Go green smoothies (Detox?)

carlamarie1979
carlamarie1979 Posts: 24 Member
edited November 16 in Health and Weight Loss
so I've upgraded my smoothies from the lovely strawberry and banana ones and all other fruits to the more detox ones! Do these actually work? I'm just having one for breakfast, spinach banana orange and squirt of lemon juice, wasn't as bad as I thought? Has anyone given these a go? And do you have any other go green recipes?
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Replies

  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
    Give this a read: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1159755/looking-for-a-detox-cleanse/p1

    TL;DR no such thing as a detox, don't bother.
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    Any idea what you are detoxing other than "toxinz!!!!" Figure that out, and you may be able to answer your own question, because no one else can.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    It doesn't work.

    Your kidneys and liver detox your body already.

    Detox as used in the diet world is a misnomer. There are no toxins floating around your body that drinking lemon juice or spinach will remove.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    I like green smoothies because they can be tasty and filling. They do not detox your body because your body has been doing that all by itself your entire life.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    carlamarie1979 wrote: »
    so I've upgraded my smoothies from the lovely strawberry and banana ones and all other fruits to the more detox ones! Do these actually work? I'm just having one for breakfast, spinach banana orange and squirt of lemon juice, wasn't as bad as I thought? Has anyone given these a go? And do you have any other go green recipes?

    The only reason any diet works is because you eat less calories than you burn. Those tasty smoothies are not magic, and they do not detox. Your body does not need detoxing, it does it all by itself.

    I advise that you don't use them as a meal replacement, but if you like them then add them to a meal. I personally love smoothies and homemade juices, but I would never use them to replace a meal.
  • hsmith0930
    hsmith0930 Posts: 160 Member
    I think that smoothie sounds tasty in general, and I think adding greens into a smoothie is a great way to get extra veggies in if you have trouble eating them all. But yeah, no detoxing.
  • carlamarie1979
    carlamarie1979 Posts: 24 Member
    Ok so if i didn't mention the word detox then i what sort of replies would I get, I'm having 1 for breakfast, I'm not living on them I'm eating totally well throughout the day so surely there is some benefit from drinking just one a day??
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    carlamarie1979 wrote: »
    Ok so if i didn't mention the word detox then i what sort of replies would I get, I'm having 1 for breakfast, I'm not living on them I'm eating totally well throughout the day so surely there is some benefit from drinking just one a day??

    Vitamins from the fruits and vegetables. You'd get those same vitamins if you ate them instead of blending them.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    I guess they aren't so hard on your teeth since you don't have to chew :smile:
  • carlamarie1979
    carlamarie1979 Posts: 24 Member
    When i say work I mean as in good for you, I'm not detoxing my body!! But if I google green smoothies that's what you see the word detox!
  • illyich
    illyich Posts: 195 Member
    What benefit are you looking for? Your smoothie will provide the benefits of the vitamins and nutrients that the ingredients of said smoothie have.
  • Travis_2
    Travis_2 Posts: 1,445 Member
    Only your wallet.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    The main benefit would be that it's easier to drink spinach blended with orange than to eat them together. There's nothing magical about blending the stuff that you wouldn't get from just eating the stuff, but if you like the smoothies, that's a benefit.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    carlamarie1979 wrote: »
    Ok so if i didn't mention the word detox then i what sort of replies would I get, I'm having 1 for breakfast, I'm not living on them I'm eating totally well throughout the day so surely there is some benefit from drinking just one a day??


    Not specifically, no. They may help you to hit certain nutrient goals, but there's nothing special about them.

    If you like them, and you're able to hit your Calorie/macro/micro goals, then they're fine.
  • scottacular
    scottacular Posts: 597 Member
    'detox' *chuckle*

    You don't look like someone who needs to boost their bodies current detoxifying abilities.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    carlamarie1979 wrote: »
    Ok so if i didn't mention the word detox then i what sort of replies would I get, I'm having 1 for breakfast, I'm not living on them I'm eating totally well throughout the day so surely there is some benefit from drinking just one a day??

    The benefit is whatever you give it. But, replacing a meal with them is not the best thing. Why not add them to real food?

    Yeah, detox is a loaded statement. :)
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    carlamarie1979 wrote: »
    When i say work I mean as in good for you, I'm not detoxing my body!! But if I google green smoothies that's what you see the word detox!

    You see detox because it's a new marketing trend.

    Of course green smoothies are good for you because they are made from fruits and vegetables. They contain vitamins and minerals, which our bodies need for our healthy. You could still gain weight eating green smoothies if your total calories for the day are too high compared to the amount of calories your body needs.
  • yusaku02
    yusaku02 Posts: 3,472 Member
    carlamarie1979 wrote: »
    surely there is some benefit from drinking just one a day??
    The benefit is that you put spinach, orange, banana and a little lemon juice in your body. It's no different than if you ate them by themselves.

    also
    The likelihood that a person uses the word "toxin" correlates strongly with how much Chemistry the person does *not* know

    — neiltyson (@Neil deGrasse Tyson)
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    atypicalsmith wrote: »
    I guess they aren't so hard on your teeth since you don't have to chew :smile:

