Author Topic: A healthy smoothie everyday!  (Read 21809 times)

begood

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #50 on: April 15, 2014, 07:04:46 AM »
I went on a smoothie kick last spring, and y'all have inspired me to try to get back to it!

I tried a lot of different recipes, none with veggies, but maybe I will be adventurous one of these days and get some baby spinach to put in.

My favorite smoothie:

4 oz. chocolate almond or coconut milk
4 oz. unsweetened plain almond milk
1 Tbs. natural peanut butter
1 heaping Tbs. rice protein powder
1 Tbs. ground flax seed
1 Tbs. soluble acacia fiber
3-4 ice cubes

It tastes like a liquid Reese's Peanut Butter cup. Not too frothy - you could add a frozen banana or more ice if you want a thicker texture. The only sugar is the 4 oz. of chocolate coconut milk, so it's not toooo bad, sugar-wise.

I am trying (and failing) to kick a massive sugar addiction. My goal last spring was 7 grams or less of sugar per serving, which this smoothie fits.

ketchup

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #51 on: April 15, 2014, 11:05:22 AM »
I call this my thousand-calorie biking breakfast smoothie:

1 can full-fat coconut milk
1 avocado
1 banana
2tsp vanilla extract
a few ice cubes

I eat 40% before leaving, and pack the other 60% into a glass mason jar that fits perfectly into my bike's water bottle holder, then eat the rest after locking up my bike.  I've done it a few times with great success, but I'm thinking of adding a little gelatin next time for some extra protein.

limeandpepper

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #52 on: May 01, 2014, 07:40:12 PM »
I had to forgo my smoothie habit for the few weeks I was travelling in March/April, and I've missed my homemade smoothies, but now I'm back home I'm making them daily again! Yay!

adesertsky

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #53 on: May 06, 2014, 08:07:10 AM »
I make myself a smoothie for breakfast every weekday.  I LOVE using chia seeds- they puff up and make the smoothie really filling.

limeandpepper

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #54 on: May 22, 2014, 08:05:55 PM »
Today I tried this combination - large banana, small carrot, unsweetened cocoa powder, almond meal, water and ice.

Caoineag

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #55 on: May 22, 2014, 08:20:49 PM »
Still doing the smoothies M-F but they have definitely changed. They have a ton more veggies (carrots, kale, bell peppers, celery, sometimes sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes, spinach, cucumber) and the fruit ranges as well (mangoes, bananas, papaya, pineapple, strawberries, etc). Using almond/coconut milk for the liquid and a little Greek yogurt for creaminess. We never sweeten ours or use sweetened products so the fruit adds the only sweetness.

I have to admit, candy consumption has dropped to nonexistent and desserts have significantly dropped off as well.

limeandpepper

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #56 on: May 22, 2014, 08:36:39 PM »
That's really great, Caoineag! I've never been lavish with the sweet stuff, but I think my tolerance/consumption of sweet things have managed to go down even further in the past few years.

I am curious, do you use cooked or raw sweet potato? Also what do you reckon is a good flavor pairing with cherry tomatoes?

Caoineag

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #57 on: May 22, 2014, 09:01:42 PM »
Cooked sweet potatoes (the only thing we add that's cooked actually, though eventually we will do pumpkin when we get around to it and that will be cooked as well)

Honestly, I have never tasted the cherry tomatoes because they are so mild. Now that deep red bell pepper on the other hand, I threw a fit about until I got used to it (spicy flavor). I will now eat raw bell peppers on salads but originally, I didn't eat raw peppers of any kind, the smoothies broke me of that after about 2 weeks.

The big question to ask yourself is do you remotely like any of the V8 type drinks? If so, celery, carrots and tomatoes are all fair game. If not, you should probably shy away from large amounts. As mentioned the red bell pepper has a spicy flavor that pairs well with other veggies.

Flavor maskers are sweet potato, papaya, mango and banana. The ripeness of the flavor masker will determine how much they hide. All of these increase the smoothness feel as well.

