Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
The holiday season is filled with laughter and loved ones, but it is also filled with foods and desserts that aren’t necessarily the best for you. And though I don’t ever regret having that extra slice of pie, it can leave me feeling a little sluggish after the holidays have gone.
For those of you who may have experienced the same thing, here’s your post-holiday recovery playbook.
When it comes to eliminating junk from your body - the first place to start is your gut.
Improve Your Digestion
When your digestion is sluggish, your organs of elimination, such as your liver and colon, aren't able to remove waste as efficiently. This is when backed up unwanted materials start accumulating in your digestive tract.
The most important nutrient to include in your diet for digestive health is fiber. Think of fiber as a “housekeeper” for your GI tract. There are two types of fiber: insoluble fiber and soluble fiber. Both are essential for healthy digestion, however, insoluble fiber is particularly useful when it comes to cleansing. This is because it helps move food through your digestive tract quickly and bulks up your stool, which is how unwanted materials are eliminated from your bowels. Insoluble fiber is found most abundantly in leafy greens, raw fruits and veggies.
As a side note: When your body isn't used to digesting fibrous foods, symptoms such as gas, bloating, cramping and stomach aches can result. Blending fibrous plant foods into a smoothie to “pre digest” them can help prevent these digestive symptoms.
Timing Is Everything!
The best time of day to drink a green smoothie is first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Raw fruits and vegetables like to digest quickly, so when they're not mixed with other foods, such as proteins, their nutrients are absorbed more efficiently. Since raw foods are loaded with digestive enzymes, drinking a green smoothie first thing in the morning may also help improve your digestion throughout the day.
7 Post-Holiday Cleansing Green Smoothie Recipes
These green smoothies taste amazing and will leave you with a greater sense of well being for the New Year.
The King of Superfoods, chlorella, is also included in many of these smoothie recipes. Chlorella is a rich source of the cleansing nutrient called chlorophyll, and also contains a nutritious compound called chlorella growth factor, or CGF. CGF is powerful for cellular health because it contains the nucleic acids RNA and DNA .
Note: For the recipes that call for chlorella, feel free to use Sun Chlorella tablets or powder. Simply add (6) 500mg or (15) 200mg chlorella tablets to your green smoothie recipe in place of the powder and blend with water and greens before adding the rest of your ingredients.
1. Chlorophyll Cleanser
Ingredients:
Big handful of spinach
Juice of 1 lime
1 stalk celery
1 green apple
Filtered water to reach desired consistency
Directions: Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Drink immediately.
2. Avocado and Ginger Zinger
Ingredients:
Big handful of baby kale
½ avocado
1 tbsp hemp hearts
1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1 kiwi
Juice of ½ lime½ cup frozen pineapple
Directions: Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Drink immediately.
3. Daily Purifier
Ingredients:
Handful of baby kale
Handful of romaine lettuce
1 green apple
1 tsp dill
1 stalk celery
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup frozen pineapple
Filtered water to reach desired consistency
Directions: Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Drink immediately.
4. Morning Magic
Ingredients:
Big handful of romaine lettuce
¾ cup frozen peaches
2 tbsp hemp hearts
1 frozen banana
1 medium sized carrot
Juice of ½ lemon
3g of Sun Chlorella
Filtered water to reach desired consistency
Directions: Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Drink immediately.
5. Lemon Turmeric Tonic
Ingredients:
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup frozen mango
½ tsp fresh or powdered turmeric
1 cup coconut water
1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced
Directions: Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Drink immediately.
6. Cleansing Coconut
Ingredients:
Big handful of spinach
1 cup fresh or frozen berries
½ cup unsweetened coconut milk
½ frozen banana
3-5 mint leaves
Coconut water to reach desired consistency
Directions: Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Drink immediately.
7. Deep Green
Ingredients:
Handful of baby kale
Handful of butter lettuce
Handful of fresh basil
½ cup cucumber
½ green apple¼ avocado
1 frozen banana
Directions: Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Drink immediately.
Time Saving Smoothie Tips
Rushed mornings can leave little or no time to wash and prep a bunch of vegetables for blending up a smoothie.
No worries though- these tips won’t let anything get in the way of the love you have for these good-for- you smoothies:
Designate half an hour on your meal prep day to prepackaging your smoothie ingredients in Ziplock bags or glass mason jars and in the fridge or freezer.
Alternatively, you can also place your smoothie ingredients (minus liquids) in your blender and place your blender in the refrigerator and just add water and blend in the morning.
You can also make your smoothie ahead of time. Yes! Blend it up and store it in the fridge for the next day or two. A blended up one or two-day old smoothie is better than no smoothie at all!
Purifying your system and getting rid of that post-holiday sluggish feeling can be as simple as increasing the plant-based foods in your diet and making a habit of eating them on a daily basis!
Author: Brandi Black, RHN