Green Smoothie Revolution: The Radical Leap Toward Natural Health by Victoria Boutenko

[Susan : )]

Green Smoothies have changed my life....
Very early on in my raw food journey, I came across Victoria's life changing work on Green Smoothies. If you have not gotten into the "Green Smoothie Habit" yet, please consider it! I do not believe one can stay satisified on a raw food lifestyle without getting enough greens..
Susan : )

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RFR will benefit!

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Eating Without Heating is by Sergei and Valya, her children.

 

An excerpt from the book:

Food Combining in Green Smoothies
A chapter from Victoria’s newest book: “Green Smoothie Revolution”
Many different fruits and vegetables that are green in color simply because they are unripe. They do not belong to the category of greens. For example, many green apples, grapes, melons, bananas, limes, and pears are unripe yellow fruits. Similarly, green bell peppers are unripe colored bell peppers. Unripe fruit usually contains enzyme inhibitors, which slow the action of our digestive enzymes and may cause irritation of the intestines. In addition, unripe fruit has a higher content of starch and less fruit sugar, which makes it harder to digest. For this reason, I never buy unripe fruit. However, I am concerned that many people don’t understand which greens are most beneficial, because I have received e-mails from confused readers who stopped buying ripe fruit in order to consume more greens. Keeping greens in the same category as vegetables is misleading and can even be harmful to public health. I suggest that our produce departments have at least the following three separate sections: fruits, vegetables, and greens. I define “greens” as the flat leaves of a plant, attached to the stem, that can be wrapped around a finger, with a very few exceptions, including nopal cactus leaves and celery.

Dr. Anne Wigmore, who pioneered raw food in the United States, taught in her lectures that green leaves are the only food that can be combined with every other food group without any negative effects.

In his book Food Combining Made Easy, Dr. Herbert Shelton explains that starchy foods have to be eaten alone because starches are digested with enzymes different from those used for any other food group. Combining starchy foods with fruit may cause fermentation and gas. Dr. Shelton has found that combining green vegetables with every food group produces favorable results.

I see several benefits in adding greens to other foods. For example, besides having high nutritional value, greens contain a lot of fiber. The fiber in the greens slows down the absorption of sugar from fruit. This quality makes drinking green smoothies possible, even for people with high sensitivity to sugar, such as those who have diabetes, candida, or hypoglycemia.

Vegetables such as carrots, beets, broccoli, zucchini, daikon radish, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, eggplant, pumpkin, squash, okra, peas, corn, green beans, and others do not combine well with fruit due to their high starch content. While these vegetables are nutritious and beneficial for our health, their high starch content makes them unsuitable for use in smoothies.

If you do not want to mix sweet fruit into your green smoothies, you can use nonstarchy vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, avocados, celery, and others. You can also consider using low–glycemic index fruit such as berries (any kind), apples, cherries, plums, and grapefruit.

So, can we combine greens and fruits in our smoothies? Absolutely.

Common Green Smoothie Questions

QUESTION: Do I have to make fresh smoothie several time per day?

VICTORIA: Smoothies can stay in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, but fresh is best. As soon as a smoothie is warmed to room temperature, it should be consumed.

QUESTION: How much green smoothie do you recommend I drink daily?

VICTORIA: In the beginning people tend to drink more green smoothies, sometimes up to two gallons per day depending on how acidic their body pH is. After several months the quantity goes down to 1-2 quarts per day.

QUESTION: I have been on raw food for eight years and feel that my body is very clean. Why do I feel nauseous from drinking wheatgrass juice?

