Today’s post is completely different from what I usually post, but hey this is a personal blog, which also follows my lifestyle, so it’s not “off-topic”. The reason I’m writing about it on the blog, is to tell my experience as a beginner at this, and share with you some of the recipes I tried and tips I gathered. So here we go:
Over the last few months, I’ve gradually started gaining weight again, and I couldn’t stop myself from eating lots of unhealthy things, and start a proper diet. I’m not a girl who follows strict diets, and I’ve always been known to loving food too much (especially the kind that makes you fat), so I needed something drastic. After my trip to Ioannina, my scale showed an even higher number than before, so it was time to do something serious. I’ve read about all those cleanses and detoxes with fruits and vegetables and deep down I always wanted to follow one, but wasn’t too strong to start one. But I’ve read that it’s really good for your system, to detox from everything unhealthy, and also boosts your metabolism and helps you kick-start your new healthier diet way of life. So I decided it! I chose to do it for 3 days, but some people do it for just 1 or even 5. All I ate those 3 days were the detox smoothies I made myself at home. I filled my fridge with fruits and vegetables I liked, I wrote down some recipes that thought that sounded good, and started. I had 10 smoothies in total but I photographed only 8 of them (well, I had one of them twice). I’ll let you know all the recipes I used and I’ll continue with the results and tips at the end of the post.
Green smoothie (pictured above): 1 cup of spinach, 4-5 slices of Mango, 4-5 slices of pineapple, 1 banana, some orange juice to mix, and of course ice cubes.
Tropical smoothie: ½ cup of coconut milk, 3-4 slices of pineapple, 3-4 slices of mango, some fresh squeezed orange juice to mix. Add ice cubes in the mix and smooth! It’s really good if you love coconut!
Breakfast cleanser: Mix together the juice of one orange, 1 orange, 1 lemon, (strain if you prefer it this way), some cinnamon (optional) and ice cubes!
Berry fusion: 200ml almond milk, frozen raspberries, blueberries & cranberries, 5-6 strawberries, ½ banana, ice cubes.
Cherry yumminess: ½ cup of cherries, ½ yogurt, 150ml almond milk, some strawberries, ice cubes. This was actually so delicious I made it twice.
Power breakfast in a cup: 200ml almond milk, 1 banana, ½ cup cooked oatmeal (with almond milk), 1 teaspoon cacao powder. Add ice and mix! This is actually perfect for a breakfast, and makes you quite full.
Veggies & fruits: 1 apple, 1 cup of spinach, 1 carrot, the juice of 2 oranges, some cinnamon (optional). Add ice cubes and mix!
1 (not pictured): 2 Nectarines, 2 apricots, the juice of one orange, mixed with ice.
If you want your smoothies to be on the sweeter side, add some stevia or agave syrup in them before mixing.
So these were all the recipes I tried. I didn’t read them anywhere, just thought of good combinations, wrote them down, and tried them. Let me know if you try any of my recipes (make sure to tag me, so I’m able to see them).
Now, my experience: It was hard, like really hard to just drink smoothies and not eat anything else for 3 whole days. I’m not a vegan or a vegetarian, so I kept craving meat from day 1. However I kept going and I’m proud I did, ‘cause I think it really helped. Apart from feeling healthier, my belly (which was small, mind you) almost disappeared completely, and I lost 1 kilo (in total, weighed again after having eaten proper food).
My tips:
- It’s really helpful if you have a buddy to go through this process together. For me, my buddy was none other than my boyfriend, who also did it for 3 days, and we keep going with our diets together. It was indeed really helpful and we kept each other motivated.
- Clean your house from everything non-healthy, and keep your fridge full with veggies and fruits to go through your cleanse not feeling hungry all the time.
- If you live with your family or with flatmates “beg” them to avoid cooking anything that will distract you from your goal. They should encourage you to go on, not tempt you to stop.
- Avoid any super markets, restaurants, bars, and generally places that serve or have food. I would advise you to do this detox on the days you’ll leave your house the least. It’s easier this way.
- Combine your cleanse and your future-healthier-diet with exercise. Start walking for starters, and start working out as soon as you can.
- Have fun with it! I decided to document my experience for the blog, which also kept me motivated.
Remember: You’re doing this for you and your body! And no matter how hard it is, it’s worth it! If I could do it, you can do too! Don’t give up!
Disclaimer: I feel the need to point out again that I’m not a dietitian; I’m not a doctor or a nutritionist. I started this by myself and for myself. Please ask your doctor or nutritionist before starting doing it, because it may not be for you.
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