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Why I stopped drinking Green Smoothies

Why I stopped drinking Green Smoothies

Why I stopped Drinking Green Smoothies

I’ve been putting off writing this post for a long time now.  As the inventor of the filling green smoothie, the ‘Green Thickie’, I’m ashamed to admit that I have not been drinking them at all myself for the last few months.

It couldn’t have happened at a worse time.  I had completed the 7 Day Green Thickie Challenge myself and had promoted it to the public encouraging you all to join me on your own 7 day challenge.

I had been planning to drink nothing but green thickies for 7 days as I had done the first time and had managed to get through one and a half days of drinking green thickies before I started to feel very ill.

I don’t really get ill these days as I eat carefully and try and look after myself so this was very strange for me.  I thought I might have been going through a detox as I did last time but after just one day of being on the challenge it felt a bit early to be experiencing detox symptoms.

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I felt really sick, so weak with absolutely no energy to do anything whatsoever and I was really struggling to look after my toddler.

The next day I felt worse and my appetite had completely gone which isn’t like me at all.  I couldn’t face the thought of eating anything especially anything green, and the though of drinking a green thickie literally turned my stomach.  I couldn’t understand what was going on, and then the thought crossed my mind… is there a chance I could be pregnant?  After I did the test I was so shocked that it was actually positive but very happy about having another baby.

So for the first few months of my pregnancy I couldn’t drink my usual green thickies, in fact I can’t really eat leafy greens at all.  This didn’t worry me too much as I had been healthy prior to getting pregnant and the same thing happened at the start of my last pregnancy.  I couldn’t stomach any vegetables during my first trimester last pregnancy and I had tried juicing with disastrous results so I wasn’t going to be doing any juicing in a hurry this time.

So to ensure I have been getting my nutrients during this short time I’ve been taking these Raw Prenatal Vitamins.  They are made from  food, not synthetic so they are more easily absorbed by the body, and as you take them 3 times a day, it’s much easier for your body to cope with.  I did feel a bit better once I started taking them so think they did really help.

I’ve really struggled with feeling sick this pregnancy which I didn’t experience last time, and totally went off all food which was also new.  To start with the thought of eating any of my normal healthy foods made me feel so sick that I just resorted to eating very bland processed foods such as potato waffles and chips.  This is hard for me to admit as I’m usually so healthy but I knew it wouldn’t last forever.

My theory is that my body was trying to put me on a fast at the start to prepare my body for the baby and direct my energy to the baby.  But as I’ve discussed during my previous attempts to fast, I really struggle to fast while having to look after a baby as it wipes me out so much.  So I had to force some food down even thought I didn’t feel like it at all.  I think when you’re ill and run down it’s much easier to eat bland, processed or sugary foods because they go down much more easily.  This may be because if your body is trying to fast due to illness it will reject real food, but it’s harder for the body to tell processed junk is food so it goes down well.  Also some processed foods can be very comforting to us as they remind us of our childhoods and things we may have eaten when we’ve been ill in the past.

So this is the reason why I’ve not been posting very often on this website.  I’ve not been feeling too well and I’ve had very limited energy.  Also I’ve felt a bit like a fraud promoting green smoothies when I’m not drinking them myself.  This is one of the reasons I invented the 4 Way Smoothie so that there are more options for people who may not be ready for the green drinks just at the moment.

But don’t despair, I still have my passion for green smoothies and green thickies and intend to get back on the green path of health very soon.  I’ve got so many ideas that I can share with you that I think you’ll love  so stay tuned.

Happy New Year to you too!  I don’t usually make resolutions as I tend to change things as soon as I realise they need it, and as I’m pregnant this is not the time for me to be focusing on new beginnings.  There will be plenty of those when my baby arrives, and I’m sure I’ll have some excess weight to lose again. I’ll be sharing exactly how I do it and what I eat with you at that stage too.

But I’m sure many of you will want to get healthy, fit and lose a few pounds at this time of year, so I would encourage you to Start Here if you are new to my website and perhaps think about taking the 7 Day Challenge yourself?  There is also a Green Smoothie challenge currently being hosted by Real Food Runner which is worth checking out!

What are your goals for this coming year?

Are you struggling to lose weight and keep it off?

Are you feeling run down and are struggling with ever increasing health problems?

