Hi ABG Fairy, I just wanted to say that I've started doing this the last four days. My smoothies have so far consisted of 2 handfuls of spinach, a small-medium sized pear and some frozen berries and 1 cup of water. Tastes fine to me and I like mine a bit glug-y so not too smooth 
But I wanted to ask you waht you though about how my skin has been lately. Since doing this it's been really bad 
I know it's been only four days but my face has been really red and inflamed - I started noticing this the day after my first smoothie - could it just be coincidence? Today it's felt really itchy as well but that might be because of the Benzac wash I started using every other day... I also noticed a lot of whiteheads and some of my cysts have been coming to the surface which I think is somewhat of a good thing - it's better than them being bure din my skin I guess! Though it doesn't look pretty 
I really like the idea of this regimen I really hope it helps me. What I also noticed though was that the last few days I've felt REALLY extremely tired. I basically spent the whole day in bed sleeping today. It's strange because I think these smoothies are supposed to have the opposite effect?
Thanks, I've read a lot of this thread it you seem like such a great person posting all the information and replying to everyone! And I fully intend to at least give this a months try.
Mudfootball,
I'm so sorry for this late reply! Is your skin doing better? Your reaction is one I have noticed in others over the years as well, and I believe it's due to a detoxification effect. It's not uncommon for a person's skin to get worse before it gets better. You might try drinking only half the amount and then working your way back up again so the detox effect is lessened. Are you feeling better? Detox will definitely make you tired. Hopefully the smoothies will make you feel more energetic soon!
I really hope this works out for you, and gradually, you can start changing other aspects of your diet as well. Acne might end up making your really healthy. Please let me know if there's anything else I can help you with!
Thank you for the reply - wasn't late at all! And I had no idea detoxing makes you tired - wow!
Anyway, thanks I do feel better now and I have to report that my skin seemed to be improving after about 5 or so days - It was a lot less red, I'm not sure about my acne but the skin around all my spots looked a lot nicer and smoother which I think is something other ppl said they experienced in this thread.
However I haven't been eating very well or having the smoothies the last 3 or four days :S So now my skin has gone back to doing badly, though I know it's all because of my binge eating. I used to have a pretty good handle on my dairy eating but lately it's been out of wack. I'm getting back on track since yesterday though.
It's also been hard to exercise lately because it's winter here in Australia and the only time I can stand exercising is outside otherwise I get bored pretty easily lol I'll have to try harder also I'm kind of an anxious person so maybe I need to try to relax/meditate more.
And I found kale in my local supermarket! Yay! it was hidden at the back somewhere. I wasn't expecting to find any since I read it's hard to find so that's great 
It doesn't taste so bad either.
Sorry - I tend to ramble a lot 
Thanks for the reply, if/when I see any changes I'll report back 
Excuse me for being lazy if the topic has already been covered, but I am wondering if I anyone would be so kind to let me know the best blenders for green smoothies? I tried making them with a hand-me-down blender and they turned out chunky. I know Vitamix and Blendtec are the best but I am on a budget. Thanks!
mudfootball,
You are welcome!! And the main thing is that you do get quickly back on track. Some people get off track and never get back on. When I first started the smoothies, a few days without would begin to show up on my face too, and I'd always quickly get back into my routine. It becomes a habit after a while. This is my favorite recipe lately, and it's low-glycemic as well...thought I'd share!:
* handful of spinach or kale
* one scoop plant-based protein powder by Garden of Life (optional).
* 1/3rd to 1/2 bag frozen berries
* one squirt of honey
* one to two tbs cocoa powder
* 1/3 can coconut milk
* about 1 cup water
How about a weighted hula hoop? Hehe! It's really fun, and you can watch TV while you use it! I have a really cute one--mine only weighs 1 lb I think. A mini-trampoline is great as well for indoors, and if you get one with bungee cords (Bellicon or JumpSport), you can easily watch TV while you bounce, because they're so quiet.
I'm glad you found kale!! Yay!! And no worries--it's good to hear how you're doing!
CatsForever,
No problem! If you look a few posts up, you'll find an article, but you might also check out The best blenders for summertime smoothies. It says, "For a well-rounded machine that won't break the bank, consider the top-rated Ninja Master Prep Professional QB1004, $60. It does practically everything well, including smoothies and icy drinks, and it's also very quiet. Its brand mate, the Ninja Professional NJ600, also delivers excellent versatility for $100."
