Thick GREEN (VERY GREEN) Drink...
The Green Drink
Why a big glass of blended greens every morning has won over (most of) my family — and the genuinely cool science behind those leafy greens.
In the raw-food world I’ve wandered into, everyone seems to swear by their morning “green drink.” Natalia Rose builds her whole program around a daily “green lemonade” (The Raw Food Detox Diet, Raw Food Life Force Energy). And Dr. Joel Fuhrman — a medical doctor whose book Eat to Live changed the way I think about food — has his patients eating a pound of raw and a pound of cooked vegetables a day, with a little starchy carbohydrate from whole grains or starchy vegetables. My beautiful, vibrant friends who eat healthier than I do all say the same thing: drink your greens.
So I’ve been doing it. And once I looked into WHY it works, I got a little giddy — because the science behind leafy greens is honestly amazing.
What’s actually going on in a green drink
Leafy greens are one of the most nutrient-dense foods on earth — loaded with folate, vitamin K, magnesium, potassium, fiber, and eye-protecting carotenoids like lutein, all for almost no calories. But here’s the part I found most fascinating:
Greens are naturally rich in dietary nitrates, and your body — beginning with friendly bacteria right in your mouth — converts those into nitric oxide, a little molecule that relaxes and widens your blood vessels. That’s been linked to healthier blood pressure, better blood flow, improved muscle performance, and even sharper thinking. The effect varies from person to person, but across large studies, of ALL the vegetables, leafy greens show some of the strongest links to a healthy heart. Isn’t that something? A gulp of kale is quietly helping your blood move.
A gulp of green is doing more than you think — your body turns the nitrates in those leaves into a molecule that helps your blood vessels relax and your blood flow.
This is the question everyone asks, and it’s worth getting exactly right. Dr. Fuhrman’s famous point is that greens are high in protein per calorie — and that’s true and surprising! But greens are NOT high in protein per serving; you’d have to eat a literal mountain of spinach to meet your needs on greens alone. Well-planned plant-based eaters do get plenty of protein — they just get most of it from legumes, soy, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, with greens as a lovely bonus on top.
Which brings me to that bag of hemp seed I felt strangely drawn to at the health food store — and then talked myself out of buying. My instinct was RIGHT, and I’m going back for it! Hemp seeds are one of the few plant foods that are a complete protein, with all nine essential amino acids and roughly 9–10 grams of protein in just three tablespoons — more than an egg — plus a beautiful omega-3 to omega-6 ratio. (One tip straight from the research: hemp runs a little low in the amino acid lysine, so pairing it with beans or lentils rounds it out perfectly.) Lesson learned: next time, I’m listening to the nudge.
Our morning green drink
This morning’s (very thick!) green drink
A whole bag of kale
Sprouts (a container of alfalfa, and the last of some broccoli sprouts)
½ stalk of organic celery (I only buy celery organic — it tends to carry more pesticide residue)
Carrots from Grandma’s garden
Leftover apples, limes, and ½ a lemon
We were heading out of town, so this was me using up the last of the fridge! I’d have added spinach, but we ate the last of it in a salad the night before.
The verdict from the little ones: my three-year-old LOVED it. My five-year-old drank it down after a swirl of maple syrup. My eight-year-old finished his. And my seven-year-old… is still holding out, unmoved even by the “models and celebrities drink this” speech. (We’ll get there.)
For my holdout, I keep a quick backup she adores: a “green lemonade” made with Nature’s Sunshine Ultimate Greens, freshly squeezed lemon or lime, and a little stevia or maple syrup to sweeten. She loves it so much she wanted to sell it at her lemonade stand — I had to gently explain it was a bit too precious (and pricey!) for the neighborhood market.
That good green feeling
A couple of days ago I bought a fresh green drink at the market and took a sip — UGH, a power-packed punch of green with a hint of lime. But a few minutes later, a real lift came over me: a wave of energy and calm wellbeing. Some raw-food folks I once watched joked that their green elixirs gave them a “buzz.” I wouldn’t put it nearly that dramatically (and it’s certainly nothing like a drug — I wouldn’t know!), but there’s something real to the clean-energy feeling: good hydration, steady blood sugar, a flood of minerals, and those blood-vessel-relaxing nitrates all arriving at once. Whatever it was, I cringed through the strong green taste and happily finished every drop.
A heartfelt note for my nursing and expecting mamas. I’m nursing my own sweet one-month-old as I eat this way, and I want to be a wise steward of both our bodies — so please hear this. A plant-based diet CAN be wonderful and safe while breastfeeding, but it takes intention, because a few key nutrients are hard to get without animal foods. The big one is vitamin B12: a nursing baby depends entirely on mom’s stores, and a deficiency can cause real harm to a little one, so B12 is a must-supplement for plant-based mamas (the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends it through pregnancy and lactation). It’s also worth watching iron, vitamin D, calcium, iodine, omega-3 DHA, and getting enough protein. Please partner with your own doctor and your baby’s pediatrician — that’s the loving, careful thing to do.
