Sorry, but I've got a Poo question.

[Birdie]

I've been on 2 quarts of Green Smoothie a day for 30 days now.
Will my poo ever look "normal" again?!
Or will it always look not too much different coming out as it did
when it went in?
Again, I apologize.
But, I've googled it to death and can't find an answer.

[green smoothie junkie]

Hello Birdie,

First off let me say congratulations! on your 30 day journey - I'd love to hear about your experience and what changes you've noted in the last 30 days, would be so kind as to post them?

Now... of course, "normal looking" is rather subjective so it's hard to know what you want it to look like, but it is expected to change with the introduction of green smoothies.

It will likely be reminiscent of how it went in because the body can not break down the cellulose composing the plant cell walls very well (hence the benefit of a high speed blender) so there will always be a similar green appearance. The good news is that as you continue to improve your diet by feeding your body more goodness and less not-so-goodness, your body will become more efficient in its digestion as your PH balances and your acid level rises. That will result in things returning to look a bit "normal", although as long as you continue to enjoy a lot of Green Smoothies, "normal looking poo" will continue to take on a new meaning.

I hope this helps.

[Birdie]

Let's say things are starting to solidify a bit.
It's a somewhat difficult subject for a forum like this.
I don't mind the subject. But, I'm not sure what other peoples
tolerances are.
Since starting GS's daily my nails are growing in nicer, my eyes are bright,
and my belly is much flatter.
I also have more energy.
I would eventually like to do a GS fast. Only having GS's for a week or two.
Right now I have two quarts a day in the first part of the day.
As far as the poo question goes, I just wonder if anyone else who has this much GS has solid poo? Or is it soft and unformed?
Thanks!

[green smoothie junkie]

okay, I didn't completely grok what you meant by "the same as went in".

Everyone's body can react differently to the introduction of green smoothie and while not having 'normal" solid poo can occur during the beginning stages of detoxification and change, rarely lasts for 30 days. Most green smoothie drinkin' folks I know, myself include, have normal solid poo.

I'm happy to see that things are starting to normalize for you. I see that you have your 2 quarts of smoothie "in the first part of the day"; you could be having too much at once, try spreading it out to throughout the day. If it continues, my guess is that you are having a reaction to a specific ingredient you are using (that is not too uncommon). So you might want to do an ingredient elimination process to find the possible culprit.

Some possible causes could be:
- Dairy. Lactose intolerance and/or sensitivity to Milk Protein
- Fructose intolerance. Some folks are overly sensitive due to Fructose Malabsorption

[Birdie]

Isn't fructose in all fruit? How could I eliminate it and still have green smoothies?
The smoothie I am having today is:
2 oranges with just the orange peel sliced off leaving the white.
1 apple
2 kiwi
4 dandelion leaves
5 dino kale leaves
3 pieces parsley
1 hand full of baby arugula
I don't use any dairy.
Spreading them out through out the day may help. I can try that.
Shouldn't I have them on a stomach that has been empty for a long time?
Can I drink them with other food?

[green smoothie junkie]

Yep, fruit fructose...
I mentioned Fructose Malabsorption as a possibility mostly for information to all who read.
I don't think that's the cause for you.

Spreading them out will help - drinking 2 quarts on an empty stomach can be cause for your situation.

While it's ideal to have green smoothies on their own, you can drink them with other food if need be.
Just avoid having them with foods high in fat and complex carbohydrates. Whatever you do, don't have coffee with it. 

I really think not drinking so much at a time will help you.
Also, if you are so inclined, you can try adding banana to your smoothie - while they are good for sweetness and balance they also have a quality for "binding".

Fantastic recipe by the way...
I don't see too many with arugula which happens to be one of my favorite greens.

[Birdie]

I also read undigested fructose can be a cause of gas which was something I was experiencing earlier.
Is this something that will improve over time?

[Birdie]

Should I try savory smoothie? Or just spread them out and eat them with other foods?

[John]

I have to agree, it's most likely that you are drinking too much at one time.

Savory smoothies are great and you should try them, but I think you'll be fine if you drink less at a time. Any change in the last week?

[Birdie]

Yes. Better. Not completely ideal but better. I'm using 4 16oz. jars and spreading them out more during the day.
I am eating some regular cooked food. And, I don't feel like I should have them too close together. So, it's a little hard juggling that.
But, I've still been getting them all in.

***Warning More specific poo question***

Is it possible to have a firm poo on GS's? Or is that an unrealistic goal?
My intuition is that my digestion is weak and in time GS's will strength it.

[John]

Believe in your intuition - that is not unrealistic.

[greenmom]

You posted an awesome recipe - I can't wait to try it!  Good luck with your 'situation'!

[jstar]

Well I have been doing GS's for about 6 months and they are by far the bulk of my diet. I do eat other foods like peanuts, some chips with homemade hot sauce (vice) and other normal foods but I do go on three to five day bouts of nothing but green smoothies and yes my poo looks almost the same leaving is it did going in. I don't think its anything to worry about, what else can your body do to make it different? I have noticed when I go out to eat and consume obviously more fat and other bad stuff, I'm now not so use to that it kind of tears me up inside like my body is rebelling. Its not terrible most of the time but I can tell my body likes the GS much better. My cholestorl has droped by over 100 points and I have lost 25 lbs. I went from 210 to 185 in 6 months and have dropped from a 36inch waist to a 32 and probably need to drop down to a 31 or 30 now as the 32's are kind of baggy. My face and neck are much smaller (thinner) and I look more like I did in my early 30s I'm almost 50. I don't crave anything at all anymore and never ever eat fast food period. If its in a box or a bag I pretty much don't eat it either except the dang tortilla chips and salsa that my daughter makes my make all the time, I am hooked on that but I limit it a lot more then I use to. Over all I feel much younger and am into clothes now unlike the past 15 or 20 years where I would just put on jeans and a t shirt and looked pretty trashy in my opionion. Now I dress nice and look a lot better and feel great. Just thought I would share my experioenes. Spell check is not working sorry!