Insights from Making Vegetable and Fruit Smoothies for Two and a Half Years and Consuming Over a Million Milliliters.
Since the end of 2022, the author has completely changed his lifestyle. Within just half a year, his body has undergone astonishing changes:
not only has he successfully lost weight and gained muscle, achieving his best physique ever, but his hair has also grown more, his hair color has turned darker, he is less prone to fatigue, years-long constipation has disappeared, and he hardly catches a cold anymore...
He referred to his comprehensive practices in areas such as diet, exercise and stress management as the "Spring of Youth" program - an effective anti-aging path based on scientific evidence and capable of reversing one's biological age.
Among them, in terms of diet, a plant-based diet is adhered to, and the fruit and vegetable smoothie - a highly nutritious drink made by using a blender to blend various vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, good oils, good water, and nutritional supplements - is the core of this diet.
Fruit and vegetable smoothies are not only an effective anti-aging diet, but are also regarded as an important step in activating metabolism in the morning, providing antioxidant nutrition, and strengthening the liver and kidney detoxification， In international renowned integrative medical institutions such as Hope Oasis and Andrew Weil, they have become one of the most exciting parts of the rehabilitation experience.
Clinical nutritionist Xu Jia pointed out in her book "Healing Without Drugs" that fruit and vegetable smoothies are highly efficient carriers of whole foods.
Many beneficiaries of the fruit and vegetable smoothies, such as late liver cancer survivors, Honorary Professor Han Baichong from Taipei Medical University (author of "The More Natural, The More Anti-Cancer: Eliminating Cancer Cells and Reclaiming Self-Recovery Ability") and cancer patients' family members, as well as the Chairman of Taiwan Cancer Care Foundation Chen Yueqing (author of "Secrets of Whole Food Regimen" and "His Cancer Cells Disappeared"), later became active advocates of fruit and vegetable smoothies.
What ingredients are included in the fruit and vegetable smoothie？
The main types of ingredients include: vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, spices, good oils, good water, herbs, and minerals from plants.
Of course, if you are a beginner, you don't have to stick to a fixed recipe. Adjust according to your personal taste and physical condition. The key point is: mainly vegetables, with a rich variety of colors; keep the ingredients natural, diverse and balanced.
Vegetables
Usually, 8 to 10 kinds of vegetables. Beginners can start with 5 kinds. The key is to ensure a variety of colors. The more diverse the colors, the more types of phytonutrients there are, which is more conducive to antioxidation, anti-inflammation and overall health.
The basic combinations usually include: broccoli, green cabbage (loofah cabbage), carrots, beetroot, onions.
On this basis, according to the principles of seasonal ingredients and color matching, other vegetables can be flexibly added, such as purple cabbage, kale, celery, green and yellow peppers, sprouts (such as pea sprouts and broccoli sprouts), kale blue, white radish, tomatoes, cucumbers, baby Chinese cabbage, green leaf lettuce, lettuce, milk Cabbage, coriander, spinach, pumpkin (boiled)， lotus root (boiled)， taro cabbage， bamboo shoots (bamboo shoots or asparagus， boiled)， sweet potato leaves， and old ginger.
You can also add deep-sea vegetables - kelp: Soak the root kelp in clean water before going to bed and leave it overnight. In the morning, after getting up, drink the kelp water on an empty stomach first, then add the soaked root kelp to a blender along with other ingredients and blend them together for consumption.
Fruits
Usually, 3 to 4 kinds of fruits are added. On the basis of organic apples (with skins) and organic bananas (with skins), according to the principles of seasonal fruits and color combination, 1 to 2 more kinds can be flexibly added, such as berry fruits (cranberries, blueberries and grapes, etc.), lemon, orange, pineapple, kiwi, dragon fruit and avocado, etc.
Nuts
The following types of nuts: walnuts, pecans, almonds, macadamia nuts, cashews, hazelnuts and pistachios.