My little one hit a growth spurt this week — she’s filling out her newborn clothes now, nurses well, and has even blessed me with some longer sleep stretches. Babies do this on their own timeline, so I won’t credit the green drinks entirely (!) — but I do love knowing my milk is nourishing her while I nourish myself.
My gentle encouragement
So here’s my nudge — not a prescription, just a friend cheering you on: try adding a green drink to your mornings, and see how you feel after a couple of weeks. Eating more vegetables is one of the kindest, most well-supported things you can do for your energy, your heart, and yes, even your mood — good nutrition genuinely supports mental wellbeing.
But please hear me clearly, because I mean it with love: greens are a wonderful support, never a treatment. If you’re wrestling with depression, weight struggles, or a real health issue, let a good green drink stand alongside the care of a trusted doctor or counselor — never in place of it. Be well, friend. And be gentle with yourself.
“…I have given you every herb bearing seed… and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” - Genesis 1:29
Lots of love and health!
Steffanie
A note on sources: On leafy greens, dietary nitrate, and nitric oxide: randomized trials and reviews in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and related literature (effects on blood pressure vary by individual, but leafy greens are consistently among the most heart-protective vegetables). On hemp seeds as a complete protein (~9–10 g per 3 Tbsp, all nine essential amino acids): USDA data and reviews via the Cleveland Clinic and nutrition literature. On plant-based diets in pregnancy and lactation and the need for B12 supplementation: the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, InfantRisk Center, and multiple pediatric case reviews.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This reflects our family’s personal approach to eating and is not medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare provider before making significant dietary changes, especially during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or if managing a health condition.
Why a big glass of blended greens every morning has won over (most of) my family — and the genuinely cool science behind those leafy greens.
In the raw-food world I’ve wandered into, everyone seems to swear by their morning “green drink.” Natalia Rose builds her whole program around a daily “green lemonade” (The Raw Food Detox Diet, Raw Food Life Force Energy). And Dr. Joel Fuhrman — a medical doctor whose book Eat to Live changed the way I think about food — has his patients eating a pound of raw and a pound of cooked vegetables a day, with a little starchy carbohydrate from whole grains or starchy vegetables. My beautiful, vibrant friends who eat healthier than I do all say the same thing: drink your greens.
So I’ve been doing it. And once I looked into WHY it works, I got a little giddy — because the science behind leafy greens is honestly amazing.
What’s actually going on in a green drink
Leafy greens are one of the most nutrient-dense foods on earth — loaded with folate, vitamin K, magnesium, potassium, fiber, and eye-protecting carotenoids like lutein, all for almost no calories. But here’s the part I found most fascinating:
Greens are naturally rich in dietary nitrates, and your body — beginning with friendly bacteria right in your mouth — converts those into nitric oxide, a little molecule that relaxes and widens your blood vessels. That’s been linked to healthier blood pressure, better blood flow, improved muscle performance, and even sharper thinking. The effect varies from person to person, but across large studies, of ALL the vegetables, leafy greens show some of the strongest links to a healthy heart. Isn’t that something? A gulp of kale is quietly helping your blood move.
A gulp of green is doing more than you think — your body turns the nitrates in those leaves into a molecule that helps your blood vessels relax and your blood flow.
Blend it or juice it?
There are two ways to make a green drink, and they’re not the same thing:
A Vitamix (blending) pulverizes the vegetables, breaking open the plant’s cell walls so more of the good stuff inside becomes available to you — and it keeps ALL the fiber, which feeds your gut bacteria and steadies your blood sugar. A juicer does something different: it extracts the liquid and leaves the fiber behind, giving you a concentrated, easy-to-absorb hit of vitamins and minerals — but without the fiber’s gut and blood-sugar benefits. That’s exactly why, when I juice, I keep it mostly greens and go easy on the apple and carrot: strip out the fiber, and the natural sugars in a lot of fruit can hit your bloodstream fast.
But where’s the protein?
There are two ways to make a green drink, and they’re not the same thing:
A Vitamix (blending) pulverizes the vegetables, breaking open the plant’s cell walls so more of the good stuff inside becomes available to you — and it keeps ALL the fiber, which feeds your gut bacteria and steadies your blood sugar. A juicer does something different: it extracts the liquid and leaves the fiber behind, giving you a concentrated, easy-to-absorb hit of vitamins and minerals — but without the fiber’s gut and blood-sugar benefits. That’s exactly why, when I juice, I keep it mostly greens and go easy on the apple and carrot: strip out the fiber, and the natural sugars in a lot of fruit can hit your bloodstream fast.
But where’s the protein?
