Since I’ll be frolicking on the beaches of Cancun next week (!!!), I’ve been more mindful with what I’m eating and have entered a slight detox mode.
Hence this Bikini Ready Green Detox Smoothie. I want to feel my best and fully embrace all things that are vacation and relaxation. Dreaming of bikinis + tan lines + sandy feet + salty air + ocean waves + having not a care in the world. I’ll also be doing my 5 Day Body Balance Cleanse which leaves me feel amazing.
Feeling bikini ready takes work… but there is a healthy and natural long-term solution that doesn’t include any magic diet pills or expensive juice cleanses which is: more plants! Filled with fiber, water, digestive enzymes and vital nutrients, they will heal your digestion, naturally de-bloat your tummy, leave your skin hydrated and refresh you from the inside out. You will glow. Of course the other main component is exercise. While exercise builds and tones your muscles, proper plant nutrition will expose your hard work; this is essential for any beach babe!
I like to think that my plant based eating habits are already solid but I can pay more attention to things that affect/assist my digestion, which for me, makes all the difference in how I feel, what my mood is like and how my skin looks.
This means eating extra of these:
- leafy greens (kale and spinach)
- green vegetables
- filtered water with fresh lemon juice
- fully raw meals
- smoothies
- cold-pressed juices
- chia seeds
- probiotics
and less of these:
- bread
- sugar/desserts
- salty foods
- alcohol
- processed everything
- caffeine
The picture below is from one of my pinterest boards. Pretty much sums up all the vacay vibes right?
Keeping our digestion and elimination in check is so important for a flat tummy that feels balanced rather than a heavy tummy that’s weighing you down. Elimination is our body’s way of ridding all the toxins, pollutants, chemicals and junk that we consume daily. So eliminating these nasties on a daily basis is the key to being bikini ready and healthy all year long. If our digestion is off track, those toxins are being reabsorbed into our blood, making us feel tired, heavy and bloated.
YUCK.
Prepping for bikini season or not, I never starve myself or skip meals; this interrupts digestion, metabolism, mood, hormones and a mess of other things. I’m just more mindful of what I’m cooking, chopping, snacking on and what I keep in the house.
If temptations are there then the temptation is real. If it’s not there it’s not flooding my thoughts ha.
So I won’t buy the addicting vegan chocolate chips that I take handfuls from every now and again. I won’t buy the vegan treats from Whole Foods or the super salty popcorn. Which brings us to this new smoothie that I plan on drinking every morning this entire week!
The ever-so-popular Bikini Ready Green Detox Smoothie.
With all of the green smoothie recipes out there, you may overlook them as I usually do because I’ve been making the same green smoothie for a year now (the kind with lots of veggies). I either make a green smoothie with kale, celery, cucumber, apple, lemon, ginger and water or I make a smoothie with mixed berries, spinach, banana, maca/matcha/hemp hearts/flaxseeds/chia seeds and almond milk. Each of those have variations but depending on the day, I make something related to those smoothies. I still love them but I’m down for trying a new detoxifying, cleansing and energizing smoothie. This actually tastes more fruity and pineappl-ey than veggie like!
Here are the ingredients and why:
Kale: plant protein (amino acids), antioxidants, fiber, calcium, vitamin A, iron, magnesium – essential for regular digestion, immunity and glowing skin
Lemon: vitamin C – detoxification, anti-bacterial, blood purifier, pH balancer, liver cleanser, immunity
Banana: fiber, potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, vitamin A – promote healthy digestion/regularity
Cucumber: potassium, vitamin C – skin hydration, de-bloat, electrolytes
Celery: calcium, B vitamins, iron, magnesium – alkalinity, detoxification, de-bloat
Pineapple: manganese, vitamin C, fiber, bromelain (enzymes) – anti-inflammatory, antioxidants, immunity, anti-cancer, reduce wrinkles
Spirulina Powder: plant protein (amino acids), bio-available iron, B vitamins, essential fatty acids, chlorophyll – weight management, energy, brain cognition and function (I buy this brand)
Chia Seeds: plant protein,iron, calcium, fiber, antioxidants, omega-3’s – feeling full, hydration and digestion (buy them here)
All of these ingredients play a part in keeping your body nourished, hydrated, energized and regular. Drinking a Bikini Ready Green Detox Smoothie regularly will make you feel good and help you get started. Keep in mind though, it’s more about your entire lifestyle and what you do on a daily basis that will help you achieve that sizzlin’ bikini bod.
