5 SIMPLE CLEANSE-FRIENDLY SMOOTHIE RECIPES + TIPS FOR JANUARY RESETS
It seems like 50% of the people I know are cleansing, resetting, detoxing or rebooting in some way this January. There are dozens of popular programs designed to overhaul your diet, restore your health, or simply shed the holiday pounds. People go gaga for the promised results then get a little discouraged when they see the "eat this not that" list. I feel ya. It can get a little confusing and frustrating when the "don't even" list looks way longer than the "go for it" list.
Below are some simple, nourishing and delicious smoothie recipes to take the headache out of creating a compliant meal in 10 minutes or less. These recipes comply with most of the popular protocols (including Whole30, 21 Day Sugar Detox or my fave, the Clean Program ) and are also wonderful on-the-go meals any time of year!
PS ALL my smoothie recipes happen to be FREE OF of gluten/wheat, dairy, soy, corn, eggs and peanuts. Curious about other allergens? Just ask!
THE RECIPES: 5 SIMPLE SMOOTHIES
START HERE FOR ALL VARIATIONS:
Start with a BASE: 1 Cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or nut or seed milk of your choice. No-nut protocol? Try oat or hemp milk!)
Add FIBER: 1 Tablespoon chia or flax seeds
Add some GREENS: small handful of spinach, chard, kale or green of your choice. Spinach is has the mildest taste!
Add OPTIONAL PROTEIN: I use BOTH OF the below in all of my smoothies, but see note at bottom re: protein powders.
1 Scoop Further Food Collagen (Get a discount on their site with my code MISFITWELLNESS10) and/or
1 Scoop Nuzest Chocolate Clean Lean Protein (Get a discount on their site by linking from here).
Next add the ingredients for your selected variation from below!
FOR OPTION 1: CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT, ADD:
1/4 Cup dry-roasted unsalted hazelnuts (I buy mine from Trader Joe's)
1 Tablespoon raw cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder
1-2 Small pitted medjool dates (On a low sugar protocol? Sub stevia leaf extract or mesquite powder.)
OR FOR OPTION 2: VANILLA MACADAMIA NUT mYlk shake, ADD:
1/4 Cup dry-roasted unsalted macadamia nuts (I buy mine from Trader Joe's)
2 Teaspoons vanilla extract (Whole 30 folks use vanilla bean powder or scrape the seeds from a vanilla bean)
2 Small pitted medjool dates or 1 big fat juicy one (On a low sugar protocol? Sub stevia leaf extract or mesquite powder.)
OR FOR OPTION 3: CHOCOLATE CHERRY, ADD:
1/4 Cup dry-roasted unsalted almonds OR 1-2 tablespoons nut or seed butter of your choice OR 1/2 an avocado (any healthy fat works well in this recipe)
1 Tablespoon raw cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Cup frozen organic cherries (Watching sugar? Use a combo of 1/2 Cup of the cherries + 1/2 Cup frozen riced cauliflower or steamed then frozen zucchini. This is what I do daily.)
OR FOR OPTION 4: SUN BUTTER DATE SHAKE, ADD:
1-2 Tablespoons sunflower seed butter (a great nut-free, allergy-friendly alternative to nut butter)
2 Small pitted medjool dates or 1 big fat juicy one (On a low sugar protocol? Sub stevia leaf extract or mesquite powder.)
OR FOR OPTION 5: P-NoT BUTTER & JELLY DREAM, ADD:
1/4 Cup dry-roasted unsalted almonds OR 1-2 tablespoons nut or seed butter of your choice (almond butter, tahini and TJ's mixed nut butter are my FAVES in this recipe)
1 Cup frozen organic mixed berries or strawberries (Watching sugar? Use a combo of 1/2 Cup of the berries + 1/2 Cup frozen riced cauliflower or steamed then frozen zucchini. This is what I do daily.)
A NOTE ON PROTEIN POWDER: Especially when cleansing, I try to make sure my smoothies have a balanced nutrient profile with sufficient protein, healthy fats, fiber & greens. For my body, activity levels and appetite, and gut healing, I add collagen and protein powder. I have listed this as optional in the above recipes and encourage you to experiment with and without to see what works best for you!
the tips: making the most of any cleanse or reset
The January cleanse/detox/diet trend is both increasingly popular and increasingly controversial, especially in body positivity, eating disorder recovery and dietician communities. It seems people are either die-hard advocates of programs like the Whole30 or they're vehemently against it. As a woman who struggled with weight, body image and disordered eating for most of her life then went on to discover the remarkable healing powers of whole food nutrition through one of these programs, I see both the potential danger and tremendous value in them.
In my opinion, it all comes down to the goals, approach and overarching philosophy. Using these plans to restrict and deprive your way to extreme weight loss? Not healthy, and surely going to backfire mentally and physically. Replacing well-balanced meals with alternatives completely devoid of the nutrients we need to function? Go for it. If you want to wreak havoc on your hormones and sanity. Selecting a program built on ample nourishment, mindful eating, restorative rest, self care and self exploration? Now we're getting somewhere!
While I don't think cleansing or restrictive programs are appropriate for everyone, I do believe the right ones can be eye opening, and in some cases like my own, life changing. Most Americans make their food decisions in sleep-deprived, habit-driven, stress-induced hazes. If 30 days of whole, real, unprocessed food can lift that fog long enough for someone to realize how much what we put in our mouth actually matters, that's a win in my book.
Anyone eager to jump into a month-long intense program should choose carefully based on lifestyle, physical condition and health goals, and proceed mindfully where there is a history of dieting or an unhealthy relationship with food. A few ways to keep the focus on health and wellness and make sure you see lasting results no matter what program you choose:
Use it as an opportunity to introduce more whole, unprocessed foods into your diet
Pay attention to how various foods effect you (think sugar/caffeine with sleep or refined carbs with cognitive function and energy)
Aim to develop new healthy habits that will benefit your mental and physical health beyond the duration of the program
Check in with yourself along the way to assess if you're truly reaping the benefits of the program, and most importantly to determine if it is doing more harm than good
Refer back to your goals regularly to decide if what you're doing is serving those goals
Have compassion for yourself and be kind to your body. If you find yourself stressing or being overly critical of yourself and the way you're eating, I would highly recommend questioning if it is the right program for you.
So tell me this: are you partaking in the January reset frenzy? If so, what works for you?