Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

But I am not trying to maintain a 1200 calorie diet devoid of oil, avocados, nuts, or seeds, so what do I know.

I think at the end of the day if a green smoothie means you are getting greens and fruits that you wouldn't otherwise be eating, they're a wonderful thing.

Truth be told, I hadn't even read the article because my Full-of-Crap-O-Meter was burying the needle. I just went back and read it and, Glory be, wouldn't you know it? I was completely right.

Paging Dr. Campbell:

Every statement you made is easily--and I mean easily--refuted. Fiber too finely broken down because it's blended, not chewed? What do you do, swallow your fruit whole? If you chew, you're breakin' it down, fella. It's called a smoothie because it's thick and it's thick because it's packed with suspended fiber. Back to eight grade physics with you.

Not enough saliva to digest it properly? Take smaller sips; stop imitating a summer cola commercial by tipping it back like a volleyball player on the beach. Smoothies are more fun when they're savored, anyway. If it doesn't taste good enough to savor, you're not makin' it right. Experiment until you look forward to your Blender Time every day. Life is too short for nasty smoothies. I'm gonna put that on a bumpersticker.

Smoothies are solid sugar? Duh--depends on what you put in them, Mr. Science. I've always thought a "smoothie" was when you put the apple in the blender and a "juice" was when you put the apple in the juicer. What, do you open a carton of Minute Maid, upend it over tub of fruit on the bottom yogurt, and hit "Pulse?" That ain't a legal smoothie. I've always used whole fruit. As a matter of fact, the aforementioned apple goes right into my blender unscathed by knives. I only remove the stem and the organic sticker from the peel. A good blender fears no seeds; a good smoothie needs no sweeteners.

I really don't think anybody in a bodybuilding forum is gonna give a rat's patootie about a measly 100 calorie discrepancy just because they swallowed their fruit instead of working up a sweat chewing it. Heck, I'm burning more than 100 calories pounding out this love letter to you right now, Herr Doktor. Wanna score an extra 100 calories? Pick up the weights that other people left laying around the weightroom and put them back where they belong in between your sets. Nothing bad about that. And you can celebrate with a green smoothie.

Gasp! Smoothies are 400 to 800 calories? Well, clutch the pearls, I sure as peanuts hope they are! This is a bodybuilding community, Sir. Our daily challenge is finding enough fuel to keep our super powered engines gunned. Athletes live in a rarified zone of high performance workouts and high performance food. Otherwise, why would anybody come up with bizarre things like powdered protein and Goo? Criminy, if I drank a mere 200 calorie smoothie before working out, I'd have to run home twice for more before the end of my workout just to keep my stomach from rumbling. Luckily, I live across the street from my gym...hmmm....

Dr. Campbell, I think you got a skewed sense of nutritional reality by watching non-athletes file in and out of a Jamba Juice or something. Yes, some smoothies are glorified ice cream sodas. Yes, many people shovel it in without thinking. Yes, low calorie is the way to go if you lead a sedentary life and own no gym clothes.

But this is Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness. So, stick that in your blender and puree it.

Baby Herc

adding Simply Orange orange juice..... But mine is loaded full of other yummy goodies

Wish I'd seen this sooner, I could have used a few good laughs last week (especially thanks to Herc and her awesome response to the article!)

Awww....thanks much, Herc - it's always appreciated when people pass on the good word about VeganEssentials.com!

BTW, we should hopefully have some interesting new seafood alternatives coming in soon, so if you liked the Sophie's vegan calamari, just wait a bit and we'll have more options!