3- Day Sweet & Gentle Smoothie Cleanse: the What, When, Why and How What: A FREE 3-day green smoothie cleanse! Recipes, support and schedule for a FREE 3-day green smoothie cleanse.
When Is the Cleanse: Anytime you want!
Why Cleanse: This cleanse is designed to gently detoxify and keep your body cool this summer. This is NOT a starvation diet, and while you will be cutting out processed foods, white sugar and white flour, you will get to enjoy three healthy meals each day and snacks if you need. Rather than focusing on what you are leaving out, you’ll be focusing on all the goodness you are bringing in!
We all have toxic accumulations in our systems. They come from our food, skincare products and the environment (pesticides, chemicals, etc.). Accumulated toxins block our bodily channels and decrease the functioning of all of our systems, leading to varying symptoms and dis-ease. Really, all symptoms and disease are the result of toxins, but some of the earlier warning signs are: ● Digestive disturbances (gas, bloating, heartburn) ● Irregular bowel movements (constipation, diarrhea, mucous in stools) ● Feeling tired and sluggish ● Insomnia ● Bad breath ● Foul body odor ● Allergies ● Constipation ● Frequent colds and coughs ● Headaches ● Stress ● Dull or itchy skin, or skin rashes ● PMS symptoms (water retention, breast swelling, breast tenderness) ● Cold hands and/or feet ● Poor sleep ● Lowered immunity ● Depression and/or anxiety
How a Green Smoothie Cleanse Can Benefit You: There are a lot of benefits to a green smoothie cleanse!
Green smoothies are a REALLY easy way to get tons of nutrition-packed greens into your belly. Leafy greens are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and amino acids that are essential in keeping all of our bodily processes functioning smoothly.
When you mix food together outside of your belly, it is much easier to digest inside of your belly. This gives your digestive system a bit of a break. Eating this way for a few days in a row allows for a RE-SET!
You’ll be focusing specifically on green smoothies! Greens are the single most balancing food on the planet. I call them the ultimate Re-Set Button! Cleansing gives you a break on digestion and helps to ease any disturbances. We could all use a little more ease in life, yes? YES!
Your elimination may seem a little off when you start the cleanse because your body is working on processing toxic accumulations, but it should balance out by the end. With improved elimination comes clearer skin, better sleep and loss of excess weight. WAHOO!
Because green smoothies provide all the nourishment you need in an easy-to-digest form, your body can easily absorb and assimilate nutrients providing you with increased energy and vitality. The Sweet & Gentle Summer Smoothie Cleanse is a chance for you to reduce food cravings and help you develop healthier eating patterns!
Sweet & Gentle Smoothie Cleanse Schedule + Recipes
Before You Begin Your Cleanse:
Grab a pen! It’s journal time.
Think about any patterns, habits or cravings that you may want to change during your cleanse, for example: ● Are there any routines around eating that you want to change? Maybe you're ready to turn off the tv or put down your phone during meal times. ● Is there anything you’d like to learn about yourself, your eating, or your body through a cleanse? Perhaps you notice that you are eating out of boredom, sadness or maybe to celebrate. ● What are you excited about? ● Worried about?
Listen to your body. Take some time today to take stock on where you’re at right now in your life and your relationship with food. You are the expert on you and there’s some very valuable info tucked away in there.
Have you cleansed before? How was that experience for you? Have you ever found that you self-sabotage? Is there anything you could do to ensure that doesn’t happen? When in your life have you felt the most successful with food?
Specifically, set an intention for your cleanse. Consider starting a food journal today to bring awareness to what kinds of foods you are eating, how big your portions are and when you are eating (are you hungry, bored, tired, happy, sad etc.). How do you feel before and after eating? Are you starving and then super stuffed?
Consider the following leading up to and during the cleanse:
Do more: ● Drink more water! Perhaps the easiest of all. Start each morning with at least 20 ounces. Try to drink it before you even get out of bed! ● Sweat to eliminate toxins (light to moderate exercise or even easier, hit the steam room or sauna). ● Eat fruits and veggies especially dark leafy greens + root veggies. ● Cook at home and prepare simple meals. Home cooking is the easiest way to control the ingredients that go into your meal. Baked root vegetables with spices or steamed greens with salt + pepper are an excellent choice for pre-cleansing.
