[TSS] Progress Report: The 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse

Well, I've reached the halfway mark in my 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse and thought I'd share with you how it is going.  First I'll talk about the smoothies, since that is the basis for the whole cleanse. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty these smoothies are. There is a specific recipe for each of the 10 days and so far I haven't had one that I didn't like. I do have my favorites, like the Apple Berry from Day 3. So you know exactly what goes into a smoothie, I'm sharing the recipe with you below. And don't worry, you don't need any special or expensive blender. I'm using my regular-sized Hamilton Beach 400 watt blender that I've had for years and it is working great!

DAY 3: APPLE BERRY

1 handful spring mix greens

2 handfuls spinach

2 cups water

11/2 cups frozen blueberries

1 banana, peeled

1 apple, cored and quarterd

1 packet Stevia

2 Tbsp ground flax seed

(Optional) 1 scoop of plant-based protein powder

Blend greens and water first, then add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy

That's it! Its very simple to do. I peel my bananas, put them in a freezer bag and throw them in the freezer. That helps make the smoothie cold and that is the way I prefer mine. All of the frozen fruit helps with this as well. I even keep my seedless grapes in the freezer. The best part is that you only have to blend smoothies first thing in the morning because each batch makes your entire day's meals. They make 3 12oz. servings. I drink mine out of a frozen mug also. 

The flaxseeds are already ground so you don't even notice them. They are a great source of fiber and they are a 'good fat' source and very important to the detox process. The protein powder I use is 100 soy. It will help give you energy, keeps your metabolism going and makes you feel full. 

Along with drinking 64 oz. of water daily, you are encouraged to snack throughout the day so you don't go more than 2-3 hours without eating, because that's when your body starts storing fat. Some pproved snacks are: carrots, celery, apples, hard-boiled eggs, and unsalted nuts. I love raw green beans and cauliflower so I eat those as well. I can honestly say I have not gone to bed hungry one time. I am hungry in the morning, but once I've had my cup of herbal Detox tea, I prepare my smoothies for the day and after that first sip, my hunger pains diminish quickly. I drink water all day long and before you know it Its time for my next smoothie. I've done other detoxes and I've gotten pretty bad headaches but I have only had a slight headache a few times. All in all, this detox has been a positive experience. 

Along with detoxing your body of all the free radicals and toxins, you also get the benefit of weight-loss. This is the perfect detox to jump-start your diet. Once I have completed this cleanse, I am anxious to stick to healthy foods and stay away from the things that make my body sluggish. I will be eating high protein meals (chicken or fish) with veggies and salad instead of heavy starches and pastas. I'm working hard to get my body healthy and I plan to keep it up even after the cleanse. I have my check-up with my doctor next month and I can't wait to see what my numbers look like for my kidneys and liver as well as my weight loss. I'm sure he will be pleased with me.  

I'll be posting again once I've finished the last five days and I will then report my total weight loss. I weighed myself this morning and I'll just say that I am COMPLETELY satisfied with how its going! I'm losing weight, feeling good and even sleeping through the night, which is a problem for me. 

I hope this information is useful to some of you, especially if you're looking for a healthy cleanse to try. I'm only halfway through but I can tell you that this one delivers everything it promises! And I'm learning so much about my body and nutrition and I have JJ Smith to thank for that! 

The 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse by JJ Smith

As a rule, I am not a fan of cleanses. There are so many versions out there and I've always been skeptical of them, mainly because I am of the belief that your body needs a wide variety of nutrients to function healthily and by removing certain types of foods all together you can actually do your body more harm than good. That's why I surprised myself when after seeing JJ Smith on The Steve Harvey Show and listening to her explain her Green Smoothie Cleanse, I immediately downloaded her book and began reading. Right away I was more than intrigued. As a nutritionist and professional weight loss coach, Smith is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about health and nutrition. JJ's theory behind this cleanse is that it is the perfect way to jump start a healthy diet and that most people lose 10 to 15 pounds during the 10 days of the cleanse.

Very soon after I began reading I had already made up my mind that I was going to try this cleanse. The first step I took was reading the book from cover to cover.   This is very important because in it she outlines how the cleanse works, what you can expect and how to maintain and incorporate this lifestyle change into your daily routine once you've completed the 10 day cleanse.  The information included is so easy to grasp and even has links to websites if you are looking for further research.

JJ Smith describes in detail the basis for this cleanse and how it works to eliminate toxins from your body so that when you do start eating healthy, you are starting with a clean slate. This cleanse will rid your body of all of the unhealthy things you've previously put into your body. She explains it in terms that are very easy to understand. She is also available on Facebook and Twitter to help with encouragement or any questions you may have. The fact that she is very approachable in that way only shows her commitment to this program and that she believes in it, as do her thousands of supporters.

Two other great things about The 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse book is that Smith includes a shopping list of items you will need for the first 5 days and then another list for the remaining 5 days. Its important to have all of your ingredients ahead of time so you're not running out the store or running out of an item and skipping it. These recipes are strictly tailored for the maximum benefit of the cleanse and should not be changed. This brings me to the other great thing included in this book. Not only does she tell you exactly what smoothie to make for each day, there are over 100 other smoothie recipes for future use. Those are perfect for maintaining your health and allowing variety which is very important. If you give your body the same thing day after day, it gets smart to that and will start storing it as fat and the benefit of a healthy meal plan will be lost. Variety is very important in any meal plan when trying to lose weight.

I'll be starting my cleanse on Wednesday, july 9 and finishing on the 19th. I'll be posting daily blogs of my experiences while on the cleanse here at Southern Girl Reads. I hope you'll visit often during that time and check out my progress. At the end of the 10 days I'll give my personal assessment of the cleanse itself and post my results: weight lost, inches lost etc. Though I'm excited about this journey, I'm also a little nervous. I'm really going to miss my coffee every morning but I'm totally dedicated and ready to do this! Wish me luck!