Hep C Discussion Forum

Linuxter · Guru

Green Smoothies ? need suggestions (Matt and Others?)

Tig · Admin

Yeah, you have to watch out for those damn mashed potato flakes, they're evil...... furious furious furious

wmlj1960 · Moderator

Thanks for the additional ideas Tig. These smoothies are really saving my diet while I'm unable to eat anything solid. I'm getting better at making them without too much air (foam) but still having a problem keeping the leafy things (lettuce, spinach etc.) from separating and floating on top. Beats the hell out of oatmeal, grits and mashed potatoes though.

Tig · Admin

Whenever you're ready, we can get together and do it! A healthy recipe thread would be very beneficial. There are several good ideas and recipes forum wide.

Linuxter · Guru

Nice to see more combinations, thanks for some new ones!

After this thread runs for a long while, I should go back through the thread and pull all the links together in one post for easy reference ... then again it's kind of fun to just start at the beginning and make your way through to discover these treats.

Thanks,

Dave

Tig · Admin

Found another Green Smoothie page!

5 Healthy Green Smoothies

Linuxter · Guru

Yes, that's a Great site!

This whole smoothie thing is really changing my eating habits.

It's not just the smoothies, making these has gotten me to research a lot and find out what's good and what's not so good, with other ways to prepare food as well. not just the smoothies.

I think I may possibly be able to get farther away from processed foods if I keep it up. It'll take a while to get there, it's nice to have some canned foods and frozen foods that are processed but I do read labels on most everything these days.

Thanks for the link.

Dave

Shadowfax · Guru

Now this is a smoothie site! Unbelievable the kinds.

http://www.livestrong.com/recipes/browse-smoothies/

Linuxter · Guru

Just got the OK from my Dr. regarding 2 (or even 3) cups of Kale (or other greens) per day in a smoothie plus eating a balanced diet of meats, fish etc which also contain some Iron. Dr just said to watch out for shakes containing supplemental vitamins (I'm not consuming any pre-made shakes). Doc was very happy to hear I was eating healthy!

I think we can rest easy and continue on ...

... making our Green (or other Nutritious) Smoothies.

Please do check with your Doc to be sure, if you have any doubts.

Dave

_________________

Today's Smoothie:

Bluenana Strawlmond Yogurt Drink

1 Banana

1 Cup (Frozen) Strawberries

1 Cup (Frozen) Blueberries

1 Cup Low Fat Yogurt

1 Tbs Chia Seeds

Almond Mild to top off blender

Blend until smooth.

Delish, Nutrish & Totally Yummy dessert drink.

In case you're tempted to add some "Healthy" sweetner you might want to read this ... 6 healthy sugars that can harm you

If you want it sweeter, just add a little more banana, it'll taste Great!

-- Edited by Linuxter on Wednesday 3rd of February 2016 03:59:58 AM

Linuxter · Guru

Hi Jill,

I'm enjoying this thread too, keeps my mind off aches, pains, side effects ... all that jazz smile I thought I should add the following (for those following this thread), regarding Greens, it's something to be aware of and may or may not present a problem ... but it's probably a good idea to check with your Doc.

______________

UPDATE: 2 cups of Kale contains approximately 2.0mg Iron ... compared to the Iron supplement that I was taking (and stopped at the advice of my Doctor) which contains 325mg Ferrous Sulphate (2x/day) (65 mg Iron in one 325 mg ferrous sulfate tablet). So while taking the supplement 2x/day I was getting 130mg Iron per day vs 2mg from Kale ...

... I can't see how 2mg Iron per day is going to be an issue ... YMMV. (Your Mileage May Vary)

I'll let you know what the Doc says.

______________

I would like to add a Word of Caution for those (like myself) taking Ribavirin or that may have Issues with potential Iron accumulation:*

* Greens such as Cilantro, Kale and Spinich are quite high in Iron.

As our Red Blood Cell Count decreases, as happens when we take Ribavirin there is a possibility that Iron may not be processed in the same way as it normally is and begin to accumulate in our system. Too much Iron can be a bad thing and caution is advised.