You may not get as smooth of a smoothie with the cheaper blenders, but they'll still get the job done. I used a very vintage VitaMix when I started that would leave little chunks of lettuce, but it still produced smoothies that got results!
I hope you're able to find a blender soon and get started! Have fun!
Thanks! Hula hooping does sound really fun I might try it out xD I have gotten back on track because I do enjoy drinking them but I'm not very regular with when I make them now that my days are busier :S Also July is the month of birthdays for my family so it's hard to stay away from all the not-so-healthy food! My skin looks about the same I'm not sure if this is the cure for me but the smoothies are tasty and healthy so either way I'd like to continue
Hey Mudfootball! Good to hear from you! It's definitely hard when there is a lot of good food around! It can help to drink a smoothie before a celebration and you might then find you'll want a smaller quantity of the bad stuff.
You mentioned some anxiety a while back, and I should have thought to tell you about transdermal magnesium oil. It's one of the best ways to absorb magnesium, and a lot of people with anxiety are low in magnesium. You might also look into EFT (Emotional Freedom Therapy). It's an easy, scientifically proven technique that helps with emotions (sometimes right away).
Keep up the smoothies! I'm hoping in a few weeks you'll start seeing results! You might check out the diet tips section in my original post of this thread too for any other tips you could implement, such as staying away from dairy and sugar. Also, are there any gyms/spas in your area that have far infrared saunas? These are helping people with acne, and they have great health benefits. Maybe a gym would get you working out again?
Thanks for the reply I had a TERRIBLE day food-wise. Had a birthday party and my dad's aunty came from interstate to visit and brought a cake which was supposed to be my family's breakfast D: My family is one of those traditional, nationalistic types and food is basically like a social event and if you dont eat their food (and sometimes a lot of it) - it's basically like you're attacking them or something.
And yes, I do have a anxiety and also have dealt with depression for the last few years (at least that's when I finally started seeing a psychologist anyway). I just searched EFT and from the little I've read it looks to be similar to what I've done with my psychologist in the past - These things have only helped for a short period of time. I find it hard to get the inspiration/motivation to help myself I guess? Sorry if I'm writing too much - I feel like this is turning into a psych session with all my ramblings! So I am definitely NOT the healthiest person in the world and all this probably impacts greatly on what my skin is like :S
Haha yes there is a gym very close by (about a 3 min bus ride) but to get back to my anxiety issues I didn't like it when I tried it out as I had all those self-confidence worries about there being other people, judging etc. But yes it does have a sauna. I think I'll start taking my bike out in the mornings. I haven't done that in a long time - coldness be damned!
Also, the magnesium oil - is that like oil that you rub on your skin? I had been looking for lavendar oil to do so as my friend says it calms her down and carries a little bottle with her all the time which she uses when she's feeling anxious.
Mudfootball,
The family outings can be hard, and I'm sorry this has been an issue for you. If they happen all the time, you may consider bringing your own healthy snacks and desserts to share with the family so you can mostly eat what you bring but can still eat a little of theirs as well. Sometimes I'll eat before I got to a function and then just "graze" a little on the foods. Unfortunately, when many people begin to eat more healthfully, family conflict is an unavoidable result, but eventually, they will accept that you are serious about wanting to improve your health, and hopefully they will support you as well, but this isn't often the case--it's just part of eating more healthfully, but it's worth it.
It's hard to want to help yourself when you don't feel well. It's great that you're taking action though, and I think baby steps are really important when you don't feel like trying, because you just take it one step at a time and eventually, you've made some big steps. The green smoothies are a great step! Little by little, you can add even more helpful things into your life.
I'm not a gym goer either--I much prefer the ease of working out at home! Bicycling is great fun! I think that's a great idea!
Yes, you rub magnesium oil on your skin, and it's a highly absorbable form, but you might also look at Magnesium L-Threonate, as it crosses the blood-brain barrier and helps with mental conditions.
This is so wrong.
Honey is a big no-no for CYSTS ! super sugar stuff
Chocolate will cause breakouts.
Fruit can cause severe breakouts for some people.
Nuts / seeds cause breakouts
The right 'smoothie' is cucumber juice mixed with some other green vegetables. NOTHING MORE , this will help you... not break out your skin like hell.
