As many of you have seen, I am quite the advocate of the raw, green smoothie. You also may have noticed I am real keen on using these smoothies as a cleanse. Firstly… Green smoothies are drinks made from a blend of water, fresh fruit, and leafy greens. Most recipes call for 40% greens and 60% fruit, with enough water to make the whole thing blend up. You can make green smoothies in any kind of blender (we all know I am a magic bullet advocate) however you don’t need a special juicer or fancy equipment.
Importance of Raw Blending
Green smoothies are beneficial and easy way to increase the amount of raw fruits and vegetables in your diet, but in this case I am using them to cleanse. Because greens can be hard for our bodies to digest, blending helps to break down the cellulose in the greens and aids in digestions while allowing for more immediate absorption. (You can find a number of packaged green smoothie drinks for sale. However, it is important to read labels because many package green smoothies are filled with sodium, sugar, and preservatives… DECEIT! THEY ARE NOT FUCKING GOOD FOR YOU). When vegetables are cooked, many of the vitamins and nutrients are lost in the process thus taking away from their healthy benefits. To get the most vitamins and nutrients out of your fruits and vegetables it is important to increase the amount eaten in their raw form. However many important vitamins and nutrients are in the cell walls of fruits and vegetables which can be hard to break through. Green smoothies are a beneficial way to absorb these important nutrients because the cell walls have been ruptured by the blending process and the nutrients are extracted in a more digestible form yet still offer an equal amount of fiber. This is how green smoothies assist in cleansing the body of toxins.
The most important element of a green smoothie are the greens which are filled with antioxidants that help brain function, stress reduction and promotes cardiovascular health. Actually, one of the best ways to eat greens are in a green smoothie. Green smoothies can help give the digestive track a rest and aids irregularity. They support the livers ability to cleanse and detoxify itself. Green smoothies also help release extra weight, increases energy and can help reduce cravings.
Why Smoothies and not Juice? The difference between a smoothie and juice is that juice has the fiber removed (not to mention its pretty damn wasteful), where as a smoothie still has the fiber. This means that in this cleanse you won’t necessarily experience the same hunger as you would with a juice cleanse (and we all know how horngry I am!) and may also not experience the same lightheadedness, headaches or nausea that can come from more extreme juice or water fasts and cleanses.
I have done this cleanse for 3 days and I have done this cleanse for 8 days. I basically just listen to my body and decide when to be finished; but I usually aim for about 5 days. People always freak out about “lacking protein”. RELAX. It is just for a few days. You will live going a few days without your precious protein, as you will provide your body with more nutrients in these few days than you typically would in a month. The other panic people seem to be induced with is whether or not they can continue to work out. Of course you can. Your body is getting plenty of carbs from the fruit and you will have an ample amount of energy as your body rids itself of toxins… BUT… I will say it again and again… LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. Do not rigorously exercise if it doesn’t feel right. Please keep in mind that you MAY NOT supplement while on this cleanse. The only thing going into your body is fruit, leafy greens, and water.
Prepping is key! You need to pick a week in which you don’t have much going on. Grocery shop and load up on greens (at least two different types as you have to cycle your greens in order to avoid alkaline poisoning) and fruit. Make sure you get lots of berries as they are lower in sugar and hep balance out your smoothies. Too many “meaty” fruits (apples, banana, mango, pears) will overload you with sugar. If you are a busy person, make big batches of smoothies so that they are ready to go throughout the day. If you have lots of time on your hands, it allows you to make many small batches and come up with clever recipes. Get creative! It is half the fun and will keep you from straying. I hope you decide to try a raw green smoothie cleanse as it not only clarifies your body, but your mind. Good luck fuckers!
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