Have you noticed that during the hot season it is sometimes harder to concentrate?  Our thyroid gland plays a major role in regulating the temperature of our bodies.  When we are exposed to extreme heat for prolonged periods of time, our thyroid gets overworked.  All hormonal glands are interconnected.  For example, the adrenal gland cannot function fully if the thyroid gland is tired. As a result, we experience a lack of energy and difficulty concentrating.  This is why it is a good idea to cool down by taking cold showers or swimming in rivers and lakes.

In my family we have noticed that reducing the consumption of fat greatly aids us in tolerating the heat.  During these hot weeks we consume no oils, nuts, and almost no avocados. At the same time, our family of four consumes one or two big organic seeded watermelons every day.  I would like to emphasize seeded watermelons; in the research done recently at Harvard University the scientists discovered that seeded fruits have the longevity genes, while the seedless varieties possess fast-aging genes.  It is as if the plant decides that its nutritional content has been so altered that the plant commits suicide by not producing seeds. Subsequently, when we consume seedless fruits, we consume fast-aging genes. I prefer to consume longevity genes.

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We invite you to be inspired by Richard Cavalli’s  story. Richard shares that one year ago, at the age of 66, he was very unhealthy and unhappy with weight issues, dangerously high blood pressure, cholesterol, depression and muscle tremors. After trying countless programs, he found that a plant based, high raw diet with 40% green smoothies and exercise reversed his illnesses, increased mental clarity, spiritual awareness and even helped him to regain the energy and enthusiasm of his youth. From his experience Richard has developed a program called The Very Best Me which he passionately shares with others.

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20 years ago, I was diagnosed with an incurable neurological disorder called “dystonia” that is similar to Parkinson’s because of all the muscle tremors. The dystonia also caused my voice to become weak and difficult to hear. I was told that my dystonia would be permanent and very painful and would continue to progress and get worse. The gold standard treatment I followed for nearly 20 years was a set of about 20 deep injections every three months of 25,000 units of botox into the hyperactive muscles in my neck. I never liked the idea of putting this massive amount of poison into my body, but I had little choice based on what my doctors were telling me.

As the years rolled by, I continued to try every promising and popular program I heard about, from life coaching to Jenny Craige to immersing myself in ‘The Secret’,  but after trying so many I finally got discouraged and gave up. That is until about a year ago when my energy, enthusiasm and appearance were hitting new lows and my doctor was telling me that my weight, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol were hitting new highs. Now I was driven hard by the fear of bad health and aging all at the same time.

Luckily, I had a big advantage because I already knew what didn’t work, so I kept looking for new clues and after 66 years I finally found the answer. It was far simpler than I ever imagined. It’s simply about nutrition, detoxification and exercise all held together by simple habit control techniques. That is when I saw the light and realized we all need a program that addresses all four areas combined and not just one. When I combined these four critical areas into my new lifestyle, I started seeing exactly what I was looking for; profound results that went far beyond my expectations and worked 100% of the time.

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Recently I posted an article about Clent Manichs, who was able to reduce his weight to 170lbs from 400lbs. You can read about  Clents history and  green smoothie experiment here.

In this post Clent answers the most popular questions he received after losing weight on a raw, green smoothie diet. People who are struggling with the transition to a green smoothie diet or concerned about how to cope with cravings and the social pressure of being raw, may find Clent’s perspective helpful. I found it interesting to learn that even after such a dramatic change in his weight, Clent doesn’t have hanging skin. This is because the raw food diet helps bring the skin back to life and encourages its natural elastic ability. Victoria Boutenko explains that the Chlorophyll in the greens and especially from fresh wheat grass juice, can be responsible for skin elasticity. So if you are losing weight be sure to have lots of green smoothies and drink wheat grass.

This interview took place in 2008

Q: What are your favorite Green Smoothies?
A: ALL ORGANIC INGREDIENTS- if you can find them. I like to get my produce from the local growers market to save money and find the freshest available. Organic Produce is the most nutritiously grown, and grown without pesticides. There may not be enough nutrients in commercially grown produce. BEWARE!!!!!! STAY HEALTHY!!!!! BUY ONLY ORGANIC

Strawberry-banana-kale : Diabetic friendly:
1 cup strawberries 1 mango
2 bananas handful of blueberries
1/2 bunch kale 1 bunch of dandelion greens
2 cups of pure or filtered water 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional) tastes good
2 cups of pure or filtered water

My daily favorite that has helped me lose a good portion of weight:
Super high in greens (about 70-80 % greens):
big handful of mixed greens
big handful of spinach
4 leaves of kale (and /or)
4 leaves of collard greens (and/or)
l/4 bunch of dandelion greens (and/or)
1/4 bunch of parsley (and/or)
handful of beet leaves (and/or)
1 banana
1 large tomato or 2 medium tomato’s
1/2 avocado
1/2 lemon squeezed
1/2 lime squeezed
1 apple
4 large strawberries
2 tbls ground flax seed
2 cups of pure or filtered (clean) water
1 cup ice

Makes a full Vita-Mix blender pitcher of 64 fluid ounces. add or remove water for texture.

