I’m going out on a limb here to say that the developed world has an unhealthy obsession with protein.  It’s quite unlikely that any of us will become protein deficient, even vegetarians or vegans.  Actually, consuming too much protein is common and dangerous.

Requirements

How much protein do you need in one day? While the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in America recommends that your protein intake be 10-35% of your daily calories, many nutritionists suggest  keeping this number at 10-15%.  The amount of protein required may also depend on your weight and exercise routine.  Tracy Russell from Incredible Smoothies offers this formula for calculating your requirements.

Meat is now synonymous with the word protein.

Have you ever seen the tv commercials that say “Where’s the beef?” or “Beef: It’s what’s for dinner.”?   These commercials are funded by companies and organizations that benefit from you buying their products (beef).  Since these companies know that protein is a necessary nutrient, they tell us that beef is the best(only?) source of protein.  This protein propaganda has conditioned us to expect and ask for meat at every meal.

Eating animal protein has been linked with the formation of kidney stones and is associated with osteoporosis, cancer and cardiovascular disease.  Plant based diets are actually scientifically proven to be healthier.

In the book The China Study, Dr. T.Colin Campbell explains his findings on the subject of protein after  years of study:

“People who ate the most animal-based foods got the most chronic disease … People who ate the most plant-based foods were the healthiest and tended to avoid chronic disease.  These results could not be ignored.”

Fruits and veggies love  you back

One cup of raw broccoli contains three grams of protein while one cup of spinach contains one gram.  Yes you will need to eat more quantities of vegetables to equal the protein in meat.  That’s why juicing is such a great way to incorporate these healthy proteins (plus other healthy nutrients) into your body.   You can juice 3-4 cups of spinach in one juice!

If vegetarians can survive on plant based proteins, you too can survive a few days drinking fruit and vegetable juice.  Again I believe it all comes back to the mindset of believing that you are malnourished without meat protein.  It’s simply not true.

During a Juice Cleanse

Your body has the ability to store amino acids (building blocks of protein) in order to synthesize (build) proteins when needed.  Therefore, during a short term juice cleanse there should be no worry about getting enough protein.  Though I don’t consider it necessary, some people do add protein supplements to their juices.  If you feel you really need the extra protein, be sure to use a plant based protein such as spirulina and use sparingly.  Proteins require extra water so make sure you are drinking water as well as juice.

If you are doing a longer cleanse you should be in touch with your doctor in order to monitor your overall health including protein requirements.

Vegetables a Healthy Option

Overall, vegetables are a healthy option that should be in your diet every day.  They provide many other nutrients besides protein and can help your body to balance and heal.  Juicing is probably the best way to get the most nutrition out of vegetables.

There was a four day prep time which I used to cut out what little caffeine I was consuming and to increase my consumption of green leafy veggies. I bought some fresh produce, including bananas, and pulled out my blender.

Note:  A smoothie cleanse is different than a juice cleanse because smoothies don’t separate the fiber out from the juice.  Instead the whole fruits and veggies are blended together.

The Question

I just had one question.  Would I be able to get the same detox results from smoothies as I would from juice in the same amount of time?

The Process

Each day I drank one or two green smoothies, one savory blended soup, and one fruit or chocolate (raw cacao) smoothie.

Along with my blended drinks I increased my intake of water, so as expected I took more potty breaks the first day.  My energy levels went a bit low on the first day but picked up again to the point I felt more focused and optimistic.  I could categorize this as the same as a juice cleanse, but more subdued. I did experience a slight headache and some of the typical lightheaded or “spacey-ness” on the first day which was cured by a good night’s sleep.

The smoothies did seem to satisfy my hunger longer than juices, due to the inclusion of fiber.  The presence of fiber also resulted in soft and regular bowel movements.  I also experienced a sense of grounding or a solid feeling, which I attribute to the fiber.

My emotions were steady, so no issues there.  I did still have some of the same psychological hunger thoughts and conditioned behavior of going to look in the refrigerator.

The Conclusion

All in all, the smoothie detox is very similar to the juice cleanse. The intensity was about one-third of what I experience during juicing.  I imagine the releasing of toxins was probably about one-third as well.  As I said in my earlier post, smoothie cleanses usually last about 21-28 days in order to achieve the same results of a 3-10 day juice cleanse.

