30 Day Green Smoothie Challenge

I have put this off long enough. I have watched my portions and still incorporated lots of fruits and veggies in my diet, but the white stuff has crept in...

white stuff: processed flours and sugary foods... cakes, pies, crackers, pasta.

So thus begins a 30-day Green Smoothie Detox.

So are YOU up for this challenge too? If you think you don't need to, then answer some of these questions.

1. Are you sluggish after waking up from at least 7-8 hours of sleep?

2. Do you have dark circles around your eyes?

3. Do you have blemishes on your face, neck, back or chest?

4. Do you have achy joints?

5. Are you constipated or having loose (ribbon-like), foul-smelling BM's?

6. Do you have dandruff or itchy scalp?

7. Do you suffer from mid-afternoon slump?

If you answer yes to two or more of these questions, I believe you need to join me on this challenge. It's easier when you are accountable to someone and know others are in on it with you!

If you're still hesitant in joining me, let me just give you some quick benefits of doing a 30-Day Green Smoothie Detox

1. You will regain energy in a few days.

2. You will feel rested when you wake up in the morning.

3. You will quickly lose those cravings for sweet, carby foods.

4. You will begin to see regular BM's that are soft and not as "foul smelling".

5. You will not be as moody. (Trust me on this one!)

6. Your nails and skin will be more radiant.

and more than likely you will lose some pounds and inches.

Who wouldn't want all that??

So here's whatya do!

You can use any combinations of fruits (berries, banana, pineapple, oranges, mangoes, kiwi), but the added greens should come from a vegetable... spinach, kale or romaine, preferably. (If you are new to green smoothies, you might want to start with baby spinach. It has a mild taste and then work your way up to kale). Here is a sample of what my green smoothies look like...

2 cups of green vegetable (usually kale or spinach)

1/2 very ripe banana

1 cup of frozen berries (or other frozen fruits of your choice)

1 cup of cucumber

1 whole kiwi

a spoonful of coconut oil

1 cup of water

6 ice cubes

Blend thoroughly for 2-3 minutes... drink immediately, but slowly over 15-20 minutes. (In other words, don't save it in the fridge for later. You want those active enzymes in your body and if you wait too long the enzymes begin to oxidize.)

So who's in? I need some buddies to encourage me! Leave a comment saying you're in :) Starting tomorrow... October 5 and ending on November 3rd ~ just in time to look great for the holidays.

30 days... you can do it!

Side Note... It is entirely up to you when you want to do your smoothie... breakfast, lunch, etc... it's up to you and your schedule. I will do mine in place of breakfast. In my opinion, breakfast is best. Also, I am avoiding "as much as" the white stuff as I can. I am the type of person that is all or nothing, but sometimes that can backfire on me. I end up getting too frustrated and give up. So I know there are birthday parties and Halloween coming up... so moderation is gonna be key! But the more you avoid the white stuff, the better your results are going to be.

Friday's Fav... "You Are What You Eat"

About three years ago I got hooked on a show televised by the BBC. It is called, "You Are What You Eat". The hour show is hosted by a very blunt, yet caring nutritionist named Gillian McKeith. The show takes place in the UK where she visits the home of an overweight family who wants diet and nutrition help and upon meeting them likes to be introduced to their food pantry. While scanning the food, she is somehow able to diagnose health problems in the family, one by one. And every time, she nails them just by seeing the food. Indigestion, diabetes, migraines, hair loss, moodiness and so on. She then works on reversing their poor eating habits into healthy ones and over 8 weeks you see a miraculous change.

During the same time a good friend of mine told me about a wonderful book a friend had just given her. It was changing a lot of the way she and her family were eating. She explained to me how healthy sprouts were. Those curly little green things in the produce section that are tightly packed in a clear plastic box... are amazingly nutritional superstars. Something I never would've guessed. Then my friend told me the title of the book, "You Are What You Eat"! After flipping through the book, I knew I had to get it. It is definitely one of my favorite, go-to health and nutrition books... and the woman even encourages body brushing, you know I'm a huge fan of that!

A lot of books on nutrition can be really boring and dull, but Gillian's book is colorful with lots of pictures and very easy to read. What I really like about Gillian, is that she relates what you are eating to why you are having health issues. Also if there are deficiencies occurring, she will investigate as to what nutrients are lacking in one's diet to reverse the deficiency. She clearly lists symptoms people may be experiencing and the foods and/or supplements needed that will help or even cure. One quote I love that she says in the book is, "Most people have no idea how well they could really be."

One section I found particularly interesting was titled, The Top Body Signs. Here she goes in to describing ways your body is telling you it is sick... specifically the tongue. She describes a healthy tongue versus a sick tongue. If you have a sick tongue (there are 8 sick tongue classifications... one example is a crack down the middle) somewhere your body is sick and she ingeniously has a food or supplement to treat it. Sometimes it is getting rid of sugar or other "nasties" too. So now what do I do when I talk to people... yep, I study their tongue.

Gillian encourages all her patients to take inventory of what food they are eating for 10 days. And then to journal each day on how they are feeling and if there are any symptoms or mood swings. She also has a list of the "Nasties". These are the foods people should avoid. She explains why these are harmful and if you want to make changes for the better, you need to rid yourself of them... the first one is sadly coffee. Then there is the Abundant Food List... and it is long. Healthy beans, nuts, grains, fruits & veggies and herbal teas, etc. Its always nice to know of all the foods we can eat and enjoy.

She genuinely wants to help people be well. I love her enthusiasm for life and well-being. There are instructions on how to do a safe detox and then a seven day meal plan followed by recipes to get you started.

Good luck and Happy Easter!