INGREDIENTS

How Greens Helped Me Ditch My Walker In 6 Weeks

By Valerie Wright  *  Updated: February 3rd, 2026

Immobility is a great motivator. I don't think I would have adopted a Green Drink habit without it. Not a fake greens powder habit, but a "can't have anything but the fresh stuff EVERY SINGLE MORNING OR I CAN'T WALK" kind of habit. 
 
In May of 2023, I took my dogs to Fiesta Dog Island, and yes, it's as cool as it sounds. One of my dogs got in a tussle, and as I lunged to pull him back, I felt that dreaded tweak in my lower back. By the time I got home my back was spasming. I already had one bulging disc and turned it into one bulging disc and one herniated disc. 


By July, I was barely able to walk around my house. I couldn't do physical therapy, or lie on a table to get acupuncture or chiropractic care. While I was waiting for my MRI, my condition got much worse. I should have gone to the ER, but I waited. 
 

Walker Texas Ranger

August 31, 2023, was the day I got my walker. It originally belonged to my Mor-Mor (Swedish for mother’s mother). I was so grateful to have wheels to help me get around, (hence the huge smile on my face). 
 
I got cortisone shots in September and October of 2023 with NO improvement. I used an inversion table every day, and that did help a lot, but the nerve pain shooting down my leg persisted. I spent too many days looking out the window, wishing I could just take a walk. 
 
THEN, in early December 2023, I decided to take a deep dive into anti-inflammatory foods, and started drinking blended greens with dandelion🥬 for breakfast EVERY SINGLE DAY. 
 
I didn't notice an improvement in pain right away, but my mobility improved tremendously. Did it heal everything? No, but it enabled me to get to the chiropractor, do the physical therapy, and get the acupuncture. The decrease in inflammation was HUGE.  

 

Jan 18, 2024, was the day I stopped using my walker

  • 8 months after my injury onset (herniated discs)
  • 4 months after epidural cortisone injections
  • 6 WEEKS after starting a blended greens diet

💪That’s the power of blended bitter greens 


The key was having this daily blended Green Drink ready and waiting for me in my refrigerator every day. It was staring me in the face; I couldn't forget it. I was blown away by the improvement in my inflammation, especially when I hadn't really changed anything else. And my sugar cravings went away without me really noticing, another big surprise.
 
Then I got my husband, the boxer, hooked. He also wanted beets and turmeric for recovery, so we added our blended HeartBeets for recovery and cardiovascular health. When I added concentrated, whole-blended turmeric and beets into my daily juice routine, my pain and mobility improved even more!


The juices was also helped my liver and stomach repair themselves after all the pain killers, muscle relaxers, and steroids I'd been taking. 
 
Now I can do almost everything I could before my re-injury, and I'm on a mission to reach as many people as I can. If something in my story resonates with you, then you are ready (or desperate enough) to take the Green Drink 6-Week Challenge. The transformational stories of those who have adopted consuming blended greens daily as part of an anti-inflammatory diet are inspiring. Eradicating parasites, improving rosacea, lessening nerve pain, replenishing red blood cells after chemotherapy, lowering liver stress, lowering liver enzymes, reducing hot flashes, the list of benefits is long and vast. 


Having a serving of Sunrise Blends Daily Green Drink staring 👀 you in the face every morning when you open your refrigerator is the easiest way to start a new Green Drink habit. Pairing your Green Drink with fresh-blended HeartBeets (beets and turmeric) amplifies the benefits even more.

 

Benefits of drinking greens

Millions of people who've added blended or juiced greens to their daily diet have reported a 🌈 rainbow of beneficial side effects, including: 
 
🥬 Healthier💩
😶 Clearer skin 
💪 Reduced muscle/joint inflammation 
🦠 Stronger gut microbiome
🚽 Improved digestion
🤎 More stable blood sugars
🦷 Stronger tooth enamel
 
... and much, much more...
 
I'll leave the softer lettuces like spinach, romaine, and butter lettuce for your wraps and salads, as they are easier to chew.
 
Pain, inflammation, and loss of mobility can be great motivators to start viewing food as medicine. I want to help empower people to take control of their health, reduce dependence on medications, and heal from the inside out. Healing that starts with the gut and the liver.


We cannot wait for the food industry to start making better food. We cannot wait for someone else to save our health. We just need to eat more real, whole, anti-inflammatory foods starting TODAY. 


There is life outside the window. You won't know what blended greens can do for your body and mind until you try them and stick with them, even when they get boring and motivation wanes. Boring Gets Results.
 
Having it delivered weekly keeps you accountable.
 