VICTORIA: If you have read my book Green for Life, you are familiar with the part where I speak about all greens, without exception, containing alkaloids. Alkaloid build up is toxic. Wheatgrass also contains a small amount of alkaloids. If you begin to drink it on a regular basis, the alkaloids accumulate and the body rejects it. This is why people get nauseous after drinking wheatgrass regularly for a while. When they take a break and come back to it, they can tolerate it better. Many people do not consume enough greens, and due to the fact that wheatgrass juice is almost 100% chlorophyll, the benefits of chlorophyll override the drawback of poisoning by alkaloids. That means, that even though people still get the alkaloid poisoning, the presence of chlorophyll in their body still helps to heal cancer, makes the body more alkaline and has other healing effects. That is why the green smoothies are so helpful, because when one begins to use a larger variety of greens in the form of green smoothies, one doesn’t have to constantly drink wheatgrass juice. Just keep rotating and get as many different greens as you can.

QUESTION: I tested my urine and my saliva. My urine is very alkaline and my saliva is very acidic. I think I am still detoxing (four weeks raw now) because I have cold sores, rashes etc. Could that be why my saliva is acidic or is it not a good way to judge your PH level? I just don't understand why they are both so completely different.

VICTORIA: Measuring your body pH by testing your urine is much more accurate than testing saliva. Alkalinity in saliva appears only after having the body’s alkaline pH established for some time. Also, saliva changes more rapidly and more often than urine. You can do some experimenting: for example if you put a drop of honey on your tongue, the saliva instantly becomes very alkaline because the alkaline solution amylase (that helps digests sugar) will be present in the saliva. If you put a teaspoon of any green smoothie or wheatgrass in your mouth, your saliva instantly becomes acid, because in order to digest greens, the saliva first has to become acid. Of course, greens are alkaline-forming once digested. So, testing pH by checking saliva is tricky. It has to be a long time between meals, you have to have your mouth clean and empty, and not even have food in SIGHT. That is why I don’t recommend it. Urine doesn’t change by what we look at, and thus is more reliable. The most accurate time to test saliva for alkalinity is in the morning as soon as you wake up.

QUESTION: Why is it so important that humans model their diet after chimpanzees? From my understanding, they only live an average of 50 years. They are usually riddled with parasites too.

VICTORIA: Chimpanzees are genetically the closest creatures to humans. They share 99.4% of genes with humans. That is why, unfortunately, chimpanzees are used for medical research. However, chimpanzees have often demonstrated such a strong immunity, that doctors were not able to infect them with HIV or hepatitis C. In my book, I brought up the point that instead of making chimps ill with human diseases, researching how they are able to stay healthy may reveal immensely valuable information on human health. In captivity, chimpanzees do live much longer than in the wild because they are guarded against accidents and environmental dangers.

Chimpanzees are not only healthy, but have the ability to intuitively find and use healing herbs. Scientists from the Jane Goodall Institute described in their research that chimpanzees are familiar with natural ways of parasite control by eating medicinal herbs. On the other hand, any colonic therapist will tell you how so many humans are laden with all kinds of parasites.

QUESTION: I drove to three towns, at least eighty miles apart from each other and looked in more than five different health food stores. When I asked the produce person for lambsquarters, plantain, chickweed, stinging nettles, purslane, etc., they looked at me like I was nuts! For lambsquarters, they kept sending me to the meat department. Where, and how can one find the wild edible greens?

VICTORIA: Even though it can be difficult for one to buy wild edible greens in the store, one still would greatly benefit from consuming them. That is why I put wild edible greens in my smoothie recipes.

I don’t have a way of recommending which wild plants are edible in your area since I am unsure of what weeds grow in your area. The best thing to do is to talk to people who plant flowers and bushes in parks. They can usually identify edible plants quite well. Another way to find out which plants one can eat is to talk to farmers, who need help weeding their organic gardens. In the summer, my children pick lambsquarters and plantain from a local farmer who pays them to pluck these pesky weeds from his fields. Once you learn to recognize a couple of edible weeds, it’s a good idea to share your knowledge with others so that you can learn about sill more scrumptious plants. This year, I plan to plant lots weeds in my own garden. I will report back to you how that works out for me.

