Discovering green

So, I don't know from dark green leafy vegetables. I have been doing some research, but at this point I can't keep my kales straight from my collard greens in terms of flavors, nutrients, etc. The only thing that has really stuck with me at this point is "Variety!"

So, when Frank and I went grocery shopping the other day, I knew only enough to recognize the dark green leafy vegetable section in the produce department (and be baffled as to why the lettuces and spinach aren't in it). Pretty much at random I chose a bunch of mustard greens to go with my staple romaine (from the lettuce section). I got the mustard greens home, discovered the mustardy tang, and put just a few in my salad that night. Edible, not my favorite.

By today, a few days and several green smoothies later, the fruits and greens are getting low. The berries are gone, baby, gone, because YUM! Do Ginger and I love berries!

Driven by curiosity about what a truly green (as opposed to berry purple) smoothie would taste like (but not quite brave enough yet to go all green), today's smoothie consisted of romaine, mustard leaves (judiciously), a banana, and some aging grapes I wouldn't eat enthusiastically if I were popping them whole into my mouth.

Oh my gawd, YUM! The mustard tang is probably there, but it is blended (heh) with the fruit flavors, and the result it just light, fresh, green goodness.

Which leads me to the conclusion that I can't really go wrong with green smoothies. Which might be why they are so terribly popular with the raw crowd.

So, here I am on day 6 of my Increased But Not Strictly Raw Diet. (Catchy name, huh? Do you think I should trademark it?) I am having a ton of fun with it, and I'm feeling great. With the novelty and fun factor, with our super awesome houseguests this weekend keeping me high, and with it being a good time of the month, I am reluctant to attribute too much of my euphoria to the changes in my diet. But I do have one distinct physical change to report on.

I lose a lot of hair each day. I mean, a lot. My hair is thick and, um, energetic, so this loss isn't terribly noticeable to the people around me (unless they're the ones picking strands off my clothes). But I notice, and it bugs me, and I fear going bald even though bald is beautiful and even though there is No Sign that my hair loss is anything more than breakage and normal attrition. So I am very happy to report then that my hair loss has apparently stopped. I don't leave a handful of hair behind in the shower like I usually do. I'm not picking strands off my shoulders all day like I usually do. And all the stuff that's staying on my head seems softer and a bit tamer.

After six days of having ONE green meal per day. It's pretty remarkable. YMMV.