10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse: Lose Up to 15 Pounds in 10 Days! (3 page)

If you feel you need additional protein because of a heavy workout, feel free to add protein powder in your blender to add to your green smoothie.

Chapter 3
Getting Prepared

Are you ready for one of the biggest challenges of your life? The 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse will challenge you spiritually, mentally, and physically. It will transform your life in so many positive ways. You will learn so much about yourself and your eating habits. You will also learn to have a better relationship with food. The only way to attain a healthy relationship with food is to learn to love it and ensure that the food you put into your body loves you back: it fuels you, nourishes you, and supports your optimal health and vitality. During the 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse, you will give your body healthy, nutrient-rich foods that make you feel alive! Know that there will be times when you feel frustrated or feel like giving up, but if you stick with it, your body will reward you for your efforts. You will be truly amazed at the results!

The first four days will be the most challenging part of your experience.
As your body adjusts from receiving its calories from whole foods, to the blended, nutrient-rich green smoothies, it will initially crave what you were used to eating. This is normal so allow your body to adjust during the first four days even though you may feel uncomfortable at times. After the first few days, your body will become satisfied with the green smoothies and the amazing nutrients in them. You will begin to feel energized and healthy, maybe for the first time in years.

Because you are eating only blended foods (green smoothies), raw fruits and vegetables, and raw unsalted nuts and seeds, you digestive system has to do less work. This gives your body a chance to cleanse, heal and do some much needed repair work.

What to Include in Your Green Smoothie

For the 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse, the only acceptable foods to add in your smoothies are green leafy vegetables, fruits and water. Please do not add any starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes, beets, carrots or any other vegetables that are not leafy greens. Fruit is normally digested quickly, but when it’s mixed with other starchy vegetables, the stomach will let the fruit sit while it digests the other foods that are in there. The fruit will begin to ferment which causes gas and bloating. To avoid this, only add green leafy veggies, fruits and water in the green smoothies during the 10-day cleanse.

Be sure to only use the darker varieties of green leafy vegetables as they provide chlorophyll and other important nutrients. Some examples of dark, leafy greens are kale, chard, spinach, baby salad greens, arugula, romaine lettuce, dandelion greens, beet greens, and collard greens. Organic produce is superior and important to use during the cleanse. If you can’t find organic fruits and vegetables, wash off the pesticides and waxes as best you can. Waxes are pretty difficult to remove; in fact, they usually can’t be removed by simply washing them. You need to purchase special cleansers from health food stores. Be sure to rinse the produce after you scrub off the wax. You can also reduce the toxic content of fruits and vegetables by soaking and scrubbing them in a tub of 10 percent white vinegar and then washing them off with water.

It is important to use spring or purified water in your green smoothies. Another option is alkaline water, which aids in detoxification and better hydration. Tap water is not recommended for use.

Preparing for Day 1

Before you begin, it is important to get mentally prepared for your new journey. Each day, remind yourself of the wonderful benefits of the 10-day cleanse. Tell yourself that you can do this and look forward to improving your energy and health in ways you never thought possible.

Begin each morning by drinking a few glasses of water to replenish what was lost overnight. Follow with a cup of detox tea which will provide cleansing support for your liver and kidneys. Feel free to add stevia, a natural sweetener, to your detox tea to enhance the taste. It is very important to drink a lot of water each day during the cleanse. Staying hydrated will help your body flush away the toxins that it releases during the cleansing process. Frequent urination and bowel movements should be expected during the first few days of the 10-day cleanse.

Take Your Measurements and Photos

Weigh yourself and take your measurements (bust, waist, and hips), and record these numbers along with the date. Some people will lose more weight while others will lose more inches, so you want to measure both! The majority of you (80%) will lose 10 to 15 pounds in 10 days on the full cleanse.

Next, take photos of your entire body and of your face close-up. This will enable you to see the physical changes that take place. Many times you will see a big difference in the whites of your eyes, along with less dark circles and puffiness. This way you can monitor your progress not just by the weight on the scale but how you look and feel overall.