QUESTION: Do you think it is beneficial or helpful to add any fat to raw smoothies? I don't eat salads, so instead I just add a little fat, a couple tablespoons of flax seeds, or half an avocado, occasionally I will have a whole one if I'm feeling really decadent.

VICTORIA: Each person is unique and thus has different needs. Some people might need fat, however, fat does slow down the digestive process. You may add anything you want to your smoothie to make it suit your personal needs. As for me, I believe that Green Smoothies are a complete food.

QUESTION: Do you think it is better to use powdered greens in green smoothies as apposed to fresh greens?

VICTORIA: I think that if one remembers to rotate the greens they consume and drink at least one quart of green smoothie per day, they will receive an optimal amount of nutrients. I recommend leaving green powders for the times when green smoothies are not accessible for example, during travels. I do not think that dried greens are nearly as vibrant or nutritious as fresh greens. My daughter Valya recently decided to further explore the theory of dried versus fresh greens with a group of volunteers who were not susceptible to advertisements. It happened that my husband was invited to help out at a horse farm. Valya preformed an experiment by offering six horses the option eating green, professionally dried, high quality hay, (super food) or fresh kale, and grass. Six out of six horses chose the fresh greens over the dry hay. (heh-heh…)

QUESTION: How much greens does one really need? I generally consume a head of lettuce. Do you think this is enough?

VICTORIA: One needs fewer greens in the form of green smoothies than in the form of salad, because blended greens assimilate several times more thoroughly then chewed greens. People who have an acidic pH balance in their body could benefit from consuming up to 80% greens in their diet. When they reach a stage of balance, they will notice that they want less greens and less green smoothies, but they will enjoy them more than ever.

QUESTION: When greens are broken up in the blender, do they oxidize and lose most of their nutrients? Incidentally, I do consume a ton of greens by eating huge salads and juicing.

VICTORIA: In my book, Green For Life, I explain that in order to get nutrients from greens, every cell of the green leaf has to be ruptured. To get all of the nutrients from food by oral mastication, one would have to spend several hours a day chewing, and have extremely healthy teeth that are all in place, including wisdom teeth. By observing the results of those who regularly consume green smoothies, I now think that the assimilation of nutrients from smoothies is several times more efficient than from chewing greens. Of course, these numbers are different from person to person, but I estimate that two bunches of greens chewed are equal to approximately to half a bunch of greens blended (not juiced, because juice is missing an important ingredient: fiber). When I was juicing my greens on a daily basis, I noticed how quickly the green juice turned brown and began to taste bitter. This doesn’t appear to happen with blended greens, probably because of the large quantities of antioxidants in the fiber. Green smoothies continue to stay bright green and taste fresh for many hours if kept in a cool place.

QUESTION: I thought Victoria’s point for green smoothies being superior to green juices was lacking. One of the main benefits of juice is that it requires next to no digestion and can be absorbed and assimilated immediately into the bloodstream, allowing the digestive system to rest.

VICTORIA: I agree with Dr. Doug Graham that juices are a fractured food, which is missing an essential component—fiber. I believe that when we consume enough fiber, we take a load off of our organism by dramatically improving our elimination. Toxins build up in the colon. Fiber cleans them out. When most toxins have been removed by fiber, then the body has a greater ability to absorb nutrients, thus improving digestion. There are many more important benefits in having fiber. For example, in my previous newsletter, I cited research about good bacteria needing raw fiber from fruits and vegetables in our colon to be able to survive. These bacteria are linked to the B complex vitamins--another important issue. Juices are not a complete food; humans could not live on juices alone. Very often juices have unbalanced amounts of sugar. Contrary to juices, green smoothies are a complete food. Also, I have met people who went on prolonged juice fasts and saw no improvement in their hydrochloric acid.

QUESTION: How did Eskimos live without any greens?

VICTORIA: I was born on an island in the Far East in Russia and lived near many Eskimos tribes. My answer to your question is: One probably can live without eating greens, if he or she is ready to eat meat and fish that have been rotting for over two weeks on a daily basis. That was living food for the Eskimos I knew. In addition, they consumed moss called yagil, and probably other things that I never thought to ask about (I left the island when I was 16). In addition to that, their lifespan was usually less than 50 years.


