SUMMER SMOOTHIES
Smoothies are a great healthy, high-nutrition option year-round, but they are really ideal for your summer eating plan where my motto is Lighten Up!
Here’s a Smoothie Cleanse daily menu from my book The Detox Diet and following that, some recipes and suggestions for ingredients you can add to optimize their nutritional value from the same book.
Enjoy!
Smoothie Cleanse Daily Menu Plan
Upon rising: 2 glasses of water (filtered), 1 glass with the juice of half a lemon.
Breakfast: 1 piece of fresh fruit (at room temperature), such as an apple, a pear, a banana, an orange, a grapefruit, or grapes.
Chew well, mixing each bite with saliva, to awaken your digestion.
15 to 30 minutes later: a smoothie made with fruit and juice or milk alternative.
Add ingredients to meet your specific needs, such as protein pow-der if you are active.
Remember to chew your smoothie to mix your saliva with the rich fluid, which helps begin the digestive process.
Lunch: (12 to 1 p.m.) A smoothie or fresh vegetable juice.
Snack: (3 p.m.) A smoothie or fresh vegetable juice.
Dinner: (5 to 6 p.m.) A smoothie or fresh vegetable juice.
Consume no additional foods after dinner. Drink only water and herbal teas.
Some Smoothie Recipes and Healthy Additions
Ginger Cooler
1 apple, cored, peeled and sliced
½ cup filtered water
½ cup ice
1 lemon, peeled and seeded
1 (2-inch) piece fresh gingerroot, peeled and crushed
Combine all ingredients in a blender and drink immediately.
Blueberry-Orange Shake
1 cup orange juice
1 cup frozen organic blueberries
1 frozen organic banana
Optional: 200 mg vitamin C powder, protein powder, greens powder, flax oil
Combine all ingredients in a blender and drink immediately.
Purple Papaya
1 cup purple grape juice
1 cup fresh or frozen papaya slices
Optional: protein powder, greens powder, flax oil
Combine all ingredients in a blender and drink immediately.
Banana Soother
1 cup rice milk
1 frozen banana
4 mint leaves
Optional: protein powder, greens powder, flax oil
Combine all ingredients in a blender and drink immediately.
Cinnamon Pears
2 pears, peeled and cored or canned
½ cup orange juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Optional: Protein powder, greens powder, flax oil
Combine all ingredients in a blender and drink immediately.
Healthy Ingredients to add to Smoothies
Beneficial Microflora
Acidophilus and Bifidus are two well-known organisms that are an important part of a healthy gut flora. Hundreds of similar organisms have now been identified that function in our intestines to help us digest our food completely, absorb natural beneficial hormones from plants and fight off bad bacteria and viruses
Nutritional Yeast
Nutritional yeast or Brewer’s can be added to smoothies in small amounts without altering the flavor drastically. Add 1 teaspoon of either yeast powder to a smoothie to add folic acid, pyridoxine (vitamin B6) and vitamin B12.
Chlorella and Green Powders
Chlorella primarily is used in the detoxification of heavy metals such as cadmium, uranium, and lead. Studies in Japan have shown that chlorella increases the excretion of cadmium from victims of cadmium poisoning. In the lab rat, substances from the chlorella cell wall reduce the half-life of synthetically produced hydrocarbons such as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and specific pesticides found in produce. Powdered or tablets of chlorella are available online or at health food stores. Green Powders are generally made of various algaes like spirulina and chlorophyll, which provide minerals and antioxidants to help remove free radicals from your body. I use Radiant Greens at home and have at my office.
Milk Alternatives
Grain, bean and nut milks can be used in place of dairy milk. There are many available such as oat milk, rice drink, almond milk, hazelnut milk, soy milk, multi-grain milk etc. These products are sold in cartons and in aseptic boxes that do not require refrigeration. There are many varieties such as vanilla, chocolate, low-fat, and organic. Buy organic to be sure the product is free of agricultural chemicals and avoid the ones with flavor added as they are generally higher in sugar than their plain counterparts.
Psyllium Seed
Psyllium seeds are rich sources of soluble fiber called mucilage. The mucilage in psyllium seed aids in colon health. It prevents constipation and binds cholesterol and toxins in the intestine. When added to water, psyllium seed powder can swell to ten times its original size. It is odorless and bland in taste but has a gritty texture that is reduced by adding it to a drink containing frozen fruit. Start with one teaspoon of psyllium seed powder and gradually work up to one tablespoon, to avoid developing gas.
Soluble Fiber
Psyllium seed powder, flax seed powder, oat bran and pectin are all soluble fiber sources that can be added to smoothies. Start with one teaspoon, working gradually up to one tablespoon. Soluble fiber is a type of carbohydrate that resists digestion by gastrointestinal secretions. It dissolves in the watery contents of the small intestine, producing a viscous gel. Soluble fiber binds toxins in the colon. It also will decrease the chance of constipation and lower cholesterol levels.