Green Smoothies Diet: The Natural Program for Extraordinary Health

by Robyn Openshaw

Capture the benefits of the planet's most powerful superfoods with this bestselling guide to crafting ultra-nutritious green smoothies recipes at home from "The Green Smoothie Girl", Robyn Openshaw.

Looking for a quick, flavorful and nutritious way to stay youthful and healthy? The Green Smoothies Diet provides the perfect solution! Green smoothies are the best way to power up your body and supercharge your health in just minutes a day. Packing a tasty, nutrient-filled punch in every sip, these ultrahealthy smoothies pair leafy green vegetables with delicious, antioxidant-rich fruits. Discover how green smoothies help

•Lose Weight
•Detoxify the Body
•Increase Energy
•Fight Heart Disease
•Prevent Diabetes & Certain Cancers
•Boost the Immune System
•Make Skin and Hair Beautiful

Features easy-to-make recipes

•Rad Raspberry Radicchio
•Black Kale Blackberry Brew
•Red Pepper Mint Julep
•Grapefruit Cilantro Booster
•Big Black Cabbage Cocktail

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Food and Drink, Nutrition

240 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2009

Reviews

[Willow Curtis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a hard time with a lot of the stuff in this book - like Robyn Openshaw's obsession with Blentec - but overall it was okay. The writing wasn't great. She repeats herself often and some phrases are used ad nauseum. I can't think of one right now, maybe I've blocked them out.

There is one point in the book where Robyn Openshaw explains how to educate a child about the benefits of green smoothies that almost made me laugh. She describes fiber as a broom and afterwards says: "That was an example of how I speak to my children. It's different than how I speak to you, or how I write on a scientific topic on my blog" (p.74). Wait, didn't she just write that same analogy for me, the reader, a few chapters back? Let's see... "[Plant fiber] drags the length of our gastrointestinal tract, much like a broom, keeping its tissues clean and pink and healthy" (p.30). Or how about a few more pages in when she tells us again that, "Insoluble plant fiber is the best broom: It cleans out the 100 plus feet of your entire digestive tract" (p.50). Yeah, she just confessed to simplifying her nutritional knowledge in this book like she would for a child, while at the same time denying it.

I appreciate the amount of material that she has read on the subjects of nutrition, gardening, and health, but she didn't seem to cite her source material very often. Vague claims were either unsubstantiated or based on ambiguous personal experiences. In fact, I've read a lot of the same books as she has on these subjects (or am at least familiar with them) but I do not feel confident in my ability to tell everyone else the best way to improve their health.

To be fair, Openshaw does state in the book that so many people asked her about her lifestyle that she wanted to share it with everyone. I admire her enthusiasm and dedication to what she believes. A lot of what she believes I believe too. I am not going to fault her for researching ways to improve the health of her family and putting those things into practice. That is commendable. Now, does a raw food diet cure cancer as Openshaw alludes to?

There are a lot of intriguing recipes in the book. With names like Rad Raspberry Radicchio, Smooth Sunflowers, and Pollen Persimmon Potpourri, the smoothies seem a bit out there. I guess if they were things like Mixed Berry Banana and Spinach we wouldn't need to buy a book for the recipe.

Okay, I love green smoothies. Most of the smoothies I make for myself and my husband depend on the fruit and vegetables that we have on hand. When I first saw Robyn Openshaw's website several years ago touting her as the self-proclaimed Green Smoothie Girl, I thought, "Great! This woman has experimented with something that I'm interested in and is sharing her experiences online." Then, I saw that her ebooks (like her 12 Steps to Whole Foods) had to be purchased. I clicked away from her website and didn't look back. When my mom and sister started getting into green smoothies, my interest was rekindled.