Now I am challenging YOU to start a new habit: include blended greens in your diet for 6 WEEKS, and find out what it can do for your health.  
 
All you have to do is drink it.

Gut-Healing Meal Plan

Sunrise Blends Morning Blended Green Drinks, Blended Reds, and Bone Broth can be consumed as part of your daily diet, but it can also be used as a powerful tool for a system reset. Some call it a fast, cleanse or detox - whatever you call it, it's a great tool for tapping into our body's intrinsic ability to heal itself. 

A cleanse or detox fast serves two purposes:

  1. Giving your gut a rest. Breaking down food takes a lot of energy, and most of us don't chew our food as well as we should. Most of us eat too close to bedtime and make our digestive systems work when it's supposed to be sleeping (like us). Drinking fresh organic fruit and vegetable juices (ideally blended) and not eating solid food allows your digestive system to rest. Blended fiber is easy on the gut. The body uses the extra energy to repair tissues where your body needs it. This is why people who do a 3-day fast and detox feel amazing, their bodies have done some healing. 
  2. Flush it out. The water and juice you do ingest nourish your system with highly absorbable nutrients, and help flush out the toxins that are released from your muscle and fatty tissues. 

Fat-Soluble Toxins

Fat soluble toxins are often overlooked. People commonly get flu-like symptoms during a detox, and yes, it's because your body is releasing toxins... but, there are better ways to help flush ALL those toxins out and minimize those effects. 

Your body releases toxins from both your muscles and fat stores. Juices and water do a great job of flushing out water soluble toxins. BUT, including gelatinous foods like chia seed, aloe vera juice, flax meal and psyllium will bind to and carry out fat soluble toxins. These foods turn into a gel-like substance in the digestive system, carrying out toxins and reducing the ill effects of detoxification.

Aloe vera juice is not my first choice, but if you like it, you do you! 

There is a great book called the Fat Flush Diet that first introduced me to this concept of fat soluble toxins. It's also where I got the Elixir of Life drink below. Fiber is a cornerstone of the Fat Flush Diet and my gut-healing meal plan. 

RECIPES

Elixir of Life (from The Fat Flush Diet)

  • 1 tbls of unsweetened cranberry juice
  • 1 tsp of ground flax seeds or psyllium
  • 8 ounces of water

Great in the morning. Stir and drink it. You don't want to sip this, it will get gummy if you don't drink it within a few minutes. 

Sipping Bone Broth

There are a few different ways to get this done effectively. If you have the time, making your own bone broth is a great way to control the cost and flavor. If you can handle a bit of prep, it cooks itself in a crockpot. Brown the bones, cover with water, you don't even need to add vegetables if you don't want to. 

Sometimes I don't have the time or storage space to make a ton of bone broth. My bone broth protein powder is a great substitute and has all the benefits of fresh bone broth. 

LEFT COAST BONE BROTH PROTEIN POWDER ON AMAZON

It has glucosamine, chondroitin, gelatin, and collagen, all things your digestive tract and connective tissues need to repair themselves. I like mixing a scoop, 20 grams of protein, with a bit of miso or curry paste, and season to taste. Sip and enjoy. 

Bone Broth Hot Chocolate 

My favorite way to enjoy bone broth in the winter time is making a cup of hot cocoa I can feel amazing about. There are a few different ways to make this depending on your preferences and need to stay low-sugar. 

  • 1.5 cup warmed nut-based milk of choice, diluted with water to the consistency you want
  • 1 tbls cocoa of choice
  • 1 scoop of bone broth protein powder
  • sweetener of choice - keep it low sugar. Allulose is a nice paleo sugar alternative, honey and maple syrup are yummy too. 
  • splash of vanilla
  • up to 1/4 tsp of cinnamon
  • optional pinch of nutmeg

Blend or whisk and love your life. 

Chia Blueberry Smoothie

I love this smoothie because it's blended, so it's still easily digestible, while also filling. Did you know that chia seeds and hemp hearts are both complete plant-based proteins? Hemp hearts have the perfect omega 3-6-9 fatty acid profile for human health. It's the perfect vegan protein combo for smoothies. 

  • 1 cup frozen wild blueberries or (blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries)
  • 2 tbls organic chia seeds
  • 2 tbls organic hemp hearts and/or pumpkin seeds
  • 1-2 tsp vanilla (unsweetened)
  • 1 1/4 cup water

A Nutribullet is great for this single serving smoothie. Pulse to get it going and blend on high for 2-3 min. Add ingredients in their order to prevent the chia from clumping or sticking to the side. Add a little ice to keep it cold while blending if needed.  