Green Thickies new 7 Day Detox will help you drop a dress size, improve your skin, your energy will soar and you are going to be so in control and proud of yourself.

You won't go hungry on this diet ... And better yet - it actually requires minimal time in the kitchen.

Get results like this...

Hi Katherine,

I just wanted to tell you I completed the 7 day detox and I feel so great.

I have lost 6lbs, do not feel like I need more my morning coffee, the flushing of my facial skin from rosacea has dramatically reduced and I am so excited to wake up each morning and make a green thickie for breakfast!!

I am a stay at-home, homeschooling momma of 3 littles and at times so busy I would forget to feed myself!

I would go most of the day without eating and then snack on random things.

I gained 60 pounds the last 6 years during pregnancy.

I have lost 30lbs but recently plateaued and have felt so frustrated.

I’ve tried everything from paleo and keto to the point where I didn’t know what to eat or how much and felt like even eating fruit was bad for me which thankfully it’s not!

What a game changer for me. Thank you for sharing a simple but effective program.

I’m so excited to continue another week with this plan! Thankful Stephanie

Use this special voucher to get $10 off: WEBSITE (Add discount code WEBSITE at the checkout)

Click here to get started

Katherine Kyle @ Green Thickies
Latest posts by Katherine Kyle @ Green Thickies (see all)

Comments

  3. Congratulations. It’s a shame that you’ve felt like a fraud. Thanks for being so honest and please take care.

    Reply

    • Thank you! I’m a very honest person and always strive to be open and honest on my blog. I’ve struggled with this as we generally don’t go public with our pregnancies until after we’ve had the scan to tell us everything is OK. So I’m relieved I can finally talk about my pregnancy.

      Reply

  4. Happy New Year to you! Please don’t feel like a fraud, or ashamed about not drinking your smoothies/thickies! Circumstances are what they are, and you need to put your health and that of your unborn baby first. I found your website and subscribed to your newsletters about 2 months ago, and am enjoying green smoothies for the first time in my 50+ years! I want to thank you for all the great recipes and the detailed information on exactly how to make a great tasting and nutritious breakfast. I hope you’re feeling well and full of energy again soon!

    Reply

  6. Awwww congratulations! I just started following your blog a few months ago thanks to Carrie on Vegan, and I have enjoyed each post. I love your honesty, with my pregnancy I could not even think of greens the first tri without feeling sick to my stomach – it was so rough! Hoping you feel more energetic and green-friendly within the next few weeks. Congrats again on the happy baby news!!

    Nicole

    Reply

    • Hi Nicole, thank you! I’m so glad you are enjoying my website. I always like to be honest but found it hard as I couldn’t reveal my pregnancy until my scan determined everything was OK. That’s good to know you were the same in your pregnancy. It’s strange isn’t it but I think we have to listen to our bodies! Thank you, I’m slowly feeling a lot better now thank you.

      Reply

  7. Congratulations and hang in there. Soon you will have another little cutie that will make your suffering now worth it!

    Reply

  8. Sorry about Your State of Health.
    Congrats!!!!!!!
    Between I’ve released 40ilbs on smoothies thickies and raw generally.
    Happy New Year Kath.

    Reply

  9. The great thing about drinking green smoothies is its not a diet and we can always go back to it without shame or guilt. We can always “talk to the greens”. I appreciate your honesty and I do enjoy your recipes and mailers either way. Congrats to you as well! Thanks so much!

    Reply

    • Thank you so much Constance. Yes you’re right it’s great not to have to follow a strict diet but after finding something that makes you feel so good, it’s sad not to be able to continue with it especially when I am most lacking in energy. But there must be a reason for it and I’m going to continue with my green smoothies as soon as I can stomach them again. Thank you!

      Reply

  11. Congratulations on being pregnant. That is so exciting!! Ironically, the same thing happened to me. I found your blog, started making green thickies like crazy, planned on doing the 7 day detox. Part way through, I couldn’t stand the thought of having any more and found out I was pregnant. I’ve always loved smoothies, but since I’ve been pregnant and can’t stomach the though, I haven’t had any. It’s really sad.

