The Ultimate 10 Day Green Smoothie Cleanse To Try This Summer

Looking for a delicious way to up your hydration and easily hit your five a day? Check out our yummy 10 day green smoothie cleanse to try this summer!

Juice cleanses and detoxes hold a contentious position in dieting and healthcare circles. While most experts agree that the body is perfectly equipped to flush toxins out on it’s own, and that liquid cleanses or detoxes come with a range of side effects that range from inconvenient (lack of satiety) to downright dangerous (promoting or triggering disordered eating), there are those who swear by liquid diets as a fat blasting cure all. As a compromise, we’ve come up with the ultimate 10 Day Green Smoothie Cleanse to try this summer, to give you all the healthy benefits of a liquid diet without the nasty side effects.

1. Health benefits:

While juicing has received a pretty bad rap over the past few years, there are actually some fantastic health benefits to incorporating a green smoothie into your daily diet. Unlike juicing (where liquids are extracted from whole fruits and veggies and the nutritious, fibre filled pulp is left behind), smoothies are made by blending whole fruits, veggies, and liquids, which means they retain all that healthy fibre that keeps you full and helps your digestive tract to run smoothly. Adding a smoothie or two to your daily diet is a great way to up your water intake and to incorporate more healthy fruits and vegetables into your diet, and as green smoothies tend to be quite low in calories, they’re a great short term addition to your weight loss plan.

2. Considerations:

Liquid diets are not recommended for people with chronic health conditions (such as diabetes or eating disorders), those taking certain medications (such as anti-blood clotting medications and meds for high blood pressure), pregnant and breastfeeding women, and children and teenagers. It’s important to remember consuming your food in liquid form may not fill you up as much as eating whole fruits and vegetables, and that filling your smoothies with sugar-laden fruits, yogurts, and sorbets will outweigh all the positives of a nutrient-dense veggie-based smoothie. Ideally, your smoothies should all be homemade so you can ensure you’re getting all your recommended vitamins and nutrients into your green smoothie without any sugar loaded or calorie dense nasties.

3. The 10 Day Green Smoothie Cleanse:

For a totally do-able 10 Day Green Smoothie Cleanse, replace your morning meal with one of our green smoothie recipes. Drinking a green smoothie first thing in the morning will give you a super healthy start to your day – not only do most people find it easier to replace their breakfast with a smoothie (instead of a later meal), but it’s a great alternative for those who usually skip breakky or just drink coffee in the mornings. Eat lunch and dinner as normal, but avoid heavy, processed foods, and try to incorporate some fresh vegetables into each meal.

If you want to step up your green smoothie cleanse, try replacing lunch (or dinner) with either an additional green smoothie or a broth-based soup. Make sure you’re getting enough calories (no less than 1,200 calories a day to keep your body running at it’s best and to avoid derailing your diet plans) and to speak to a health professional if you have any concerns.

4. Make your own:

Follow this formula to design your own delish green smoothie: two parts leafy greens (such as spinach, kale, romaine, collard greens, swiss chard, beet greens, or arugula), two parts liquids (ideally water, but plant milks or fruit juices work well too), two to three parts fresh or frozen fruit (use frozen fruits in the place of ice, to avoid diluting your smoothie or messing up your blender), and add-ins such as oats, chia seeds, flax seeds, nut butters, protein powders, or any other healthy boosters you can think of. If your blender is a bit on the weak side, start by mixing your liquids and greens before adding any fruits or supplements. Don’t forget to blend (it can take up to three minutes to get the right texture), adjust your seasonings as needed, and enjoy!