This isn’t just about weight loss. . . It’s about getting healthy. So you want to monitor your energy, digestion, moods, mental clarity, and radiance of your skin! Get both the health and weight loss benefit! Don’t let the scale become your enemy. Remember, weight loss can be up and down during a detox. But in the end, you’ll still lose.

The Shopping List

I recommend buying fruits and veggies for five days at a time, so expect to shop twice during the ten-day cleanse. Here you’ll see two lists – one for the first five days and the other for the final five days of the cleanse.

These lists assume you will follow the ten official Green Smoothie Cleanse recipes found in chapter 4.

Food for the First Five Days

• 6 apples
  
• 1 bunch grapes
  
• 20 ounces frozen peaches
  
• 20 ounces frozen blueberries
  
• 15 ounces frozen strawberries
  
• 10 ounces frozen mixed berries
  
• 6 ounces of mango chunks
  
• 3 bananas
  
• 1 bunch kale
  
• 20 ounces spinach
  
• 20 ounces spring mix greens
  
• Stevia sweetener (packets)
  
• Bag of ground flaxseeds (often in vitamin section)
  
• Fruit and veggies of your choice to munch on (such as apples, carrots, celery, etc.)
  
• Raw or unsalted nuts and seeds to snack on
  
• Detox tea (by Triple Leaf or Yogi brands)
  
• Sea salt (or any uniodized sea salt)
  
• OPTIONAL: Non-dairy/plant-based protein powder, such as RAW Protein by Garden of Life or SunWarrior protein
  

Food for the Last Five Days

• 20 ounces frozen mango chunks
  
• 20 ounces frozen peaches
  
• 20 ounces frozen pineapple chunks
  
• 10 ounces frozen mixed berries
  
• 6 ounces frozen blueberries
  
• 6 ounces frozen strawberries
  
• 2 apples
  
• 5 bananas
  
• 1 bunch kale
  
• 20 ounces spinach
  
• 20 ounces spring mix greens
  
• Fruit and veggies of your choice to munch on (such as apples, carrots, celery, etc.)
  
• Raw or unsalted nuts and seeds to snack on
  

Chapter 4
How to Do the 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse

The 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse is a truly health-transforming experience. You can choose to do a full cleanse or a modified cleanse.

The
full cleanse
consists of three smoothies, snacks, and water/tea for the entire ten days. This will provide the most health and weight-loss benefits, with an expected weight loss between ten and fifteen pounds.

The
modified cleanse
consists of two green smoothies (one for breakfast and one for lunch), with one healthy meal for dinner, snacks, and water/tea. The one healthy meal a day may consist of a salad, sautéed veggies, fish or chicken (grilled or baked).

The modified cleanse is a good plan with tremendous health benefits from the nutrient-rich smoothies. Weight loss may not be as dramatic, but you can expect to still lose between five and ten pounds in the ten days. The modified cleanse was designed for those unwilling or unable to stick with the full cleanse for ten days. It is also great for those who are not looking to lose a lot of weight but simply detox. If you’re new to detoxing and want to gradually ease into the cleanse, this is a great option.

For either cleanse, you will avoid refined sugar, meat, milk, cheese, liquor, beer, coffee, sodas/diet sodas, processed foods, fried foods and refined carbs (white bread, pastas, donuts, etc.) during the entire ten days.

Full Cleanse Summary

1. DRINK SMOOTHIES: Each day, drink three green smoothies; one for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can also sip on the smoothie throughout the day as you get hungry. It is important to drink a smoothie or eat a snack every three to four hours to keep your metabolism revved up. Each smoothie should contain about 12 to 16 ounces of liquid. Simply prepare your entire day’s worth of green smoothies in the morning and pack it up to take with you. Keep it refrigerated as much as possible.
   
