We have all been there – especially after holidays, before summer or just whenever we feel that we have been neglecting our body and therefore need to start treating it better. At that point, we usually think of starting a detox diet to clean our body from the inside out. Detoxing, when done right, means eliminating toxins and then feeding our body healthy nutrients, which helps us to renew our ability to keep optimum health.
Especially if you are not familiar with detoxing, changing your food regime can be quite a terrifying thing to do. However, one of the best ways to combat this is a smoothie detox. Preparing healthy smoothies makes you more at ease with your detox diet, as blending is, let us face it, fun!
But what do you need to know before starting a smoothie detox? Firstly and most importantly, you should choose the right ingredients, especially the ones containing antioxidants. They are known to have many health benefits, among which are cancer and heart disease prevention. So keep your eye on those mighty antioxidants and add some strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, tomatoes, mangoes or kale to your smoothies!
Let us have a look at some of the easiest and the best recipes you can incorporate in your detox diet.
Morning Kale Smoothie
Kale is a superfood and, as we already know, rich in antioxidants. Additionally, it is also full of fiber and vitamin A. For a creamy texture, soak kale leaves in water for a few hours before blending. As kale can get easily rotten, freeze the leaves you do not need for later or make some healthy kale chips.
Ingredients:
4 to 5 leaves of fresh or frozen kale
1 whole banana
1 cup of frozen blueberries
½ of diced avocado
1 cup of cold oat milk
Blend all the ingredients and serve with a sprinkle of oat flakes.
Antioxidant Tomato Smoothie
We are undoubtedly all familiar with the health properties of tomatoes. They are packed with all sorts of vitamins, especially vitamins A, C and K. They also improve our skin, improve blood sugar regulation, improve vision and even fight cancer! You might not be too keen on drinking tomatoes in a smoothie, but do not worry, you can easily camouflage its taste with some other fruits and veggies!
Ingredients:
2 cups of fresh tomatoes
¼ cup of natural homemade apple juice (without sugar!)
½ cup of diced carrots
¼ cup of celery
2 cups of ice
Blend all the ingredients and decorate with celery.
Summer Mango Papaya Smoothie
The National Institutes of Health lists mangoes as great sources of vitamin A. Additionally; they are rich in iron and antioxidants and also help with indigestion. Like mangoes, papayas also contain enzymes that boost digestion, while also being a good source of fiber.
Ingredients:
1 mango
1 papaya
2 cups of plain yogurt, low fat
2 tbsp. of fresh lime juice
2–3 tbsp. of honey (to taste)
¼ tsp. of almond extract (or a bit of almond milk)
Do not forget to peel and pit the mango and papaya. Simply blend all the ingredients together and enjoy!