What people are saying

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

We have so much more energy!

What can we say! My husband, myself, and our 15 month old baby are hooked! There is no such thing as the 3 o’clock sleepiness anymore. We have so much more energy. Our daughter loves the smoothies. She even has a smoothie dance she does when she wants some. With her on the green smoothies, I do not worry so much about if she is getting proper nutrition. I just know she is. With the addition of flax seed or chia, I also know she is getting the good fats she needs for brain development. I am so glad I stumbled onto your site, Robyn. This has changed our lives

— Shelly N.

The green smoothie has lived up to the expectations I had

I tried the green smoothie after juicing for several years. Juicing was expensive and demanded a lot of time and work extracting the juice from the fiber and cleaning the juicer. Blended raw foods made a lot of sense and I did not need to be converted on the idea.

When I began drinking the green smoothie I weighed 285 lbs. One year later I weigh 240 lbs. Daily workouts have contributed as much to my weight loss as any other factor. However, the benefits of the green smoothie as I experienced them are as follows:

1. Drinking the green smoothie changed my bowel movement habits, which are now frequent (2-3 times a day) and regular.

2. The green smoothie is my pre-workout, first thing in the morning food. I have been surprised at the energy it sustains throughout my workout.

3. The green smoothie fills me up without slowing me down. It satisfies my hunger and cravings till early in the afternoon. It has curbed my overall appetite thus decreasing the overall calories I consume in a day.

4. I find that the green smoothie helps my digestion, especially with the foods that do not digest well. I eat a lot of lean meat and I feel the organic raw food in my gut facilitates digestion and elimination of meat.

5. Beginning my day with green smoothie drinks and working out provides me the momentum, nutrition, and motivation to eat a strict lean diet throughout the rest of the day.

The green smoothie has lived up to the expectations I had. Several of the above benefits caught me totally by surprise. I have been drinking green smoothies every morning for the past year. They have served me well. Now that I have lost the weight I needed, I have significantly increased my strength and energy. My new goals are not to lose any more weight but to increase my overall lean muscle mass. My idea is to begin drinking green smoothies twice a day rather than just once in the morning.

*results may vary

— Gregg L.

Using green smoothies as a means to improve overall health.

I have enjoyed physical changes in my body. I have enjoyed some weight loss, great digestion, and increased desire to reduce cooked and processed foods. I have talked to others about using the green smoothies as a means to improve their overall health.

*results may vary

— C. Brown

The green drink is the best breakfast a person could have.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999. I had a surgery to remove the lump but refused chemo and radiation. I saw a naturopathic doctor and through micro water, stabilizing my PH, and diet, was able to get rid of it. In the spring of 2008 I knew from the symptoms the cancer was back.

I checked my pH, which was so acidic it wouldn’t even read on the paper. I went to see my doctor and he confirmed the readings. I knew the key to getting rid of cancer was a balanced pH. I have a microwater machine, but I knew the fastest way to balance pH is through greens, but it was impossible to eat the amount that I needed.

I’ve been drinking blended greens faithfully since August of 2008 along with the raw food, no dairy, no meat. I was rechecked for cancer in January and there are no signs at all*. I feel great, haven’t been sick. I’ve lost weight and am back down to my high school weight and size. I have energy, etc. . . I could go on and on. My kids can’t believe I’m running around chasing the grandkids like a teenager. The green drink is the best breakfast a person could have.

Because of the positive change in me, about 10 other people have started drinking green smoothies. Ladies at Curves, my husband, my daughter, my husbands’ parents, my parents, and my friends. And when I go to Sunflower Market, I meet a lot of people, mostly older people buying kale for their green drink. I smile and think, wow, that’s great!

— Terri Barnett, Payson , UT

Something is working!

I started doing smoothies twice a day (breakfast and lunch), July 14, 2008. At the time, I had no idea what to expect, as I was just trying this on a whim. After about two weeks, I noticed I lost about 5 pounds. I decided to continue this process, and switching up my dinners to be cooked, mostly vegetarian. Another 2-3 weeks passed by and I lost another 5 pounds. Something was working… I suspect it was the combination of green smoothies and going mostly vegetarian.

Well, along my journey, I started seeing books about raw food and 80-10-10, and just a whole bunch of information. I decided to try doing raw, and for the most part I have been able to maintain about 90-95% raw since I started doing this. Every week that passed I noticed I kept losing 2.5 pounds a week, for an eventual total loss so far of about 47 pounds. About 3 months into my journey, I read 80-10-10 Diet by Douglas Graham, and have implemented a lot of his concepts in my daily routines, so most of my daily intake consists of fruits and vegetables, with very small amounts of nuts/seeds. I noticed that with gourmet raw using high content fat (ie. nuts and seeds), I would do alright but I truly thrived doing 80-10-10.

