QUESTION: How much green smoothie do you recommend I drink daily?
VICTORIA: In the beginning people tend to drink more green smoothies, sometimes up to two gallons per day depending on how acidic their body pH is. After several months the quantity goes down to 1-2 quarts per day.

QUESTION: Do I have to make fresh green smoothie several times per day?
VICTORIA:  Smoothies can stay in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, but fresh is best. As soon as a smoothie is warmed to room temperature, it should be consumed.

QUESTION: How much greens does one really need? I generally consume a head of lettuce. Do you think this is enough?
VICTORIA: One needs fewer greens in the form of green smoothies than in the form of salad, because blended greens assimilate several times more thoroughly then chewed greens. I estimate that if you prefer to eat greens as a salad, you should consume at least two bunches of greens (or 6 packed cups) per day. If you drink your greens in blended form, then one bunch (3 packed cups) will be sufficient per day.

People who have an acidic pH balance in their body could benefit from consuming up to 80% greens in their diet. When they reach a stage of balance, they will notice that they want less greens and less green smoothies, but they will enjoy them more than ever.

QUESTION: It seems you talk about having an entire bunch of chard, or other greens, daily. Yet in your recipes, a smoothie only has 3-5 leaves from an entire bunch. Are you having more than 1 smoothie a day?
ANSWER: The goal is to eventually consume more greens in the smoothie than fruit. However, many of us are not used to consuming large amounts of greens. Also many don’t have adequate hydrochloric acid to digest greens. For this reason, I recommend starting with more fruity green smoothies and slowly using more and more greens. As the body finds out the many benefits of greens, it becomes very excited and starts craving greener smoothies. Experiment with what amount of greens you find palatable and gradually add more greens so that you work up to the equivalent of one average-sized bunch of greens per day.

It is possible that you will start with a fruity green smoothie and progress to extremely green smoothies. Yet, there will be another change later. As you keep consuming green smoothies on a regular basis for many months, you will eventually reduce the total amount of green smoothies that you consume daily.

This happens because the assimilation of nutrients increases and the body can get more nutrients from less smoothies, your body satisfies the most urgent needs for nutrients, it also becomes more alkaline and doesn’t need as much greens as before. Please remember to keep rotating your greens for variety!

QUESTION: How long should I blend my ingredients to make the green smoothie?
ANSWER: I usually blend my greens and fruits for 30-45 seconds. I always start on the low speed and turn it up to high.

QUESTION: I cant afford to buy a Vitamix or a Blendec, can I use a regular blender?
I recently visited Russia, where almost nobody can afford a Vita-Mix blender. However, a lot of people are drinking green smoothies there anyway. The main difference between smoothies made in a high speed blender or a regular blender is in the quality of taste, and the efficiency of assimilation by the body. Vita-Mix, Blendtec or other high speed blenders enable the health seeker to enjoy wonderfully whipped, delicious concoctions,which are quickly assimilated by the body. On the other hand, those who use simple blenders have to put up with some chunks and pieces of unblended greens and fruit skins. These green smoothies may be less smooth but still provide a great deal of greens in one's diet, much more than if people didn't drink them at all. A

QUESTION: What kind of blender do you recommend I use to make green smoothies?
VICTORIA: You may use any blender to make smoothies, however I recommend using the most powerful blender you can find, 1000 watts or more. If you don’t have a powerful blender, you can still make green smoothies and benefit from them, but you will have to chop your ingredients into smaller pieces, blend for longer periods of time, and to put up with some chunks in your smoothie. A regular blender may have a motor that burns out quickly if you are using it to make green smoothies every day.  A smoothie prepared in a high-speed blender is smooth in consistency, and will be assimilated better by the body. For those who live in the United States I recommend any model of the Vita-Mix blender. To purchase one free of shipping costs, please visit my website at: www.rawfamily.com

If you live outside of the United States, I recommend another high-speed blender called, Blendtec, which is priced reasonably for international sales.

QUESTION: Can I freeze smoothies or will they be less nutritious frozen?
VICTORIA: I have never frozen my greens, but if I lived in a northern country and had, for example, a large harvest of spinach, I would freeze it and use it over time. Frozen greens will still be more nutritious than cooked greens. However, if you have access to fresh greens, they are significantly more nutritious and tastier than frozen.

QUESTION: Since I started drinking green smoothies my stool became green. Is it normal?
VICTORIA: When the stomach acid is low, one may find pieces of undigested food in the stool and color of it may reflect the color of the food consumed such as red from beets, green from green smoothie, etc. After daily consumption of green smoothies, the body receives plenty of nourishment and the level of stomach acid begins to normalize. Eventually you will always observe the same stool despite of your food intake. Normal stool should be light-brown in color, odorless, well formed and not sticking to the toilet. It leaves the body easily with no straining or discomfort.

To learn more on digestion please visit this post

QUESTION: Why is it so important that humans model their diet after chimpanzees? From my understanding, they only live an average of 50 years. They are usually riddled with parasites too.
VICTORIA: Chimpanzees are genetically the closest creatures to humans. They share 99.4% of genes with humans. That is why, unfortunately, chimpanzees are used for medical research. However, chimpanzees have often demonstrated such a strong immunity, that doctors were not able to infect them with HIV or hepatitis C. In my book, I brought up the point that instead of making chimps ill with human diseases, researching how they are able to stay healthy may reveal immensely valuable information on human health. In captivity, chimpanzees do live much longer than in the wild because they are guarded against accidents and environmental dangers.

Chimpanzees are not only healthy, but have the ability to intuitively find and use healing herbs. Scientists from the Jane Goodall Institute described in their research that chimpanzees are familiar with natural ways of parasite control by eating medicinal herbs. On the other hand, any colonic therapist will tell you how so many humans are laden with all kinds of parasites.