I was advised to stop taking an Iron supplement (by the Doctor who wrote my Rx for Ribavirin), while on Ribavirin so the threat is real.

I do know there is a difference in Iron absorption depending on the source of the Iron. Iron from meats and fish etc is more readily absorbed than Iron from greens ... but I'm not sure to what degree this difference is.

So, to be on the safe side, those taking Ribavirin should consult your doctor before consuming daily, large amounts of these greens to be sure there will not be any problems as you progress through Tx.

Dave

---

This doesn't mean I'll stop making smoothies, I'm just going to check with my doctor before adding mass quantities of greens or other ingredients with "High Iron Content".

-- Edited by Linuxter on Tuesday 2nd of February 2016 10:13:04 PM

Cinnamon Girl · Guru

I love unsweetened almond milk too, and sometimes have it on my muesli in the morning. I`ve never made smoothies but after reading all these delicious sounding recipes I`m feeling inspired! A good quality blender is on my shopping list!

Great thread, keep it going! smile

Linuxter · Guru

I plan on posting (and drinking green smoothies) till I turn green biggrin

-- Edited by Linuxter on Tuesday 2nd of February 2016 02:54:00 AM

Tig · Admin

Hi SF,

Hey no sweat! Sometimes the graphics are oversized and it's a simple fix. I'm so glad this thread was started. It seems to really be a popular one and it's good for you! Can't beat that! These recipes really benefit everyone and I hope we can encourage all the good nutrition and attention to diet that's intended by everyone's participation. Lets keep it going!

Shadowfax · Guru

Thank you for re-sizing that Tig56. Originally I downloaded the jpeg and thought I could upload it. I see now I should have used the attach files to avoid that.

I am trying to filter out which smoothies are the best liver healthy ones as opposed to a meal replacement that they all seem to be. I did try for the first time Kale tonight in a salad and found it quite nice. I know it can be used for sure but again I need to watch my consumption of it due to the high iron content and increased ingestion of it that I really need to be careful of.

I saw the almond milk today Mike. It was a box of many containers so I will go again and look for a single to ensure I like it before I get a ton of it. I am certain that is healthy since almonds are.

Cheers

Linuxter · Guru

... and today's green smoothie is ... (drum roll) ...

The Almacado Carotana Lemonich Delight

2 cups Almond Milk

2 cups washed and prepared Spinich

3 Carrots

1/2 Avocado

1 Banana

1 Tablespoon Chia seeds

1/2 cup fresh Lemon w/ Pulp (prepared in advance by throwing 10 lemons into blender ... wo/ seeds or peel, of course)

Diet Cranberry juice to top off blender.

Blend 'till creamy smooth and use a straw to drink (except of Mike ... no straws for you yet buddy).

... Yum, very tasty and nutritious and quite filling with the banana.

Dave

-- Edited by Linuxter on Tuesday 2nd of February 2016 12:20:49 AM

Linuxter · Guru

Some great info there SF, I like to throw in a carrot or two also and have been adding fresh lemon to mine lately.

Picked up some Unsweetened Almond Milk yesterday, never tried it before ... tastes great in a smoothie and adds a lot of calcium.

Dave

Shadowfax · Guru

This seems like a nice starting point as well for me.From this site.

http://simplegreensmoothies.com/green-smoothie-101

SF: I had to reduce the size to fit. Hope you don't mind!

-- Edited by Tig56 on Monday 1st of February 2016 08:39:15 PM

Shadowfax · Guru

smile ** Is going to drink!

Linuxter · Guru

Well SF,

"You can lead a horse to water ..."

Dave

Shadowfax · Guru

Great thread and some of those 3 ingredient ones almost seem edible ... Almost being the operative word biggrin

Linuxter · Guru

Some 3 ingredient smoothies ...

wmlj1960 · Moderator

Tig56 wrote:
"Fresh lettuce, cucumber, celery, frozen pineapple, spinach, broccoli, bannana, kiwi, mango, green apple, purified water, ice cubes"
Please excuse me, but so much of that stuff, all blended together, brings one thought to mind.......... HURL !!

