Refreshed by the Naked Green Machine

Yesterday, I was in a meeting with someone who won't take no for an answer. 

When she brought a bottle of Naked Green Machine 100% Juice Smoothie to the table for us to share, I could almost feel myself recoil---that was some GREEN liquid in that bottle!  Immediately, I  said "no thank you" to which she said "come on-just taste it!" Since I utter those words more often than not in my business, I put on my big girl pants and poured a cup. 

I definitely had a preconceived notion as to what it was going to taste like-images of grass were floating through my head. We eat with our eyes first and trust me, my eyes were telling me that I was NOT going to like this. I took a sip.  It was...weird...but somehow tasted surprisingly good and refreshing! 

My friend pointed out out the clever terminology on the label: 

"That was your "looks weird" sip" she said "and I'm on my "tastes amazing" sip. Now we're on the "hey, 10 green turbo nutrients?" sip".  I concluded with this is my "still looks weird" sip.

One question: What is a turbo nutrient? 

And, impressive vitamin and mineral nutritionals--but 0 grams of fiber.

The Fruit Inside

apples, banana, kiwi, mango and a hint of pineapple

The Boost

spirulina, chlorella, broccoli, spinach, blue green alge, garlic, barley grass, wheat grass, ginger and parsley

Is this something I'll drink often? Not likely...but, I'm glad I put on my big girl pants and took a sip!

Hey, J. Dorian Chocolatier 85% Dark Chocolate Bar-I'm Your Newest Fan

I am not a fan of dark chocolate. There-I said it. Judge me if you must.  I know it's better for me-full of antioxidants, heart protecting goodness and less sugar, etc. but put me in a milk chocolate vs. dark chocolate situation and milk is going to win every time. Or so I thought.

Ever heard of J. Dorian Chocolatier? It's a Dallas based company with a huge mail order business of-you guessed it-hand crafted chocolate. The shop also produced amazing wedding, birthday and celebration cakes and a chocolate cookie that I cannot resist. Oh, and some unbelievable cupcakes, too.  Owned and operated by the nicest guy you'll ever meet-Dorian Eisenberg-this little shop has taken off like gang busters.  And I know why.

I popped in the other day--I was in the neighborhood--and Dorian introduced me to his custom blend 85% dark chocolate bar. Since I was taught to have manners and because its really hard to say no to someone who is offering you his hand made chocolate bar, I took it graciously. In my mind, I knew I was going to give it to a friend of mine who loves chocolate and who happens to have diabetes.

Dorian decided to create his own dark chocolate bar in response to all of the 80% bars he'd sampled over the years.  They were too bitter and not smooth at all, he explained. He upped the ante to 85% and found the smooth texture and sweetness he was looking for in a dark chocolate.  The increase in cacao mass in the 85% bar means its got more antioxidants and less sugar--which is better for a person with diabetes, he explained.  More flavor also means less is required to satisfy that chocolate craving.  Dorian knows his nutrition as he has been living with and managing his diabetes for 13 years. 

I took the bar home and gave it to my friend. She wanted me to taste it with her and I couldn't say no.  It's no wonder that Dorian sells hundreds of these bars every week. Delicious-smooth and creamy texture with just a hint of bitterness (I was expecting full on face contorting bitterness).  It was bliss--and I was satisfied after only 1 square. (1 oz is all that is recommended for nutritional health!). Next time I'm met with a dark chocolate vs. milk chocolate situation, the dark chocolate will win.  Only if its J. Dorian's 85% Dark Chocolate bar, that is.

St. Patty's Day Gives us Reason to EAT Green, not Just Wear it!

Here's the deal. St. Patrick's Day can come and go and I wouldn't even know. I am not wearing green today, don't care if I get pinched and won't be partaking in corned beef or green beer. Yes, yes, I know-I'm no fun. However, I would like to take this rare opportunity to highlight this holiday (using this term loosely, I might add), to bring out the green of season. No, not money green-food green!

Green is one of those colors to look for in the store. The dark green foods=healthy foods. Antioxidant, vitamin and mineral rich and
fiber-rific! I mean really, what green food can you think of (besides the a few fake/highly processed foods and the light green marshmallows in a Lucky Charms box-they really aren't magically delicious-but note the tie into St. Patty's Day) that AREN'T good for you?


So here's the deal. Green foods have the substances isothiocyanates, EGCG, Lutein/Zeaxanthin and Isoflavones....powerful antioxidants that can help fight the damage caused to our cells over time that can lead to premature aging and a whole host of diseases. These particular foods and substances help support cell health, support arterial function, lung health and help us to maintain healthy liver function.


Here's the other deal. The fruit/veggie must be green on the INSIDE as well as the OUTSIDE to receive the maximum health benefits. So, see the cucumber, green apple, green pear and endive in the photo above? It's actually a misnomer. Why? When you cut into a cucumber, what color is it? White! Don't get me wrong, white fruits and veggies carry their own benefits, but we're trying to concentrate on the green theme with this blog.

So, here is a top 10 list of my favorite green foods and a challenge from me to you and to me.
I'm going to see how many of these green foods I can fit into my diet today. So far, I'm 0/0. But, the day isn't over! How about you? How are you doing with fitting in your green foods?

1. Greens of all types: spinach, lettuce, kale, Swiss chard, bok choy, mustard greens and the like.

2. Edamame (soy beans)

3, Kiwi

4. Green Cabbage (I love all types of cabbage, actually)

5. Broccoli

6. Avocado

7. Asparagus

8. Artichokes

9. Brussel Sprouts

10. Herbs of all kinds including parsley, rosemary, sage and mint.

11. Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream--just checking to see that you were paying attention!


Let me know how you do getting in your "greens"! Others to remember include green bell peppers, green beans and green tea, just to name a few.

Call me what you will about being a St. Patty's day non believer--but check back with me around April 1st.....that will be another story.