What people are saying

I have been converted to green smoothies!

I have become so converted to green smoothies that I became concerned as to how to continue them in case of disaster or hard economic times when I might be unable to purchase fresh produce. So I started dehydrating the spinach, kale and parsley I grew in my garden this year. I then powdered the dried leaves and now use it during the winter to make my green smoothies.

For the juice base, I use frozen raw apple cider that my husband grinds fresh each fall with his leftover apples (he is a fruit farmer). It is now January and I use the following recipe for my super green smoothies:

I rehydrate in 1 cup hot water the following: 2 tsp. powdered kale + 1/2 tsp. powdered parsley or 2 1/2 tsp. powered spinach. Blend well and let sit for about 10 minutes until cooled. Then add 3 cups apple juice (raw, unpasteurized), 2 frozen bananas, 1 1/2 Tbsp. freshly ground flax seed, and water and ice to the 7-cup mark and thoroughly blend. This is a great option when I cannot get to the grocery store.

— Cindy P., Alpine, UT

So Grateful for Detox and an Amazing Support System on the Forum! 14 lbs Lost!

I am so grateful I decided to embark on this detox journey. This has been a really educational path in so many ways. I learned to listen to my body better, my strength and will power to persevere, and what an amazing support system I have in the real world through the Full Support detox portal!

I signed up for the full-support detox and I am so appreciative I did. I honestly do not think I would have made it all 26 days without it. I found the everyday email, video and phone call to be an extremely helpful tool of explaining what my body was actually processing and eliminating.

I lost 14 pounds on this detox. I lost 10 pounds for the first week and the remaining four steadily in the following weeks. Having lost my weight this way, I have more confidence in keeping it off and continuing to eat as whole and clean a diet as I can on a regular basis. I do have a lot more weight to lose. I also noticed the color of my eyes became a clearer blue!

The detox was work and planning! I have so many friends who have taken an interest and are thinking about starting their own detox journey. I upgraded at the end to the Lifetime Membership so that in 6 months when I detox again, I have the full support like I did this time around.

*results may vary

— Elizabeth C., Glen Ellyn, Illinois

So delicious and satisfying!

I’ve been drinking a quart of green smoothies daily for about a year now, with a few exceptions. When I fail to drink them for a few days (too busy, need to go to the store, etc.), I find that the first sip of the next smoothie is so welcome, so delicious, so satisfying.

My children drink them because I put them in front of them. I gave them a pint at first, then my 11 y.o. son struggled to get them down. I let him drink half a pint for a while, until he got used to them. Finally, he asked if he still had to drink the small glass (half a pint), or if he could have a full glass now–YES! He also enjoys drinking them in front of friends and telling what’s in it. That took a couple of weeks, probably.

Now, they drink a pint, and sometimes whatever else is left over after I have mine. They like lots of strawberries in theirs, and fresh peaches, when they’re in season. I have converted several friends to drinking green smoothies, too. (Them: What is that you’re drinking?” Me: A green smoothie.” Them: What’s in it?” Me: Want a taste?” or Would you like the recipe?”)

— Janelle B.

Neither of My School Kids Have Had a Sick Day!

I started 12 Steps during the busiest time of my life, when my fourth baby was 6 weeks old. My other little ones were 2, 5, and 6.  It was three days before school started and everyone was sick with a cold but me.  I was sick with an inflamed gallbladder and scheduled for surgery at age 33! We had been sick more than 50% of the last 365 days.

“Enough is enough!” I thought, “I know what I should be eating, I’ve been studying this since I was pregnant with my first, but I can’t figure out how to apply what I know. It overwhelms me. I want my family to be healthy, especially my son who is sick the most.  Maybe Robyn’s program can teach me something I don’t already know. I trust Robyn’s nutritional philosophy more than any other author out there.” (Sorry I was skeptical at first, but the beauty of 12 Steps I now see, is putting the transition into a do-able order and adding one thing at a time.)

We started 12 Steps on the first day of school.  An awesome time to start because fruit and veggies are abundant in the garden and cheap at the store, and the beginning of the school year is a time of transition anyway!  I had paid for school lunch, but we started 12 Steps just in time.  None of my kids will ever have school lunch (they serve corn dogs every single day; I hurt for the other kids).

The first week curriculum for first grade was “health and nutrition.” At dinner I remarked on the coincidence that I was taking a health and nutrition class too. My kids already know to expect fallacious nutritional information from school, so we compared notes on what we were learning each night at dinner.  My kids loved that I was going “back to school” too.