2. EAT SNACKS: You may snack on apples, celery, carrots, cucumbers, and other crunchy veggies that are appealing to you throughout the day. Other high-protein snacks include unsweetened peanut butter, hard-boiled eggs, and raw or unsalted nuts and seeds (only a handful).
   
3. DRINK WATER AND DETOX TEA: Drink at least eight glasses of water (64 ounces) per day, and drink detox or herbal teas as desired. Drink the detox tea first thing every morning as it aids the detox process by cleansing the detox organs—kidneys, liver, skin, etc.
   
4. KEEP BOWELS MOVING: Perform one of the two methods for colon cleansing to ensure you have one to three bowel movements per day while detoxing. (See chapter 5.)
   
5. DO NOT EAT refined sugar, meat, milk, cheese, liquor, beer, coffee, sodas/diet sodas, processed foods, fried foods, refined carbs (white bread, pastas, donuts, etc.)
   

Modified Cleanse Summary

1. DRINK SMOOTHIES AND EAT ONE HEALTHY MEAL: Each day, drink two green smoothies for breakfast and lunch, and eat one healthy meal for dinner. The one healthy meal may consist of a salad, sautéed veggies, and fish or chicken (grilled or baked). Any two meals can be used for the green smoothies, as long as you only have one healthy meal per day. Each smoothie should contain about 12 to 16 ounces of liquid. Simply prepare your entire day’s worth of green smoothies in the morning and pack it up to take with you. Keep it refrigerated as much as possible.
   
2. EAT SNACKS: You may snack on apples, celery, carrots, cucumbers, and other crunchy veggies that are appealing to you throughout the day. Other high-protein snacks include unsweetened peanut butter, hard-boiled eggs, and raw or unsalted nuts and seeds (only a handful).
   
3. DRINK WATER AND DETOX TEA: Drink at least eight glasses of water (64 ounces) per day, and drink detox or herbal teas as desired. Drink the detox tea first thing every morning as it aids the detox process by cleansing the detox organs—kidneys, liver, skin, etc.
   
4. KEEP BOWELS MOVING: Perform one of the two methods for colon cleansing to ensure you have one to three bowel movements per day while detoxing. (See chapter 5.)
   
5. DO NOT EAT refined sugar, red meat, milk, cheese, liquor, beer, coffee, sodas/diet sodas, processed foods, fried foods, refined carbs (white bread, pastas, donuts, etc.)
   

The 10 Days of Recipes for the 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse

Here are the recipes for the ten days of the Green Smoothie Cleanse. You will have all of the ingredients on hand if you made use of the grocery-shopping list in chapter 3.

Use one recipe per day, as it will make enough for a full day’s worth of smoothies. Be careful deviating from the recipes too much until after the detox/cleanse. These recipes were designed for detox, weight loss, better energy, and mental clarity. Try to stick to them as much as you can during the detox! You’ll get better results. After the detox, get creative, add variety, and keep losing weight and getting healthy!

The unblended ingredients are about 72 ounces. Once blended, they will blend down to about 36 to 48 ounces, depending upon blender size and amount of water. Divide the total amount into thirds and drink each serving three to four hours apart or sip on the smoothie throughout the day whenever you feel hungry.

If you don’t feel like drinking the entire day’s worth of smoothie, then drink at least two of them to ensure your body gets the proper nutrition. It’s important to drink a green smoothie or snack every three to four hours to keep your metabolism revved up. You will desire less food, but you still need to give your body fuel (smoothie or snack) every three to four hours.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have a full-size blender, like a Vitamix or Blendtec or something similar, the entire recipe can go into the blender at one time, as it easily holds 72 ounces of ingredients. However, if you have a smaller blender, like a Nutribullet or something similar, they hold only about 32 ounces, so you may need to divide the recipe in half and blend twice to avoid spillovers.