My story here, read it :
Alex,
Great points and thank you for addressing these for others to see. For many, the smoothies alone will greatly help without needing to be so strict about them, but you are right in that a low-glycemic smoothie is often a better choice, and your smoothie sounds like a very safe choice. The first post goes into more detail about low-glycemic foods as well as specific food allergies/aggravations, and other issues that some many run into and will need to dig a little deeper to find what works for them. I'm glad you got yours figured out.
Bamboomama,
That sounds like a very nice, well-rounded smoothie!! Thank you for sharing, and I hope they help you!
Mudfootball,
The family outings can be hard, and I'm sorry this has been an issue for you. If they happen all the time, you may consider bringing your own healthy snacks and desserts to share with the family so you can mostly eat what you bring but can still eat a little of theirs as well. Sometimes I'll eat before I got to a function and then just "graze" a little on the foods. Unfortunately, when many people begin to eat more healthfully, family conflict is an unavoidable result, but eventually, they will accept that you are serious about wanting to improve your health, and hopefully they will support you as well, but this isn't often the case--it's just part of eating more healthfully, but it's worth it.
It's hard to want to help yourself when you don't feel well. It's great that you're taking action though, and I think baby steps are really important when you don't feel like trying, because you just take it one step at a time and eventually, you've made some big steps. The green smoothies are a great step! Little by little, you can add even more helpful things into your life.
I'm not a gym goer either--I much prefer the ease of working out at home! Bicycling is great fun! I think that's a great idea!
Yes, you rub magnesium oil on your skin, and it's a highly absorbable form, but you might also look at Magnesium L-Threonate, as it crosses the blood-brain barrier and helps with mental conditions.#
What are your thoughts on green juice for acne scars as opposed to just acne
Zavvi,
There have been some who have said green smoothies have helped fade old acne scars, and because juice would have an even higher concentration of nutrients, it could certainly help as well.
I would consider topicals as well. You might look into retinols, BHAs and Vitamin C to help. And be sure to wear sunscreen as well--I prefer tinted mineral sunscreens. Paula Begoun has a scar-reducing serum out now that you might also want to check out. Here's an article on reducing red marks: http://www.paulaschoice.com/expert-advice/acne/_/red-marks-and-acne-scars
I wish you the best!
I began to juice raw fruits and vegetables about a week ago. Since then my skin has cleared up very well and i have had no new active spots appear which is just unheard of for me. My skin has also lost a good amount of oil that it used to produce. I just use celery and cucumber as my base juice as it has the most water, followed by broccoli, spinach, beet, carrot, parsley, coconut water, and any of dark leafy green is preferred. I would go light on the fruit with the exception of green apples and using carrots and beets surprisingly adds just enough sweetness to counter the bitterness of dark greens. I am now convinced that all my problems were gut related as i had all the symptoms of just an non-functioning digestive system blocked by years and years of processed and fast foods. On top of all this i must mention that the week prior to this my diet changed to no sugar, dairy, soy, red meats, processed or fast food. Drinking these nutrient bombs everyday has fixed a lot of things in my body along with acne. Yes juicing takes most of the fiber out but i still get enough in my diet to counter its loss. It is also quite expensive since i use all organic foods but its a price i'm willing to pay to get clear skin for good. This has only been a week i would like to see where the six month mark leaves me as i have a scar on my cheek with PIH that i'm curious to see if it will fade after my skin complexion starts to even out which i have seen happen to many people that juice, they just have this radiant glow about them. Also drinking lots of water and taking probiotics as well, just anything and everything to get that healthy skin glow.
Well thank you, i do have a new spot on my jawline hopefully its just part of everything coming out. I also have a scar on my cheek and a few pih spots that give me great anxiety and depression as of lately. My whole face isn't covered and some people with severe scaring would probably be upset that i get so down over a scar and a few leftover red marks but at the same time i really cant help it. I think we just all have our good and bad days or ups and downs. The good thing about this site is the ability to see that there are other individuals around the world who are struggling with the same things I am. Still going to stay on the juicing and healthy foods for the long run and hope for the best.
Well, I think we should do our best to take care of ourselves but try to not stress too much over what we can't control, and there's a lot we can't control unfortunately! Ha! The human body is a mystery, and sometimes it takes a lot of trial and error to find solutions. You are trying really hard right now. In the meantime, feel good about who you are and maybe you not looking perfect makes those around you feel more comfortable? That's never a bad thing. We all have pride and want to look good, and it's natural to stress over these types of things (especially when we see something bad happening to ourselves that we don't know how to stop...I was worried about my skin too), but allowing yourself to let go of some of that pride is very, very freeing. Why be a slave to your looks? Okay...I'll move on...haha.