THE GUT-HEALING MEAL PLAN

Adapt as needed. As is, this is a great meal plan for a cleanse or short-term digestive reset. However, if you do nothing but add these to your daily meals it will still do wonders for your digestive system. 

Breakfast

8 ounces Sunrise Blends Morning Green Drink

Hot lemon water 

Elixir of Life

8 ounces of HeartBeets

Sipping bone broth

Lunch

Chia Hemp Heart Blueberry Smoothie

8-16 ounces Sunrise Morning Green Drink

 Dinner

Sipping broth

16 ounces Sunrise Morning Green Drink

TIPS FOR HEALING YOUR GUT

  1. This diet is intended for 2-3 days at a time.
  2. After following this meal plan, continue to break your fast every day with blended greens and bone broth. 
  3. You can also skip the fast, and add the bone broth, chia smoothie, and blended greens to your normal diet. 
  4. If the amount of fiber causes digestive distress, start small and build up your daily fiber intake. 

Still have questions? Shoot us an email! support@sunriseblends.co

How To Drink Sunrise Blends Morning Green Drinks

Whether you're filling nutritional gaps while in a calorie deficit or just want to improve your health by addition with blended greens, you're going to love your new daily Green Drink habit. 

There's really no way to screw this up, it's just food.  If you want to get the maximum benefit from drinking your greens, make it the first food that hits your stomach. Drinking on an empty stomach ensures maximum absorption of nutrients, but it will be great for you any time of day. Don't overthink it. 

You should receive your order within 2-5 days. We only ship Monday - Wednesday to ensure you receive your order fresh by Friday. 

When you receive your order: you should receive two 32 ounce bottles or seven 16 ounce bottles. They should be cold and might be partially frozen. 

  1. Put half your order in the refrigerator
  2. Put the other half in the freezer. 
  3. 16oz bottles take a day to thaw. Pints take two days to thaw.
  4. Our pints have about 3.5 servings, and should stay fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days. 
  5. Each 16oz bottle already has additional reverse osmosis purified water and is ready to shake and drink. 
  6. Finish all your blended green drink bottles by day 7, just in time for your next weekly shipment. 

Break your fast with blended greens. This is intended to be the first thing to hit your stomach in the morning, or whenever you break your fast. Drink it about 15 minutes before you eat any other food for maximum absorption and benefit. 

IF you're an intermittent-faster: Our blended greens are PERFECT for intermittent fasting! I often find that the green drink is filling on it's own, and can help me push out my first big meal of the day by a few extra hours. This also works well with paleo and keto diets. 

IF you bought Tropical or Liver Shield Morning Green Drink with pineapple and mango, you shouldn't need to add more juice to it, but if you do, try to keep it under an additional 5g of sugar. 
 
IF you bought Wild Morning Green Drink, it's up to you how much juice you need to add to it to enjoy it, while keeping it under 10 grams of sugar. Over time you will need less and less sweetness to enjoy it. Apple, orange, pear, pomegranate, pineapple and mango all work well. 
 
IF you bought HeartBeets, you can drink these any time. They should stay fresh for 7 days. They make a great pre or post-workout drink, as well as a digestive "prep" drink before your largest meal of the day. Sip it 2 ounces or 8 ounces at a time. Each bottle is a little more than a serving of vegetables. 
We were meant to heal our bodies with greens
  1. The chlorophyll-rich blend strengthens your stomach acid (which is where pathogens and parasites are supposed to die), is naturally alkalizing, and some fascinating new research suggests it can protect against endocrine disruptors with it's high quality omega fatty acids. *Especially significant for women going through reproductive health challenges and/or menopause. (PubMed Central)
  2. Chlorophyll makes the liver more efficient, binding to and carrying toxins out of the body more effectively, as well as preventing a build up of toxins in the liver. 
  3. Omega 3 Fatty Acids in dark leafy greens can help prevent heart disease and stroke, may help control autoimmune disorders, eczema, and inflammatory conditions.
  4. The fiber from the greens creates a gelatinous layer in your stomach which slows the absorption of the glucose in your proceeding meal and keeps blood sugars stable. 

The Benefits of Chlorophyll and Greens Fiber First Thing in the Morning

For many health-conscious individuals looking to enhance their well-being, incorporating natural, plant-based solutions into their morning routine can be a game changer. One such combination, chlorophyll and greens fiber, has garnered attention due to its potential to improve digestion, reduce sugar cravings, and promote overall health. Chlorophyll and greens fiber work synergistically to optimize metabolism, support weight management, and contribute to long-term health.
 