I use four 16 oz. plastic containers to hold my smoothies and I keep them cold in a ice packed lunch cooler and consume every 2-3 hours until gone. I start my day with a fresh carrot juice with wheatgrass and 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon. 1/2 hour later i begin drinking my green smoothies.

I will snack along the day on veggies and fruits if hungry (gives jaw some exercise). I drink lots of pure water all day long. Once a day I mix barley grass powder in my water especially during work outs to help reduce soreness in muscles. Do not mix powdered greens with smoothie. It will taste nasty! Do not add protein powder to your smoothie. There is a monster amount of excellent proteins in the green smoothie already. Too much protein can damage your kidney’s over time and increase your chances of certain cancers. This formula seems to rip the fat off my body and gives me energy all day. Remember what works for me may not work for you. Although I have received optimal health, extreme weightless and no longer have symptoms of Diabetes while on this program, I will not accept any responsibility for those that follow my program. You must discuss and seek advice from a health care professional and a lifestyle specialist such as Dr. Donato www.dolphindoctor.org before beginning a lifestyle change in your diet. Personally, I am closely monitored by my Physician, Endocrinologist and Dr. Donato. I have my blood work checked regularly and check my blood sugars daily. Those of you that follow my current program, please let me know your progress. I would love to hear from you!

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Clent Manich’s Green Smoothie Experiment (2008)

I called my experiment “The Green Smoothie Experiment 2″ because before I found green smoothies I read about Valerie Winters who lost  127 pounds in 25 weeks of just green smoothies. In my experiment, in addition to green smoothies I added some freshly made vegetable juice and chunks of fresh veggies. I have combined my Raw Lifestyle Diet and Green Smoothies to closely mimic Dr. Donato’s “Get Healthy Boot Camp”.

In the morning I usually drink a 12 OZ fresh carrot juice mixed with wheat grass juice. Next I prepare about a gallon of green smoothie, enough to supply four meals for me throughout the day. I usually add half of an avocado and two tablespoons of ground flaxseed  to my daily smoothie. I consume my green smoothies throughout the day, a large cup every two-three hours until I finish it. Along with the smoothie meals I snack during the day on a wide variety of raw veggies, such as celery sticks, baby carrots, asparagus, sweet peppers, zucchini, broccoli, or any raw veggies. Once in a while when I crave something sweet, I grab a banana, or peach, or a handful of grape tomatoes, but in general I consume fruit in moderation. I do not add any nuts, seeds, salt or oils. I drink lots of water all day long. This way I have enough to eat in a day to control my hunger.

In the very beginning of my experiment I weighed over 400 pounds, and I was hurting myself during exercise. Dr. Donato asked me to wait until I was under 300 pounds. I lost 102 pounds in fourteen weeks without exercising. Now I train with weight three times a week at the local gym under the supervision of Dr. Donato, along with a light cardio/anaerobic exercise daily. So far I have lost 204 pounds within 9 months.

I had type 2 Diabetes. I have now cured my Diabetes and currently weigh 197 pounds Lbs. My Goal is to get down to 170 Lbs. by the end of the year. Only 27 pounds to go. Easy! I began January 26th this year. That will be 230 Lbs. lost in less then one year. I am currently training to climb/hike Mt. Whitney in September.

Due to popular request Clent shares his life story and why he drastically changed his diet

Here is a brief summary of my life and how I found the raw lifestyle that’s helping me lose weight and regain my health.When I was a child I always seemed to be a little chunky. My family had to always finish our plates at the dinner table before being allowed to leave.

Growing up my body weight was like a roller coaster, constantly going up and down. As a teenager I became aware of my weight problem and cut back on my food. When I entered high school I was very skinny and ran on the cross country and swim team. And I delivered news papers on my bicycle. I was very active and skinny and weighed about 170 – 190 pounds.

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Our friend Jennie from Raw Pleasure in Queensland, Australia attended our most recent Joy for Life Retreat in Thailand.  In Jennie’s latest newsletter she wrote a review which we found to be a heart felt  story of transformation. This testimonial demonstrates what a week of green smoothies combined with The Work can do for your physical and mental health.

The next Joy for Life Retreat will be in Canada this August. We are also in the planning stages for another retreat in Thailand and Australian this November.