We have a tendency to throw it all in together. Lately, the mangoes have been so ripe that I haven't even tasted the bell peppers and those seem to have the strongest flavors though spinach is a close second. Kale has no flavor which is why its my preferred green leafy addition.

We keep expanding based on whichever fruits and veggies are cheapest, still need to try pears, peaches and oranges sometime soon.

bikebum

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #58 on: May 22, 2014, 09:12:06 PM »
I call this my thousand-calorie biking breakfast smoothie:

1 can full-fat coconut milk
1 avocado
1 banana
2tsp vanilla extract
a few ice cubes

I eat 40% before leaving, and pack the other 60% into a glass mason jar that fits perfectly into my bike's water bottle holder, then eat the rest after locking up my bike.  I've done it a few times with great success, but I'm thinking of adding a little gelatin next time for some extra protein.

Sounds great, I'm gonna try it!

bikebum

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #59 on: May 22, 2014, 09:16:05 PM »
I recently went to Joshua Tree and had a smoothie there that I've been copying at home, The Rock Climbers' Revenge:

frozen banana
plain greek yogurt (they use soy milk)
cashews (need a good blender, or cashew butter)
dates
raw egg (they don't do this)

Delicious!

limeandpepper

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #60 on: May 22, 2014, 09:17:11 PM »
Caoineag, I've used celery, carrots and cherry tomatoes, and I'm cool with celery and carrots, but I think the cherry tomatoes bother me a little bit, and I think that's because I've never been much of a raw tomato fan (except in things like salsa or burgers).

Slightly off-topic but... I love the spicy flavour of bell peppers in cocktails. :D  I don't mind smoothies with a slightly savoury flavour, either, I've added herbs like coriander leaves (known as cilantro in the States) to mine and I find it intriguingly tasty.

cthulhu

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #61 on: May 23, 2014, 11:42:47 AM »
i do a pretty generic blend of -
cup o' frozen fruit
half cup of unsweetened almond milk
water to fill up to the top of the fruit
half a scoop of vanilla protein powder

the flavored protein powder is pretty sweet and it works out nicely for me.  y'all have inspired me to start sneaking in vegetables, i do these on weekdays and will see how it goes next week!

- ac

Caoineag

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #62 on: May 23, 2014, 06:00:37 PM »
Caoineag, I've used celery, carrots and cherry tomatoes, and I'm cool with celery and carrots, but I think the cherry tomatoes bother me a little bit, and I think that's because I've never been much of a raw tomato fan (except in things like salsa or burgers).

Slightly off-topic but... I love the spicy flavour of bell peppers in cocktails. :D  I don't mind smoothies with a slightly savoury flavour, either, I've added herbs like coriander leaves (known as cilantro in the States) to mine and I find it intriguingly tasty.

I still don't eat raw tomatoes. I tolerate them in salsa and bruschetta (I still don't understand why I can eat these two things) but cut them up and put them on something and I will hand them to my husband. I think the reason I don't taste them is because we have so many other flavors in there, a minimum of 9 items go in every smoothie.

If you like the spicy flavor in cocktails, put them in your smoothies. I definitely adapted to it and I never ate raw bells before so if you already like it, you should have no problem.

limeandpepper

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #63 on: May 29, 2014, 10:12:15 PM »
Today's smoothie is made with frozen cantaloupe, baby spinach, almond meal, macadamia oil and water. Delicious!

abhe8

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #64 on: May 29, 2014, 10:33:06 PM »
well....we made so many smoothies we burnt up the blender. but, i'm going to replace it soon. this is our basic recipe:

1. spinach
2. plain, whole milk yogurt
3. frozen berries
4. dash cinnamon
5. flax seed (soak night before, then will blend smoothly)
6. chia seed (also soak night before)

I might add some other fruits or veggies, carrots or apples or bananas are all good. Sometimes I add a whole raw egg. Usually I add some lemon or lime juice. I have been known to throw in some red raspberry leaf tea (unbenonst to my family) if I have it around. A splash of vanilla is also nice.