That's kind of what I expected but it really tasted good. And the good thing is I don't like the taste of some of those ingredients by themselves, therefore I don't eat enough of them. This way, I guess, the flavors I do like cover up those that I don't?

I take a Centrum vitamin too, but I feel the same way about vitamin supplements being a replacement for the real thing from nature as I do about my bionic hand being a replacement for the real one I had... biggrin

________________________________________________________________________________________

Linuxter wrote:
Hey Mike,
Glad to see you got a blender, with 650W you could probably use it for a yard chipper, lol.

Or I could saw up that apple tree out back and bring it to the kitchen 1 branch at a time when I'm ready for apple smoothies. lol.

Mike, I didn't even think about your not being able to eat solid foods now but the smoothies are a great way to get the nutrition you've been needing. Glad that's working out for ya!
Like your animated emoticon or would that be emoji ... sorry, not up to speed on that.

Yep, I didn't think about it either until I started getting tired of: Breakfast - oatmeal with blueberries / Lunch - yogart / Supper - grits. Your timing was perfect for me.

I have several .gif emoticons I've collected over time saved to an online storage file so I can hyperlink to them when I get excited about smoothies.

Linuxter · Guru

Hey Mike,

Glad to see you got a blender, with 650W you could probably use it for a yard chipper, lol.

Tig, I didn't think I'd like spinich or celantro mixed with fruit but blending it like that totally changes the taste and they taste great.

Especially adding a banana to some greens, the end result is very pleasant and sweet, not what you'd expect at all.

I wish we had mangoes and kiwis locally, they make great summer drinks mixed with a little OJ and ice.

Mike, I didn't even think about your not being able to eat solid foods now but the smoothies are a great way to get the nutrition you've been needing. Glad that's working out for ya!

Like your animated emoticon or would that be emoji ... sorry, not up to speed on that.

Dave

Tig · Admin

" Fresh lettuce, cucumber, celery, frozen pineapple, spinach, broccoli, bannana, kiwi, mango, green apple, purified water, ice cubes"

Please excuse me, but so much of that stuff, all blended together, brings one thought to mind.......... HURL !! I've never been a good vegetable eater, ever. The Navy ruined green pepper for me, because they drowned everything in green pepper to mask the taste of the nasty food. I understand the food is much better now, I hope. Maybe I need to go to a health food store and try some samples of this stuff. It would take a really good taste to get me to even consider purchasing a cucumber or celery. Something about those two (and green pepper) just make me run for cover. Forgive me vegetable lovers, you now know one of my many faults. Hopefully your advice will begin to heal my lack of nutrition. For now, it comes in a bottle named "Centrum Vitamins" biggrin

wmlj1960 · Moderator

Thanks for this thread Dave! I never thought about, or made a smoothie until I saw this thread but I'm hooked now. This came right on time for me due to me not being able to eat solid food for a couple of more weeks due to dental surgery etc. Today I bought a Black & Decker Party Blender (650 watt) with 72oz jug. This thing is pretty big (see attachment) and seems to have all the power I'll need. It chewed right through my 1st attempt at a smoothie which turned out very very good! I was hungry: Fresh lettuce, cucumber, celery, frozen pineapple, spinach, broccoli, bannana, kiwi, mango, green apple, purified water, ice cubes.

Linuxter · Guru

I have my PCP to thank for my HCV Dx and the good things that are happening since that time.

First and foremost is that I quit alcohol and as I mentioned to my Dr. it's actually nice to have an excuse to quit.

I've always known I was at least borderline alcoholic and knew quitting would be best but never quite got there.

Secondly, my diet ... finding that I have advanced fibrosis makes this also a perfect time to try to eat much better. HCV brings an awareness about our bodies, our systems what is good for us and what is bad. It gets us to take a step back and see that although resilient, we are not invincible.

