PSA RE: Green Smoothies

[mumm]

Learn from my mistake-

When you first discover that green smoothies (ie, smoothies with leafy greens and fruit such as spinach and blueberries for example) are so delicious, be careful not to drink too much in your excitement.

Several pounds of raw spinach may go down easily as a juice, but your intestines may revolt in protest the next day.

Just saying.....

[DevaMajka]

Erm, no. That's not funny

That's sort of like the cookies I made with loads of ground flax. Eating lots of them seemed like a good idea at the time...

[blizzard_babe]

Classic!

[Cascadian]

Love it!

[avendesora]

I switched my kids to green juices for that very reason. The diapers!! Ugh!

Aven

[Llyra]

Yeah. Moderation in all things, I guess.

For what it's worth, though, eating something with some fat, at the same time, can help you digest the greens better. Try adding a nice tablespoon of coconut oil, or some full-fat yogurt, and see if that helps. Steaming the greens lightly before you make the smoothie can also help, too. Raw spinach is hard on your gut, but it's a lot easier to digest if it's cooked just a bit.

[JaneS]

Raw spinach is also a goitrogen, not something to eat regularly.

[texaspeach]

reminds me of the time I was absent mindedly snacking on dried fruit.

[Shantimama]

oops

[Snowflower]

Originally Posted by JaneS

Raw spinach is also a goitrogen, not something to eat regularly.

uh-oh.... what does that mean and what will happen if it is eaten..often.
Now I'm worried.

[desertpenguin]

Originally Posted by Snowflower

uh-oh.... what does that mean and what will happen if it is eaten..often.
Now I'm worried.

goitrogen means that is slows down thyroid function, more or less.

[JessicaS]

It is only mild. I wouldn't eat buckets a day but adding it to one's smoothies isn't going to be as harmful as it is beneficial.

It is something to eat regularly.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=47

[fresh_veggie]

More than goitrogenic, check this out:

http://debbietookrawforlife.blogspot.com/2009/04/spinach-and-oxalate-acid-thing.html

I found this interesting. Mostly it summarizes how raw oxalic acid is ok, just when cooked it can interfere with calcium and magnesium absorption. Worth reading.

[claddaghmom]

Well now I'm confused! I thought it was good and was looking for an organic source to give DD green smoothies.

It binds w/ mag and cal? That's the same as soda?

[JessicaS]

It is good for your raw or cooked. There are plenty of articles that state that cooking some veggies can help break down cell walls which may interfere with absorption. Cooking spinach can increase the amount of nutrients your body absorbs.

I could have the raw/cooked debate all by myself Spinach is good for you raw or cooked. You just have to find the balance between the higher amount of nutrients in the raw vs the easier absorption in the cooked

[WuWei]

I believe green smoothies with raw greens is much healthier than no green smoothies with no raw greens.


Pat

[Llyra]

I've gone over the debate about cooked/raw about spinach a thousand times with myself, because you can find very sincere opinions, with good evidence to support them, to back up either point of view, for different reasons. What I've concluded is that 1. it's all about balance. Spinach is awesome, but you have to keep it in balance with other choices of good nutrient-dense foods, and 2. you have to find what works for your digestion. I don't digest raw greens-- they go right through me. I can see the evidence clearly enough the next day (WAY TMI). So I cook, lightly.

[ShadowMoon]

lol!!! I also learned that lesson the hard way

[farmerjess]

...

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by JaneS

Raw spinach is also a goitrogen, not something to eat regularly.

Oh for. *sigh*
STTM list of goitrogens.