Sigh....I can't wait to get back to these!

horsepoor

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #65 on: May 30, 2014, 10:55:38 PM »
This week my smoothie was:

Vanilla protein powder
Chia seeds
Shredded coconut (unsweetened)
Frozen pineapple
Almond milk

Very pina colada.  Need to go more towards the veggie smoothies, though.

lizzzi

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #66 on: May 31, 2014, 08:11:17 AM »
1 carrot, washed but not peeled, with the ends cut off, 1 apple, (cored and cut into four pieces), 1 teaspoon lemon juice, maybe three ice cubes, one/half cup of water.


stripey

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #67 on: June 01, 2014, 05:37:15 AM »
Two weeks following heavy rain, and it's now Wild Edible season again! Hooray! There is lots of wild lettuce, wild brassicas, thistles and sorrel about. There are flowers on the blackberry nightshades so in a couple of weeks I'll have some tart wild fruit to add too (note: these are different from the poisonous nightshade species)

My smoothie this morning comprised a tart apple, two Lebanese cucumbers, a small amount of fresh grated ginger and a couple of very generous handfuls of wild lettuce and sow's thistle, freshly gleaned from across the road. It was slightly bitter, very refreshing, and very drinkable. I'm trying to avoid having a huge amount of incredibly sweet fruit in mine, and cucumbers are ideal for this (and easy to grow)

limeandpepper

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #68 on: June 01, 2014, 06:03:14 AM »
All that wild foraging sounds wonderful, stripey!

Today I am happy because there are finally cheap avocados at the market again. Got a box of 6 avocados (500g) for $2, yay! They're tiny but that's how I prefer them, just the right size for my consumption. Looking forward to my chocolate avocado smoothies. :)

ohyonghao

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #69 on: June 04, 2014, 01:23:29 PM »
We are now onto our 19th week or so of using the same yogurt starter, we make yogurt about once a week.  Last week we had bought a watermelon and the potluck we intended to take it to fell through, but we've been having a great time making smoothies with it!  Delicious.
« Last Edit: June 04, 2014, 01:27:19 PM by ohyonghao »

lizzzi

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #70 on: June 04, 2014, 07:01:52 PM »
Handful of organic lettuce, a piece of zucchini (approx. 2"), a piece of cucumber (approx. 2 "), a small, yellow sweet pepper, one-half cup water, four ice cubes.

limeandpepper

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #71 on: June 05, 2014, 11:11:22 PM »
It's persimmon season and I'm having my first ever persimmon smoothie. :D

limeandpepper

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #72 on: June 13, 2014, 04:32:28 AM »
Ate so much for lunch today, so I'm having a dinner smoothie. If I get hungry later I'll cook something up.

This smoothie has: avocado, mandarin, purple carrot, roasted carob powder, cocoa powder, fresh mint leaves, dried stevia leaves, honey, yoghurt, macadamia oil. It's basically a complete meal! :)

lizzzi

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #73 on: June 13, 2014, 02:57:22 PM »
Made this for the family last night in my Vitamix. It is my take on a healthy, cold summer soup  (similar to BudgetBytes Green Gazpacho):  One yellow pepper, 1 small onion, 1 English cucumber, one-half avocado, one clove garlic (used minced from jar), two tablespoons olive oil, one-half teaspoon salt, one tablespoon lemon juice, one cup water. Pretty green color, poured it into soup bowls and ate with spoon. Before bed, I drank the leftovers in a paper cup.

Roots&Wings

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #74 on: June 13, 2014, 04:46:17 PM »
I always put some mushrooms in smoothies too...similar to greens, they just seem to blend in with the fruit flavors so you don't taste them at all.  Great way to have those 'super foods'!  I wouldn't willingly eat things like mushrooms or kale/bok choi/spinach on their own, but in fruit smoothies they're fantastic. 