Slowing Carbohydrate Absorption and Stabilizing Blood Sugar. 
Starting your day with a dose of chlorophyll and greens fiber can set the foundation for stable blood sugar levels throughout the day. Chlorophyll, a pigment found in green plants, has been found to slow the absorption of carbohydrates when consumed before meals. This is critical because it helps prevent blood sugar spikes that often lead to energy crashes and sugar cravings later in the day.
 
A study published in Appetite demonstrated that chlorophyll-containing compounds reduced postprandial (post-meal) blood glucose levels, making it easier for individuals to maintain steady energy and avoid the mid-morning energy slump (Linderborg et al., 2016). 

Additionally, greens fiber, which is rich in prebiotics, works in conjunction with chlorophyll to further enhance gut health. Chlorophyll strengthens your stomach acid, which protects against parasites and conditions like GERD or acid reflux. Most people suffer from TOO LITTLE, not too much stomach acid. The fiber in greens helps slow down digestion and stabilizes blood sugar by creating a viscous gel-like substance in the gut that delays the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream. A consistent intake of fiber in the morning promotes satiety, helping us feel full for longer and supporting weight management goals.

Chlorophyll’s Multitude of Benefits: From Skin Health to Recovery
We are familiar with the frustrating reality of changing skin and hormonal imbalances. Chlorophyll offers a natural approach to combating some of these issues. One of the standout benefits of chlorophyll is its ability to support healthy skin. Chlorophyllin, a derivative of chlorophyll, has been shown to aid in the treatment of acne and other inflammatory skin conditions. A study published in The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology found that topical chlorophyllin could significantly reduce the severity of acne and minimize pore size (Shen et al., 2015).
 
But the benefits of chlorophyll don’t stop there. In addition to its role in skin health, chlorophyll has been linked to boosting red blood cell production. By promoting the generation of hemoglobin, it aids in the body’s recovery processes, making it especially beneficial for those who engage in regular exercise or are recovering from illness or injury. 

Bitters and Greens Fiber: Decreasing Sugar Cravings
An additional advantage of greens fiber and chlorophyll is their ability to help control sugar cravings. Bitter compounds found in greens activate specific receptors in the digestive tract, helping to reduce cravings for sweet, high-calorie foods. A systematic review published in Obesity Reviews indicated that regular consumption of bitter-tasting foods is associated with decreased sugar intake and improved insulin sensitivity (Bitterman et al., 2020). This reduction in sugar cravings is essential for those looking to manage their weight and avoid the pitfalls of emotional eating. 
Dandelion greens are one of the most effective bitter greens for this. They stimulate bile flow, support blood sugar regulation, and act as a natural diuretic without depleting potassium. Here's what they actually do in your body.
 
By slowing carbohydrate absorption, boosting red blood cell production, and decreasing sugar cravings, this dynamic duo can be a vital part of your wellness routine. As always, balance and a holistic approach to diet and lifestyle are key to achieving long-term success.
 


References:
  • Bitterman, M., et al. (2020). The role of bitter taste receptors in sugar reduction. Obesity Reviews, 21(4), e13024.
  • Linderborg, K., et al. (2016). Postprandial glucose response after ingestion of chlorophyll-rich foods. Appetite, 96, 45-50.
  • Shen, X., et al. (2015). Topical chlorophyll in the treatment of acne. The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 8(12), 19-24.
  • Smith, M., et al. (2019). Chlorophyll: Efficacy and potential benefits in weight management. Advances in Nutrition, 10(6), 851-864.

40 Grams of Protein Before Lunch (without eggs)

Most people think of lunch and dinner when considering their meal prep, but it's pretty darned important that you get enough protein in your mornings too, or whenever your first big meal of the day is. 

Here's how I get 40 grams of protein and 20 grams of fiber in my morning (without eggs):

  • Morning Green Drink
    • 2g Protein
    • .6g Fat
    • 2.5g Fiber

  • Fat flush elixir of life: 1 tbsp flax meal stirred in 8oz water with a splash of cranberry juice or HeartBeets. Drink fast.
    • 1g Protein
    • 3g Fat
    • 3g Fiber

  • Blueberry Chia Smoothie
    • 12g Protein
    • 15g Fat
    • 10g sugar from blueberries
    • 15g Fiber

  • Savory sipping Bone Broth (store bought at 10g of protein per cup, make your own, or try this bone broth protein powder added to a soup base instead)
    • 25g protein
The blueberry chia smoothie can be made ahead of time. It's delicious unblended too, if you'd rather eat it than drink it.Â