the question should be... where do you get your GREENS

And why do I say that, you may ask... Let's consider some factoidals:

We know that bodies can only be formed from protein consumption. Yes we do need our protein for healthy bones and bodies, it's one of the three essential macro nutrients (the other two being fat and carbs). But we all know the largest terrestrial animals are herbivore, and have a diet of grass and/or leafy greens. Where did they get their protein?

Did you know that green plants have the most protein of all foods, on a per calorie ratio basis? And many nutrition experts now speak of "bio-availability", the degree to which our bodies utilize the nutritional content of a given food? It seems some food types have nutrients that are more easily digested, broken into constituent parts, and then assimilated to the cells. Vegan oriented nutrition experts tend to believe greater bioavailability of plant sourced nutrition is the reason for the health and performance benefits they feel we receive with this lifestyle choice. If bioavailability is in fact a valid concept, then the reason would be efficiency - the machine of the body runs more efficiently because the fuel given is cleaner, and more efficiently taken up and utilized.

Now I will admit that consumption of greens is an acquired taste for most of us, and not one we are taught by our society! Go to an average restaurant and order a salad, and what do you get? (Almost) nothing! It's difficult to acquire a taste for nothing! (I think there may be a Buddhist joke in here, somewhere... but that's not the nothing I'm talking about:)

Fortunately there are more and easier ways to cultivate the taste for greens, and it sneaks up on you. I can now totally enjoy a salad based on half Romaine and (gasp) half Kale! Yes, totally raw Kale. I never thought that would happen, but it happened in stages.

Green smoothies smoothed my transition, and can be the beginning and end of it - green smoothies can be the sum total of your greens consumption if you add enough greens and have them often enough. Some will say eating the whole unprocessed raw plant food is still the more optimal way to fuel the body, and others will say blending (and juicing) "pre-digests" the foods and make them more available. It's the minor point. Whatever works, works.

To my way of thinking a green smoothie has a base of at least half Kale (it blends down) or other dark green leafy, by volume not weight, so half is not really half, and that is why a relatively high amount of greens are necessary for said smoothie to really be "green". To which you add your pleasure of choices of other raw plant foods, like fruit for flavonoid and phytonutrio, and perhaps some nuts or seeds for a nut milk base to give a creamy texture, like a "shake". All of that is personal preference, and it changes. At one point I was adding a raw egg or two "for protein", but I have found my body no longer needs that. Same with protein powder, I no longer feel I need to add the protein since upping the greens, and I like (love actually) the difference in how I feel.

Unlike many vegans I am not morally offended by consuming animal products, although I do have concerns about current practices in the industrial production of any food, be it plant or animal. But that's another blog.

The blender you use is important. There are some cheap ones that are pretty good. Oster brand comes to mind. But VitaMix is best, by a country mile. And I'm going to tell you the very best way to save a few bucks, because they are expensive. It's the VitaMix "certified reconditioned" program. Everyone who buys them this way says "what gives this thing is new". I think what VitaMix does is use the motor base over if it tests good, and put new everything else on it. And it comes with a 5 year warranty, so it's hard to go wrong. The motors rarely wear out, in fact I can't recall ever hearing of one that did. I suppose in heavy commercial use, restaurants, bars, juice and smoothie bars maybe they do. Anyway! Here's the link:
https://secure.vitamix.com/Certified-Reconditioned-Products.aspx

And you can easily find promotional codes on the internet that give free shipping too. The basic machine is then $329 total, still not cheap. But I now consider the VitaMix one of the essential kitchen appliances, along with juicer, knives, and cutting board.