The problem, of course, is that not only does adding refined sugar to food encourage us to eat processed and refined foods that are not naturally healthy for us, but the refined white sugar is itself harmful to our health. Instead of adding sweeteners to substances like meat, chocolate, and other processed foods, why not add sweetness to the taste of naturally healthy foods that most people don't eat enough of, like raw leafy green vegetables? And instead of using harmful processed white sugar, why not use the wholesome sugar that naturally occurs in fruit? Along with sugar, fruit contains the vitamins and minerals that food processors strip out of food.

Blending together various combinations of green vegetables, nut milks, and fruit is an innovative and tasty way to improve our health by eating some of nature's perfect foods. The basic green smoothie is made by blending together several ripe bananas or other sweet fruit like pears, apples, peaches, mangos, berries, and seedless grapes, with leafy dark green vegetables, such as spinach, romaine, bok choy, Chinese broccoli, kale, or collard greens, along with just enough water to liquefy it. Leave out the stems of the coarse vegetables, and make sure the bananas and other fruit add enough sweetness to the smoothie. Do not gulp the smoothie down. Sip it slowly for better digestion. Bananas are ripe and sweetest when their skins begin to show small brown spots. Keep plenty of bananas on hand ripening ahead of time. The flesh of soft dates can be added to sweeten a smoothie. You can also use the water and meat from a young Thai coconut. 

In The Hygienic System, Volume II, Shelton mentioned the young coconut. He said, "In its unripe or custard-like state it forms an almost perfect food for those who live in the tropics." He also mentioned, "...its juice is a delicious and nutritious 'drink.'" Of the mature coconut, Shelton said, "Both its meat and its milk are fine foods and in some tropical places it makes up almost the whole bill-of-fare." Coconut milk is made by blending the flesh of the mature coconut with two parts water. The milk is often strained, but may contain a healthier amount of fiber if left unstrained. Discussing the nutritive value that bananas contribute to the human diet, Shelton wrote, "Bananas plus nuts, plus green vegetables would make an adequate diet for child or adult and for a pregnant or a lactating mother."

Vegetables in green smoothies increase the absorption of important minerals such as calcium. Calcium is absorbed twice as efficiently from most dark green leafy vegetables than from cow milk. One and a half cups of chopped raw kale has as much absorbable calcium as one cup of cow milk (Lanou et al., 2005). One large blender full of sweet green smoothie made from 6 cups of chopped raw kale is equal to a quart of cow milk in absorbable calcium!

But why base your nutrition needs on cow milk? (See How Dairy Products Cause Osteoporosis). Here is a raw vegan milk smoothie that is equivalent in nutrients to human breast milk. No wonder it tastes so good and satisfying!

Blend together:

• Water and jelly from 1 Young Thai coconut

• 2 medium size bananas

• 1 large bunch of kale

• 1.5 cups coconut milk (or blend 0.5 cup coconut meat with 1 cup water)

Human breast milk contains approximately 4 grams of fat per 100 milliliters (Wikipedia, 2009). So does this smoothie. Breast milk has about 1 gram of protein, 8 grams of carbohydrates, and 30 milligrams of calcium per 100 ml. So does this smoothie! It provides a complete diet from nature's perfect foods. For less fat, use less coconut milk. Add water and another banana as desired for taste.

Blend a bunch of broccoli with some ripe bananas and water to make delicious and outrageously healthy, raw, cold banana-broccoli soup! Other tasty cold soups can be made with cauliflower, celery, spinach, tomatoes, carrots, sugar peas, bell peppers, and avocados, all sweetened by blending in several plump and pitted Medjool dates. Top green salads with sweet fresh fruit. Mash up a ripe banana with a bit of water or coconut milk, mix in a few chopped pecans or walnuts or raisins, and use as a creamy sweet salad dressing. Cucumber slices topped with bits of dates are sweet, juicy, and crunchy. These are just some ideas on how to use the natural sweetness of fruit and nuts to flavor a healthy diet that is high in vegetables. Enjoy!

References: 

Lanou, A. J., Berkow, S. E., and Barnard, N. D. (2005). Calcium, dairy products, and bone health in children and young adults: A reevaluation of the evidence. Pediatrics, 115, 736-743.

Wikipedia. (2009). Breast Milk. Retrieved October 28, 2009 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breast_milk

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