The Joy for Life Retreat in Thailand

Written by Jennie Murphy

The Joy For Life Retreat in Thailand, run by the Boutenko family along with their friend Tom Compton was one of the single best experiences of my life. It literally has changed my life and my way of thinking in such a positive way.

Every morning we were served massive trays of glorious fruits such as mangosteens, watermelon (tastes completely different in Thailand compared to Australia. Quality!), rambutans, jackfruit, mangoes, durian, dragon fruit, bananas, and so much more. We were also welcomed to the day with as much green smoothie as we liked and each one was unique and delicious. Lunch time saw us with more fruit and a savory smoothie as did dinner. At night we had a sweet green smoothie served as pudding.

Never has my appetite for food been so satisfied. Every night I went to bed feeling completely satiated! No nightly cravings, no dreaming of food. I was completely and utterly happy food wise.

After a single day I felt my energy returning even though I’d traveled a long way and was surrounded by people I didn’t know. I’m extremely shy by nature and it’s not the easiest thing for me to be in a group of strangers but everyone was talking to each other so it was easy to sit at the fringes of the conversations and join in a little. I didn’t feel my normal worry at all and after a few days was comfortable with most of the people there.

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I have gathered information from articles and a past teleconference to put together this post on hormones and how green smoothies assist with food cravings.

QUESTION: Do you think that drinking green smoothies helps overcome cravings for certain foods?

The reason we want to drink coffee for example, is because we are low in certain nutrients such as essential amino acids. These amino acids are transformed in the body into neurotransmitters. Our bodies have different substances and different needs. Hormones are one of the most important substances. It takes only a tiny amount to cause big changes in the our cells.  We only have a few drops of them, but they rule our bodies and the way we feel. For example, in order to wake up we need adrenaline. In order to be happy we need endorphins. In order to feel sleepy, we need melatonin. In order to tolerate heat and cold we need thyroxin, and so on. Subconsciously we begin to crave things to satisfy our hormones, such as caffeine, alcohol, shopping, loud music, bright colors or other stimulants. This is the basis for any addiction.

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Today’s post is a testimonial from a woman in Romania who was excited to experience and share the benefits of green smoothies.  You may find it interesting to learn that green smoothies helped her to stop diagnosed signs of menopause. She sent us this testimonial after reading a post on the 20th of April from a friend who reduced a heavy menstrual cycle by drinking a daily green smoothie.

I am 40 years old and I began to drink green smoothies about 2 months ago because I  had various health problems. My main concern was that I had no monthly cycle and  I received a blood analysis which showed that was at menopause. After my endocrinology results I went through some tests to see what the cause for my early menopause was, for example I checked my thyroid and the hypothalamus. The results showed that
my menopause came from natural causes.

I begun to drink a green smoothie each day and in the same month I had my cycle. All my life I have experienced heavy bleeding  (my period last 7 days) and irregular periods. After I began to drink the greens my bleeding was very little, it lasted 3 days and  it began to be regular.

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Tips on how to sleep well from Victoria Boutenko:

There are many more factors than just food in helping one achieve optimal health. One of the most important factors is sleep.

Whoever created human beings was very smart and prophetic. He predicted that we humans will engage in different kinds of abuse and do harm to our health during our active part of the day. So the Creator magically cursed us with everyday sleep so that no matter what we do in the daytime, at night our sleep prevents us from continuing the insanity of the day. Every single person in the world must lie down and stay motionless for at least 8 hours everyday. We are unable to drink, smoke or overeat when we are asleep. No matter what damage we do to ourselves in the daytime, at night our bodies are healing themselves.

Our body is trying to reach homeostasis during the night hours in order to heal. However, we humans have succeeded in our destructive behavior during the day such that it even impairs our nighttime sleep. Very often we don’t realize how little things can harm our health. I would like to share several observations with you.

1. Sleep in the fresh air, where possible: When God created the earth, 55% of the air was composed of oxygen. We have cut down most of the forests and jungles, covered lots of soil with concrete. Now the amount of oxygen in the air is 12-19% depending on where you are. In our bedroom the oxygen content is only about 6%. Why does it seem to be too time consuming for us to open the window before going to bed? Remember, that 75% of our bodily metabolic waste is supposed to be eliminated through the lungs.

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We show this DVD at our Joy for Life Retreats. Victoria believes that everyone should watch this film, it exposes pharmaceutical companies and explains how important it is to use a plant based, raw diet for treatment. The film does not address the power of greens, however we are convinced that green smoothies would excel the rate of healing, like they did in this testimonial.

Please watch this trailer to learn what the mainstream medical industry tries not to tell us. If you are interested you can purchase the full Curing Cancer From Within DVD here.