I call “12 Steps” my online class and I always say “my teacher says . . .” Rather than being on a crazy diet, in my family’s eyes, I am taking a university-level, highly prestigious, nutrition course and I will “graduate” in a year (you never really graduate, though, do you?).  In my eyes, it’s even better than that.  Each month as my kids start new units of study, they are excited to hear about my new unit of study.

During the first month, my goal was to drink 8+ glasses of water a day instead of 3 or 4.  I had been perpetually dehydrated since I got pregnant, and nursing was making it worse.  That was a hard goal because I was so insanely busy I didn’t even have time to get a drink until 10 in the morning some days.

More than once, due to kid distractions, a green smoothie took three days to make.  Water in the blender the first day, wash produce the next, chop stuff up and blend it the third.  Getting hydrated was wonderful and I had green drinks on days when I couldn’t get a smoothie made.  A ginormous burden of guilt (that I didn’t even know I had) lifted off my shoulders about my family’s nutrition.  That gave me an emotional boost.  The water made me feel physically so much better.  I cancelled my gallbladder removal surgery and I don’t recall when it happened, but all of a sudden I had an extra 30 minutes to make green smoothie every day (it takes longer holding a baby or toddler or both while you do it).

Organic ready-to-eat salads just happened to be on sale for $.99 a box when we hit month two.  That would convince anyone to love salad, no work and so tasty.  When the sale ended two weeks later, I found again that I magically had the extra time to wash piles of romaine, spinach, and other lettuces.  Another huge burden lifted off my shoulders, because I didn’t have to think of what to have for dinner anymore, it was always salad.  We had main dishes too, but they were way simpler, just side dishes really. Salad was fun.  My kids love picking out toppings for the salad and my picky eater has a passion for making her salad pretty. She also loves that dinner every night is a salad bar. Dinner battles at our house almost disappeared.  As the quality of our meals went up, there was less to complain about.

The third month was my birthday.  I got a beet cake, a salad spinner, and the “okay” to order almonds in the GreenSmoothieGirl.com annual group buy. I have been substituting almonds, apples, and raisins for chips and pretzels (just a few per snack) since we started 12 Steps.  I reverse engineered our favorite store salad dressings using high quality ingredients. It was fun.

Where did I get the time to sit around reverse engineering salad dressing recipes?  It is a mystery to me. I am getting salad making down to a science. I love buying it. I love being the lady who fills her cart up with lettuce and practically nothing else every few days at the grocery store.

Instead of fruit snacks, my toddler hugs the bags of romaine and skips the complimentary Laffy Taffy at the check-out. (Toddlers transition so much faster than the rest of us). I took salad to the family potluck, and impressed my relatives when 2 of my 3 kids took big servings of it before eating anything else.

My husband won’t touch green smoothies, but he has enjoyed the improvement in the family menu and the unanticipated weight loss from having salads for dinner every day.

Wow, now we are into November and neither of my school kids have had a sick day! My toddler has been sick every other week like usual (and my husband too).  Even the daily green smoothie can’t save her at age 2, I guess.  With one kid and one parent sick a lot though, it is miraculous that no one else is getting it, as they got everything last year.  And my son went off asthma medicine without a hitch.  In the past, running out of medicine meant he would be sick in the next day or two, but so far so good!  Thanks!

*results may vary

— Regina Slaugh

Green smoothies have helped me stay full longer in the morning.

Green smoothies have helped me stay full longer in the morning. I used to be SO hungry by lunchtime. My stomach would growl and I would become dizzy. Now I drink a blender full of smoothie in the morning and I am satisfied until it is time to eat my next meal.

— J. Burns

Amazing Energy and Down 10 lbs!

Donald says he is thinking clearer this morning (less foggy), no headache, down 7 pounds total.
I am down 6 pounds, no edema, my senses are more keen–kind of strange–it seems like everything is brighter, like I can see better or something. I’m more aware of sounds and smells. I woke up this morning feeling well rested and energized. My face is breaking out in red burning patches–so exciting! I KNOW I’m cleansing. This may sound totally crazy, but my breath was not deadly this morning.

(Update several days later:)
Donald’s down 9; I’m down 10. Amazing Energy! Feeling Light! Keener Senses! Mental Clarity! Normal Elimination! Clear Complexion! No Joint Pain! All In Four Days!

*results may vary

— Don and Rena P.

We are experiencing great health benefits from these marvelous drinks!