    Reply

    • Hi Betsy. Thank you! Ha ha, that’s so funny that exactly the same thing happened to you! Congratulations! I think there’s definitely a reason why we can’t stomach greens at the start of our pregnancies. Our bodies are strongly trying to tell us something. I have many theories about this but who knows exactly why this happens. I’m sure we’ll be back to drinking them before long. In my last pregnancy I was drinking green smoothies again about half way through my second trimester too which I’m not far off. I’ve just read all your pregnancy posts which I’ve loved and am off to make a comment over at your blog now.

      Reply

  12. Yay!! Now I will give you my public congratulations :) So excited for you!

    I hope you are able to get back into your healthy eating soon! I’m sure once you have your beautiful baby you’ll get your fill of smoothies- you’ll probably need lots of fast nutrition!

    Reply

    • Thank you Gabby! I’m slowly returning to healthy eating and everything I eat at the moment is unprocessed and homemade but I still can’t get many greens down me and I’m still a bit fussy with my eating. I think around this stage in my last pregnancy I was able to start tolerating greens again so I’m hoping it will happen sooner rather than later. I hope you had a great Christmas!

      Reply

  13. Hi Katherine,
    Wow, I didn’t know about green smoothies when I was pregnant 8 years ago – so I wonder if that would have happened to me too. All I remember is feeling nauseous and constantly hungry – I ate everything in sight an more! I didn’t have any specific aversions, but my diet wasn’t very healthy back then. All the best to you!

    Reply

    • HI Joanna, I’m getting more and more people telling me they went off green smoothies and greens in general at the start of their pregnancies. It’s funny how just the colour of it turned my stomach so much when I’m so used to eating them. I could eat a bit of cooked greens in a soup or a pesto but it just felt wrong to put it in with my fruit all of a sudden. I’ve had a little bit of salad today and it went down fairly easily so I’m hoping I’ll gradually return to my bright green drinks, although I am really enjoying my orange juice and porridge at the moment!

      Reply

  14. Congratulations! Babies are always a blessing! Please don’t feel like a fraud. There are few things in life that are one size fits all. I don’t think that because you can’t stomach them at this stage in life that it means they aren’t still good and beneficial to others.

    Reply

  16. CONGRATULATIONS! As I was reading through your post I was guessing that you were pregnant before I got to your announcement! Yay! Take care of yourself and that little bean and don’t stress too much about deviating from your usual diet. Thanks for linking up to {Wheat-Free Wednesday}!!!!

    Reply

  17. What great news! Thanks for sharing it with us! Have you tried bone broth? Extremely, extremely nutritious and easily digestible. Also, barley water is very good for convalesing. Oh, and thanks for linking up to Wildcrafting Wednesday! :)

    Reply

  19. CONGRATULATIONS!!!

    As it turns out, I’ve just found out I’m pregnant as well. I’ll really be looking forward to your post-pregnancy posts to help me post-natal as well. :) I absolutely love your thickie recipes and was considering the 7-day challenge just before I found out I was pregnant. I feel you on the morning sickness though! Both mine were just terrible for 16 weeks and all I could get down was *shame* coca cola and toast. I’m hoping this third pregnancy lends me some grace and doesn’t make me as sick as the other two. :)

    Reply

    • Oh Congratulations! What wonderful news! So many people say that they can’t tolerate real foods at the start of their pregnancies so I think it’s quite normal. Don’t worry so much about the start of the pregnancy, they’ll be time to get back to healthy eating again. I’ve just started to tolerate most of my healthy foods again now so feeling much better. I’m 22 weeks now. How far gone are you? I craved fizzy drinks with my first pregnancy but they gave me such bad heart burn. At the moment all I want to eat is watermelon which I’m much happier about!

      Reply

      • I’m not sure yet how far along I am. I have an ultrasound appointment tomorrow. I’m guessing between 6 & 8 weeks. So, just in the beginning of the constant nausea and zombie-like fatigue. So glad that you’re past the worst of it, it gives me hope :)

        Reply

        • Oh I hope it goes well! It’s horrible at the start isn’t it! It feels like it will never end but it does eventually thankfully. My midwife kept saying that the worse I felt the better the baby was but not sure if that’s just something they say to make you feel better. One thing I did start at 11 weeks was Oil pulling. I’m not sure if it was a coincidence but after 5 days of doing that my sickness totally went and I felt so much better. Might have just been a timing thing though but I did start sleeping so much better too.