After moving back to Utah recently I saw that Robyn Openshaw was having a free green smoothie class and demo. My skeptical friends agreed to go with us. The whole event seemed more like self promotion than a class. It was not very instructional. Our friends were uncomfortable with what they described later as scare tactics and left part way through. I'd bought 3 raffle tickets, so my husband and I stayed hoping to at least get a blender out of the disappointing evening. We did not win anything unfortunately. The products that she endorses were being sold in the back and I felt like we were sitting through a sales pitch. Oh, and the small shot of green smoothie offered as a sample was disgusting.

After this experience my friends did start to purchase green smoothies at a local smoothie place called Roxberry Juice. I went and saw that the smoothies were based off of Robyn Openshaw's green smoothies. The smoothies were surprisingly good, but not cheap. Roxberry had this book for sale by the cash register and I flipped through it. I decided to check it out from the library. With such a long waiting list I expected a better book, but in the end I am happy I read it.

[MJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is all about eating lower on the food chaim. As in vegetables and fruit. Then you mix it all in a blender and drink it. Robyn Openshaw-Pay starts by explain how she came to the revelation that she needed to change her families eating habits. So she went back to the basics raw green vegetables. She includes testominal from others who have tried her diet along with some really good recipes.

I have been drinking these drinks for about a month. Reading this book has cemented my belief that this was a good choose for me. I am not sold on her whole diet, no meat. I love a good steak and wont be giving up my BFs yummy steaks any time soon but I do beleive that cutting back on certain foods is a good idea health wise. Mostly I believe that I dont get enough fruits and vegtables and this is a good way for me to suppliment my diet.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time my husband saw me reading this he would ask, "So is everything we eat going to kill us?" Because that's what I told him I felt like after I'd read the first chapter. While the author subscribes to a mostly raw, whole foods diet, and she certainly promotes that, this book is really focusing more on the benefits of her "green smoothies" and there is comfort in her encouragement that even just a pint to one quart a day of green smoothies can drastically improve health and nutrition. My family and I had already been doing green smoothies for breakfast, but since reading the book I'm more adventurous in what I put in them, we've doubled the amount we drink (we now have one with dinner as well), and have set aside two days a week for no meat and no sugar. Surprisingly we made all those changes with very little complaint from anyone. While I cannot commit to a raw diet, I also cannot argue with the importance for adding more greens and less refined and modified foods to the standard american diet. It's definitely improved some of my nutrition choices. It is also a quick read and very well outlined with good recipes, tips, and explanations.

[Jordan Lombard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not for me. Ironic, when I cook for myself, I cook in bulk and eat the same thing for a week or two. I just can’t imagine making a smoothie more than 12-24 hours in advance. All these recipes are for bulk amounts and require one of the two very large blenders the author likes. I just got a nutribullet, so we’re not doing anything in bulk here! Lol. I’m terrible at math, so won’t attempt any of these because I’d have to adjust numbers.

Also not a fan of the mild religious terms, even though I can easily understand how this could be somewhat similar to a religious experience.

Also, this book is probably best for the suburban/rural family, as she talks about how to grow your own garden and suggests you invest in a large freezer.

And lastly, she does keep writing as if she has some background in nutrition, but her bio says “nutrition enthusiast,” whatever that means.

[Karina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was afraid this would be really boring, but it's actually pretty interesting and entertaining. Talks about the health benefits of a green smoothie diet, different greens and their benefits and tastes, why they're important, superfoods and health benefits they have, and lots of recipes and even testimonials of many people and how it's changed their lives. I have had some health issues and instead of being on medication the rest of my life I'm hoping this can help improve my issues. I have only tried two of the smoothies so far, but they have both been great! Can't wait to explore with this more!

[Sharon Rainey · Rating 4 out of 5]

good recipes, informative. i've been drinking smoothies for more than six months, but this gave me some new ideas.

[Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great recipes and a different approach to getting yourself a nice habit. If you are new to getting your kitchen health together this will help. I have followed Robyn for many years and enjoyed a majority of all that she teaches. I will say that one particular health professional isn't for all, so keep finding what/who works for you.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably among my favorites of the health related books I've read recently, Green Smoothies Diet was enlightening and easy to read; I read it in one sitting. I definitely plan on re-reading it again later, and implementing the daily smoothie at the very least.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

So inspiring! Learned a ton of healthy ideas to improve my life and excited to start my day with a green smoothie

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book - I took a lot of notes. Gotta keep referring back to these ideas and change eating habits

[Jona Cannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Openshaw educates the reader about the importance of eating healthy. You will learn precicesly what each variety of greens do for the human body and the benefits a person might derive. She explains simple and realistic ways of giving your body everything it requires to thrive without breaking the bank.

This book SO reminded me of the old testament story in Daniel chapter 1. Daniel and his companions were being taught to be leaders for King Nebuchadnezzar and were to be given the kings meat and wine to eat and drink. Daniel convinces the head eunich to allow them to eat pulse (seeds and grain) for 10 days to see if their health improves over the other boys in training. After 10 days their health is so much better that the head eunich decides to have all of the boys eat pulse from then on.

The only criticism I have for this book is that it felt like a sales pitch. You know the kind, where you are at the store, and someone is speaking to a small gathering of people and trying to sell you some new product. A good portion of the book guides you to Openshaw's web site where you have more oportunity to pay more money for more green smoothie education. It also guides you to buy the blendtec blender which (coincidentally?) if you buy from the manufacturer will give you her book. I have nothing against capitalism, but I would have preferred less sales pitch, and more smoothie recipes for the $15 book.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

We had a green smoothie this morning, and it is actually something I think I can work into my daily menu. If you're already sold on the whole-foods way of eating, the book doesn't have a whole lot of new information. However, it is a quick book and has a few good ideas about converting children. I checked my copy out at the library, but I think I'll have to get my own copy so that I can try some more of the recipes.

Just a note. This isn't as well-researched and documented as some good health books (The China Study and The Schwarzbein Principle come to mind). It feels like Robyn is a regular mom who tried something for herself that worked well, so she decided to share her knowledge. It is written in a friend-to-friend style that is easy to read.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives the how and the why to add green smoothies to your diet. It is the first step to incorporating more whole and raw food into what you are eating. I love how she puts it on a level anyone can do and includes her own story about why she started making green smoothies.

I attended a seminar by GreenSmoothieGirl almost three months ago and have been making green smoothies a little longer than that. I had recognized the need for more vegetables in my family's diet, but didn't have any idea how to do that. I felt we ate pretty healthy, but after attending her class, I have changed my views a bit. I bought a Blendtec, since the smoothies I made with my old blender had to be eaten with a spoon. I am loving it!

I don't do everything she suggests and have not done her 12 Steps to Whole Foods, but I have tried to incorporate more whole foods into my family's diet. I recognize that the Standard American Diet is killing us all. So much meat, processed food, and sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup cannot be good for us. I believe that God has given us what we need to take care of our bodies, but most of us ignore the whole foods and reach for the Twinkie.

[Sasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I learned a number of useful tidbits from this book, but overall didn't enjoy the writing style. At least it's less infomercial-like than the website. When it comes to the science, I think readers might be better off with another book I just read, "Super Immunity" by Joel Fuhrman. Since I'd just read that, I'm on the hunt for specific inspiration on how to make tasty smoothies... I know green smoothies can be delicious, but they can be yucky too.

When it came to the recipes, first, it's slightly annoying that they're all written for the type of giant expensive blender she recommends... and for making a large amount at a time. Okay, well, when it comes to smoothies, detailed recipes aren't that important anyway. My next complaint is that I think she should have started off with the most generally palatable recipes and moved on to the more adventurous ones, but instead, they start out quite adventurous--using lots of aloe vera, for instance.