Do less: ● Sugar! ● Binge Eating. The idea of binge then cleanse is not what we are going for here. Resist the urge to eat a “Last Supper” feast before you start your 3-day smoothie cleanse. You already know what those foods taste like. You have eaten them hundreds of times. Any beautifully dressed up slice of sugar is only going to make the withdraw experience more extreme come the first day of the cleanse. ● Alcohol. Umm it’s a sugar too. I know, that part always kills me too! ● Chocolate. Did I just lose a few of you? It’s just 3 days. It will be there when you’re ready to come back to it (IF you still want to-- you might just surprise yourself). ● Dairy. If you’re used to eating lots of cheese, drinking a glass of milk a day etc., now is the time to start tapering off and even eliminating it before you begin your cleanse. Consider subbing in Almond, Rice or Oat Milk. Almond is the favorite in our house. ● Refined, processed anything. Especially refined white flours. Consider subbing in healthier organic versions of what you usually eat. For example organic corn chips (I like the blue ones) can be subbed for potato chips. Or go with baked sweet potato fries instead of fried french fries. ● Red Meat. Red meat in the body adds to swelling + swelling adds to dis-ease. ● Caffeine. This is a big one. The first time my husband and I ever cleansed he spent most of the first day curled up in a ball on the bed with a pounding head from severe caffeine withdrawals. At the time he was a morning 3-cup coffee drinker and it hit him like a ton of bricks! Depending on how much caffeine you drink either in the form of sodas or coffee consider tapering yourself off in a way that works for your body. Write down how much you drink a day and develop your 4 day reduce + eliminate plan… today 1 less cup, tomorrow 1/2 the amount you’d usually drink and introduce black or green tea… etc. If you’re a soda drinker consider trying sparkling water + fruit.
The Daily Schedule:
Essentially you will be replacing breakfast + dinner with a green smoothie. Lunch will be a simple whole foods meal made up of some combo of greens, grains + beans. Snacks will appear in the form of fruit, nuts + seeds only if you need them.
Feel free to drink as much water as you want to, it can be helpful to sip warm water throughout the day. You’ll want to stop drinking 2.5 – 3 hours before bed or you’ll be up + down all night going to the bathroom.
Modify the schedule to work for you according to when you wake up in the morning. I've pre-selected smoothies + lunches for you to make the shopping list easy breezy. Feel free to modify based on the recipes you choose.
8:00 am Wake + warm water with lemon
9:00 am Green Smoothie - within one hour of waking up is ideal, you’re trying to BREAK the FAST from the night before. Day 1 Breakfast - The Ron Burgundy?
Day 2 Breakfast - Blended Zen
Day 3 Breakfast - Blended Reset Button
Need a snack? Choose from a handful of almonds or fresh fruit. A note on fruit. It is best to eat fruit alone. Fruit digests quickly in the body. Eating fruit with other foods causes it to ferment in the stomach while the other food is digesting. It causes gas and over time hernias can form. It’s ideal to give yourself at least 20 minutes before consuming other foods.
Between 12:00 – 2:00 pm Lunch. You’ll be eating a whole foods lunch with greens, beans and grains! I’ve selected three of my favorite recipes for you for this cleanse to make it really easy.
Lunch day 1 - Roasted sweet potato + black bean salad Lunch day 2 - Chickpea + Basil Salad Lunch day 3 - Quinoa Salad
If these aren't hitting the spot you can access dozens of recipes on my site here. Remember to keep it simple. Choose from dishes with any combo of Greens, grains and beans. Use spices + herbs to season your lunches but stay away from butter, oils, condiments + salad dressings with more than 3 ingredients or anything that has sugar/ fructose in it.
Optional afternoon snack. Handful of nuts or seeds or fruit eaten alone.
Between 5:00 – 6:30 pm Green Smoothie
Day 1 Dinner - Purple Kale Smoothie
Day 2 Dinner - Watermelon Cooler
Day 3 Dinner - Green Power Smoothie
7:30 pm Herbal tea
You’ll need: A dose of can do.
A blender. While a Vitamix is AMAZING, most blenders will get the job done. You may feel a bit like you’re chewing your smoothie if you don’t have a high power blender. A good way to troubleshoot is to blend liquid (almond milk or coconut water) with your greens first and then add the rest of the ingredients. Some of the smaller bullets are really efficient! I like this one.
Sweet & Gentle Smoothie Cleanse: shopping list, Q + A, support + more green smoothie recipes!
Sweet & Gentle Support & F.A.Q.’s
While you’re the only one responsible for what goes into your mouth, having a support team in place can mean the difference between completion and caving. Here are 4 suggestions for creating a support system for your upcoming cleanse:
1. Talk about it.
First + foremost talk with the people who you share a roof with. Let them know that you’re doing a 3-day smoothie cleanse and that you would like their support. For some that means don’t eat in front of me, don’t ask me what’s for dinner, don’t order pizza… etc. For others that might mean that everyone in the house is cleansing! Ask each person for the appropriate level of support (don’t be afraid to be specific with them). Consider also letting your co-workers know in prep for the cleanse. That way they won’t bring the donuts by your desk or ask you out to lunch. During the cleanse you’ll begin to notice just how much of your life typically revolves around food, eating it, planning for when you’re going to eat it, thinking about it…
2. Set an intention.
My very first yoga class was over a decade ago and I’ll never forget my first child’s pose, forehead pressed to the mat– my teacher, Rachel asking us to set our intention for the rest of the class. The idea that I’d create a thought and hold it for 90 minutes was mind blowing. That was the beginning of an intention-filled life for me. Perhaps this cleanse will be the beginning of intention-filled eating for you? Maybe that means you’ll breathe and speak words of gratitude each time you feel a hunger grumble in your stomach or you will be a bit more kind, loving and patient with yourself then you normally are.