Been having a smoothie nearly everyday for breakfast since January (when I read "Eat to Live") and love it...it's upped my grocery bill to buy more fruit (berries especially are pricey here), greens, ground flax and shrooms, but hopefully it's part of a long-term investment in better health and potentially lower medical costs down the line.  Working on healthier eating/exercise/stress mgt as part of my long-term FI goals.

limeandpepper

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #75 on: June 13, 2014, 07:23:29 PM »
That sounds like a nice cold soup, lizzzi! I've made similar before but it's been ages, should really do it again.

step-in-time - mushrooms! That's something I haven't thought about adding into my smoothies... interesting.

lizzzi

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #76 on: June 14, 2014, 09:19:40 AM »
Thanks, step-in-time, for giving the OK to mushrooms in smoothies. I've wanted to try it, but was afraid I'd ruin the whole thing. limeandpepper, check out BudgetBytes…she also, I think, does a red gazpacho. I need to look and see.

Roots&Wings

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #77 on: June 14, 2014, 09:50:39 AM »
Thanks, step-in-time, for giving the OK to mushrooms in smoothies. I've wanted to try it, but was afraid I'd ruin the whole thing.

Well I can't guarantee anything of course, but I don't notice them at all (I'm very sensitive to smells/tastes) and family members who would never touch a mushroom have not noticed anything amiss...I usually throw in a few white button mushrooms (which aren't overly strong flavor as far as mushrooms go), then add some greens, banana, ground flax, almond milk and other fruit (frozen berries usually, or berries + peaches, or watermelon when in season). 

limeandpepper

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #78 on: July 04, 2014, 03:45:34 AM »
I have to confess I haven't been making smoothies everyday this winter season so far. It's cold in the mornings and so, instead of making a smoothie, I'm drawn to brewing myself a hot cup of tea, instead. Sigh.

Oh well... but I made one tonight. Banana, orange, carrot, unsweetened cocoa powder, roasted carob powder, pea protein powder, macadamia oil.

lizzzi

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #79 on: July 04, 2014, 06:38:10 AM »
I forgot to post after I tried some mushrooms in a a smoothie with lettuce, cucumber, and I think some green or yellow sweet pepper. It made it a little murky  looking and woodsy tasting--like something an elf in a glade would drink while sitting under a bush. I liked it--but like most of my concoctions--don't think the family or the kids would touch it with a bargepole.

limeandpepper

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #80 on: July 04, 2014, 07:07:17 AM »
Haha, I like your description of your mushroom smoothie, lizzzi!

limeandpepper

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #81 on: July 25, 2014, 07:07:18 PM »
Still not being very diligent with making smoothies during winter, and there isn't much to eat and drink at my place now due to my upcoming interstate move, but I made one this morning - pear, lime, macadamia oil.

lizzzi

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #82 on: July 25, 2014, 08:00:08 PM »
For an elderly relative who is not eating well: 1 cup vanilla ice cream, one-half cup whole milk, one-quarter teaspoon vanilla extract, one raw, pasteurized egg.

sunnyca

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #83 on: July 29, 2014, 12:01:31 PM »
Wheatgrass powder, chia, parsley, romaine, and pineapple for sweetness- yummy combination!

tarheeldan

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #84 on: July 29, 2014, 12:13:19 PM »
Yeah! I've been doing this very nearly every day for over a year now.

Basic recipe:

2 cups spinach or kale
1 cucumber
1tomato
1 banana
1/4 cup bell pepper mix
1 cup mixed fruit

I buy the spinach, mixed fruit, and bell pepper slizes frozen and in bags. The cucumbers, tomatoes, and bananas I buy fresh and freeze.
This way I don't waste any by having it go bad before I get to it.

ohyonghao

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #85 on: August 21, 2014, 05:25:09 PM »
This year we have stocked up our chest freezer with lots of fruits and berries.

