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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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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Clent Manich is an inspiration to all those that hear his story. After coming close to death, Clent was able to lose 226 pounds and beat diabetes by predominately drinking green smoothies and switching to a raw diet.

Clent’s green smoothie and weight loss experience is documented in Victoria’s latest book, Green Smoothie Revolution. Valya has also created a touching interview with Clent, who as you will see, is a very heart-felt and genuine person. We hope that many people will be inspired by his simple and stunning example.

The past three days I’ve drastically increased the amount of greens in my smoothies…and…MY CRAVINGS TURNED OFF. Just stopped. Bang. They’re just gone.

I’ve now decreased the amount of fruit I was eating, and am finally losing weight!

BROADCAST THIS INFORMATION TO THE WORLD! Do you know how exciting this is? To have long-standing, strong cravings just vanish after years of cravings hell???!!! There are millions just like me, who’ve suffered cravings hell. This is the solution! Thank you, Victoria,for a wonderful book!

~R. J.