The total amount to be added is recommended not to exceed 35 grams.
This is also the upper limit of daily nut intake recommended by the World Health Organization.
It can provide healthy fats and phytonutrients while avoiding excessive calorie intake.
Seeds
The main ingredients are flaxseeds and pumpkin seeds (each one large tablespoon), and sometimes roasted black sesame seeds are also included.
These seeds are rich in high-quality fatty acids, plant-based proteins, minerals and antioxidants.
They have positive effects in regulating hormones, promoting intestinal health, anti-inflammation and delaying aging.
Spices
The commonly used spices include turmeric powder, cinnamon powder and black pepper.
These spices not only have a strong anti-inflammatory effect, but also can neutralize the cold properties of certain fruits and vegetables, making them particularly beneficial for those with a relatively deficient constitution.
The global bestseller "The Encyclopedia of Anti-Cancer Foods" mentions: "No spice is as closely related to cancer prevention as turmeric."
However, the absorption rate of the active ingredient in turmeric - curcumin - is relatively low. But if it is consumed together with black pepper (whose active ingredient is piperine) and good oil (such as extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil), the absorption and utilization of curcumin in the body can be significantly enhanced.
Good oil
The "good oil" mentioned here includes extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil, flaxseed oil, Inca fruit oil, etc.
These oils are rich in Omega-3, polyphenolic antioxidants and beneficial fatty acids, and have significant benefits for cardiovascular health, anti-inflammation, regulating cholesterol and supporting cell repair. Every day, add one tablespoon of extra virgin cold-pressed virgin olive oil to your fruit juice.
After getting up in the morning, drink one tablespoon directly on an empty stomach. This not only allows you to obtain the healthy nutrients of the olive oil itself, but more importantly, it can work in synergy with black pepper to significantly enhance the absorption rate and bioavailability of the active ingredient curcumin in turmeric powder.
Good water
What kind of water is considered "good" water?
Cancer-fighting expert and honorary professor of Taipei Medical University, Han Baichen, in his book "The More Natural, the More Anti-Cancer", points out that good water should meet the following conditions:
- It should not contain harmful substances;
- It should be rich in natural minerals (water without minerals is called "dead water");
- It should have a high dissolved oxygen content, with more than 5 ppm per liter;
- It should be slightly alkaline, with a pH value above 7.5 (preferably reaching 8-9), which helps the activity of enzymes and antioxidant substances in the body, promoting digestion and absorption;
- It should have a small molecular structure, facilitating cell absorption and metabolism.
Herbs
The common herbs include rosemary, mint and cilantro (although often classified as vegetables, it is actually also a type of herb).
- Rosemary is rich in aromatic molecules with anti-cancer activity.
- Mint can enhance a fresh taste and help soothe the digestive system.
- Cilantro is regarded as a "medicine trigger" in Ayurvedic medicine in India, and it has the function of harmonizing and guiding the efficacy of herbal remedies.
Plant-derived minerals
Plant-derived minerals are a liquid nutrient extracted from ancient plants and the sediment layers of seaweed. They contain over 70 small molecules of balanced minerals, and their "ion spectrum" closely overlaps with seawater and the mother's amniotic fluid.
This characteristic resonates with the natural origin of the human body: human life originated in the ocean.
Compared to tablet supplements made from mineral salts, plant-derived minerals have a higher biological affinity and are therefore more easily absorbed and utilized by the human body.
The biological utilization rate of plant-derived minerals is typically 1.5 to 4 times that of traditional "mineral salt" types, and it can reduce gastrointestinal discomfort and environmental excretion burden caused by poor absorption.
When you first try, you can start with a small amount and a limited variety of combinations, observe the body's reaction, and then gradually increase the types and quantities.
Try to choose organic ingredients, but there is no need to insist that all of them must be organic. The key point is that it is more important to consume a variety of minimally processed plant-based foods over the long term and continuously, rather than whether they are organic or not.