40lbs of Blueberries @1.50/lb
20lbs of Raspberries @1.35/lb
30lbs of Peaches @1.20/lb

This should get us through till next summer :-D

lizzzi

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #86 on: August 21, 2014, 06:03:15 PM »
Two cups vanilla ice cream, two cups fresh strawberries, very slightly sweetened with sugar, one cup whole milk. Unbelievably good strawberry shakes--and no, we wouldn't have this very often.

expatartist

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #87 on: August 21, 2014, 07:12:54 PM »
You have all inspired me to pick up a secondhand blender for work asap. What mouth-watering combinations you've posted! I've gotten lazy with the smoothies in the past year, so will keep a blender at work now I'm here full-time.

I work next to a giant wet market, where there are great prices on a fantastic variety of fruit and veggies which taste great but are mostly covered in toxic chemicals. Usually I have veggies delivered from a more reliable source, but peelable fruits and veggies from the market should be ok for an breakfast or an afternoon smoothie break. Also, a couple vendors make amazing freshly-ground roasted sesame paste, mmmm - an excellent bit of protein and oil to 'stick' a smoothie together.

My goal is to make 2 smoothie batches/week and consume one per day. One recipe I'll try out next week:
* banana
* ginger
* orange
* sesame paste
* carob powder

Leisured

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #88 on: August 23, 2014, 01:30:30 AM »
Thank you all for the recipe ideas.

Re raw eggs and salmonella: is there a doctor on this forum?

I am not a doctor, but my understanding is that there will be no salmonella inside the egg, unless there is a crack in the shell, but there might be salmonella on the outside of the shell. Remember where the egg has been.

Eggs seem to be washed before being packed, but the raw egg could pick up some salmonella from the shell when the egg is broken. If the egg is then cooked, there will be no problem. If the egg is to be used raw, I suggest trickling boiling water over the egg before breaking it.

ohyonghao

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #89 on: August 26, 2014, 12:24:40 PM »
Getting back into smoothie making again.  I've been losing weight and supplementing fiber but I want to start moving towards natural sources again.

Last night I made a smoothie and weighed out each ingredient and found my two person smoothie came out to the following:
Calories: 576
Protein: 15.7
Fiber: 18.0

Basic ingredients were:
Oatmeal
Flax seed
Spinach
Peach
Strawberry
Pineapple
Apple juice
Banana
Water

I found 1/2 the calories were from banana + apple juice, 1/4 from oatmeal + flax seed but also provided around half the fiber, the fruit made up the other 1/4 worth of calories while providing fiber and flavor.  Once I did the math and divided into two I realized that the smoothie will be a great replacement for my fiber supplement.

limeandpepper

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #90 on: November 15, 2015, 08:17:39 PM »
Well, I am reviving this thread. After having a major travel jaunt the second half of last year I lost my smoothie-making mojo, but I've recently picked it back up again, and it feels great!!

Been making quite a few chocolate ones lately - gives a nice chocolate fix but is healthy because I use unsweetened cocoa powder and don't add sugar, and I include veggies.

GuitarStv

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Re: A healthy smoothie everyday!
« Reply #91 on: November 16, 2015, 06:15:30 AM »
Thank you all for the recipe ideas.

Re raw eggs and salmonella: is there a doctor on this forum?

I am not a doctor, but my understanding is that there will be no salmonella inside the egg, unless there is a crack in the shell, but there might be salmonella on the outside of the shell. Remember where the egg has been.

Eggs seem to be washed before being packed, but the raw egg could pick up some salmonella from the shell when the egg is broken. If the egg is then cooked, there will be no problem. If the egg is to be used raw, I suggest trickling boiling water over the egg before breaking it.

The CDC says salmonella exists inside eggs as well as on the shell.

http://www.cdc.gov/features/salmonellaeggs/


The USDA in 2002 said that only about 1/30,000 eggs on average is infected with salmonella, so you could probably get away with eating raw eggs for quite a while before getting sick.  Probably still best not to take the chance though.