Smoothies, Soups, Purees and Juices
Fruit Smoothies
SMOOTHIES AND SHAKES
I do not recommend smoothies or shakes. As I observe more and more clients – over 40,000 – I am more convinced that most smoothies are very harmful, particularly for the digestive tract.
Here is why:
1. Too Much Sugar in Many Cases. Most smoothies include fruit, fruit juices, honey, agave nectar, almond milk or other milks, or other sweeteners. These all upset digestion and blood sugar, and are too yin (see below). They also encourage the growth of yeasts in the intestines, and perhaps other parasitic organisms. For this reason, they contribute to gas and bloating in many people.
2. Too Yin – Sweet, Cold, Blended and Raw. We find that to heal the intestinal tract, which is absolutely necessary for overall healing, one must avoid all yin foods and yin supplements as much as possible. Unfortunately, smoothies are all very yin. That is, they usually contain sweeteners that are yin, and raw food that is yin, cold items that are more yin than warmed, cooked food, and blended combinations that are far more yin or broken up than simple, whole cooked foods.
3. Poor Food Combinations. Many smoothies are very poor food combinations consisting of sugars, fruits, protein powders and perhaps other things all blended together. For best digestion, simple meals of one or two foods are far better. Eat more meals, if needed, to obtain all your nutrients and foods but do not eat complex food combinations as they are all hard to digest.
4. Food Extracts Not Usually as Good as Whole Foods. The use of food extracts such as protein powders, no matter how good they are, are not as good as whole foods in their nutrient content in almost all cases. Have a lightly cooked eggs instead of egg or whey protein powder, for example.
5. Too Much Liquid. Having liquids of any kind with meals is never a good idea because it competes with and interferes with the production and action of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, as well as the amylase digestive enzymes in the mouth.
It is okay to have a little water to swallow supplements with meals, but all smoothies contain too much liquid, which may severely interferes with digestion and utilization of all nutrients.
When to Have Smoothies OR Shakes OR Frappes. The only times I recommend smoothies are for a few children who absolutely will not eat cooked vegetables or take their vitamins.
SOUPS
I only recommend soups occasionally, and only if they are thick. They contain too much liquid, in almost all cases. This interferes with digestion.
If you like soup, have an occasional bowl of thick soup, with as little water in it as possible. Otherwise, eat cooked vegetables not in the form of soups.
PUREED MEALS
Pureed cooked vegetables means that after cooking the vegetables, you put them in a food processor or use a hand blender to mash them up. This does not require adding any water. Blending with a regular blender requires adding water, and this is not a good idea.
The only time I suggest pureed vegetables are:
I do not recommend smoothies or shakes. As I observe more and more clients – over 40,000 – I am more convinced that most smoothies are very harmful, particularly for the digestive tract.
Here is why:
1. Too Much Sugar in Many Cases. Most smoothies include fruit, fruit juices, honey, agave nectar, almond milk or other milks, or other sweeteners. These all upset digestion and blood sugar, and are too yin (see below). They also encourage the growth of yeasts in the intestines, and perhaps other parasitic organisms. For this reason, they contribute to gas and bloating in many people.
2. Too Yin – Sweet, Cold, Blended and Raw. We find that to heal the intestinal tract, which is absolutely necessary for overall healing, one must avoid all yin foods and yin supplements as much as possible. Unfortunately, smoothies are all very yin. That is, they usually contain sweeteners that are yin, and raw food that is yin, cold items that are more yin than warmed, cooked food, and blended combinations that are far more yin or broken up than simple, whole cooked foods.
3. Poor Food Combinations. Many smoothies are very poor food combinations consisting of sugars, fruits, protein powders and perhaps other things all blended together. For best digestion, simple meals of one or two foods are far better. Eat more meals, if needed, to obtain all your nutrients and foods but do not eat complex food combinations as they are all hard to digest.
4. Food Extracts Not Usually as Good as Whole Foods. The use of food extracts such as protein powders, no matter how good they are, are not as good as whole foods in their nutrient content in almost all cases. Have a lightly cooked eggs instead of egg or whey protein powder, for example.
5. Too Much Liquid. Having liquids of any kind with meals is never a good idea because it competes with and interferes with the production and action of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, as well as the amylase digestive enzymes in the mouth.
It is okay to have a little water to swallow supplements with meals, but all smoothies contain too much liquid, which may severely interferes with digestion and utilization of all nutrients.
When to Have Smoothies OR Shakes OR Frappes. The only times I recommend smoothies are for a few children who absolutely will not eat cooked vegetables or take their vitamins.
SOUPS
I only recommend soups occasionally, and only if they are thick. They contain too much liquid, in almost all cases. This interferes with digestion.
If you like soup, have an occasional bowl of thick soup, with as little water in it as possible. Otherwise, eat cooked vegetables not in the form of soups.
PUREED MEALS
Pureed cooked vegetables means that after cooking the vegetables, you put them in a food processor or use a hand blender to mash them up. This does not require adding any water. Blending with a regular blender requires adding water, and this is not a good idea.
The only time I suggest pureed vegetables are:
- For a child who will not eat whole vegetables.
- For a person who cannot chew for some reason. This includes babies.
- For preparing food for animals such as dogs, who may require that food be mashed up to make it more palatable.
Pureed Meals
Pureed cooked vegetables means that after cooking the vegetables, you put them in a food processor or use a hand blender to mash them up. This does not require adding any water. Blending with a regular blender requires adding water, and this is not a good idea.
The only time I suggest pureed vegetables are:
The only time I suggest pureed vegetables are:
- For a child who will not eat whole vegetables.
- For a person who cannot chew for some reason. This includes babies.
- For preparing food for animals such as dogs, who may require that food be mashed up to make it more palatable.
Carrot Juice
Many people today enjoy juicing vegetables or fruits. Juices provide a lot of nutrients in an easy-to-eat format.
Problems with juicing are:
For all these reasons, the only juices I suggest are:
Wheat grass juice also contains this calcium compound, along with many other nutrients. Wheat grass juice is best made fresh. I do not recommend the tablets or capsules of dried juices.
Children need less juice, depending on their weight and age.
Reference: Lawrence Wilson, MD
Problems with juicing are:
- Raw food is very yin to being with. Breaking it up to make juice makes the food even more yin. This is quite harmful, no matter how excellent the nutrition it provides.
- Juices are often bad food combinations, unless it just the juice of one or two vegetables. For example, combining a vegetable with a fruit is generally not a good food combination. This is always hard on the digestion.
- Sweet juices will upset blood sugar in many people.
- The large amount of liquid in all juices will upset digestion if the juice is combined with other food, or if the juice mixture contains something that requires more digestion.
For all these reasons, the only juices I suggest are:
- Either 10 ounces of carrot juice only for adults. You can put a green leaf or two in with the carrot juice, but that is all.
- One or two ounces of wheat grass juice.
Wheat grass juice also contains this calcium compound, along with many other nutrients. Wheat grass juice is best made fresh. I do not recommend the tablets or capsules of dried juices.
Children need less juice, depending on their weight and age.
Reference: Lawrence Wilson, MD
Paleo Diet
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Vegetarian Diets
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Shepperd's Pie
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