Note from Susan: Filled with lots of recipes...if you have not found Green Smoothies to be tasty, you will have alot of recipes to try!

Green For Life is another awesome book in our RFR Library by Victoria.

[Robin]

This seems to be the key to staying raw. I've heard several people say they "had to go back to eating meat" after several years of being vegan or vegetarian. But according to Victoria Boutenko, green smoothies are the key to getting everything you need from the leafy greens.

[Susan : )]

[Susan : )]

[Susan : )]

[Susan : )]

[Susan : )]

[Susan : )]

[Susan : )]

Oxalic Acid and Green Smoothies

By Victoria Boutenko

An overview of scientific research in response to the Article "How Green Smoothies Can Devastate Your Health" by Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist

A Common Misunderstanding

    Dear Friends, in this article I present lots of citations from original research documents. To make your reading a little easier I have highlighted the key words.
    About 85% of all kidney stones contain calcium salts, calcium oxalate and/or calcium phosphate. It seems logical to connect calcium oxalate with oxalic acid in some foods, such as spinach, soy, tea, coffee, wheat, and some others. However, you will not find any scientifically documented evidence that oxalic acid in food causes the formation of kidney stones. On the contrary, substantial scientific research in different countries has demonstrated that oxalic acid from food plays an insignificant role in the formation of kidney stones.
    For example, according to the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, in 2007 one of the largest and longest studies (44 combined years) was conducted in Boston. This study prospectively examined the relation between oxalate intake and incident of the kidney stones in humans. In the course of this study the researchers examined 240,681 people (45,985 men, 92,872 older women, and 101,824 younger women). A total of 4605 incident kidney stones were documented. The conclusions were, "the relation between dietary oxalate and stone risk is unclear. Oxalate intake and spinach were not associated with risk in younger women. These data do not implicate dietary oxalate as a major risk factor for kidney stones." ¹
    Here is a conclusion from another large medical research group in North Carolina: "The role of dietary oxalate in calcium oxalate kidney stone formation remains unclear. ²

 

Excesses in Animal Protein are a Major Risk Factors in Kidney Stones Formation.