So, Ari, I'll add my "applause to everyone who is changing their diets for the better " ... Hip Hip Horay!!

I have little doubt that these changes will stick and benefit us long after we're cured of HCV. In fact, the job of regeneration has just begun and unless/ until I get to stage F0 I will continue to work toward getting there.

Dave

Tig · Admin

Does that mean I should put away this bag of mini donuts and quart of Hagen Daz? You're no fun at all, ha, ha! wink

Ari-anna · Veteran Member

A big round of very loud applause to everyone who is changing their diets for the better

Linuxter · Guru

Here a bit more COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF SMOOTHIES from the Livestrong website.

Some here may be duplicates of the Top 10 list on post below but there are lots more here.

Not all of these are Green Smoothies but they appear to be healthy. Some may not be appropriate for sensitive livers, choose at your discretion.

Ya, I'm going to need better blender to get through this list.

Guess I'll push this old smoothie maker till it drops then buy a quality blender (not in the budget right now).

Dave

-- Edited by Linuxter on Tuesday 26th of January 2016 11:05:54 PM

Linuxter · Guru

Hey Matt,

How much of the Cayenne extract do you add per drink?

The lemon water with cayenne sounds like something I would like to try, just a quick search came up with all kinds of benefits of cayenne.

Thanks for your input.

I'll be investing in a good blender down the road.

Dave

Matt Chris · Guru

WOW! Dave

Those are some great Smoothie recipes, that last one with the lemon in the beginining looks fantastic. I have made a few smoothies but and really enjoy them, but my main liver cleansed is my wake up drink. It starts with a 1/2 lemon with filtered water and other minor ingredients , ie Cayenne pepper extract, honey etc. (Core the lemon and add other items in 16-20 oz of water, then mix on high for 1 min.) not for sipping, drink in down in a couple minutes.

With all the great smoothie that a person can make, a long lasting mixer like "Vita mixer" or similar will be a must or you will burn your normal one out.

matt

Linuxter · Guru

Here are some more smoothies that look pretty good.

10 Ultimate Smoothies for Any Time of Day

Dave

wmlj1960 · Moderator

Linuxter wrote:
I PM'd you with some brand info.

Thanks Dave! I, of course, want the best but, for now, my budget will likely lead to me getting what Walmart has in stock. Maybe I'll be able to afford the V-8 powered, turbocharged all-wheel-drive model with racing stripes soon. biggrin

Linuxter · Guru

1 - Lemon

1 - Lg Stalk Cellery

1 - Carrot

1 - large clump of Cilantro

1/2 - Granny Smith Apple

1/2 - Pair

1/2 - Banana

1/2 - Cucumber

2 - Cups Water

All chopped to manageable sized pieces and blended thoroughly (~ 2 min)

Drink in tall glass save the rest for later in the day.

Yum, refreshing, taste is good, get a little rush after drinking it ... I think my liver smiled smile

Forgot to add some Chia seeds ... (next time)

Dave

Tig · Admin

I second that motion!

Shadowfax · Guru

I think Dave should start a smoothie and jam business with cheap delivery rates! Can someone second that ? smile

Linuxter · Guru

Hi Ari,

So many good things to try, I'm really trying to reprogram my brain to eat more healthy. It's not easy with what's on grocery shelves these days. We are fortunate to live ~20 miles from a town that has lots of orchards and some fresh produce being grown there. High on my want list is a food dehydrator, I'm going to get one before next harvest season so I can stock up on fruits and vegies and have some quality morsels for the off season. I'm thinking a way to vacuum package dried goods is probably in order too.

I really like so many of your suggestions and am glad you bring up protein. High protein without a lot of carbs is, no doubt, good for livers at any stage, I know I am and will be looking for ways to bring my scarred up liver some relief.

I already love oats as in "steel rolled oats" but didn't even know they make oat milk. I'll keep my eye out for some.