3. Plan Ahead.
This one is HUGE. Gather all the food you will need for the entire cleanse. That way there’s a much smaller chance of self-sabotage.
4. Simplify or even clear your calendar for the cleanse.
You’ll want to allow time just for yourself. Downtime to sleep, read, write, take walks, do gentle stretching, take a bath, etc… As your body detoxes you may experience emotional and/or physical reactions. Give yourself full permission to practice extreme self-care over these three days. This might mean delegating cooking for the rest of the family to your partner. Or sending your regrets for a previously scheduled social event. Look around your life and home and see where you can simplify leading up to the cleanse. You may also decide to physically clean-house. Clearing the clutter may give you a much needed boost in prep for the cleanse!
Download your 3-day cleanse shopping list here.
Tips for Sweet & Gentle Success:
1. Sleep with a bottle of water next to your bed for morning! Wake + drink! While drinking say something nice to yourself! My favorite nice things to say are “Lacy, You’re wonderful + I love you! Only right + good action is happening in your life! You always have everything you need!” I fill my water drinking time in bed with affirmations. It may feel silly at first but soon you’ll crave it just like your morning smoothie!
2. Consider removing temptations from your kitchen or section-off an area of the fridge and counter just for your cleanse foods!
3. Practice self-care rituals while on the cleanse: -body brushing or oiling the body -light walks and stretching -baths -naps -reading -journaling/ doodling -more positive self talk: “My body is completely healthy. I accept myself.”
4. Know that you can and you will show up for yourself each and everyday. You’ll make your smoothies + delight in taking time for your body, mind and spirit to cleanse.
5. As your cleanse draws to a close take a moment to reflect on what you’ve learned about yourself and what you’d like to take with you from this cleanse.
Here are 10 questions for you to consider and reflect on or journal about post cleanse: 1. How often do you think about food and/ or eat out of boredom? 2. How did your opinion of how much food you need change during the cleanse? Acknowledge how far you’ve come in a short period of time! 3. How are you listening to your body wisdom differently now? 4. What body sensations and emotions came up for you during the cleanse? How did you take care of yourself? 5. What self-care rituals did you practice on the cleanse that you’d like to implement into your day-to-day life? 6. How important was the prep process for you leading up to the cleanse? How can you prep more to support yourself in your day-to-day life? 7. What have you learned about nourishment? 8. In 3 days you’ve consumed only fruits, veggies and perhaps some nuts + seeds! How will you bring in more fruits and veggies into your life post cleanse? 9. How are you feeling? What is your energy level like today? How is your mental clarity? Your dreams? 10. What are some of the most important lessons of the cleanse for you?
As you move from the cleanse back to "normal food life" I suggest that you keep your morning smoothie routine going. Try not to go directly back into meat/ dairy/ sugar/ and processed foods on day 1 post cleanse.
Q + A
Q: I’ve never used a Vitamix before is there anything special I need to know? A: It’s pretty straight forward. The most important things to know are (these apply to all blenders): ● Never remove the blender from the base while it’s on (you’ll break this teensy tiny part that will require fixing and it takes forever, speaking from experience here). ● Never put a spoon, spatula or anything else down in there while it’s on. DISASTER! Blended wood. Not cool. ● Follow a basic formula when making smoothies: liquid + greens first. Blend til liquid and then add everything else (frozen fruit, dates, super foods, etc).
Q: Peel or no peel on citrus? A: For lemon you can blend it skins and all! Always peel oranges and grapefruits.
Q: How much smoothie is too much? 12 oz? 16oz? 20 oz? A: You’ve heard the saying 'One man’s medicine is another man’s poison.' It’s true for blending too. For the sake of the cleanse I drink a 12 oz smoothie when it has nut butter and 16 oz when it doesn't. That works really beautifully for my body. You may choose to drink more. Experiment and see what feels best in your body.
Q: Do I have to buy all organic produce? A: Organics have been shown to have more vitamins and minerals than conventional produce. Also you don’t want to liquify chemicals and pesticides for your cleanse. Go organic everywhere you can! If you have a hard time finding organic cucumber just peel the skins off before juicing them. That is often the case for me.
Q: How can I speak with you 1:1 to get more support before, during or after my cleanse? A: This is my very favorite part! Working with you where you are and moving through food & life changes together can be so powerful. If you’re wanting extra support via 1:1 coaching call with me you can schedule your call(s) here.
***A note of disclaimer: All cleanse information and advice is meant for educational purposes only. Cleanse posts are not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Cleansing may not be appropriate for everyone. If you are currently under a doctors care, have a serious illness are pregnant or nursing it is not advisable to participate in a cleanse. If you take vitamins or medications maintain your normal regime while cleansing.***
You’re welcome to submit questions in the comments here or on my FB page. I hope that today you feel vibrant, healthy + happy mind, body + spirit!
Celebrating you + the power of green smoothies! Lacy
