Spring is here and although we’re getting longer days, many of them are filled with grey skies and rain. Yes, wonderful for the foliage but in the meantime, it can be mega depressing. Here’s a green detox drink with mood-boosting ingredients to life your spirits!

Bananas are loaded with vitamins and minerals that make you smile: vitamin B6, A and C; tryptophan, potassium, phosphorous and iron. The carbs in bananas help our brains absorb the tryptophan and vitamin B6 helps convert the tryptophan into mood-lifting serotonin. Potassium is important for feeling energized as it regulates fluid levels and keep muscles working properly and iron is crucial to producing energy and fighting fatigue.

In this green smoothie, I’ve also added spinach, ground flax seed and chia seed. Spinach is one of the richest food sources of folate (vitamin B9) and both flaxseed and chia seeds are full of omega-3s. When combined, these nutrients help maintain stable levels of brain serotonin and can help reduce depression.

Spin-ana Seed Detox Drink

Makes: 10 oz (1 serving)

Ingredients

• 1 small banana, frozen
• 1 handful of spinach, washed and de-stemmed
• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• 1/2 cup filtered water (or to desired texture)
• 1 tbsp organic or homemade maple syrup

Preparation

Blend and enjoy!

Note: If you use fresh bananas, add 2-3 ice cubes with your detox drink and instead of using filtered water & maple syrup, try organic apple juice.

After our last two posts about real food (that is, naturally grown sans chemicals), I was inspired to make a delicious green drink using an ingredient I’ve never tried before: hemp! Check out this yummy, delicious and nutritious blended green meal recipe to help you cleanse this spring.

Hemp seed has a nutty taste and adds just the right amount of crunch to this green drink made mostly of green grapes. As a pleasant contrast, the avocado lends a smooth texture as well as a healthy fat for a satisfying meal in a glass.

Grape Hemp Crunch Green Drink

Makes: 3 cups (1-2 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 big handful kale, washed and de-stemmed
• 1 big handful spinach, washed
• 1/2 large apple, de-seeded
• 2 tbsp fresh avocado
• 2 tbsp hemp seed
• 1 cup green grapes
• 1/4 cup apple or grape juice
• filtered water (until desired texture)

Preparation

Blend ingredients in a blender until smooth. Enjoy!

Summer is the best season to lose weight. We’re naturally more active because of increased daylight hours. Also, the heat of the sun helps us detox through our sweat glands, we’re more inclined to drink water and eat healthy foods to stay cool.

If you’re tired of salads and hurting for some variety in your light, summer meals, try a few of the many Live Lighter detox blender meals. They’re packed with vitamins and antioxidants from veggies, have nuts for protein (to make you feel fuller longer), and so easy to digest that they’re perfect for the hot weather.

Today’s green drink recipe was inspired by the fresh, green peppers growing my garden. It’s my first garden (thanks to our first home purchase) and you could knock me over with a feather because the plants are actually producing veggies! (You should see the prehistoric leaves on the zucchini plants!)

Have you ever noticed how fresh garden veggies taste? They explode in your mouth! That’s what you can expect with today’s green detox drink if you use veggies from your garden or a farmer’s market.

Sweet Pepper & Avocado Detox Drink

Makes: 1 serving (approx. 18 oz)

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup raw almonds, soaked overnight
• 1 & 1/2 cups fresh kale, washed & de-stemmed
• 1 small green bell pepper, de-stemmed & seeded
• 3 tbsp ripe avocado
• 1 small apple, seeded & quartered
• 1 cup filtered water, or until desired consistency

Preparation

1. Blend almonds.
2. Add remaining ingredients and blend together.
3. Pour and enjoy!

Nutritional Information

Total Fat 46.2 g
Saturated Fat 4.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 10.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 28.6 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 51.5 mg
Potassium 1,489.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 50.7 g
Dietary Fiber 19.9 g
Sugars 8.3 g
Protein 20.8 g

Vitamin A 538.1 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 36.8 %
Vitamin C 236.1 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 108.9 %
Calcium 33.8 %
Copper 64.0 %
Folate 27.8 %
Iron 31.5 %
Magnesium 65.0 %
Manganese 141.4 %
Niacin 26.4 %
Pantothenic Acid     13.0 %
Phosphorus     44.3 %
Riboflavin 48.9 %
Selenium 8.1 %
Thiamin 25.1 %
Zinc 22.5 %

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

The weather is incredibly balmy today here in Toronto, Canada – it feels like spring! And thank goodness because I don’t know about you but I’m starting to feel the winter heaviness set in deeper. The perfect time to replace a few usual recipes with green detox recipes.