I definitely regret buying this book instead of ordering it from the library... but it is worth checking out from the library, and skimming.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did a lot of skimming through this one- very similar to the other green smoothie books out there...
She did seem extremely preachy in the beginning of the book. But it gets better and I liked the stories she told of family having cancer go into remission after a green smoothie diet.
The thing that really bugged me is how she talks of the standard American diet- especially the part where she talks about children not eating veggies at all except for fries. Where did she come up with that??? There's no research listed to back it up- and I'm thinking it's because it's not accurate, and she made it up. My kids eat at least two servings a day of veggies- a good range of them as well. We aren't health nuts and I would consider our diet pretty standard, or maybe a bit better. I just felt it was ridiculous of her to make such statements.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This whole green smoothie movement definately has a good side. My main concern is the emphasis on raw hardy greens (e.g. kale, broccoli, etc.). Their anti-nutrients and hardy fiber are a bit too much for most people. Robyn is also very vegan minded, but I am willing to overlook that because I wasn't looking for nutritional advice in the book anyway. With that said, I like Robyn's simple approach to making smoothies. She gave me some good ideas, I made a really tasty and nutrient-dense smoothie recipe with inspiration from her book - lemon with peel, sprouts, goji berries (luckily I have a blendtec blender that can handle all the stuff). It was a fast read and she had some additional gardening ideas that I liked too.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was okay. I don't really like her writing style since she just writes like she talks. Also, her only expertise is her experience and that's not enough for me. Plus, she makes a lot of claims in her book without ANY citation. She'll just mention a book she's read and that's it. I do agree with her that Americans need more greens. The vitamins and minerals we are missing out on is crucial. But I feel like her recipes were difficult and required buying expensive equipment that you can throw whole fruits, vegetables and aloe vera leaves into. So not too practical. I will be looking into other books on the same topic to see if there are other ones that appeal to me with recipes I can actually embrace.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was like a constant advertisement for Bledtec blenders. Felt like the author wrote the article in Word and then did a find for "blender" and replaced with "Blendtec". Did gain a couple new ideas for things to add to my smoothies aside from spinach, but other than that not very fact based, no research to really back up her claims (short of "but it worked for my grandmother"). In no way am I stating that the author's claims are false, just wish she had more fact based evidence to back her claims up. And I felt the 20+ pages of "testimonials" was a bit over the top. So, I walked away with some ideas for new things to throw in my smoothies and will probably do a cleanse of smoothies but nothing groundbreaking or earth shattering revealed in the book.

[Kim Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! It is a simple way to get veggies and fruits in every day. She has tons of recipes, money saving tips, and info about not so common ingrediants. She even has a gardening section, which breaks it down on what to plant, when, and how much. Since she is local I can do the exact same garden, and not have to spend more time figuring it out! Very cool!
I love that she is also a mom and talks so much about the importance of good food choices, teaching our children, and making it fun!
I love her YouTube videos as well, and highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to increase their health

[Natalie Arrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robyn Openshaw was my Business Writing teacher at BYU. She's an amazing woman and I was impressed by how incredibly healthy she was. One night we had a test review at her house and she made green smoothies for our whole class. I loved them! I'd made a very fundamental green smoothie before, but it was extremely chunky, didn't taste the best, and it was hard to drink more than a few sips in one sitting. I'm so glad Robyn published a book on the secret to her extraordinary health. This is a great read to learn how to easily lead and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Robyn's book has around 50 great-tasting green smoothie recipes and I love making them!

[Hannah Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surely I am not the only one who double blends their smoothie just so they don't have to eat it? Chunks should be reserved for vomit : ).

I got two things from this book - laughs and info. The way this woman writes a quart of slime a day can wipe out all kinds of problems. Maybe the people from Stephen Dobyns' poem "Bowlers Anynomous" should drink this shit. Maybe the bicycle seat sniffer will be driven to smell something better if he would drink some slime every day.

I am all about cleaning out the gut and making the poo smell like daisies, so I might give this a whirl. For maybe like a week.

[Abigail Rasmussen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking for a way to consume more servings of vegetables throughout your day? Green Smoothies is a quick and easy way to do it! Plus, they are delicious!!

Refreshingly cold and delightfully tasty, these nutrient packed smoothies take just 10 minutes to prepare.