    Multiple studies in different countries have demonstrated that the overconsumption of animal protein is a major risk factor in kidney stones Formation. I have chosen nine thoroughly documented studies that clearly display the true cause of the kidney stones.
    According to the research conducted by Leiden University Hospital (The Netherlands,) "dietary excesses in animal protein and/or salt have been implicated as risk factors in calcium oxalate kidney stones formation."
    The results show that high animal protein and/or sodium intake decrease the ability of urines to inhibit the agglomeration of calcium oxalate crystals and provide a possible physicochemical explanation for the adverse effects of dietary aberrations on kidney stone formation. ³
    Similar conclusions were made by the Center in Mineral Metabolism and Clinical Research in Dallas, Texas: "The animal protein-rich diet was associated with the highest excretion of undissociated uric acid due to the reduction in urinary pH. The oxalate excretion was lower than during the vegetarian diet. ⁴
    Researchers from the Kaizuka Municipal Hospital in Japan came to the same conclusions. They investigated the daily eating habits of 241 men with a history of kidney stones. They discovered that these patients ingested "much more total protein and animal protein than healthy Japanese. The amount of ingested nutrients during the evening meal by the patients was about 50% of the daily amount with over 60% of the daily animal protein being ingested at dinner."
    After evaluation of gathered data the patients received the following general guidelines: 1) increased fluid intake, 2) correct and avoid unbalanced diet (the diet should include all kinds of food, with vegetables being eaten at every meal and avoidance of an excessive intake of meat), 3) eat three meals a day and avoid an excessive intake at dinner, and 4) extend the interval from dinner until retiring. By following these individual dietary guidelines, the 5-year stone recurrence rate and the stone episode rate decreased remarkably in the period of not only outpatient visits but also in the period when the outpatient visits were discontinued. From these results, scientists concluded that individual dietary management should be the primary measure for the prophylactics of kidney stone disease in Japan. ⁵ Please note, their four food guidelines do not include any limitation of spinach.
    British researchers drew similar conclusions. The hypothesis that the incidence of calcium stone disease is related to the consumption of animal protein has been examined. Within the male population, recurrent stone formers consumed more animal protein than did normal subjects. Single stone formers had animal protein intakes intermediate between those of normal men and those of recurrent stone formers. A high animal protein intake caused a significant increase in the urinary excretion of calcium, oxalate and uric acid, 3 of the 6 main urinary risk factors for calcium stone formation. The overall relative probability of forming stones, calculated from the combination of the 6 main urinary risk factors, was markedly increased by a high animal protein diet. Conversely, a low animal protein intake, such as taken by vegetarians, was associated with a low excretion of calcium, oxalate and uric acid and a low relative probability of forming stones. ⁶
    In Italy nutrition has been widely recognized to influence the risk of kidney stone formation. Therefore the Italian researchers aimed to assess: a) whether usual diet of women with idiopathic calcium kidney stones living in Parma (Northern-Italy) is different compared to healthy controls, b) how their diet differs from Italian National guidelines and c) whether it is related to kidney stones clinical course.
    143 women with recurrent kidney stones and 170 healthy women were enrolled. Stone formers showed a higher consumption of sausages, ham, meat and sweets than healthy controls. The intake of fruit and vegetables was notably lower than guideline recommendations.
    Italian scientists concluded that "the usual diet of women with recurrent kidney stones is different from controls and characterized by low intake of fruits and vegetables and higher consumption of simple sugars and foods with high protein and salt content. This dietary imbalance could play a role in the ICN pathogenesis, especially in younger women. This work was financed by grants from Italian Ministry of University and Research as part of a larger project about the prevention of kidney stones." ⁷
    Another study from Japan examined the statistical association between the formation of different kidney stones and diet. "Excessive intake of coffee, tea and alcoholic beverages seemingly increased the risk of renal calculi. Many dietary elements have been suggested by numerous clinical and experimental investigations, but a few elements are substantiated by analytical epidemiological investigations. An increased ingestion of animal protein and sugar and a decreased ingestion of dietary fiber and green-yellow vegetables are linked with the higher probability of stone formation in the industrialized countries". ⁸
    According to the research at Medizinische Klinik from Wadenswil in Switzerland, "Excess intake of flesh protein (meat, fish, poultry) is lithogenic since it increases urinary calcium, oxalate and uric acid, and lower citrate. On the other hand, a diet rich in alkali (vegetables, fruit) is associated with a lower risk of stone formation. A "common sense diet" containing sufficient amounts of fluids, 1200 mg of calcium per day and reduced amounts of flesh protein as well as salt is able to reduce the 5-year stone recurrence rate in calcium stone formers by 50%. ⁹
    Here is a quote from the new research conducted at the University of California School of Medicine: "Managing diet, medication use, and nutrient intake can help prevent the formation of kidney stones. Obesity increases the risk of kidney stones. However, weight loss could undermine prevention of kidney stones if associated with a high animal protein intake, laxative abuse, rapid loss of lean tissue, or poor hydration. For prevention of calcium oxalate, cystine, and uric acid stones, urine should be alkalinized by eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables, taking supplemental or prescription citrate, or drinking alkaline mineral waters. ¹⁰

The Study Showed no Association between Oxalate Intake and Vulvodynia

    The School of Public Health at University of Minnesota recently conducted a large study about the association between oxalate Intake and vulvodynia. The research involved 242 women with and 242 women without vulvodynia from nine ethnically diverse Boston-area communities. There was "no increase in risk of developing vulvodynia with increasing of estimated oxalate intake. In addition, we saw no association between increasing consumption of various food items high in oxalate content and the risk of vulvodynia."
    Researchers’ conclusion: "dietary oxalate consumption does not appear to be associated with an elevated risk of vulvodynia." ¹¹