This blended green meal is made from powerful pomegranate seeds, walnuts and kale. The pomegranates make the texture of this gazpacho-like meal very chewy; so much so that you’ll find yourself quickly satiated.

The taste is very green and earthy, and while you sit there munching, think of all it’s living, raw energy course through your blood stream! It ain’t pretty but close your eyes, sup up your body machine and savour this natural `human nitro’ mixture.

Walnagranate Kale Detox Meal

Makes: 5.5 cups (1-2 servings)

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 Tbsp pomegranate seeds
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 apple, quartered and seeded
• 1 handful fresh parsley
• 2 handfuls fresh kale
• 1 cup filtered water
• 0.5 -1 cup (to texture) pomegranate and lime Ceres juice

Preparation

1. Blend walnuts.
2. Add remaining ingredients.
3. Blend until desired consistency.
4. Enjoy!

Tip for seeding pomegranates:

Roll the pomegranate on a smooth surface, a counter or cutting board will do, putting pressure on the fruit and squeezing it. You should hear or feel the seeds loosen from the rind. Cut the fruit width-wise (avoiding the top & bottom). Squeeze one of the ends over a bowl, collecting the juice and dislodged seeds. Take a spoon and scoop out the remaining seeds. Pick out the pieces of inedible yellow rind.

Who wants to live longer? This green detox blender meal is souped-up with powerful, age-defying antioxidants and phytochemicals!

The nutrients found in green cabbage and POMx Tea pack a powerful assault to disease and age-causing free radicals. Studies have shown that both these ingredients have cancer-fighting abilities. (Click here to access POMx studies which say it has more antioxidant potency than red wine, green tea, grape and acai extracts.)

The POMx Teas come in 5 flavours, I chose the delicious pomegranate blackberry for this green detox drink and just enough of it to lend the slightest hint of blackberries to this POMWonderful health concoction!

POM-Powerful Cabbage Detox Drink

Makes: 1-2 servings (4 cups)

Ingredients

• 2 cups green cabbage, chopped
• 2 stalks celery
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
• 1 apple, quartered and cored
• 3/4 cup POMx Pomegranate Blackberry Tea
• 1 cup filtered water (or to desired consistency)
• 1 tbsp almond butter

Preparation

1. Blend ingredients.
2. Pour and enjoy!

If you’re as much of a fan of POMx Teas as I am, join them on Facebook! And stay tuned for an upcoming review on their Pomegranate Lychee Green POMx Tea.

Still feeling a little sluggish from the holidays? Want to give your immune system a jolt of vitamin C through a low-calorie meal? Then plan to blend this powerful green detox meal sometime soon!

High in vitamins C, E, A and K, as well as potassium and fiber, this blender meal is packed full of detox-enhancing phytonutrients to keep you healthy now and in the future.

The tiny kiwi seeds give it a unique crunchy texture and between the kiwi and honey, it’s more sweet than green tasting. The finisher is the subtle cashew nut flavour, tying it altogether. Yum.

Kiwi, Kale & Kashew Detox Cocktail

Makes: 2.5 cups (1-2 servings)

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup cashews, raw
• 3 med celery stalks
• 2 handfuls of kale
• 1 ripe kiwi, peeled and destemmed
• 1 tbsp raw honey
• 1 cup filtered water, or to desired consistency

Preparation

• Blend the cashews.
• Add rest of the ingredients to blender and blend.
• Enjoy!

Please bookmark this post and let us know what you thought of the magical health concoction!

It’s Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada and for all those who have extended family, you might be looking at several large meals and a bloated belly. Try replacing a meal or two with this green blended detox recipe to help ease your digestive system and clean you from the inside-out.

Completely balanced with healthy protein (Brazil nuts), fat (avocado) and carbs (greens, fruit and other veggies), this blended meal is as nutritious as it is tasty.

It ain’t much to look at but after a weekend of hard-core celebratory socializing and eating, you’ll certainly feel much lighter – I promise!

Gingerly-Cleanse-Yer-Insides Detox Meal

Ingredients

1/4 cup Brazil nuts
1/2 large Granny Smith apple
1 cup Spinach, rinsed
1 cup Swiss Chard, rinsed
2 stalks Celery, chopped
1 Tbsp Avocado, fresh
1/4 cup Juice, berry or apple
1 inch Fresh Ginger, peeled
1/2 cup Filtered Water (or til desired consistency)

Directions

1. Grind nuts in blender.
2. Add remaining ingredients.
3. Blend.
4. Enjoy!

It’s mid-summer and the gardens are in full bloom here in Canada. All those fresh vegetables are packed with nutritious vitamins and phytochemicals just waiting for us to consume them.