You have only been doing this for a week and have already made really great progress, so I think that will continue. It took about 6 weeks before my blemishes stopped appearing, and I was already eating a pretty healthy diet, so definitely hang in there! You might check out the link I posted above your post about acne scars to be sure you're properly caring for your blemishes so they hopefully don't create new scars, and I think Paula's Choice has an anti-scar serum that you could use in the meantime that might help stop new scars from forming?
Keep me posted on your progress!! And good will come out of this...you're getting healthier!
Well, I think we should do our best to take care of ourselves but try to not stress too much over what we can't control, and there's a lot we can't control unfortunately! Ha! The human body is a mystery, and sometimes it takes a lot of trial and error to find solutions. You are trying really hard right now. In the meantime, feel good about who you are and maybe you not looking perfect makes those around you feel more comfortable? That's never a bad thing.
You have only been doing this for a week and have already made really great progress, so I think that will continue. It took about 6 weeks before my blemishes stopped appearing, and I was already eating a pretty healthy diet, so definitely hang in there! You might check out the link I posted above your post about acne scars to be sure you're properly caring for your blemishes so they hopefully don't create new scars, and I think Paula's Choice has an anti-scar serum that you could use in the meantime that might help stop new scars from forming?
Keep me posted on your progress!! And good will come out of this...you're getting healthier!
Fairy how long have you been juicing for and have you had any personal success in get rid of scars doing this also take a look at this video at 39 mintes 15seconds do you agree with this
Zavvi,
Sorry for this very late reply! I mostly do blending rather than juicing (though I should do more juicing!). I haven't seen any scars just disappear on myself but in regards to the video, I have heard stories of people who have had scars disappear after changing their diets. I think there is a lot to the alkalinity argument.
Zavvi,
Sorry for this very late reply! I mostly do blending rather than juicing (though I should do more juicing!). I haven't seen any scars just disappear on myself but in regards to the video, I have heard stories of people who have had scars disappear after changing their diets. I think there is a lot to the alkalinity argument.
no problem im on the alkaline diet and will be reporting my progress at the end of june
Do the nutritions of the smoothies go away after 10-15 mins like in juices? Do I have to drink them within a few minutes of making or I can make in advance for a day or two?
I have extremely good results with green smoothies, but I make mine almost like a pureee, I dont like them watery. I also make my smoothies VERY high calorie, eat A LOT of them in the morning after exercise on empty stomach and managed to have an extreme skin glow, reduced red marks within few weeks and less scars. From avarage 5 pimples to avarage 2 to no pimples (I guess these are just from the detox, I have massive headaches). I also do oil pulling, not sure if it has any effect on my skin (do it for whiter teeth), but smoothies are amazing.
My FAVOURITE recipe ( I drink or actually eat about 1,5 liters in the mornin, around 1300 calories, than have just a light dinner) :
- 2 tbsp. ground flax seeds
- 1 tbsp. chia seeds
- 1 tbsp. maca
----> mix with some water until smooth like milk
- add: kale or spinach or both around 4 handfuls ( I only use frozen)
- mixed good quality frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries, and 3 other types)- around 250 g
- 1 avocado, sometimes 1 and a half or 2 avocados
- 1/2 pear or max. 1 pear
- 2 tbsp. coconut oil
- some water to be able to mix, but not to be watery
after it is done, it looks dark purple-green because of the berries. It makes 3 to 4 BIG glasses of moothie-like puree. On top of it I put coconut flour and some chopped frozen stroberries or frozen banana and eat the whole thing within an hour with a spoon. I can also drink it, it is just not watery.
I LOVE it.
This is my favourite part of the day.
firenature,
I love that you're enjoying your smoothies so much!! That's awesome!! I have heard that the longer you blend them (exposing the nutrients to air), the more nutrients they lose, and they do lose some nutrition while stored. However, when I first started out, I made mine every other day and would store a day's worth in the fridge. I still got great results doing it this way, so I'm guessing the majority of nutrients are still retained a day later. If this method works best for you and this enables you to keep doing them, then I'd stick with it. Thank you for sharing your story and recipe, which sounds super nutritious and delicious!