Successful Treatment of Kidney Stones with Chlorophyll

    As you may remember from chemistry, magnesium is a major mineral in chlorophyll. Almost a century ago, in 1929, renowned Swedish researcher Greta Hammarsten ¹² described in her science papers that a deficiency of magnesium led to an increase in the urinary excretion of oxalate in humans, the process being reversed when magnesium was supplied.
    After decades of research, she concluded that, "A reduction of the magnesium or calcium content, or both, in the diet will bring about the formation of [kidney stones]. If, in addition, the content of vitamins A and D is very low, the frequency of the [kidney stones] increases and the stones will be considerably larger in size. Further, an acidotic diet leads to an increased calcium excretion in the urine, resulting in a greater risk of the formation of [kidney stones].
    I find the words of this woman to be amazingly prophetic: "A so-called "synthetic" diet might be thought to be lacking in certain necessary, but as yet unknown, substances present in milk and green leaves." ¹³
    76 years later, in 2005, Linda Massey, a researcher from Washington State University in Spokane, confirms: "Magnesium (Mg) acts as a competitor to calcium in oxalate binding. However, magnesium oxalate (MgOx) is more soluble than calcium oxalate (CaOx), 0.07 g/100 mL versus 0.0007 g/100 mL respectively, so MgOx does not form stones at physiological urine concentrations."
    Massey’s research demonstrates that magnesium deficiency causes stone formation and both theoretical considerations and animal studies support trials of magnesium supplements as therapy for [kidney stones].
    According to clinical studies in Germany, "Dietary magnesium is unlikely to be deficient if the diet includes green leafy vegetables and whole grains, as magnesium is a major mineral in chlorophyll. ¹⁴
    Dr. Eric Taylor of Portland, ME, followed 45,619 men for 14 years, with dietary assessments every four years. His team of researchers presented the evidence of effectiveness of increased magnesium in preventing symptomatic kidney stones. ¹⁵
    In Germany medical researchers "have been successfully inhibiting crystallization of calcium oxalate in rabbits by treating them with chlorophyll." ¹⁶

Health Benefits in Oxalic Acid

    The earliest mention of oxalic acid as a benefit for human health, probably belongs to Doctor Norman Walker. In his book "Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices" he states: "Raw oxalic acid is one of the important elements needed to maintain the tone of, and to stimulate peristalsis."
    In the book "Oxalic Acid in Biology and Medicine" Albert Hodgkinson stated that: "A mean value of 288mcg of anhydrous oxalic acid/100ml was reported for normal human blood" ¹⁷
    In Turkey, the scientists discovered that in animals oxalate can promote a rapid increase in white blood cells: "Recent studies indicate that the levels of oxalate are too high for the substance to only be an end-product of the metabolism in animals. Therefore, it has been suggested that there could be an oxalate oxidase pathway in animals, which uses oxalate to produce hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which could than be used to promote a "burst" of phagocytes, white blood cells that engulf and break down foreign particles, cell debris, and disease-producing micro-organisms. ¹⁸
    Dr. Supriya Yadav from the Agharkar Research Institute, India, reported that "oxalic acid when combined with zinc sulphate and other salts was able to significantly inhibit the growth of E.coli." ¹⁹
    Colonel Joe Hart of Arkansas has been granted three patents for the application of oxalic acid for treatment of cancer, bacterial and viral infections, and vascular diseases. You may read text of his patent on-line: http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6133317.html. Joe Hart’s website is: http://www.coljoe.com
    Jennifer Prescott ²⁰ after her own investigation concluded that oxalic acid is the cure for cancer: "Research reveals there is one common denominator in the foods known as great antioxidants. They are all high in oxalic acid."
    "Oxalic acid is needed by our body for many functions and plays an important role in colon health, so much so that when it is not received through the diet, the body synthesizes it from ascorbic acid." ²¹
    I would like to add my own observations. Since I published my first book about green smoothies, "Green for Life" in 2005, I have been receiving an ever-growing avalanche of emails with healing stories. I have written several more books and e-books with more guidance on green smoothies, such as the importance of rotating your greens in daily recipes, how much to use, when, and how often to consume green smoothies, and many more. "Green for Life" has been translated into more than 40 languages.
    When people try green smoothies and observe how they feel, they witness for themselves the solid evidence of the healing power of greens and green smoothies. You may view dozens of recorded testimonials on-line (here) and read many more healing stories on our blog. (here) Adding green smoothies to your diet is not a fad, but rather a step in the direction of natural living.