After a year of thinking and searching deeply about going vegetarian, I took the leap in September of ’08. What made the transition easy was the discovery of the green smoothie! I first heard of them on Robyn’s informative website, greensmoothiegirl.com. I was intrigued and investigated the origins of green smoothies and started to find whole blogging communities who were drinking these liquid vegetable treats. I viewed many of the YouTube videos Robyn had posted and saw how simple it was to get my veggies the green smoothie way. I started right away, using my simple kitchen blender. My 11 y.o. son and my husband were curious and started drinking them with me almost immediately. We LOVE them!

The chronic eczema around edges of my scalp are clearing up (some are completely gone!), ridges in my fingernails are flattening out and nails have become hard, chronic tiredness has been replaced with vibrant energy, mild arthritic symptoms in fingers vanished, hypothyroid symptoms growing less (although I’m on a low dose of Armour and have been for years, I still experience many of the hypothyroid symptoms – but they are really improving!), insomnia seems to be vanquished, I’ve lost 9 lbs so far, and I don’t know if this could be related but I no longer sunburn!

But what is truly amazing is that I’m growing in streaks of brown hair where it was solid silver before–fabulous!

We are experiencing great health benefits from these marvelous drinks and I think we may be addicted to the vibrancy and high energy kick we get from them. I’ll be getting results from a blood test next week and I can’t wait to see the numbers! I’ve turned several friends and family members into green smoothie drinkers and am actually pursuing a radio show where I will be able to discuss and share my progress with others. Thank you Robyn for GreenSmoothieGirl blogs! Your generosity in sharing your info with the world has inspired so many to move towards health!

*results may vary

— Cher

I adore feeling well

I’m so in love with GreenSmoothieGirl’s detox and whole food programs! What I most value is how clear minded and energetic I feel, except in periods my body was detoxing hard. After the initial first week, I didn’t really find myself feeling hungry, and soon was enjoying all my favorite recipes from the program! I’m proud to share that this was my 8th successful detox!

I’ve done it alone and without a buddy, but I didn’t sustain it well alone, so the highly engaged Facebook group was a huge benefit to me.
I’m so appreciative of the outstanding and consistent support received from Robyn, Kristin, and Emma, with encouragement and wisdom. I always learn so much each time I do this detox! So for me this time, the epiphany was when I realized nothing in the world is worth compromising good health for! If it makes me feel bad, it’s not worth eating!

I adore feeling well so I can live my life fully and remain super active with my husband, 5 grown children, 7 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren means everything to me! At 58 years old, we’re discovering the joys of camping and hiking and I have to say, all my picnics will have my favorite detox foods in them!

So dear Robyn, and awesome GSG team, thank you again for another beautiful experience, start to finish. God bless you all with success in 2017!

— Helen, North Carolina

I will not ever go back to eating the way I used to!

I started drinking green smoothies and doing about 80% to 95% raw to help improve my migraine headaches. I lost 51 pounds in six months and I feel great. I am 47 years old, and I teach at an alternative high school. It can be very stressful working with at-risk youth. I have seen my mood and attitude improve so much since I started adding green smoothies as my breakfast.

My favorite is 2 bananas, 1 large apple, 2 kale leaves, 6-8 dandelion greens, 2 large handfuls fresh spinach, some wheatgrass juice, 2 cups water and 1 cup of ice. Blend and I have breakfast and my afternoon snack. This great stuff and I will not ever go back to eating the way I used to with fast and processed foods.

*results may vary

— Carol N.

Green smoothies are here to stay!

Green smoothies have saved my life! I had been in a state of depression for the past 4 years. I was put on depression medicine but it never helped. I discovered green smoothies in December of 2008 and decided to give it a try in January 2009. It has been two months since I started making a green smoothie everyday and I feel AMAZING, WONDERFUL, and FULL OF LIFE. I have not felt this good in a long time. I have had tons of energy, I can fall asleep faster at night and feel rested when I wake up, I don’t feel the need to take daily naps, I have had less cravings for sweets and processed foods, my motivation is back, and I have lost 8 pounds in 2 months. Green smoothies are here to stay!

*results may vary

— AB, IL

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

Green smoothies have been our addiction

My family and I have been drinking green smoothie for 8 months. It has been our addiction. If I miss a day, I feel it and crave it instead of cake. My kids who are 9 and 6 actually ask me for them, so they have some before school. I no longer have pre-hypertension and I have lost 25 lbs. My husband no longer has to take his cholesterol medication and has lost weight. My best friend now gives it to her whole family and staff everyday. And another friend who just completed chemo will be starting also. Thank you!

— Lisa James