Everyone knows that eating plenty of fresh greens is important. But it is especially important when you live in a polluted city or are trying to detoxify your system. Not only do greens contain vitamins, minerals, and high-quality protein, but also chlorophyll, which helps oxygenate your blood cells and eliminate toxins. The healthiest and most chlorophyll-rich greens are the dark green ones, like kale (especially dinosaur kale), collards, mustard greens, and dandelion greens. If these taste to bitter for you, start off with milder greens like spinach or chard. Make sure that you buy organic. And don't forget LIVING greens, like wheatgrass, sunflower greens, and buckwheat lettuce.

People new to eating greens often think that they are tough or bitter. But would you believe that raw kale is actually less bitter than cooked? And if you cut it in very thin strips (called a chiffonade cut) and marinate it in a light dressing, it melts in your mouth. Those of you who have taken my Forget Cooking! class already know this from tasting the amazing Mediterranean kale salad that we make in that class.

Another way to eat a lot of greens and digest them easily is to juice them or blend them. Juicing eliminates the fiber, and blending helps break it down. This is especially helpful in the morning, when the body is in cleansing mode in doesn't want to spend energy on digestion; green juice gives you an immediate burst of nutrition without taxing your digestion. And for a busy day, when you don't have time to thoroughly chew a large salad, a blended green soup is the perfect solution.

It feels so good to start off each day with a green drink. For a really cleansing morning, about an hour after your morning water, have a green drink, and then follow with fruit or a smoothie an hour later.