 

Recipes of Green Smoothies with Little Oxalic Acid.

    For those of you, who would rather not consume high amount of oxalic acid, I have put together nine recipes of green smoothies with very low oxalic acid content.

Sweet Sprouts
1 bunch green leaf lettuce
1 handful alfalfa sprouts
2 ripe apples, peeled, pits and stems removed
2 ripe bananas, peeled
2-3 cups water
Blend well.
Yields 2 quarts

Romaine Green Empire
1 head romaine lettuce
2 ripe apples, peeled, pits and stems removed
1 ripe mango, peeled, pit removed
3 cups water
Blend well.
Yields 2 quarts

Green Freshness
1 head red leaf lettuce
1 ripe cantaloupe, peeled, seeds removed
1 cup fresh apple juice
2 cups water
Blend well.
Yields 2 quarts

Nectarine Grape Smoothie
1 head oak leaf lettuce
4 ripe nectarines, pits removed
1 cup green grapes
2 cups water
Blend well.
Yields 2 quarts

Lettuce Drink to Your Health
1 handful red leaf lettuce
1 handful green leaf lettuce
1 cup bing cherries, pits removed
2 ripe bananas, peeled
2 cups water
Blend well.
Yields 2 quarts

Simple and Tasty
1 head butterhead lettuce
1 ripe honeydew, peeled, seeds removed
2 cups water
Blend well.
Yields 2 quarts

Green Dream Pudding
1 head iceberg lettuce
1 ripe Mexican papaya, peeled, seeds removed
½ lemon (juice only)
½ cup raisins
1 cup water
Blend well. Use tamper, if needed.
Yields 1 quart

Spicy Creamy Soup
1 cup mustard greens
1 medium avocado, pit removed
1 red bell pepper, seeds removed
1 lemon, juice only
2 cups water
Blend well.
Serve with alfalfa sprouts
Yields 1 quart

Dill Soup
1/2 head romaine lettuce
1 medium avocado, pit removed
1 cucumber, peeled
1 sprig fresh dill
2 cups water
Blend well.
Serve with alfalfa sprouts
Yields 1 quart

[1] E. Taylor, G. Curhan, "Oxalate Intake and the Risk for Nephrolithiasis." The Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, Jul. 2007, Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA USA.

[2] R. Holmes, D. Assimos, "The Impact of Dietary Oxalate on Kidney Stone Formation." Urological Research, Oct. 2004, Department of Urology, Wake Forest University Medical School, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.

[3] Dirk J Kok et al, "The Effects of Dietary Excesses in Animal Protein and in Sodium on the Composition and the Crystallization Kinetics of Calcium Oxalate Monohydrate in Urines of Healthy Men." The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Oct. 1990, Department of Endocrinology, University Hospital, Leiden, The Netherlands.

[4] Neil A Breslau et al, "Relationship of Animal Protein-Rich Diet to Kidney Stone Formation and Calcium Metabolism." The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Jan 1988, Center in Mineral Metabolism and Clinical Research, Department of Internal Medicine, Dallas, Texas, USA.

