Since we're talking about Dr. Furhman, this is what Dr. Furhman suggests to reverse acne:

"The number one priority is nutrient density in your skin. To increase the phytonutrients in your skin have two to four ounces of green cruciferous juice a day, mixed in some other juice such as carrot/strawberry.

Then have 6 ounces of raw greens, mixing kale, organic spinach and lettuce smoothie.

Also consume a daily bowl of a green-based soup with broccoli rabe, bok choy, collards and other dark greens cooked into the soup base. You can eat raw nuts, but not more than two ounces with any one meal. You can eat fresh fruit, but not more than 2-3 fruit equivalents with any one meal.

Try to sweat as much as possible and of course, eat when hungry and do not overeat.

If you do all this your hormonal peaks will diminish in 2 or 3 months and your skin will make great strides."

Hi Independent Thinker~Thanks for your thorough introduction to green smoothies. I'm going to check into them some more. Regardless of whether they help with my skin, I would love to get more green leafies into my diet and I'm pretty sick 'n tired of eating salads Plus, I like what you said about getting more nutrients from the amount that you consume by breaking the greens up. Sounds logical to me Anyway, I've bought the goods to make the smoothies (which was easy since it's all on my grocery list, anyway).Edit: I just made my first smoothie! 1 apple + 1 pear + 10 frozen strawberries + 2 handfuls baby romaine lettuce + 2 cups cold water + 1 cheap blender = DELICIOUS!!!

found another great recipe with spinach (doesnt have to be baby spinach, though. i used organic spinach):

1 orange (juiced)

1 mango

1 cup pineapple (demi-frozen)

2 handfuls organic spinach

2.5 cups water

1 cup ice cubes

1-2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon flax meal (optional)

Since we're talking about Dr. Furhman, this is what Dr. Furhman suggests to reverse acne:

"The number one priority is nutrient density in your skin. To increase the phytonutrients in your skin have two to four ounces of green cruciferous juice a day, mixed in some other juice such as carrot/strawberry.

Then have 6 ounces of raw greens, mixing kale, organic spinach and lettuce smoothie.

Also consume a daily bowl of a green-based soup with broccoli rabe, bok choy, collards and other dark greens cooked into the soup base. You can eat raw nuts, but not more than two ounces with any one meal. You can eat fresh fruit, but not more than 2-3 fruit equivalents with any one meal.

Try to sweat as much as possible and of course, eat when hungry and do not overeat.

If you do all this your hormonal peaks will diminish in 2 or 3 months and your skin will make great strides."

 

Wow, that's a lot of greens... I think 6 oz. is twice as much as what I get in each of my bags of salads! So is this all she recommends - fruits, vegetables and nuts? What about legumes, seeds, meat, fish, fowl, grains? Seems to me every health guru that has any idea of acne/diet connection recommends lots of fish for omega-3's to change the ratio of 3 to 6.

 

Since we're talking about Dr. Furhman, this is what Dr. Furhman suggests to reverse acne:

"The number one priority is nutrient density in your skin. To increase the phytonutrients in your skin have two to four ounces of green cruciferous juice a day, mixed in some other juice such as carrot/strawberry.

Then have 6 ounces of raw greens, mixing kale, organic spinach and lettuce smoothie.

Also consume a daily bowl of a green-based soup with broccoli rabe, bok choy, collards and other dark greens cooked into the soup base. You can eat raw nuts, but not more than two ounces with any one meal. You can eat fresh fruit, but not more than 2-3 fruit equivalents with any one meal.

Try to sweat as much as possible and of course, eat when hungry and do not overeat.

If you do all this your hormonal peaks will diminish in 2 or 3 months and your skin will make great strides."

 

Wow, that's a lot of greens... I think 6 oz. is twice as much as what I get in each of my bags of salads! So is this all she recommends - fruits, vegetables and nuts? What about legumes, seeds, meat, fish, fowl, grains? Seems to me every health guru that has any idea of acne/diet connection recommends lots of fish for omega-3's to change the ratio of 3 to 6.