          Reply

  21. Congratulations on the Baby that is just awesome! We all have to do what is best for our bodies at the time and as we go along that changes and we have to change with the need. Hope you are having a great weekend and thank you so much for sharing your Post with Full Plate Thursday.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

    Reply

  22. Congratulations! I can relate to what you said about not being able to stomach real food when pregnant. For some reason, I could only handle processed foods, and I hated it because I wanted to be healthier. My little sweetie turned out great, and she got lots of great breast milk and homemade baby food when she was out and I was feeling better. Your little one will be the same way I’m sure!

    I hope you’ll consider sharing your post on the Eoc Kids Link Up: http://organicaspirations.blogspot.com/2013/01/if-like-me-you-live-in-united-states.html

    Reply

  26. Your blog is wonderful . It’s a great introduction eating healthier. I have smoothies for breakfast and lunch everday and I feel great! I don’t have health problems but I do get anxiety. Eating this way makes me feel calm and more relaxed. It’s a blessing. Thank you.

    Reply

  27. Congrats on your pregnancy! I can’t wait to follow the journey! :) Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! :)

    Thanks for linking back to the Gluten Free Fridays post!

    See you at the link up this week!

    Cindy from vegetarianmamma.com

    Reply

  30. Congratulations!!! How exciting. PLEASE don’t ever feel guilty for listening to your body. Your site is amazing with amazing recipe, but you are human and have a right to give yourself a break. Yes, green smoothies are great, but I could not drink them everyday all day. You’re an inspiration for sure. But what I love most is your honesty. We all need a break!

    I also have to laugh because I am a big salad girl. I really love salads…but during both my pregnancies you could not PAY me to choke down a salad…at least for the first 3 or 4 months. Things evened out, but I will always remember how funny that was to me. Do you know what I wanted every meal of every day? Mexican. Craved it like a crazy person – like off the charts. And there was a fast food place close to my house, a popular fast food “Mexican” place called Del Taco and I would crave their veggie burritos so bad I wanted to cry. I ate there many times…and would inhale them. It was during my second pregnancy I started making my own tortillas, refried beans, Spanish rice, etc. All I wanted to do was cook and eat Mexican. I still love it, but it’s so funny how those hormones make us crave certain foods and detest others.

    Anyway, I wish you a great 2nd pregnancy. Stay true to your body and just give it what it needs. You have the rest of your life to drink your green thickies. Nothing wrong with a little break.

    Hugs to you,
    –Amber

    Reply

    • Hi Amber, thank you so much, that’s lovely of you to say so. That’s really funny and so good to know I’m not alone in going off greens. I’m a big salad person too but couldn’t stomach them either. I’ve just got back to my greens now so I’m very thankful for that. That’s really funny as during my first pregnancy I craved mexican like crazy too. This time I’m still craving spicy foods but curries too. I’m especially craving orange juice and watermelon. When I see a chopped up watermelon in the fridge I start drooling and have to have it now and stuff it down like a woman possessed. I used to be like that with chocolate so I’m so glad it’s more of a healthy craving this time! Thank you!

      Reply

  31. Hi I am so happy that I found this page. I have started making green thickies and my boyfriend loves them but I find that I get very hungry fast, do you have any suggestions to make them more filling?

    Reply

  32. I was juicing green veggies and making green smoothies until I heard that I needed to avoid eating/drinking many of those veggies raw because I have Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism. Many veggies have thyroid inhibitors such as kale, spinach, strawberries, peaches and many more. Just looking through your recipes gave me ideas to use some lettuces such as romaine and Bibb lettuce as well as veggies like cucumbers and celery in place of the kale and spinach I was using as my green smoothie base veggies. Thanks!

    Reply

  33. I just came across your post, and am SO glad to read how you were so turned off by veggies, especially veggies during your first trimester!! I am in my 10th week, and find the thought of a delicious organic baby spinach salad quite repulsive. (HA!) I think cereal, PBJ’s and grilled cheese sandwiches, fresh fruit and yogurt (or ice cream) to be most delicious. I feel pretty guilty being a pretty healthy eater, but have faith that veggies will soon become one of my favorite foods again. I even missed asparagus season!! :-( I enter into my second trimester at the beginning of July.

    Reply

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