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All About Detoxing
Feeling tired, bloated and sluggish after some hard partying or bad eating? It happens to the best of us. Even if you’re pretty healthy on most days, it’s easy to have a few too many drinks on the weekend, a little extra cake at the wedding or partake in some bad office snacking habits.
The problem is that this can have an adverse effect on our health and before we know it we find our bodies suffering the consequences.
One solution to this problem can be a detox. Overhauling your diet and investing in healthy food and drinks can rid your body of harmful toxins, support your natural detoxification processes and get you back to feeling brand new. In this guide we’ll take a good look at detoxing, how to know if you need one, avoiding unsafe fads, how detox smoothies can help and the top 10 recipes to try.
What Is a Detox?
A detox usually requires restricting or changing your diet for a particular amount of time in order to help cleanse your body of things like excess chemicals, fat, sugar and alcohol.
Dr Frank Lipman, a qualified doctor and alternate health expert, explains that detoxing “is about improving and optimizing the function of your body’s own detoxification systems.” He writes that a detox is simply a way that we can support the organs in the body that look after detoxification – mainly the liver, but also the kidneys, intestines, lungs, lymphatic system and skin.
The best ways to do this are by decreasing the amount of toxins we ingest and providing the right nutrients that our body needs so it can be as efficient as possible during its detoxification and elimination processes.
Signs You Need a Detox
Dr Sara Gottfried is a Harvard-trained Doctor of Medicine as well as yoga instructor and author of two New York Times bestselling health books. She listed some signs that may suggest your health needs a refresh in the form of a good detox:
- Recent weight gain
- Bloating
- Acne, itchy skin and other dermatological issues
- Congested sinuses
- Excess sweating
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Moodiness
Benefits of Detoxing
As Dr Lipman explains, detoxes are good for three major reasons to detox:
- Reduce the amount of toxins going into your body. This can be as big as removing an entire food group you have a sensitivity to, such as gluten or dairy, or as small as reducing processed foods that contain irritating chemicals. One of the most common and effective ways to reduce the amount of bad things entering your body is to cut out sugar, caffeine and alcohol.
- Help out your digestive system. This can be done by watching portion sizes and being careful not to over-eat and overload your digestive system. In addition, you can help your digestion by providing plenty of good nutrients like fiber that binds to toxins and makes them easier to eliminate, and digestive enzymes to help break down food.
- Make your liver happy. Our livers are the main organ that eliminates toxins like chemicals and poisons from our body. Simply providing your body with good nutrition is a way to make sure it functions at its best.
Detoxes can help you get more energy back and feel healthier, but during the detox process you might not feel at your best. Dr Martha Calihan, a doctor of functional medicine and founder of the Integrated Family Medicine Center in Leesburg, VA, warned that during the detox phase you may experience cravings, fatigue and other withdrawal symptoms.
However, she said these should subside after a few days and then the benefits of a detox will be felt. These include:
- Increased energy
- Less bloating
- Better sleep
- Reduced joint pain
- Better skin
- Less ‘brain fog’
- Improved mood
Beware Fad Detoxes and Misconceptions
While many detox fads claim that they will lead to huge weight loss in a short period of time, this is rarely a good thing, nor a sustainable way of living. Extreme detoxes that stop the intake of nearly all nutrients and shed fat through starvation can do more harm than good.
For example, The Dietitians Association of Australia asked 230 member nutritionists for their opinions on popular detoxes. 74% voted against the Lemon Detox Diet, which replaces meals with a lemon drink, marking it as the ‘worst’ of the lot for the second consecutive year. Any similar diets that are nutritionally deficient, extremely short on calories, as well as minerals, fiber, vitamins, proteins and even fluids should be avoided.
Another problem with crash detoxes is that people believe they make up for an unhealthy lifestyle. Accredited and practicing nutritionist Melanie McGrice says she sees patients who come to her “hoping to find a remedy” after a period of bad eating and drinking. However, she is quick to point out that a detox doesn’t make up for the damage we’ve done.