 

No, this is not all Fuhrman recommends, this is just the intensive program to treat acne ... in other words what you do other in addition to already eating an healthy diet that includes legumes, avocados, coconut, oatmeal and for the non-vegan: eggs, poultry and red meat

Furhman doesn't suggest to use fish-supplements because the risk associated with polluted fish consumption is not worth the benefits

Fuhrman suggests to consume a non-fish DHA supplement to balance omega 3/6 ratio

But since the DHA supplement is what Furhman suggests to everyone (because people usually learn about Eat2Live diet because they suffer from diseases that can be treated with nutrition but no doctor want to acknowledge this and dictch the drugs) it was given for granted.

People who suffer from CFS, Fibromyalgia, Asthma, Lupus, Diabetes, Tumors, Chrons, IBS, Hypertension, Migraine, Atheriosclerosis, Gastitis, Osteoporosis and others are always suggested by Furhman to start consuming a non-fish DHA supplement daily.

That acne-plan was Furhman answer to a boy with fibromyalgia who also wanted to know how to cure his acne, so what Furhman told him to consume is plus what he has already been told to consume, including LCPUFA daily

Since we're talking about Dr. Furhman, this is what Dr. Furhman suggests to reverse acne:

"The number one priority is nutrient density in your skin. To increase the phytonutrients in your skin have two to four ounces of green cruciferous juice a day, mixed in some other juice such as carrot/strawberry.

Then have 6 ounces of raw greens, mixing kale, organic spinach and lettuce smoothie.

Also consume a daily bowl of a green-based soup with broccoli rabe, bok choy, collards and other dark greens cooked into the soup base. You can eat raw nuts, but not more than two ounces with any one meal. You can eat fresh fruit, but not more than 2-3 fruit equivalents with any one meal.

Try to sweat as much as possible and of course, eat when hungry and do not overeat.

If you do all this your hormonal peaks will diminish in 2 or 3 months and your skin will make great strides."

 

So cool of you to post this - thanks Danny! I agree with Rubber Sheep - that IS a lot of greens! Since I divide my batch of smoothie up into two days, I'm only drinking one very large handful of greens a day, but it's working. Each day I drink about 2 servings of fruit and 2 servings of greens.

Hi Independent Thinker~Thanks for your thorough introduction to green smoothies. I'm going to check into them some more. Regardless of whether they help with my skin, I would love to get more green leafies into my diet and I'm pretty sick 'n tired of eating salads :rolleyes: Plus, I like what you said about getting more nutrients from the amount that you consume by breaking the greens up. Sounds logical to me 🙂 Anyway, I've bought the goods to make the smoothies (which was easy since it's all on my grocery list, anyway).Edit: I just made my first smoothie! 1 apple + 1 pear + 10 frozen strawberries + 2 handfuls baby romaine lettuce + 2 cups cold water + 1 cheap blender = DELICIOUS!!!

 

You're welcome celebration! I agree, when I first started the smoothies, I mainly had my health in mind. I was very happily surprised when my skin cleared up! I'm really glad you liked your smoothie! 🙂

found another great recipe with spinach (doesnt have to be baby spinach, though. i used organic spinach):

1 orange (juiced)

1 mango

1 cup pineapple (demi-frozen)

2 handfuls organic spinach

2.5 cups water

1 cup ice cubes

1-2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon flax meal (optional)

 

That sounds wonderful! You've come up with some really great sounding recipes!

Where else does DHA come from besides fish? Omega-3 eggs? Game meat? Synthetic?

Whats up with baby spinach costing way more than regular spinach? It's like a dollar more per bag and theres only 6oz compared to 8oz of regular spinach. Or something like that.

Where else does DHA come from besides fish? Omega-3 eggs? Game meat? Synthetic?

 

I think Dr. Fuhrman offers a DHA product.

Whats up with baby spinach costing way more than regular spinach? It's like a dollar more per bag and theres only 6oz compared to 8oz of regular spinach. Or something like that.

 

It's probably because baby green leaves are healthier.

Wow, I love green smothies! I've been making them since I stumbled onto this thread (thanks Independent Thinker!).

I've finally got them to taste good.

Today my smoothie was made of

1. Southern Greens (Collard/Mustard/Turnip)

2. An Apple

2. A Bananana

3. A Plum

4. Blackberries

5. Honey

6. Splenda

I like to change up the fruits I use, everytime I make one. Also, I sometimes put a scoop of whey protein into it.

