Green Smoothie 30-Day Challenge (Part 2)
I finished my 30-day smoothie challenge! WHY did I start this challenge and HOW do I feel now that it’s over?
For 45 days I did a COMPLETE detox to my body and drank 1 PINT to 1 QUART of GREEN SMOOTHIE! Even before I was vegan, I already was drinking smoothies every other day because they’re YUMMY, CHEAP, and super healthy! These smoothies were DIFFERENT because they contained GREEN VEGGIES like romaine lettuce, cabbage and even beet greens!
Read more about why I started this challenge and how I felt during the first 14 DAYS in my part one, 30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge.”
Today I’ll share THREE THINGS I LEARNED and THREE DECISIONS I’M MAKING TO CHANGE MY EATING LIFE!
Three Things I Learned:
Smoothies are Cheap—When I first started buying ingredients for the smoothie recipes I wasn’t really paying attention to the price because I was using some of the ingredients to cook. FINDING some of the INGREDIENTS and FRESH INGREDIENTS was actually a journey and learning experience in itself….Some of the ingredients I honestly DID NOT KNOW EXISTED…other times my typical grocery store DID NOT SELL the produce at all.
I started shopping at was WHOLE FOODS and was happy they had 90% of the ingredients I NEEDED. For almost ONE PINT OF SMOOTHIE, 3 WEEKS worth (using 3 different recipes) the total was $50 every time! If you already have common ingredients in your home like bananas and frozen berries it will be even LOWER in price! This is PRETTY CHEAP compared to how many people in the U.S spend their $50 in 2 WEEKS OR LESS ON COFFEE! With a little preparation and open-mind your money and body can go a long way.
Green Smoothies are Yummy—Before starting this smoothie challenge, my own smoothies ALWAYS INCLUDED ALMOND or SOY MILK. ALWAYS, NO EXCEPTIONS. I just did not enjoy many water-based smoothies. This recipe book completely CHANGED MY MIND! These recipes were all water-based and came out thick, some even creamy without the use of alternative milk! This recipe book also got me to try many new veggies and combinations I didn’t think of. One of my favorites is the RADISH+DATES+PEAS combo—It’s Delicious!! I’m a big fan of things that smell good and ALL of these smoothies SMELLED AMAZING!
Organic is Better—A few years ago I wrote a research paper in class on CONVENTIONAL vs ORGANIC FOODS. I found that there was no additional nutritional value to eating organic versus non organic—basically it’s not healthier. What was true is that there were HIGHER TRACES of HARMFUL CHEMICALS such as cadmium in certain NON-ORGANIC fruits and veggies. The interesting thing about Whole Foods is that most of their fresh produce is organic, even their GARLIC is ORGANIC which I didn’t know was possible. If it were up to me I would chose the non-organic because of the PRICE DIFFERENCE but since I had no choice, I was drinking 80% organic smoothies. Remember $50 for 3 WEEKS!
One or two of the recipes call for oranges and I’m allergic. A few years ago I observed how much eating oranges irritated by throat with an uncomfortable itchy sensation. At first I suspected it was oranges or citrus in general. BUT, after thinking and researching, I realized I was allergic to the HIGH TRACES OF CHEMICALS from PESTICIDES that was causing the issue. It wasn’t until after doing this smoothie challenge that I learned Whole Foods is one of the few places that sells ORGANIC ORANGES! I can now ENJOY ORANGES AGAIN!
Three Changes to My Life:
Eat More Spinach—Because I’m on a muscle-building journey it’s important for me to be getting appropriate amount of protein intake to BUILD & RETAIN & NOT LOSE my GAINS. What I LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK is that it thoroughly explains and breaks down the VALUE and SCIENCE of major veggies like spinach. Did you know SPINACH IS 40% PROTEIN?! This veggie and a few others are high in protein and I am definitely going to be drinking a lot more spinach-based smoothies!
I’m Going Raw Vegan—After reading and learning more about what goes on in the body during digestion and inflammation, I’ve decided to slowly transition to a raw plant-based diet! Eating more fruits and veggies through this journey made me love and appreciate them even more. A few weeks ago at BRUNCH AT A VEGAN RESTAURANT, I realized my body was not liking processed vegan food too much after being on this strict cleanse. At my FAVORITE VEGAN RESTAURANT in DC “Farewell“ I reluctantly ordered the Vegan Plain Pancakes (I really wanted French toast). After a few bites in, my stomach was FEELING NAUSEOUS and I WAS IN PAIN. I noticed the pancakes tasted way TOO SUGARY. This was also the first time I had eaten restaurant food in over a month! Even though I’d been to Farewell a million times, it was my body that changed NOT THE FOOD.
I already knew I wanted to take this journey (in a few years in my mind) but this challenge has helped me see how easy and healing it could be! Seeing my VEGAN GAINZ continue to grow and body fat % decreasing, my body just keeps LEVELING UP! This transition will be a s-l-o-w one and I still have much to learn, but I am definitely on the RIGHT TRACK!
I’m not stopping—I’m on month two and I’m STILL DRINKING GREEN SMOOTHIES almost every day! I feel and look great, why would I stop?
Book Title and Sample Recipe:
I recommend this book to anyone looking for a HEALTHY and POWERFUL challenge and over 20 yummy GREEN SMOOTHIE RECIPES, “The Green Smoothies Diet” by Robyn OpenShaw.
Sample Recipe ( I use half of this list):
2 3/4 cups of water/ice
4 radish and tops
3 once’s of pea greens
Spinach (add enough to the 6th cup like of the blender)
1/4 cup chopped dates
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cups pineapple
3 cups frozen berries
3 bananas (frozen preferably)
Will you try this challenge next or have you tried a similar detox/cleanse?