    I guess this is tongue in cheek? :) If not, teeth are made for chewing. If so, good one. :)
  • carlamarie1979
    carlamarie1979 Posts: 24 Member
    Pretty much the same as protein shakes then, pointless! You can get your protein from food, but thanks for your advice anyway x
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    edited April 2015
    carlamarie1979 wrote: »
    Ok so if i didn't mention the word detox then i what sort of replies would I get, I'm having 1 for breakfast, I'm not living on them I'm eating totally well throughout the day so surely there is some benefit from drinking just one a day??
    Detox is loaded word here, so yeah you would get a different response. As far benefit, probably nothing extra special. It's food. The body likes food. As long as it fits your with your goal (cutting or bulking) it's just another meal.
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    carlamarie1979 wrote: »
    Pretty much the same as protein shakes then, pointless! You can get your protein from food, but thanks for your advice anyway x
    Dead nuts.
  • carlamarie1979
    carlamarie1979 Posts: 24 Member
    :)
  • pinkiezoom
    pinkiezoom Posts: 409 Member
    I use the mean green recipe which is spinach, kale, apples, ginger, lemon, cucumber and celery, but not for detox, as i am not sure what i would be detoxing lol, but because they boost the nutrients in my diet, they can be high in calories, and i dont use them as a meal substitute, but i do feel better after having one and not sure if it is related, but they seem to ease a migraine if i catch it early enough.... but that might have nothing to do with the juicing lol!
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    carlamarie1979 wrote: »
    Pretty much the same as protein shakes then, pointless! You can get your protein from food, but thanks for your advice anyway x
    I have a very difficult time getting enough protein without going over on carbs and fat, so protein shakes and protein powder are very useful to me. Apart from that kind of thing, yeah.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    carlamarie1979 wrote: »
    Pretty much the same as protein shakes then, pointless! You can get your protein from food, but thanks for your advice anyway x

    Pretty much. But if you like them, by all means, drink them!
  • SconnieCat
    SconnieCat Posts: 770 Member
    carlamarie1979 wrote: »
    Pretty much the same as protein shakes then, pointless! You can get your protein from food, but thanks for your advice anyway x

    Sometimes I'll have a smoothie if I'm running short on time in the morning and also because I like spinach blended with berries, plain greek yogurt, a little almond milk and a tiny bit of honey.

    Protein shakes do have their place. Personally, I drink my protein when I'm having a difficult time hitting my macros (sometimes I'll toss a scoop or two in with a smoothie in the morning), or after a lifting session.

  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    i've started doing green smoothies recently. two cups of spinach, 8 ounce of orange juice, two scoops of vanilla protein powder, a cup of frozen berries, and a banana. i blend the first two ingredients, and then blend each one into it.

    i don't know if it's detoxing my body, but i'm liking the additional servings of veggies and fruits.
  • Justygirl77
    Justygirl77 Posts: 385 Member
    carlamarie1979 wrote: »
    so I've upgraded my smoothies from the lovely strawberry and banana ones and all other fruits to the more detox ones! Do these actually work? I'm just having one for breakfast, spinach banana orange and squirt of lemon juice, wasn't as bad as I thought? Has anyone given these a go? And do you have any other go green recipes?
    Well, I am wondering what your goal is....what are you trying to detox?
    I started with green smoothies (just this morning, it was kale, parsely in pea protein, and I LOVED it), and just generally WAY increasing my non-starchy veggie intake. I was trying to "detox" from sugar and carbohydrates. I was trying to lower my fasting blood sugar, which I did in 3 weeks, by 9 points! It's at 83 this morning. I also have other goals, but blood sugar is a very important measurement.

  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    I did a detox/cleanse once. I can't remember what it's called because I seriously want to block out that part of my life from my memory. I'm only bringing it back to mind because I want to save you from the horror that I lived through.

    First of all - you're going to be miserable. Not "I'm going to go sulk in my bed and not talk to anyone, posting selfies to show just how upset I am" miserable. I mean, you're going to wish your dad left his gun closet open miserable.

    It started out alright. I had some fruit and drank some water and tea. After some time, it began to happen...

    I was SO HUNGRY, but I knew I couldn't eat! My skin got pasty white and I started sweating. I resisted the urge to scarf down the delicious chocolate cake my mom made for some celebration. I had to walk around the house in my underpants because I was sweating so much, all of my clothes got soaked through.

    I couldn't concentrate either. My brain was a fog and just darted from one random, useless subject to another. I think I failed a few exams at school because I just couldn't think.

    Then there were the later stages and the washroom.. Oh God, the washroom!

    If you like your rectum, I wouldn't do a cleanse.

    On the last couple of days of the cleanse, my body cleansed itself. It cleansed hard, in the only way it knows how. I think the worst part about it was that it came out of nowhere. I was just sitting on my bed, watching TV, with my knees folded up to my chest and my arms wrapped around them, rocking back and forth, wishing the world would end so I can stop this self torture... Then I could physically feel my stomach rumble and I had to RUN! I swear, I never ran so fast in my life!

    Luckily, I was only wearing my underwear, so I was quick to get on the toilet. I'm glad I was because as soon as my cheeks hit porcelain, I just exploded. I mean, if the Tsunami that hit Japan was coloured brown, I'm sure it came from my *****.

    It just poured and poured and poured out of me. It was like it never ended. I swear I blacked out because the next thing I remember, I was laying down next to the throne. My entire body was in pain. My butt felt like the opening to the River Thames. Then I looked up.

    It was everywhere... On the floor, in the sink, all over the walls.. My poor cat was on the far side of the bathtub and even she needed to have a bath.

    After that day, I will never do a cleanse again. I spent more time cleaning the washroom than I did doing the cleanse...

    I seriously suggest you don't do one either.
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