These sound tasty, might try one.

Where else does DHA come from besides fish? Omega-3 eggs? Game meat? Synthetic?

 

On normalizing hormone production, Leo Kiesen says,

"Linoleic acid is the primary member of the omega-6 family, which the body can convert into arachidonic acid (ARA) and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA)...This will prove to be very significant for treating acne...Alpha linolenic acid (ALA) is the primary omega-3, which the body can convert into eicosopentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)...

In a typical diet, you're probably getting way too much omega-6 and omega-9 fats. These are fats from vegetable oils that grow in warm climates. Oils like olive, canola and peanut would be omega-6 fats.

The oils you most likely need to supplement with are omega-3 oils and some very specific omega-6 essential fatty acids that provide ready-made GLA. These come from oils from vegetables like flax, borage, primrose and black current seed oil..."

He recommends taking supplements like Total EFA-Vegetarian Formula, Carlson's Lemon-Flavored Cod Liver Oil, Ultra Omega-3 Fish Oil, Borage Liquid Gold, Primrose Liquid Gold, and/or cold-pressed flax oil.

He also stresses the importance of careful experimentation to find the proper balance of these essential fatty acids that your body needs.

Personally, i recommend Pharmanex OptimumOmega and Pharmanex Marine Omega because as the manufacturer claims, their ingredients come from "ultra-pure source of fresh fish oil tested free of toxins, pollutants, and heavy metals" and its omega-3 fatty acides from a marine source, which they consider more desirable than from a plant source for two reasons- "one, most plant and vegetable oils offer only limited amounts of omega-3 fatty acids (less than 1%) and two, even the best plant sources, such as flaxseed oil, do not offer EPA and DHA, the specific omega-3s with the most notable health benefits". I do have great trust in the scientists behind Pharmanex products.

Made my best tasting green smoothie yet today:

1 bag of baby romaine lettuce (5oz.)

1 gala apple (my favorite type )

1 bananna

2 handfuls frozen blueberries

Pinch of stevia (probably didn't even need this but I always do it out of concern that my smoothie creations may come out bad if I don't)

Spoonful of coconut oil (for fat to absorb some of the nutrients as well as more calories for nourishment)

I love these now! When school starts again I'm doing them daily for breakfast, because using my handcrack juicer is just too time consuming in the morning (although fresh carrot juice is great stuff, as is wheatgrass and dandelion leaves). Much easier then the whole blended salad thing I was trying to do too... The only problem is I like eating fruit better then drinking it, I'd way rather have whole grapes rather then grape juice for example.... but that's a trade off, because these salad greens blended up make me feel pretty nice. They're pretty cleansing as well

Made my best tasting green smoothie yet today:

1 bag of baby romaine lettuce (5oz.)

1 gala apple (my favorite type :))

1 bananna

2 handfuls frozen blueberries

Pinch of stevia (probably didn't even need this but I always do it out of concern that my smoothie creations may come out bad if I don't)

Spoonful of coconut oil (for fat to absorb some of the nutrients as well as more calories for nourishment)

 

I don't get it... Are you adding water or any liquid to this? Are you just using a regular blender? Sorry if you already said this information... I just don't feel like reading through this whole thread.

This thread is really inspiring - thanks for sharing!. I'm actually about to head out and buy a blender so I too can enjoy (hopefully) the benefits of healthier skin. My food bill will rise significantly, but being healthier/appearing healthier will be worth it.

I'll be starting a five-day fast next week, so it sure will come in handy.

Just a question, I don't have acne anymore, but do have a bad complexion/blackheads + scarring. While a healthier diet won't necessarily improve the scarring, it should help with overall vibrancy/help fix the problems mentioned (from your experience) right?

Lol, here's what I made:

2 cups water

1 handful baby spinach

1 kiwifruit

2 medium strawberries

1 apple

1 juiced orage

1 juiced lemon

and

1 quarter cantaloupe (I know, there's debate whether to do this, but I just wanted to add some lol).

Blender I purchased holds just under 1.4 litres - this was full when I made it! Equates to almost 6 cups I'd say. Too much? I presume I was a bit too extravagant for my first try.

