Its that time of the year again when we say to ourselves 'right that's it, I'm going to cut this our, that out" 'I am going to get fit by ........date" We all do it and our intentions are good at the time, but it takes perserverance and determination to see a complete health change through. However we can incorporate small changes into our daily routine, that in the long run will yield benefits galore. One such benefit is detoxing -
Detox smoothies are a straightforward and delicious way to cleanse your body of toxins and help lose weight fast; good for all that rich Christmas indulgence! A combination of fresh vegetables and fruit, all mixed together and blended to produce a wholesome drink that will give you amazing health benefits. A typical detox smoothie recipe is full of vitamins, antioxidants, fiber, amino-acids , mineral and whole heapful of other healthy nutrients giving your body a detoxifying flush. Because large amounts of water are use this will also hydrate your body and boost metabolism. Eating this way will not only reset your system, but your taste buds too!
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A detox can be over 3 days or longer, but not in-definately, a week is usually the maximum time to reset your system and put you on the path to healthier eating and choices. After 3 days , your taste buds will start to 'taste' food and your body will start to crave a healthier diet, and that processed food/ fried food you once enjoyed, you may find your body telling you its not too keen on it any longer as you may feel sluggish and bloated.
A good tip to start off with, if you are not so keen on 'greens' is baby spinach. I fine this a particularly good one to start with ,as it has minimum flavor and all you will taste is the fruit, in fact you will forget its in your smoothie! and as an added bonus, its a natural metabolic booster! Good way to get iron into your systme. In time as you become accustom to the spinach try swapping half of it for kale or chard, adding more of the new greens and less of the spinach until your taste buds start to enjoy your new food.
A basic green detox smoothie usually consists of a leafy green veg, baby spinach, kale or chard, with a sweet fruit to over ride the green taste - pineapple, banana, mixed berries etc. Water to hydrate, coconut water is nice to add flavour, soya milk or almond milk if you want a creamier drink.
Other ingredients that can be use in your detox smoothie are, fat free Yogurts, ginger, mango, cranberries, cilantro, celery watermelon, nuts and seeds, almond butter, dandelion green, greenteas, , arugula, wheatgrass, advocado spirulina, and beets. All of these mixed with a fruit is going to super clean your insides.
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SO WHAT WILL A DETOX TO FOR YOU AND HOW TO START ONE:
Firstly its important that you DO NOT jump straight in - you will give your body a shock !
A few days before starting a 3 day detox, its best if you eliminate a few foods from your diet.
Say a fond farewell to SUGAR! -that includes chocolate, biscuits, processed foods and ALCOHOL!! - this is why this is good post-Christmas/New Year
Sleep - try and get as much as you can -Sleep is a prerequisite for renewal and rejuvenation of your body’s cells. If you can try to get at least eight of good sleep to support your immune system and nourish your cognitive health.
Limit wheat where possible - try to cut out bread or at least make it gluten free -Wheat is difficult for your body to digest and can cause inflammation and some digestive discomfort. If you like toast at breakfast and cereal, think of something different for a few days, perhaps eggs or yogurt with mixed fruits.
MOST IMPORTANT - keep yourself hydrated, around 1.5 litres per day should do it. This will help to flush out toxins, clear skin and reduce bloating. Also cut of caffeine for a few days.
OK READY TO START
Kick-start your digestive system by drinking a cup of warm water with lemon first thing.
A 3 day smoothie cleanse is easier than it sounds, simply enjoy 2 SMOOTHIES/GREEN SMOOTHIES per day as your replacement meal and a healthy meal. The replacement meal can be breakfast, lunch or dinner - its what fits into your routine and lifestyle. Have 1 healthy meal each day - healthy would be lean protein - chicken, turkey, lean steak with lots of leafy green vegetables. A good meal would be Steak with a jacket potato(eat the skin for fibre) with a leafy green salad. Brown pasta or brown rice is ok to eat, but leave out the white stuff as its full of carbs. For snacks raw veg is perfect as is fruit - always balance your snacks, too much fruit ups your sugar content. A good idea is to chop up carrots and cucumber ready to 'binge' on when you feel you need something to fill 'a gap' - this will prevent you reaching for fruit all the time. The test is to keep yourself occupied so that you are not thinking of food - hard I know.
MY GREEN SMOOTHIE - DAY 1- this is the one I kicked started my day off 1st Jan ( AFTER NYE !)
PINEAPPLE CLEANSER
1 cup pineapple
1 banana
1 apple
2 cups spinach
1 cup water - coconut water or unsweetened almond milk if you prefer it creamier
TO MAKE
Place all ingredients into your blend and blast until smooth.
Pour into glass and top with sesame seeds, coconut flakes, chopped nuts.
Drink and enjoy all that healthy goodness :)
SOME BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE RECIPES
Tropical Breakfast
- 2 tablespoons Chia seeds
- 1 cup Coconut milk or with Almond milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped frozen mango
Mixed Berries and Banana Blast:
- 1 banana
- ½ cup strawberries
- ½ cup blueberries
- ½ cup raspberries
- 1 apple
- 1 cup almond milk or soya milk unsweetened
Greek Yogurt and Smooth Peach Blast
- 1 cup frozen peach slices
- 1 cup Greek yogurt ( unsweetened)
- ¼ cup oatmeal
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup almond milk
SOME GREEN SMOOTHIE RECIPES
Simple Green Detox Smoothie
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- 1 banana
- 2 cups mixed greens ( kale, chard and spinach)
Kale and Green Apple Detox Smoothie
- ⅔ cup almond milk (unsweetened)
- ¾ cup ice
- 1 ½ cups kale
- 1 stalk celery
- ½ red or green apple leave skin on -goodness in the skin
- 1 tbsp ground flax seed
- 1 teaspoon honey
Kale Pineapple Coconut Detox Smoothie
- 1 banana
- 1 cup pineapple
- 1 cup coconut water
- 2 cups kale
Smoothie Avocado Detox
- 1 1/2 cups apple juice
- 2 cups spinach or kale
- 1 apple (unpeeled goodness in the skin)
- 1/2 avocado
Add all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth - add water to get the consistency you require.
Conclusion
So by merging some detox smoothies into your normal diet you will quickly begin to see some immense health benefits. By experimenting with fruit and veg detox smoothies you will be giving your body a real workout within - you will improve your digestive track, cleanse your colon thus keeping your bowels regular, helps towards weight loss, and improve your skin, nails and hair . All good :)
*if you have any health problems its best to consult with your medical practitioner before embarking on a detox . Pregnant women and breast feeding mums also need to ask their health visitor/doctor.
** this is something that I have followed before, its purely sharing my experience with you.
*** all photo's are mine, expect those mentioned as source.
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