We have enjoyed drinking Green Smoothies every day that include: spinach, chard, kale, collard greens, ginger, fennel, beets, cabbage, carrots, celery, flax oil, coconut oil, chia, bananas, apples, oranges, pineapple, peaches, and strawberries. With a ratio of about 3:1 vegetables to fruit, everyone in our family LOVES these green smoothies.

Just 1 quart of green smoothie is 15 servings of vegetables!

[Cori · Rating 2 out of 5]

What intrigued me: Looking for more inspiration for my green smoothie habit.

What I liked: I likes the breakdown of each of the greens and how to utilize them in the smoothies. I had been cutting out the ribs, and there isn't a noticeable difference in taste if you leave them in. I also never thought to leave the strawberry green tops on.

What I didn't like: Anecdotes and unsubstantiated claims abound.

Favorite quote: My favorite quote is actually my own. Clayton was surprised that I finished the book so quickly and I said, "yeah, these green smoothie books don't have a lot of meat to them." I crack me up. :)

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I think she overstates the health benefits of green smoothies and uses the term "research" in a loose, sloppy way. I don't think a highly-raw diet with green smoothies will reverse aging or cancer. I also kind of cringe at the Utah pseudo-alternative-health/entrepreneurial fad aspect of it too. On the other hand, I think that it can't be a bad thing to include more fruits and vegetables in the American diet and she offers a simple and tasty way to do that. I like drinking green smoothies and am glad for her introduction to them.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't particularly well-written (it seems like the author has done quite a bit of research, but most of her sources are not cited, and there is something about the way she oversimplifies the science that makes me suspicious of her research methods). BUT eating (or drinking) lots of vegetables and fruits is definitely a good thing, no matter how sloppy one's research is. I LOVE the idea of using green smoothies to dramatically increase daily veggie consumption, and her smoothie recipes look pretty good.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that the author may be overly enthusiastic about the benefits of a completely raw diet but it was interesting and an easy read. Although I do not think that eating green smoothies every day will prevent every illness and solve all problems they are a great way to get more fruits and vegetables into a diet. I also really liked her suggestions for growing food at home and suggestions on how to get started on eating a healthy diet. Her smoothie recipe template is easy to follow and actually yields pretty tasty results!

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like "Green for Life", the writing in this book can get quite opinionated and unusual to mainstream society, but I had experienced the benefits of having green smoothies on a daily basis for awhile before reading it. Consequently, it was an easy read. I thought Openshaw was quite inspiring when relating her family background and her current gardening efforts. I made several helpful adjustments to my smoothie-making routine, especially in my attempts to be more economical about it. The recipes in this book were a big turnoff for me, though, because they are all quite complicated.

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I simply LOVED this book and have decided it is one of my top recommended books for health! Robyn is simply amazing and so inspiring as she shares her passion of healthy food and her own powerful story and struggles with being healthy. She has done tremendous research on the subject of health and shares this wealth of knowledge with us in a concise easy read. This book is an invaluable tool to regaining your health and maintaining it for life! Robyn shares so many wonderful ideas that can help us all! Start your journey to health TODAY!!

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this after going to a free class from author in Provo. www.greensmoothiesgirl.com Author promotes raw/whole foods diet, but believes that you can start eating healthy and gain many many benefits from drinking a green smoothie. I know someone who has a friend who has done this and lost a lot of weight along with many other benefits, so am excited to try implementing this one thing. 1 quart a day for adults. To make it most beneficial and easy, though, you really need a commercial blender (blendtec or vitamix), which are definitely an investment. We'll see how it goes...

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

A friend recommended this book to me. I love veggies and was intrigued. I don't think much of the writing style in this book, and was confused and not clear about the diet. I don't buy into everything that the author tells me about nutrition, colon cleansing, etc. But what I really love is the Green Smoothie itself! I use whatever veggie and fruit I have in the house (and garden) to make a smoothie, and it replaces one of my meals daily. I am starting to see results. I recommend the concept, but not necessarily the book.