- 1.5 cups kale, de-stemmed (or spinach, chard etc.)
- 1/2 english cucumber, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 small lemon, peel removed
- 1 ripe banana, frozen
- 1 cup pineapple (frozen)
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/2-1 teaspoon spirulina powder (depending on preference)
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup cold, filtered water
- handful of ice (optional)
- Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
- Optional: Sometimes I add a small knob of fresh ginger for a digestive aid and extra zing!
Green smoothies, yoga, exercise, plant foods at every meal, lots of lemon water and being kind to my body are all ways I like to prepare for the beach!
I’ll also be eating lots of:
- My new Kale Coconut Detox Salad
- this Hippie Macro Glow Bowl for a happy tummy
- Golden Glow Elixir juice for glowing skin
- my Rosy Glow Refresher juice for hydration
- and my all-time fave Chopped Detox Salad
How do you get bikini ready? Leave me a comment below!
Omg this is AMAZING! Drinking it as I type. I was at a bachelorette party last weekend eating and drinking like garbage. I will be drinking these like it’s my job for the next 2 weeks to help me bounce back. Thank you!!
This was delicious! I don’t have the spirulina yet so I made it without. I also had to use coconut milk. Very refreshing. Thank you. I will make this often.
Love this recipe i cant wait to try it!
Hi Shannon…I’m having a green smoothie very similar to yours except I add kiwi fruit and oranges but will definitely try your one. ..should this be consumed first thing in the morning on an empty tummy.
I also have a fat loss drink in the morning on an empty stomach and that is apple cider vinager, lemon juice, cinnamon, honey mixed with water. Can I continue with this and have your green detox smoothie as well.
Love to hear from you
Thanks
Cristol
South Africa
I want to do this detox. It sounds delicious. I just have a couple questions. I work out daily and eat clean but I can’t lose those few extra pounds plus I know a cleanse is always good to do and this sounds like a good one. But w/ working out and trying to build muscle you need to keep lots of protein in your diet. So when I do this how to I do my meals through rest of day. I eat clean 5-6 days a wk anyways so I would use this as my breakfast but would I still eat every 2 hrs? A protein shake 2 hrs later. My lunch is normally chicken and a veggie, or fish and a veggie and an apple. Then two hrs later a yogurt w/ almonds. Then the gym. Protein shake. Then dinner I do a lean meat and veggie. Will this help me still w/ the detox like I want? ALSO, To see good results can you do this for 3 or does it need 5? Thank you.
Hi Kristi,
This 5-Day Cleanse is plant based and vegan – just making sure you are aware of that since it seems as though you eat a lot of animal products? Meat and dairy are very acidic in the body, I’m not going to go into too much detail on that because I do so already in my Vegan Starter Guide (which you can purchase) and all throughout my blog (and you can do your own research) but I will say that this cleanse is meant to open your mind to whole plant foods while naturally cleansing the body without restriction.
It’s meant to nourish and heal your cells so you feel amazing and refreshed. Eating plant based is the best lifestyle choice for natural weight loss – but there are no quick fixes – only positive lifestyle changes. On this cleanse, you can do as much exercise as you’re up for but I do recommend taking it easy and listening to your body. You will receive more than enough protein and calories. Plants have higher quality protein than animal products!!
I stress all throughout the cleanse ebook to LISTEN to your body meaning that if you aren’t able to finish lunch because you feel full then don’t feel like you must finish it. If you are feeling hungry and your body wants more fuel, then choose a healthy snack like an apple with almond butter or carrots with hummus or one of the smoothies in the recipe section. I planned out every single meal and snack – so this cleanse is not about just replacing breakfast and then having whatever you normally have for lunch and dinner – it is every meal for 5 days.
If you would like to email me for more information, please do so (theglowingfridge@gmail.com) otherwise, I hope this helps and answers your questions.
Thanks!
Shannon
Hello I’m thinking abt doing this but need to know should I drink for every meal and nothing else?