DAY 1: Berry Green

3 handfuls spinach

2 cups water

1 apple, cored, quartered

1 cup frozen mangos

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 handful frozen or fresh seedless grapes

1 stevia packet (add more to sweeten, if necessary)

2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds

OPTIONAL: 1 scoop of protein powder

Place leafy greens and water into blender and blend until mixture is a green juice-like consistency. Stop blender and add remaining ingredients. Blend until creamy.

DAY 2: Apple Strawberry

3 handfuls spring mix greens

2 cups water

1 banana, peeled

2 apples, cored, quartered

1 ½ cups frozen strawberries

2 stevia packets (add more to sweeten, if necessary)

2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds

OPTIONAL: 1 scoop of protein powder

Place leafy greens and water into blender and blend until mixture is a green juice-like consistency. Stop blender and add remaining ingredients. Blend until creamy.

DAY 3: Apple Berry

1 handful spring mix greens

2 handfuls spinach

2 cups water

1½ cups frozen blueberries

1 banana, peeled

1 apple, cored and quartered

1 packet stevia

2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds

OPTIONAL: 1 scoop of protein powder

Place leafy greens and water into blender and blend until mixture is a green juice-like consistency. Stop blender and add remaining ingredients. Blend until creamy.

DAY 4: Berry Peachy

2 handfuls kale

1 handful spinach

2 cups water

2 apples, cored, quartered

1½ cups frozen peaches

1½ cups frozen mixed berries

2 packets stevia

2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds

OPTIONAL: 1 scoop of protein powder

Place leafy greens and water into blender and blend until mixture is a green juice-like consistency. Stop blender and add remaining ingredients. Blend until creamy.

DAY 5: Peach Berry Spinach

3 handfuls spinach

2 cups water

1 cup frozen peaches

1 handful fresh or frozen seedless grapes

1½ cups blueberries

3 packets stevia to sweeten

2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds

OPTIONAL: 1 scoop of protein powder

Place spinach and water into blender and blend until mixture is a green juice-like consistency. Stop blender and add remaining ingredients. Blend until creamy.

DAY 6: Pineapple Spinach

2 cups fresh spinach, packed

1 cup pineapple chunks

2 cups frozen peaches

2 bananas, peeled

1½ packets stevia

2 cups water

2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds

OPTIONAL: 1 scoop of protein powder

Place spinach and water into blender and blend until mixture is a green juice-like consistency. Stop blender and add remaining ingredients. Blend until creamy.

Day 7: Pineapple Berry

2 handfuls spring mix greens

2 handfuls spinach

1 banana, peeled

1 ½ cups pineapple chunks

1½ cups frozen mango chunks

1 cup frozen mixed berries

3 packets stevia

2 cups water

2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds

OPTIONAL: 1 scoop of protein powder

Place leafy greens and water into blender and blend until mixture is a green juice-like consistency. Stop blender and add remaining ingredients. Blend until creamy.

DAY 8: Spinach Kale Berry

2 handfuls kale

2 handfuls spinach

2 cups water

1 apple, cored, quartered

1 banana, peeled

1½ cups frozen blueberries

2 packets stevia

2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds

OPTIONAL: 1 scoop of protein powder

Place leafy greens and water into blender and blend until mixture is a green juice-like consistency. Stop blender and add remaining ingredients. Blend until creamy.

DAY 9: Apple Mango

3 handfuls spinach

2 cups water

1 apple, cored, quartered

1½ cups mangoes

2 cups frozen strawberries

1 packet stevia

2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds

OPTIONAL: 1 scoop of protein powder

Place spinach and water into blender and blend until mixture is a green juice-like consistency. Stop blender and add remaining ingredients to blender. Blend until creamy.

DAY 10: Pineapple Kale

2 handfuls kale

1 handful spring mix greens

2 cups water

1½ cups frozen peaches

2 handfuls pineapple chunks

2 packets stevia

2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds

OPTIONAL: 1 scoop of protein powder

Place leafy greens and water into blender and blend until mixture is a green juice-like consistency. Stop blender and add remaining ingredients. Blend until creamy.