In short, detoxes won’t cancel out a binge or help you drop weight both quickly and safely. But what they can do is provide a period of focusing on our health and abstaining from harmful substances while giving our bodies plenty of good nutrition.
What Is a Detox Smoothie?
One of the easiest and best tasting ways to support your body with good nutrition is through a balanced detox smoothie. These are blended drinks that mix all sorts of healthy ingredients like fruit, vegetables, seeds, herbs and more to provide some great vitamins, minerals and nutrients to help out your digestive system, liver and other detoxification processes.
Detox smoothies are quick to make and portable once you throw them into a sealable drink container. Health gurus love them because they can be easily added to your daily routine and certainly don’t have to replace all your meals.
How to Make Detox Smoothies
It doesn’t take a genius to make a good detox smoothie. In general you just need to cut up your larger ingredients, pile everything into the juicer, blender or food processor and hit the ‘on’ button. However, here are some tips to make your smoothie experience run as smoothly as possible:
- Add the biggest bits first. You want the chunky pieces to be closest to the blades.
- Add ice or frozen fruit for a more palatable cold drink.
- Start at a medium blender speed and increase the speed slowly as the ingredients become more processed.
- Try pulsing the mix if things are getting stuck.
- Don’t forget the lid!
If you’re venturing into the detox smoothie world alone, without a recipe, it’s helpful to break a smoothie down into parts. Nearly all smoothies contain the following parts:
- Your main ingredients. Usually these are fruit and vegetables.
- Your liquid base. Consider soy, coconut or almond milk, tea, fruit juice, yoghurt or water.
- An optional protein. For a heartier smoothie, use whey, soy, protein powder, nuts, egg or sprouted brown rice.
- Optional flavor. If you can’t quite stomach all the healthy ingredients, choose a flavorful ingredient such as vanilla, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, almond extract or cayenne pepper.
When Is the Best Time to Drink a Detox Smoothie?
Before we jump into some great smoothie recipes, it’s good to know what time of day your detox drink will help you the most. If your smoothie is being used as part of a balanced diet, you can’t go wrong with having one at any time of the day.
However, they can be particularly beneficial before and after exercise in order to provide your body with some great nutrients for your workout, or to replace what you lose during one.
As LA-based natural foods chef, cookbook author and Navitas Naturals spokesperson Julie Morris says, having a detox smoothie first thing in the morning is a good idea in order to kickstart your metabolism and provide carbohydrate for quick energy as well as protein and healthy fat to see you through the day.
Finally, smoothies are also great as a healthy snack, especially if it means that you don’t raid the cookie jar or biscuit drawer! Now, let’s find out how to make one (or ten!) 🙂
Top 10 Detox Smoothie Recipes
Chocolate Raspberry Sneaky Green Smoothie
Who said detoxing had to taste bad? You can still add in extra nutrients, vitamins and minerals to your diet while treating yourself on occasion.
This is one smoothie that is best for dessert when you’re feeling cravings for sugar and need to avoid processed foods. And while it looks like a chocolate smoothie, you can still call it a green detox smoothie because of the spinach!
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This detox juice really is as simple as the name suggests – it just has three ingredients. It comes from Martha Stewart, America’s well known businesswoman, author and TV personality famous for her magazines and lifestyle shows to name but a few ventures.
It makes sense that such a busy businesswoman would be a fan of this super simple juice!
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This smoothie is endorsed by Mark Hyman, MD, a practicing family physician, New York Times bestselling author and all round guru of functional medicine who has appeared on multiple TV shows.
This is a simple and tasty smoothie with the inclusion of low calorie and high protein tofu.
Ingredients
Directions Health Benefits Made from soya beans, tofu is considered helpful in providing protection against cancer and heart disease. Finally, while the vanilla extract in this smoothie is mostly to improve the taste, it happens to contain a bunch of antioxidants to boot. When To Drink Final Thoughts |
Minty Blueberry Ginger Smoothie
This tasty blueberry-based smoothie comes from Ann Louise Gittleman, a nutritionist, bestselling author and health guru.