As far as exercise goes, even before I started smoothies, I was doing twice a week at the gym doing a cycle/spin class, and I would occasionally do some light weights at home. I have noticed that my cycle/spin classes, I have been able to maintain extreme high energy levels and not gas out when on 80-10-10. I also noticed that when doing raw-gourmet (with higher fat), that I would not be as energized. Another thing I should note, my muscle recovery times have improved dramatically with 80-10-10– gone are the days of recovery, instead my muscle recovery occurs in about 15-20 hours, ready to hit up more exercise the next day.

I used to have a sinus headache about once a week. Those are all gone. I sleep much better, and noticed that I can go on my day with less sleep and still have a ton of energy. My daily diet still consists of two smoothies a day (one breakfast and one lunch) and my typical dinner meal varies, but it is typically in line with 80-10-10. It took me about 6 months to lose nearly 50 pounds, but the whole process was pretty easy. It is just a matter of committing your mind, and making great habits and breaking the bad ones.

*results may vary

— Eddie Yee

Rash/Breakouts Cleared Up—and 15 lbs Lost!

I have checked out a few detoxes over this past year, many that had products like protein shakes and meal replacement bars, etc. Most of them are one-size-fits-all programs. Guess what, I lost a few pounds on a couple, but they weren’t sustainable and were expensive to keep using the products. I am aware of an alkaline diet and have incorporated green smoothies/juicing into my lifestyle daily. When I saw the 26-day detox and the full support group, I knew I had to do it.

I embraced the full Level 1 program and made it all the way through! I lost 15 pounds and, most of all, cleared up a rash/breakouts that have been appearing on my face this past year. I emailed a before and after picture of my face to Coach Cathi and she asked that I share. I will definitely continue to educate myself and follow a whole-food diet from here out; I still have more weight I would like to release. I am working on easing my family into the same way of healthy eating. It’s challenging, but I now have my 7 year old son eating salads, so leading by example does work!

*results may vary

— Jennifer C., Chagrin Falls, Ohio

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.

GSG Detox Is One of the Most Powerful Things I Have Ever Done for My Health!

The GSG Detox is one of the most powerful things I have ever done for my health. Yes, I wanted to lose weight, and I did. 15 lbs! I already knew my body was overwhelmed with toxicity. That was my real motivation for doing it. I have been struggling with debilitating headaches all my adult life. I contracted Epstein-Barr over 10 years ago and have never been the same. I’ve needed caffeine to just function each day. I eat well and exercise yet, until now, could never lose weight.

The program is so well thought out and research-based. There are difficult days. There’s an emotional component that I was not expecting. But it is very doable. You are never hungry. Your body is getting everything it needs to function optimally with nothing else to get in the way.

The full support program was so helpful in letting me know that what I was experiencing was normal, and a sign that it was working. My body was healing. The expert calls were a wealth of information. I did Level 1, with some aspects of level 2.

After the first week the detox reactions were minimal and very manageable. I have not had a headache since the start of week 2. I have had no caffeine since the start, and have plenty of energy for my day. Bloating in my gut is gone and I can even tolerate gluten a little better. I feel like I have turned back the clock to my early 30s!

As I resume “normal” eating again, I still don’t want to stray far from the program. I feel too good to go back!

*results may vary

— Teresa V., Galt, VA

Lost 10 lbs and Found the Simplest Foods Are Delicious—I Feel Like a Totally Different Person!

I am 32-year-old mother of three and have always been very active in sports and enjoy working out: college basketball, Zumba, and more. I was still within my BMI index for my height, but at the high end.

I have a bachelor’s degree in health and fitness and like learning about different aspects of health-related topics. I knew that in order to get better results in losing weight (I wanted to lose about 10 lbs.), I needed to eat better. Just working out alone was obviously not the solution.
I purchased 12 Steps to Whole Foods from GSG about 2.5 years ago (after I had my 3rd baby) and it helped me to lose my baby weight. Then I got out of the habit and couldn’t seem to cut out sugar and chips!

So when I saw Robyn’s video on the detox, I got really excited. Everything she said made so much sense. I wanted to try for it—I wasn’t sure if it would work. I thought I have to at least try, and do what she tells me to do, so I know for myself if this is the reason I’m not able to get rid of this extra fat around my midsection.