I couldn't find any of the greens you mentioned at the beginning of this thread, hence using spinach only. I went to 2 supermarkets and 1 grocer (yes, I've had alot of free time today). I think I might have to buy those packaged salads to get the benefits, but they're quite expensive.

Regardless, it tasted nice!

Has someone actually been cleared through this? Pictures please. Thanks.

Made my best tasting green smoothie yet today:

1 bag of baby romaine lettuce (5oz.)

1 gala apple (my favorite type :))

1 bananna

2 handfuls frozen blueberries

Pinch of stevia (probably didn't even need this but I always do it out of concern that my smoothie creations may come out bad if I don't)

Spoonful of coconut oil (for fat to absorb some of the nutrients as well as more calories for nourishment)

I love these now! When school starts again I'm doing them daily for breakfast, because using my handcrack juicer is just too time consuming in the morning (although fresh carrot juice is great stuff, as is wheatgrass and dandelion leaves). Much easier then the whole blended salad thing I was trying to do too... The only problem is I like eating fruit better then drinking it, I'd way rather have whole grapes rather then grape juice for example.... but that's a trade off, because these salad greens blended up make me feel pretty nice. They're pretty cleansing as well 🙂

 

I might try this one (although leaving out the stevia and coconut oil). It sounds good!

Has someone actually been cleared through this? Pictures please. Thanks.

 

I would be surprised if this alone would clear you (although I think independent thinker says it helps to keep her(?) clear). However, even if it doesn't clear you, I think its still a great idea - its a quick, easy and tasty way to get more fruits and veggies and that can only be a good thing right?

I don't get it... Are you adding water or any liquid to this? Are you just using a regular blender? Sorry if you already said this information... I just don't feel like reading through this whole thread.

 

I have a very high powered blender, so technically I don't need to add water to mine, but I do anyway because it helps with the consistency. You could also add other things as well for example freshly squeezed juice or milk (including non-dairy milk)

 

Made my best tasting green smoothie yet today:

1 bag of baby romaine lettuce (5oz.)

1 gala apple (my favorite type :))

1 bananna

2 handfuls frozen blueberries

Pinch of stevia (probably didn't even need this but I always do it out of concern that my smoothie creations may come out bad if I don't)

Spoonful of coconut oil (for fat to absorb some of the nutrients as well as more calories for nourishment)

 

I don't get it... Are you adding water or any liquid to this? Are you just using a regular blender? Sorry if you already said this information... I just don't feel like reading through this whole thread.

 

Oh yeah I forgot to put that in, I add a cup of water.

By the way, this seems to be making existing breakouts heal faster for me, and I like it a lot better then sitting down and eating a whole bag of salad because that's a bit more time consuming and though I enjoy a salad, I don't have time to make an absolutely tasty one every day.

Edit: didn't know this before but salad greens like spinach actually have a small amount of omega 3 fats in the form of ALA and GLA in them. Nothing significant but if you eat/drink them daily the benefits of that small amount will add up 🙂 Other then that, greens have almost every vitamin you need with the exception of a few (D and B-12) and a good balance of minerals.

Wow, I love green smothies! I've been making them since I stumbled onto this thread (thanks Independent Thinker!).

 

You are very welcome!! I'm so glad you're enjoying the smoothies! 🙂

These sound tasty, might try one.

 

I hope you do! Let us know if you have any questions! 🙂

I love these now! ... The only problem is I like eating fruit better then drinking it, I'd way rather have whole grapes rather then grape juice for example.... but that's a trade off, because these salad greens blended up make me feel pretty nice. They're pretty cleansing as well 🙂

 

I'm so happy you're into the smoothies and loving them now! 🙂 Funny, I'm like you at times and would rather just eat the fruit, especially if it's something really yummy, like a peach, but then I know that I need the fruit to make the smoothies taste good. I guess I just need to buy extra fruit to whole instead of blended. haha

This thread is really inspiring - thanks for sharing!. I'm actually about to head out and buy a blender so I too can enjoy (hopefully) the benefits of healthier skin. My food bill will rise significantly, but being healthier/appearing healthier will be worth it.

I'll be starting a five-day fast next week, so it sure will come in handy.