This was delicious (just made it)!! I am slowing removing meat and other things from our diets and stumbled across a post on fb for this. Needless to say the kids love it too! So maybe it will lessen the impact of the big change for them. 🙂 Thank you!!
How many times a day should you drink this? For how long? What to eat/drink in between? Thank you in advance.
Hi Juzia! You could drink this one to two times a day for 5 days or as long as you want. I follow a whole foods plant based diet so I eat plenty of whole grains, legumes, leafy greens, fresh vegetables and fresh fruit to feel my best. This smoothie is meant to supplement a healthy lifestyle.
Can this be portioned into mason jars to freeze? Easy to bring for lunch to work if you think it would work!!
Hey Steph! Of course, thats a great idea. I normally don’t freeze my smoothies but I know it saves time in the morning and works for a lot of people so I’m sure it would be fine for this smoothie.
Shannon
This sounds so good! How often do you drink it? Once a day, twice a day? I go to the beach in a couple of weeks and wanted to try incorporating this to get beach ready. Thanks for sharing
I would like to know what is spirulina? And do I drink this all day?
This is the second recipe I have made from your blog. The Chopped Detox salad was my lunch and breakfast the past two days in a row. I plan to try one of each of your recipes. Love your blog! Keep it coming!
Yay love to hear this Trish! The Chopped Detox Salad will always remain at the top of my favorites list 🙂 Good for you though – eating salad for breakfast – I love that!! Let me know what other recipes you whip up.
How many calories and sugar intake is this smoothie?
Hi Maria! I am not sure of the nutritional info for this smoothie as I never count calories or sugar but you could enter all the ingredients into Cronometer or My Fitness Pal to see.
Thanks!
Shannon
How long would this stay good if you don’t drink it all immediately? I’ve made it once and it’s delicious!
Hey Lauren! I normally recommend to drink smoothies/juices immediately or at least within a few hours (if possible) to make sure it retains all the living enzymes and nutrients aka the good stuff 🙂 Plus, at least for me, I don’t like how smoothies taste after they’ve oxidized! Especially if they have banana. You could freeze any extra smoothie or just be sure to cover with an airtight lid in the fridge to help maintain freshness. My boyfriend doesn’t mind drinking them the next day – I guess it’s based on preference but within the same day would be ideal. Hope that helps!
This post was a such a surprise to me because I was going to write something just like this for my blog next week! I have put on a little weight over the winter and need to do a “spring clean” for my body starting this week. I’ll be using more green smoothies and juices, no processed foods, and extra lemon water to get me back feeling where I need to be as the weather hopefully warms up.
I was going to call my basic green smoothie recipe “green detox smoothie” as well since I’m not creative with names and that is all I could think of but I’ll try to come up with something else if I can. The recipe I am using is a bit different though and was based on a green smoothie I just had at Jamba Juice this week which was amazing!
I switch between green types of smoothies and berry ones too – they are my favorites! I guess great minds think alike. 🙂 The only ingredient I do not regularly use from the ones you’ve listed is matcha. I’ve heard so much about it and have been thinking of getting some for a while now. Do you recommend any specific brands?
I hope you have a great vacation!
Hi Mary Ellen – how funny! Green Detox seems to be one of the most popular green smoothie titles but it rings true 🙂 I think you would enjoy matcha. It’s sort of bitter so I started with a small amount (1/4 teaspoon) and worked my way up to 1/2 or sometimes 1 teaspoon depending on what I’m making. I love it for energy and focus! I bought mine on Amazon, it’s the organic Matcha DNA brand and I love but there are many great brands out there.
Let me know how it goes and thank you!
Thanks Shannon, I’ll look that one up on Amazon! I’m excited to try it.
I just read your Cancun blog post and your trip looked amazing! I’m so glad it was nice and relaxing for you. 🙂
Not sure if you have control of this, but advertisements for Outback Steakhouse keep popping up on your post photos and I figured you might want to know so you can change it if possible!
Thank you for informing me – this happens every so often and I don’t have much control of it at this point but I’m looking more into it as I would rather remove all animal product ads – if possible. Thanks!
Every woman needs to love her own body, and every woman should own a swimsuit that makes her look and feel sexy, beautiful, confident and sophisticated
I completely agree! I will have to check out this swimwear line – thank you.