Detoxing - Food Cleanse

It's day four of a seven day food detox. I was originally going to do the Master Cleanse (aka The Lemonade Diet) but decided to do the Green Smoothie detox/cleanse instead. I was inspired by Frederic Patenaude and Victoria Boutenko. Their research, dedication and enthusiasm about this topic made all the difference.

I've been vegan for about 8-9 years and raw on and off for about 5-6 years. I've cut out most of the "Main Offenders" from my diet. But I still do not eat optimally. This past winter I had my first cold in 8 years. Thankfully it only last two days but that is more than I've had to deal with in a long time. I also felt more blue then I have in a very long time. So I knew I needed to look more closely at what I was eating and drinking.

That is how I came upon the book "Green for Life" by Victoria Boutenko. She has done the research and it is pretty remarkable. I really recommend reading the book.  But  to boil it down into a nutshell, 99% of us probably aren't eating enough greeens. Even if we eat a big salad every day chances are that we aren't chewing thoroughly enough to get all the vitamins, minerals and incredible nutrients into our body.

So how do we get more greens into our bodies and maximize the benefits? GREEN SMOOTHIES! If you have a powerful blender (I use a vita-mix) then you have all the tools you need. Here is a simple recipe to get started compliments of Frederic Patenaude:

1 cup of water
1 cup of frozen or fresh blueberries
2-3 ripe bananas
a big handful or two of spinach leaves

It is so delicious. And once you've tried this simple recipe you can be more creative. Mix up the fruits and greens. Go crazy. Have one for breakfast for a week and see how incredible you feel.

I'll tell you how I feel by the end of my seven days. But already I can tell you that I see a big difference in my energy level, my skin feels incredible and I am thinking clearer.

Such a simple change can make such a big difference!