This is the question everyone asks, and it’s worth getting exactly right. Dr. Fuhrman’s famous point is that greens are high in protein per calorie — and that’s true and surprising! But greens are NOT high in protein per serving; you’d have to eat a literal mountain of spinach to meet your needs on greens alone. Well-planned plant-based eaters do get plenty of protein — they just get most of it from legumes, soy, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, with greens as a lovely bonus on top.
Which brings me to that bag of hemp seed I felt strangely drawn to at the health food store — and then talked myself out of buying. My instinct was RIGHT, and I’m going back for it! Hemp seeds are one of the few plant foods that are a complete protein, with all nine essential amino acids and roughly 9–10 grams of protein in just three tablespoons — more than an egg — plus a beautiful omega-3 to omega-6 ratio. (One tip straight from the research: hemp runs a little low in the amino acid lysine, so pairing it with beans or lentils rounds it out perfectly.) Lesson learned: next time, I’m listening to the nudge.
Our morning green drink
This morning’s (very thick!) green drink
A whole bag of kale
Sprouts (a container of alfalfa, and the last of some broccoli sprouts)
½ stalk of organic celery (I only buy celery organic — it tends to carry more pesticide residue)
Carrots from Grandma’s garden
Leftover apples, limes, and ½ a lemon
We were heading out of town, so this was me using up the last of the fridge! I’d have added spinach, but we ate the last of it in a salad the night before.
The verdict from the little ones: my three-year-old LOVED it. My five-year-old drank it down after a swirl of maple syrup. My eight-year-old finished his. And my seven-year-old… is still holding out, unmoved even by the “models and celebrities drink this” speech. (We’ll get there.)
For my holdout, I keep a quick backup she adores: a “green lemonade” made with Nature’s Sunshine Ultimate Greens, freshly squeezed lemon or lime, and a little stevia or maple syrup to sweeten. She loves it so much she wanted to sell it at her lemonade stand — I had to gently explain it was a bit too precious (and pricey!) for the neighborhood market.
That good green feeling
A couple of days ago I bought a fresh green drink at the market and took a sip — UGH, a power-packed punch of green with a hint of lime. But a few minutes later, a real lift came over me: a wave of energy and calm wellbeing. Some raw-food folks I once watched joked that their green elixirs gave them a “buzz.” I wouldn’t put it nearly that dramatically (and it’s certainly nothing like a drug — I wouldn’t know!), but there’s something real to the clean-energy feeling: good hydration, steady blood sugar, a flood of minerals, and those blood-vessel-relaxing nitrates all arriving at once. Whatever it was, I cringed through the strong green taste and happily finished every drop.
A heartfelt note for my nursing and expecting mamas. I’m nursing my own sweet one-month-old as I eat this way, and I want to be a wise steward of both our bodies — so please hear this. A plant-based diet CAN be wonderful and safe while breastfeeding, but it takes intention, because a few key nutrients are hard to get without animal foods. The big one is vitamin B12: a nursing baby depends entirely on mom’s stores, and a deficiency can cause real harm to a little one, so B12 is a must-supplement for plant-based mamas (the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends it through pregnancy and lactation). It’s also worth watching iron, vitamin D, calcium, iodine, omega-3 DHA, and getting enough protein. Please partner with your own doctor and your baby’s pediatrician — that’s the loving, careful thing to do.
My little one hit a growth spurt this week — she’s filling out her newborn clothes now, nurses well, and has even blessed me with some longer sleep stretches. Babies do this on their own timeline, so I won’t credit the green drinks entirely (!) — but I do love knowing my milk is nourishing her while I nourish myself.
My gentle encouragement
So here’s my nudge — not a prescription, just a friend cheering you on: try adding a green drink to your mornings, and see how you feel after a couple of weeks. Eating more vegetables is one of the kindest, most well-supported things you can do for your energy, your heart, and yes, even your mood — good nutrition genuinely supports mental wellbeing.
But please hear me clearly, because I mean it with love: greens are a wonderful support, never a treatment. If you’re wrestling with depression, weight struggles, or a real health issue, let a good green drink stand alongside the care of a trusted doctor or counselor — never in place of it. Be well, friend. And be gentle with yourself.
“…I have given you every herb bearing seed… and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” - Genesis 1:29
Lots of love and health!
Steffanie
A note on sources: On leafy greens, dietary nitrate, and nitric oxide: randomized trials and reviews in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and related literature (effects on blood pressure vary by individual, but leafy greens are consistently among the most heart-protective vegetables). On hemp seeds as a complete protein (~9–10 g per 3 Tbsp, all nine essential amino acids): USDA data and reviews via the Cleveland Clinic and nutrition literature. On plant-based diets in pregnancy and lactation and the need for B12 supplementation: the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, InfantRisk Center, and multiple pediatric case reviews.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This reflects our family’s personal approach to eating and is not medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare provider before making significant dietary changes, especially during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or if managing a health condition.
Comments