Detox Green Smoothie

Hello! My name is Melissa and I’m the daughter of MySuit&Apron's creator. I’m currently guest-blogging, to add a new element to Mom's blog that consists of recipes of a greater variety, from our whole family.

When I left for university in 2012, I strove to maintain a healthy lifestyle comprised not only of a strict workout regimen but healthy eating habits. Living alone for the first time enabled me to take greater control of my food decisions, which eventually led me onto a path of a predominant vegetarian lifestyle, now nearing vegan, for most of the week, aside from fancy dinners out once or twice a week.

That being said, after our family vacation to Spain last month and surviving on a diet rich in meat and bread (something my body is no longer familiar to), I decided to embark upon a green smoothie cleanse. Green smoothies have always been part of my diet. Though now, I have greater motivation to allow them to play a larger part, serving as my breakfast substitute, as something to quench both my hunger and my thirst in the mornings, during university lectures, until I manage to find some time to eat. That being said, this recipe I’m sharing today is part of a cleanse, meaning that it has some rather potent detoxifying effects, at least, for the first two days of consuming it three times a day with an accompaniment of a raw vegetable meal for lunch. The task is to not use any processed ingredients in the smoothie - no artificial sweeteners, not even honey - and if you must, liquid stevia is preferred, though opting for a banana to sweeten is a bit better, in my eyes!

DETOX GREEN SMOOTHIE
Ingredients:

2 cups of Spinach (leaves only, tightly packed)
1 cup of Cucumber (peeled, diced to fill a cup)
1 cup of Romaine Lettuce (chopped to fill a cup)
1 cup of Butterhead Lettuce (chopped to fill a cup)
1/4 cup of Mint
1 cup of Frozen Berries (any of your choice - strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are my favourite)
1 Apple / Asian Pear (I usually use Green Granny Smith Apples, but Red Fuji / Gala Apples will sweeten your smoothie if you like; dice into small cubes)
1 Lemon (juiced)
1-2 cups of Liquid Base (depending on how thick you’d like your smoothies, add the following cups of a liquid base as desired. I usually steep a mug of green tea, or any herbal tea I have lying around overnight and use that as my base. Other options include plain water, coconut water or freshly squeezed juices of your choice)

Optional:
Banana - To naturally sweeten. If it’s your first time, I would start with 1.5 bananas.
1 tablespoon of Chia Seeds - For Omega-3, which I need, due to my vegetarian diet.
1 tablespoon of Flax Seeds - For Omega-3, which I need, due to my vegetarian diet.
A handful of goji berries or any other dried fruit - I like placing these at the bottom and at the top of my smoothies for garnishing and just extra texture.
A handful of ice cubes - if your blender or hand mixer can take it and you enjoy an icy/frosty texture, add some ice cubes.

Procedure:

1. Begin by rinsing all the raw produce and preparing them into their respective portions.

2. Pour your liquid base first into the blender. Add the greens. Blend on Level 1 until smooth.
3. Add your cucumber and your apple / pear. Blend again until smooth.
4. Add your frozen berries and banana (optional) and half of the lemon juice. Blend again until smooth.
5. Give it a taste; if it’s too potent and you want to sweeten it, add more banana or liquid stevia. If you can handle some more, add the rest of the lemon juice.

6. (Optional) Add the tablespoons of chia seeds and flax seeds, as well as ice cubes, until blended entirely.
7. Set aside the number of glasses or containers you plan to use; if you make too much, you can always portion out an amount for the following meal on the same day or the next (be sure to secure the top with cling-wrap and a rubber band when storing in the refrigerator.)
8. Portion a handful of goji berries or any dried fruit of your choice in the bottom of the glass.

9. Pour smoothie.
10. Portion another handful of goji berries or any dried fruit of your choice at the top.
11. Voila! All ready to serve. You can also chill it in the freezer or refrigerator before serving.