The Minty Blueberry Ginger Smoothie is part of her Fat Flush Smoothie Shakedown program designed to help participants lose weight, but it’s also just a fresh and tasty detox smoothie you can enjoy to boost your health.
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Directions Health Benefits The fiber in blueberries is particularly useful as it is insoluble and prevents the berry’s total calories from being absorbed. When To Drink Final Thoughts |
This is a green smoothie drink made famous by Dr Oz, an American surgeon, author and TV personality. While Dr Oz recommends using it as part of his 3 day detox cleanse, it’s just a great healthy drink that can start you out right every day.
Ingredients
Directions Health Benefits Although if you suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome or just a sensitive intestinal tract, you may want to strain the raspberries first to remove some of the seeds in case they cause irritation. This juice is also low calorie because it uses water instead of milk alternatives. When To Drink Final Thoughts |
Five Ingredient Vegan Detox Smoothie
This smoothie comes from Dana – the blogger, cookbook author, health and food enthusiast behind Minimalist Baker. It’s vegan and gluten free, super simple and full of nutrients and antioxidants.
This is a quick one to make with frozen berries, spinach or kale, bananas, flax seed meal and fruit juice – Dana recommends pomegranate and orange. If you want to get more protein into your diet Dana suggests adding in some silken tofu, which is a vegan and low calorie protein option.
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Fruit Free Green Smoothie
There’s something to be said for going fruit-free because as tasty as fruit is, it’s also high in natural sugar. If you’re really trying to cut sugar out of your diet for an epic detox then it’s time to get serious and opt for a mostly vegetable smoothie (this one does include lemon, which is a low-sugar fruit).
Sonnet is a certified holistic health coach, cookbook author and food blogger at In Sonnet’s Kitchen and she has created this super healthy green smoothie that is paleo, raw, vegan, gluten free, dairy free and low carb.
This smoothie has mainly green vegetables in it – cucumber, parsley, avocado and spinach. Adding half a lemon is optional if you’d prefer some more flavor and to help cut the bitterness of the greens. Sonnet recommends a base of coconut water and a few ice cubes thrown in.
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Directions Health Benefits Plus, there are no high-sugar fruits in this recipe, providing your body with a much needed sugar break. When To Drink Final Thoughts |
Tracy is the genius behind the Incredible Smoothies blog so it’s safe to say she knows a thing or two about a great smoothie! She’s particularly fond of green smoothies and recommends the Detox Green Smoothie as a way of helping out your digestion and elimination processes.
The Detox Green Smoothie includes an orange, a banana, half a lime, kale, ginger, chia seeds and a base of either water or almond milk. Tracy recommends soaking the chia seeds for 5 minutes before adding them in to the mix, and home making the almond milk so you know it’s fresh and free from preservatives or other chemicals.
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Directions Health Benefits Citrus fruits are especially high in Vitamin C and known to be good for skin health so the double whammy of orange and lime in this smoothie is a winner. When To Drink Final Thoughts |
This is the favorite detox smoothie in the Blender Babes community – an online group dedicated to all things healthy that can be blended! It’s tangy, zesty and sure to wake you up in the morning.
The I Am sunshine smoothie is a high fiber mix up with carrots, apple, pineapple, clementines, lemon and turmeric.
Ingredients
Directions Health Benefits Carrots support the adrenal glands and boost your immune system, pineapple is a great anti-inflammatory fruit and contains enzymes that aid digestion while turmeric is a natural painkiller and anti-inflammatory. When To Drink Final Thoughts |
The CancerHawk Foundation was started by Robyn Stoller after her husband passed away from cancer, and she has been working to connect important cancer-related services, products and expertise to patients and caregivers.
It was during a Blogger Summit at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America that she learned about the importance of nutrition for cancer sufferers during treatment. She’s shared a number of smoothie recipes to help ease cancer treatment side effects, including the very healthy Detox Delicious Smoothie.
This smoothie is a wonderful mix of fruit and vegetables, including parsley, spinach, broccoli, raw garlic, lemon juice, green apple, vegetable stock and sesame paste.
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