight only 2-3 months after starting green smoothies. Soon, I had to make a printout of recipes and tips to give out to friends and family to make explaining the “Green Smoothie” easier and not as redundant. Not long after that, I started teaching health classes. There are probably more families at my church making smoothies than those that are not. We have all seen a difference in our health. I do not crave salty and sweet things like I used to. I feel like the chains of my cravings were released with the key of smoothies.
I have lost over 40 pounds and gained soaring levels of energy. I have a better outlook on life. I prefer to go for a walk instead of watching TV with a bag of chips by my side. My passion has grown so much for this simple concept that I am working on a website called www.smoothie-handbook.com. I want others to feel the freedom that I am experiencing.
In February of ‘09, I had my second son. Thank goodness I can say that I didn’t gain 65 pounds this time around–only 16! I lost all of that on delivery day. Even though I didn’t gain a lot of weight, my 9-pound newborn was not lacking in that area. By 6 weeks post-partum, I was 6 pounds under my pre-pregnancy weight! I was not starving myself either. The green smoothies give me so many different nutrients that my body doesn’t crave the junk.
I am so glad that there are people like Robyn out there promoting such a wonderful concept. Because of people like her, I am a totally different person. Thank you!
*results may vary
— DaNae Johnson