Well the first 4 days were very hard. But after that, I knew I wanted to keep doing it because I felt such a feeling of accomplishment (seriously, it had been years since I could say no to sugar for more than one day!). And each day did get better. And, crazy thing: I started seeing results in days of just eating right, rather than weeks of working out!! I LOST ALL 10 LBS!

Plus I appreciated the simplest foods I never thought could be so delicious. The first few days were the hardest. I told my husband, “If I didn’t have a buddy, and if I hadn’t paid my money for this, I would quit!”

Getting over the sugar addiction was what made me a crazy woman for a couple days. But after that, addiction was out of my body! I felt like a totally different person! It was a wonderful feeling and I wanted to continue to have it.

The Quick Start Guide and the Manual are amazing! It lays everything out for me—what I need to do, while educating me so much at the same time. Some days when I’d lose sight of my goal and want to cheat, I’d read the email or listen to the video for that day again. Or, I’d get on the forum and see what others had to say about the recipes.
It was SO helpful to have several different resources to turn to and help keep me on track. I loved it so much I am upgrading to lifetime membership!!! Thank you!!

*results may vary

— Nikisha A., Orem, Utah

I Feel Cleaner, Lighter, with More Energy, Less Pain—and I Lost 9 lbs!

As a health care professional all my life, I was entrenched in the SAD, was prediabetic, had precardiac issues, had borderline thyroid issues, with full-blown joint issues, and a weight that often ballooned to morbidly obese. I even tried stomach stapling in the past, but ended up having it reversed because of the awful side effects.

I have been on a mission the last 7 years to bring my body back to a state of true health. I have tried juice fasting with colonics and regular massage (all of which I still do). I tried a physical trainer, conventional “dieting” with working out, HCG programs for rapid weight loss when the joint issues interfered with my job, etc., etc. I had food sensitivities, cravings for many unhealthy foods—and after easily losing 100# or more, would yo-yo back close to where I was, before starting the next “new thing.”

Robyn Openshaw came into my life four years ago, and her 12 Steps to Whole Foods was a breath of fresh air. Imagine a program that emphasizes “adding in” healthy things instead of what you “can’t have.” It has been a two-steps-forward, one-step-back process to undo a lifetime of abusing my body, but it is finally paying off. This cleanse is the crowning glory! I feel cleaner, lighter, with more energy, MUCH less joint pain; I’m able to move better, do my job better and, most of all, my body isn’t pushing me to eat things that aren’t healthy. I feel more relaxed about what I’m going to eat on a daily basis.

These recipes rock! The Pink Breakfast Smoothie is my new favorite. I lost 9 lbs. on this detox, even eating larger portions of some of the soups and salads. I am now going to do the two cleanses for the parasites and pathogens. I am converting to the lifetime membership because I want to do this cleanse twice a year for sure! Next time I am budgeting for the supplements also! I have 6 months to tuck away the money. I have done other “cleanses,” but this is by far the best. Thank you, Robyn, for putting in the time, effort, and love to research the “best of the best” programs and put together a useful, DOABLE detox/cleanse for us “average” people, and continually being a source of inspiration, education and, above all, support! Gathering all the experts to educate us at the same time we are cleansing is inspiring and uplifting, and helps keep us going during the cleanse. I love all the calls, the videos, and the emails lifting us up every day!

*results may vary

— Karen H., Las Vegas, Nevada

Addicted to green smoothies!

Is it possible to be addicted to green smoothies? Ever since you first introduced me to green drinks years ago, I’ve dabbled here and there with them. Things got serious though this past spring when I started working and knew that my diet would suffer now that I don’t have a lot of time to devote to thinking about what I am eating. I decided to make green smoothies my daily morning meal—there isn’t a quicker, more nutritious breakfast to be had! I’ve even introduced green smoothies to my friends at the office, and even whip up an extra drink for one of my co-workers, who now says she can’t wait for Monday mornings to come so she can have a smoothie for breakfast! I love the way I feel since incorporating green smoothies into my daily diet! I have energy for the entire morning; I do not crave sugar nearly as much. I can definitely say without doubt that green smoothies have made a difference; I just feel healthy!

This past week I made a green smoothie for a little nephew of mine who has never, ever eaten a vegetable in his life. Ever. My sister was very skeptical that he would even try it, let alone like it. Not only did he like it, he asked for more. My sister was blown away, and soooo happy to know that there was a way to get her little guy to get so much more nutrition into his diet. Oh, my sister loved it too!

Thanks, Robyn, for introducing us slowly but surely to green-drink-heaven! If I miss a day of green smoothies, I miss it, CRAVE it even. I’ve become a true addict.

— Sheri H., Utah