Green Smoothie

Green Smoothie2012-11-08T17:48:22+00:00
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  • Eagerbeaver
    Participant
    Post count: 31

    I bought “Green Smoothie Magic” last month and have been trying a new recipe every day. I’m really enjoying them & seem to be cutting down on my appetite (a good thing.) the only thing is, they seem to be going right through me. If I have one in the morning, by lunch time I have an urgent need to use the loo and take everal more visits throughout the day. I’m already too regular and take Metamucil at least once a day to help things out. I’m supposed to take it three times a day, but can’t always remember.

    So far I’ve tried spinach, kale, bok choy, and romaine. I tried combos and romaine alone. Everything is the same. I don’t have the same problem if I eat a salad. Does anyone have any ideas how to take care of this?

    Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)
    Forum Owner
    Post count: 3048

    Hi Beverly

    Thanks for buying the book! :cheese:

    The first thing that occurs to me is that you could possibly need to consider stopping the Metamucil, after all it would be better to try just getting your fiber through your food. It is just artificially flavored and colored psyllium husks. Here’s the list of ingredients. If you’re taking the sugar free one then it has aspartame.
    Sucrose, Psyllium Husk, Citric Acid, Natural and Artificial Orange Flavor, FD&C Yellow No. 6.

    You could be taking too much fiber now. So cut back on the packaged stuff and maybe phase it out altogether. The body gets used to using psyllium so if you become constipated by removing it completely then phase it out over 3 days.

    FYI although it’s less tasty, you can buy psyllium for a fraction of the cost and simply add it to water or food. I just checked Amazon and the branded stuff is 1.5 times the price of the plain husks/powder.

    The next thing that occurs to me is that it might not be the greens at all. It could be that you’re eating more fruit than you normally do.

    See how that works to maybe for a few days just eat a salad that has the exact same amount of greens that you would put in your smoothies.

    And for a few days try your smoothies without any greens at all and have an all-fruit smoothie. (I think an all green smoothie no fruit may be a little harder to take but do it if you think you would like to.)

    So, there you go. It could be the fiber. It could be the fruit. It could be the greens.

    Tell me how you get on

    Namaste
    Gabrielle 🙂

    Eagerbeaver
    Participant
    Post count: 31

    The first thing that occurs to me is that you could possibly need to consider stopping the Metamucil, after all it would be better to try just getting your fiber through your food. It is just artificially flavored and colored psyllium husks. Here’s the list of ingredients. If you’re taking the sugar free one then it has aspartame.
    Sucrose, Psyllium Husk, Citric Acid, Natural and Artificial Orange Flavor, FD&C Yellow No. 6.

    EB: thanks for your response. I’ve been using the coarse milled variety which has no color or flavor. It does have sugar. As a result I use quite a bit less :-). I avoid the sugar free like the plague. It’s a migraine waiting to happen. I used the name “Metamucil” even though I use the store brand because it is a product everyone knows.

    You could be taking too much fiber now. So cut back on the packaged stuff and maybe phase it out altogether. The body gets used to using psyllium so if you become constipated by removing it completely then phase it out over 3 days.

    EB: my doctor prescribed it because I eat a lot of fruit & veggies and have had this problem for several years. He said it would absorb the extra water and firm things up. My problem is I don’t take it as directed – I only take it once per day on average and I’m supposed to take it three times per day. It has helped some. I can now eat raw or steamed broccoli and cauliflower without having terrible consequences. I really rebelled, let me tell you!

    FYI although it’s less tasty, you can buy psyllium for a fraction of the cost and simply add it to water or food. I just checked Amazon and the branded stuff is 1.5 times the price of the plain husks/powder.

    EB: I’ve seen it at the health food store, but didn’t know how to substitute it. I would have done so for sure!

    The next thing that occurs to me is that it might not be the greens at all. It could be that you’re eating more fruit than you normally do.

    See how that works to maybe for a few days just eat a salad that has the exact same amount of greens that you would put in your smoothies.

    And for a few days try your smoothies without any greens at all and have an all-fruit smoothie. (I think an all green smoothie no fruit may be a little harder to take but do it if you think you would like to.)

    EB: I’ve had fruit smoothies for some years now with no problem at all. My favorite is red grapes, berries, & banana. I’ve also had savory ones with tomato, carrot, celery, bell pepper, and a handful of spinach. Another one I’ve tried is grapes, pear, and 1 leaf of kale. I’ve not had problems with those at all. Also, it seems to be worse when on the days I forget the psyllium and gets better when I take more. Of course, that could totally be my imagination.

    Eagerbeaver
    Participant
    Post count: 31

    I can’t help but wonder if my iron supplement is the guilty party. I assumed it was the greens because that was the color of things. But I laid off the smoothies for a couple of days, the problems have continued, and it’s still green.

    I’m going in for a blood test later to see if things have improved over the last month as far as my anemia is concerned and whether or not I need to continue. I know I quit taking iron before because it was not making a difference at all, but I had to start up again because my levels had dropped so much.

    Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)
    Forum Owner
    Post count: 3048

    Hi Beverly

    That seems like a plan! Keep me posted. I am pleased you are looking towards different explanations. Often the problem is not how it ‘shows’ up.

    Depending on one’s needs it appears that psyllium is good for both constipation and diarrhoea. I would be interested to hear from others to find out how it compares taking psyllium 3 times per day and just taking it once. Does it make a positive difference?

    Compliance is always a factor, isn’t it?

    Namaste
    Gabrielle 🙂

    jejones512
    Participant
    Post count: 17

    I’ve been drinking green smoothies every morning for about 2 years and I think they’ve made a real difference to my health. This fall, I even planted a greens garden. Since I live in Texas, we can grow veggies well into December or longer.

    I have the problem as well of having to go to the bathroom a lot after my smoothie. I started my Bikram practice 5 weeks ago and have to make sure I am finished with my smoothie at least 2 hours before class.

    Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)
    Forum Owner
    Post count: 3048

    Hi Joan

    Are you still taking smoothies every day? I was wondering if you still have the same issue you had before (re bathroom visits)

    Namaste
    Gabrielle 🙂

    jejones512
    Participant
    Post count: 17

    Hi, yes, I do have the same problem but I don’t think it’s entirely the smoothies. I do have one cup of coffe in the mornings and I use Calli tea as my smoothie base. Calli is a gentle cleansing tea I’ve used for many years but it does work on my bladder.

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