[5] M. Iguchi, T. Umekawa et al ,"Dietary Habits of Japanese Renal Stone Formers and Clinical Effects of Prophylactic Dietary Treatment." Hinuokika Kiyo. Acta Urologica Japonica, Dec. 1989, Department of Urology, Kaizuka Municipal Hospital, Japan

[6] W. Robertson et al, "Should Recurrent Calcium Oxalate Stone Formers Become Vegetarians?" British Journal of Urology, Dec. 1979

[7] T. Meschi et al, "Dietary Habits in Women with Recurrent Idiopathic Calcium Nephrolithiasis." Journal of Translational Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.

[8] H. Kodama, Y. Ohno, "Analytical Epidemiology of Urolithiasis", Hinuokika Kiyo. Acta Urologica Japonica, Jun. 1989, Department of Public Health, Nagoya City University Medical School, Japan.

[9] B. Hess, "Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Conservative Therapy in Calcium Kidney Calculi". Therapeutische Umschau. Revue Therapeutique, Feb. 2003, Medizinische Klinik, Spital Zimmerberg, Wädenswil, Switzerland.

[10] L. Frassetto, I. Kohlstadt, "Treatment and Prevention of Kidney Stones: an Update." American Family Physician, Dec. 2011, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA.

[11] Bernard Harlow et al, "Influence of Dietary Oxalates on the Risk of Adult-Onset Vulvodynia." Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, Mar. 2008, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA, [e-mail]

[12] Hammarsten G. On calcium oxalate and its solubility in the presence of inorganic salts with special reference to occurrence of crystaluria. C R Trav Lab Carlsberg 1929

[13] Greta Hammarsten, "Dietetic Therapy in the Formation
of Calcium Oxalate Calculi in the Urinary Passages." From the Medico-Chemical Institute, Lund, Sweden, June 1938.

[14] Linda Massey, "Magnesium Therapy for Nephrolithiasis" Magnesium Research, Jun. 2005, Food Science and Human Nutrition, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA

[15] Eric Taylor, et al, "Dietary factors and the risk of incident kidney stones in men: New insights after 14 years of follow-up." The Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 2004

[16] W. Berg, C. Bothor, H. Schneider, "Experimental and clinical studies concerning the influence of natural substances on the crystallization of calcium oxalate." Der Urologe, Jan. 1982, Germany

[17] Albert Hodgkinson, Oxalic Acid in Biology and Medicine, Academic Press, London, New York,1977

[18] Mahmut Caliskan, "The Metabolism of Oxalic Acid," Mustafa Kemal University, Nov. 1998. Department of Biology, Hatay, Turkey.

[19] Nathan Gray, "Probiotic Effect May Benefit from Micronutrient Boost, Suggests Study." Jan. 2011, http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Research/Probiotic-effect-may-b...

[20] "Oxalic Acid - The Cure For Cancer", Jan. 2008, http://EzineArticles.com/912295

[21] "In Defence of Oxalic Acid", http://www.dewsworld.com/FInDefenseofOxalicAcid.html

[Susan : )]

[Susan : )]

What a great idea, Sergei!!!

[Susan : )]

[Susan : )]

This just in from Victoria!

Dear Friends,

Scientists have just discovered another great reason to consume fruits, vegetables, and especially greens.

Apparently, a gas called Nitric oxidewidens our blood vessels, permits smooth blood flow, inhibits development of blockages, and destroys inflammation.

There is also a special enzyme called XOR that our body can produce in abundance. For a long time, scientists could not figure out the role of this enzyme. About a year ago, researchers at Stanford University concluded a study in which they discovered that the enzyme XOR produces nitric oxide from dietary nitrite, which comes from fruits, vegetables, and particularly from greens! A lack of dietary nitrite contributes to atherosclerosis, vascular inflammation, hypertension, and chronic narrowing of blood vessels.
Here is the quote from the research article I like most:

“Supporters of this hypothesis may be served best by generous helpings of leafy green vegetables.”

You may read the original article here:

http://www.jci.org/articles/view/57193