Green Smoothies: Magical Elixer

Musonius Rufus offered some very interesting lifestyle advice to we Stoics:

"On diet he used to speak often and very earnestly, as of a matter important in itself and in its effects. For he thought that continuence in meats and drinks is the beginning and groundwork of temperance. Once, forsaking his usual line of argument, he spoke as follows:"

He goes on to advise us to eat fruit in season, grains, plants (greens?), vegetables, herbs, milk, cheese and honeycombs. He specifically advises us to eat these foods raw. He calls these foods "cheap," because they don't derive from slaughtered animals. Meat was enormously expensive in the ancient world.

What results may we expect from following his advice?

"It is those who use the cheapest food who are the strongest. For example, you may, for the most part, see slaves more sturdy than masters, country-folk than town-folk,poor than rich - more able to labour, sinking less at their work, seldomer ailing more easily enduring frost, heat, sleeplessness, and the like. Even if cheap food and dear strengthens the body alike, still we ought to choose the cheap; for this is more sober and more suited to a virtuous man; inasmuch as what is easy to procure is, for good men, more proper for food than what is hard - what is free from trouble than what gives trouble - what is ready than what is not ready. To sum up in a word the whole use of diet, I say that we ought to make its aim health and strength, for these are the only ends for which we should eat, and they require no large outlay."

My response to Rufus's advice (and I mean it; it's really why I started this whole thing) is to embrace the green smoothie. So far I'm very pleased with the results.

Of course there's nothing magical about them. Green smoothies are nothing more than a combination of water, fruit and veg. You could eat the ingredients separately, drink a glass of water and achieve the same effect. You'd probably be more Stoic. Still, I didn't ever do this consistently. I find that smoothies are a way to sneak fruit and veg past my taste buds, and I'm grateful for them.

So far here is what I've found:

1. I eat less... I track what I eat on myfitnesspal.com and there has been a significant drop in my caloric intake, a drop that has taken me down to weight loss levels.

2. I have more energy... way more. This may be the placebo effect. Good for the placebo effect! I'm understating the effect... my body seems to tingle with energy. It's weird.

3. It's better to drink one in the morning. I have a cup of coffee and a green smoothie, and that's it. For the rest of the day it's like my body is plugged into an energy generator. I'm more aware, I do more, I look FORWARD to working out. If I skip the morning smoothie I'll have one in the afternoon, but my day is better when I drink one in the morning.

There is a very good chance that this is all the zeal of a convert. What happens when the novelty wears off? Who can drink green smoothies every day for the rest of their lives?

Well, I drink coffee every day, and the recipe never changes: plain coffee, cream and sugar. I haven't gotten sick of that yet. Why should I get sick of smoothies, especially when they can be made with such variety?

It's early days, but so far so good. And even if I don't lose weight I feel better and I'm following solid Stoic practice.

One of the really great benefits is that you can plug in to an online community without paying for a program, buying frozen food, or ordering strange supplements. The knowledge is free, and you likely already own everything you need. So give it a try.

How to:

For the purist: blend until smooth 1 cup of spinach, 1 frozen banana and 1 cup of other fruit (apples and pears work well).

For the beginner: use a coconut water base, or even do coconut water and orange juice, or plain water and OJ. If these things don't taste good you won't keep drinking them.

For everybody: freeze the fruit, especially the banana. Frozen bananas have a consistency like ice cream when blended. 

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Green Smoothie Links:

Incredible Smoothies

Simple Green Smoothies (this includes a very useful recipe chart)