Thanks for you input, any time you want to share more of your wisdom, please do ... I think discussing this helps make healthy livin' easier to obtain.

I agree Tig, this thread is starting to shape up nicely with lots of great shared ideas ... hope they keep rolling in.

Dave

Tig · Admin

This conversation is getting entirely too healthy, lol biggrin The protein bar idea is one that I use frequently. There are times when you can't do what you should and that extra blast of protein and cup of coffee, helps keep you going. There are some great ideas being shared, thanks all...

Ari-anna · Veteran Member

Hi Smoothie makers - I suggest adding spirulina powder - it has a high protein content which is essential for cirrhotics, and high chlorophyl, making it green!!! Taste is a bit sea like, try small amounts until you get used to it, or take it in tablets if you really want it but can't cope with the flavour.

Also brewers yeast is high protein and B vitamins. Start very small if you have not taken it regularly as your body needs to get used to it. A good brand will have a nice, savoury flavour. Be very wary of any that have salt added, not a good taste at all. I have added brewers yeast to a lot of different savoury foods, especially if they contain cheese, to increase nutritional value. It enhances the flavour of cheese so you can use less, good if concerned about the fat in cheese.

There are oat, nut, rice and soya milks available for those who don't want dairy milk. I use oat milk cos I'm half Scotch, well, no, actually because oats lower cholesterol levels in the blood.

Whey powder such as sports people use is also a good addition to a smoothie for protein. I don't see a lot of mention of protein on this site but it is essential to build and repair body tissue. I'm a mess without it daily - i.e. meat, eggs, fish, dairy products and nuts, legumes, whole grains etc.

When I have been really unwell and not up to cooking/eating I have used powdered vegetables in drinks - you can buy some good quality brands from health type stores. Also can buy juiced veggies in tetra-paks which are great when out for the day. There is a really nice, quality beetroot juice in a 'shot' that mountain bikers etc use for extra energy - they are wonderful but expensive. Useful when the chips are down.

On the subject of protein and emergency snacks I take a high protein/low carb bar with me when I am out and about - Quest brand is totally yummy.

Linuxter · Guru

Hi Mike,

My understanding is that if you're going to be using it daily you want a more powerful blender.

Mine is just a cheap plastic bowl smoothie maker with spout but I would want better for daily use.

Here's a pretty good side by side comparison with ratings just to get an idea of whats out there.

I think a lot depends on how much you're willing to spend. IMO, glass bowls are heavy but better to use with foods and will outlast plastic. A good range of speeds is nice but probably not as important as the HP rating of the motor. I PM'd you with some brand info.

Dave

wmlj1960 · Moderator

I want to try making smoothies too and I've never made one. What kind of blender should I get?

Mike · Veteran Member

Hey Tig56 I saw lots of nice smoothies on that site, the first one, the avocado, I gotta try that.

Linuxter · Guru

Well that list will keep me busy for a long while, great grouping of healthy treats ... just what the Doctor ordered!

That site is bookmarked for sure, Thank You Tig!!

Can't wait to start trying them.

Yum,

Dave

Tig · Admin

I admit to knowing very little about healthy smoothies, the one's that had some rum in them, no problem. But that has gone the same way as my desire for another tattoo. I did come across this list of recipes, which seem interesting enough. I'm not endorsing the retail products, that's up to you, but there are some good smoothie suggestions on the site.

https://www.liverdoctor.com/category/recipes/raw-juices-healthy-smoothies/

Linuxter · Guru

Duly noted Mike ... I'll not consume large amounts.

... turns the pee red too (which can be a shocker if you aren't expecting it), lol

Dave

Mike · Veteran Member

Hi, I just wanted to say that one time I juiced some fresh beets, which tasted real good to me, so I drank the whole glass. Well, if you're gonna try this, try no more than 12 ounces. It really really goes through your system. Be careful and don't drink to much.

Linuxter · Guru

The Green Smoothie Ranch

Hep C Discussion Forum

10 Ultimate Smoothies for Any Time of Day

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