If you’re looking to get an easy-to-digest, large variety of nutrients in one light and cleansing meal, try this refreshing Live Lighter green detox blender recipe:

Garden Vegetable Detox Recipe

Makes approximately 20 oz. glass

Ingredients

1 big handful of spinach
3 lg stalks celery
1/2 English cucumber (peel on)
5 cherry tomatoes
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup carrot juice
1/2 cup filtered water

Directions

Blend until desired consistency.

Many people arriving here on the Live Lighter blog have come in search for detox drink recipes . It seems as if people all over the world are realizing the immediate and future health benefits of eating a diet high in veggies.

What are some of these benefits, again?

Veggies are nutrient-rich and calorie-deficient, which means they will help you lose weight and also help you maintain a healthy weight. We also learned a few days ago about how nutrition is integral to stress management . A few months back we found out how true the statement is, “we are what we eat ” in 8 Foods to Grow Yourself a Younger Bod . And what about their enormous cancer-fighting properties: phytochemicals (with antioxidant capabilities)?

If you’re convinced and looking for tasty recipes, check out these Live Lighter blog posts:

Cleansing Drink Recipes
Delish Detox Blender Recipes
Detox Drink Recipes

Here are 4 more green juice recipes created especially for the blender:

It’s So Chard to Get You Off My Mind 1 big Swiss Chard leaves 1 handful chopped walnuts 1 handful parsley 1 green apple 2-3 celery stalks ½ cup Ceres Mango juice ¼ cup filtered water (if needed) makes approx. 20 oz	Fresh & Wild Cleanser * very yummy 2 cups spinach I handful almonds 2 medium-sized carrots 1 handful parsley 1 green apple 1 cup filtered water 1 Tbsp organic maple syrup makes approx. 20 oz
Smooth Swiss Operator * texture is SUPER 2 big Swiss Chard leaves 2 cups packed spinach 1 handful chopped parlsey ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds 2 celery stalks 1 beet 1 medium-sized kiwi ½ cup apple juice ¼ cup filtered water (if needed) makes approx. 20 oz	Beet Me Up, Swissy 3 giant Swiss Chard leaves 1 handful walnuts 2 cups packed spinach 2 celery stalks 1 beet ½ medium-sized avocado ½ cup apple juice ¼ cup filtered water (if needed) makes approx. 20 oz

A couple of tips:

1) DO NOT juice these recipes. The nuts may not juice very well.
2) Chop your nuts and the beets up finely in your blender first before adding other ingredients.

I hope you enjoy these detox green juice blender recipes. Let me know what you think!

Feeling stressed? Uncomfortable, especially in the digestive area? These might be signs of toxicity or side effects of extra seasonal detoxing. Try a gentle cleansing but if you’re looking for something quick to make you feel better, replace a few meals during the week with green detox juice recipes.

There are a few green juice recipes floating out there that are perfect for juicing in a juicer. But the more I use my blender, the more I’m convinced that it is a better choice rather than just a substitute. Blending maintains the insoluble fiber in the greens (great for gently scraping your intestines clean), plus you can add tasty nuts to the green detox blender recipes for added flavour, substance and muscle building protein.

Here are four more green juice recipes created especially for the blender:

Can’t Beet this Green Drink 1 cup spinach 3-4 carrots with tops 1 handful chopped parsley 1 handful raw walnuts 2-3 celery stalks ½ inch peeled & sliced fresh ginger root 1 beet, peeled & quartered ½ cup Ceres Medley of Fruits juice ¼ cup filtered water (if needed)makes approx. 20 oz	Dandelion Delight (slightly bitter)1 cup packed, chopped dandelion leaves 2 cups packed spinach 1 handful chopped parsley ½ cup chopped fresh pineapple I handful raw almonds 1 cup Ceres Mango juice ¼ cup filtered water (if needed)Tip to make this green drink less bitter: soak dandelion leaves in cold, filtered water. makes approx. 20 oz
Sunny Pineapple Cleanser 2 cups spinach 3 cups packed & chopped kale leaves I handful raw sunflower seeds 1 celery stalk 1 handful chopped parsley ½ cup chopped fresh pineapple 1 cup Ceres Mango juice ¼ cup filtered water (if needed)makes approx. 20 oz	Please Don’t Kale Me!4 giant kale leaves 1 handful walnuts 1 big handful chopped parsley 2 celery stalks 1 seeded & chopped granny smith apple 1 cup Ceres Mango juice ¼ cup filtered water (if needed)makes approx. 20 oz

A couple of tips:

1) DO NOT juice these recipes. The nuts may not juice very well.
2) Chop your nuts up finely in your blender first before adding other ingredients.

I hope you enjoy these detox green juice blender recipes. Let me know what you think!

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