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.

We have noticed that the ingredients of our smoothies have changed on hot summer days.  Our smoothies have become a lot greener!  Instead of putting fleshy fruits we tend to include juicy fruits as ingredients:  oranges, grapefruits, pineapple, grapes, and tomatoes or apple juice.  We also like to use more tangy greens such as mint or basil.  Keeping in mind that weeds are mostly available in the summer, we almost never add kale, chard, spinach, or any other greens that are sold in stores reserving them for the wintertime.  I am thrilled that our Ashland Co-op now offers purslane and our local grower’s market offers a variety of weeds, including lambsquarters and sorrel.  We also add young grape leaves, pumpkin and zucchini leaves, plantain, dandelion, and stinging nettles.  Stinging nettles are my favorite.  They cease to sting as soon as they are crushed, and they are delicious when they are blended.  Please be extremely cautious and ask a specialist to identify wild edibles for you before using them.  We have been adding the young light green leaves of Douglas fir trees to our smoothies; but I cannot recommend it yet, as I am unable to find any scientific research about this plant’s nutritional value so far.  My father was an herbalist, and he always encouraged us kids to grab a handful of those bright green tips and eat them in the summer.  Today my family enjoys their zingy taste and it seems like they give a boost of energy right away.  We don’t  put a lot of these fir tips, maybe 10-15 1-inch pieces per blender.  Yesterday I  was able to locate a book about the healing properties of fir trees of America.  I will continue my research and hopefully will be able to include several recipes with Douglas fir leaves in the Green Smoothie Revolution book.

I receive over 200 emails daily, most of which are compliments to green smoothies.  However, I am concerned that I have not been able to sufficiently emphasize the importance of rotating greens in ones diet.  I see from the feedback I receive that most people keep using merely a couple of different greens, and sometimes only one green, for weeks and months.  I predict that this lack of variety will eventually lead to becoming tired of the same taste and discontinuing the consumption of green smoothies for good.  At the same time I believe more and more that green smoothies are the most essential food for humans.

Everyone in my family drinks at least two quarts per day.  I have been drinking green smoothies on a regular basis for 7 years now, and I am committed to continue until the last day of my life.  Often I hear people say that they are busy and cannot find a variety of greens outside of the produce section.  I would like to address these complaints by saying: I strongly believe that without consuming a sufficient amount of greens, humans cannot enjoy optimal health.  Fresh greens blended with fruit are the freshest and most enjoyable way to consume the necessary quantity of greens.  Please recognize the strong link between greens and human health; and realize that it doesn’t take that much effort to contact local farmers who know all of the weeds and are usually happy to share them.  Chimpanzees eat on average a variety of 117 greens per year.  We have only about 30 available to us from the best produce markets.  I believe that at one time humans were aware of many more edible greens.  In the book by Leo Tolstoy, War And Peace, one character says “a peasant is not hungry when he is out of bread, but when he is out of lambsquarters.”  Together we can identify the most delicious edible plants and return them to our daily menus, where they surely belong.

In this post, I have shared some of my summer experiences and also addressed some of the most frequently asked questions.   Now, I feel that it is time for me to take a dip in the magic horse trough.

Photo by must mention Ahmet Guler / FreeDigitalPhotos.net