Just a question, I don't have acne anymore, but do have a bad complexion/blackheads + scarring. While a healthier diet won't necessarily improve the scarring, it should help with overall vibrancy/help fix the problems mentioned (from your experience) right?

🙂

 

You're welcome!! I hope your fast goes well! Yes, the smoothies will help your skin out overall - they're amazing for that. As for the size of your first batch, I always make a batch of about 7-8 cups, and then I drink it over the next 2 days. I'll drink 4 cups one day and 4 the next. 🙂

Has someone actually been cleared through this? Pictures please. Thanks.

 

You can't trust pictures anymore because of digital photo enhancing, but yes, the smoothies have cleared my skin, and I've tested them out several times. Whenever I stop them for a few days, I will slowly start to break out again. Why not give it a shot and see if it works for you. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. 1 month will go by before you know it, and wouldn't it be great if your skin was clear in just a month from now?

By the way, this seems to be making existing breakouts heal faster for me, and I like it a lot better then sitting down and eating a whole bag of salad because that's a bit more time consuming and though I enjoy a salad, I don't have time to make an absolutely tasty one every day.

Edit: didn't know this before but salad greens like spinach actually have a small amount of omega 3 fats in the form of ALA and GLA in them. Nothing significant but if you eat/drink them daily the benefits of that small amount will add up 🙂 Other then that, greens have almost every vitamin you need with the exception of a few (D and B-12) and a good balance of minerals.

 

Thanks for sharing this!

sorry i dont have time to read this whole thread, but i just wanted to share some tips i have for green smoothies:

pears work best for me... ive tried apples and the texture was too watery and way too sweet.

use parsley.... parsley makes the taste of the green smoothie very nice, no matter what other greens you include. parsley is very pleasant on its own, and seems to over-power the not-so-pleasant taste of kale and dandelion greens, etc.

my typical green smoothie:

2 medium-size pears

large handful of parsley

medium handful of dandelion greens

medium handful of kale (one large leaf of the lacianato kind)

1 cup of water

------> blend to a smoothie

make sure to chew as you drink it... it adds salivary enzymes, and breaks apart more cells from the greens to release all their nutrients.

Isn't fruit high in sugar content? Won't over consumption make you gain weight and/or encorage further breakouts? I'm just basing this on regular fruit juices - the're very high in sugar content.

Yes, I'm ignorant - but otherwise feel free to correct me! I too would like to try these smoothies if it's not going to make me gain weight/aggravate acne.

I put 1 pineapple, 1 apple and 1 cucumber in the blender, made a pretty good tasting smoothie, but its too pasty, maybe I should add more water, but got like 1.3liters out of it already i like it better too eat each food apart...

tomorrow ill try one with spinach, any good recepies with that?

I put 1 pineapple, 1 apple and 1 cucumber in the blender, made a pretty good tasting smoothie, but its too pasty, maybe I should add more water, but got like 1.3liters out of it already 🙂 i like it better too eat each food apart...

tomorrow ill try one with spinach, any good recepies with that? 😛

 

you need at least one fruit (2 is better) that's really sweet to overpower the bitterness of regular spinach. try this one:

1 orange (juiced)

1 mango

1 cup pineapple (demi-frozen)

2 handfuls organic spinach

2.5 cups water

1 cup ice cubes

1-2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon flax meal (optional)

or IT's suggestion:

banana, pineapple, raspberry, spinach smoothie (she recommends baby spinach as its not as bitter as the regular one) with honey and cinnamon

Isn't fruit high in sugar content? Won't over consumption make you gain weight and/or encorage further breakouts? I'm just basing this on regular fruit juices - the're very high in sugar content.

Yes, I'm ignorant - but otherwise feel free to correct me! I too would like to try these smoothies if it's not going to make me gain weight/aggravate acne.

 

You would need like 1kg of orange to make 200g of fruit juices and that's why they're so concentrated in sugar unlike fruits. Also what matters is not only sugar content but how quickly the sugar is absorbed/metabolized

Smoothie contains the whole fruits with the fibers and the fibers of the plant and the sugar is not absorbed quickly. Smoothies contain sugar, fats and protein but with the juice you just have pure sugar in the most concentrated form