The Recommendation

I do recommend the 3 Day Smoothie Detox Challenge.  It was fun because I was able to eat foods like bananas and avocados.  This would be a good introduction cleanse for someone who is nervous about taking the full leap into a juicing cleanse.  Smoothies also make great transition meals before and after a fast, so I could see doing a 3 day smoothie detox then 3 days of juicing, for example.

Your Thoughts

Did you try the smoothie challenge?  How were your results?  Does this review make you want to try it for yourself?

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I’ll get to the answer in a later in the post, but let’s just look for a moment at the reason for asking this question.

Before you considered cleansing I’ll bet you never asked the question, “How much food should I eat in a day?”  You just ate until the point at which you felt full (or sometimes beyond that point).  It’s interesting isn’t it?

When you decide to get healthy or lose weight, you begin to examine your life and your past behaviors.  Sometimes this isn’t pretty.  And when you realize you’ve been overeating or eating the wrong foods for a number of years you begin to question every thought and every action.  You begin to distrust yourself and you seek help.  That’s okay.  That’s a great place to begin again.

How Much Juice Should You Drink?

When you are on a juice cleanse, that’s drinking only juice for a set number of days, the juice becomes your meal.  So think of it that way.  Spread your juice “meals” throughout the day and aim for four juices per day.

It’s important to realize the function of the juice.  It loads your body with nutrition and flushes your system of toxins.  You want to drink enough to feel full.  If you are getting hungry it is a sign that you need more juice.

So here it is:

A good place to start is by drinking 16 oz, four times per day.  That gives you 64 oz.  You may drink more or less depending on your situation and needs.  For example if you are very active during the day, your body requires more fuel.  Drink more.  If you are hungry or feeling healing reactions (headache, body aches) drink more.

Your body knows how much juice it needs.  It will tell you.  Take a quiet moment and listen.  You will begin to learn the ways your body communicates with you and you can begin to start trusting yourself again.  Happy Juicing!

Your Turn

Are you trusting your body?  How much juice are you drinking on your juice cleanse?  Let us know in the comments below.

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I do believe that juicing is one of the best and effective ways for assisting the detox process, however, if this seems too daunting for you at the moment, you might try making smoothies in the blender.  There are two main differences between smoothies and extracted juices.  First of course is the appliance.  If you have a blender you can make smoothies.  You already know how much clean up is required for a blender, and maybe you’ve made some fruit and yogurt smoothies, but try making a green smoothie with some fresh veggies.  Which brings me to the second difference between blending and juicing:  fiber.  Juicing removes all the fiber for a reason.  It eases the digestion because without the fiber, the juice is mostly absorbed into the bloodstream.  This is why juicing is better for a cleanse.

Smoothies are great, healthy additions to any diet and they can assist you greatly in making the transition into juicing and doing a juice cleanse.  I have both a blender and a juicer machine in my home and use both on a regular basis and I believe that all the costs and efforts involved are truly worthwhile.  Just as anything, after you add a new element to your lifestyle and make it a habit, the task seems easy and even enjoyable.  So what are you waiting for! 

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It is vital to get the colon functioning properly.  Natural methods will have better long term results over harsh chemical laxatives.  While a lifestyle change may be in order, there are some things that you can do today to bring relief of constipation and begin to get your colon healthy again.  Here are three steps toward feeling better:
     1.  Drink more water – Health experts recommend drinking 6-8 glasses of water per day.  More specifically, some recommend that you calculate half of your body weight, then drink that many ounces of water (150lbs = 75oz).  If drinking water is just too boring for you, try adding a slice of lemon or a splash of cranberry juice (no sugar added). 
     2.  Start an herbal cleanse – Many herbs can help soothe and benefit the colon.  Fiber is usually at the top of the list here because it helps the colon contract while helping the stool retain more water and bulk up for easier elimination.  Other herbs relax, stimulate and lubricate so stools move down the digestive tract more easily and faster.  Still other herbs can be used to support the liver and bloodstream, which are important to the detoxification process.  When doing an herbal cleanse it is best to consult a health practitioner or use a quality product from a health food store.  I personally use and recommend
ReNew Life Organic Total Body Cleanse. 
     3.  Do a juice cleanse – After doing the steps above, your colon will deserve a nice rest.  A two to three day juice cleanse will provide your body with healthy vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.  Try some juices with apples, pears, parsley, greens, strawberries, artichokes, beets, and asparagus.  They help stimulate the regular function of the intestines and provide vitamin C and calcium/magnesium.

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Juice cleansing does relieve the colon of the task of digesting so that it may cleanse itself.  But relying on juice to do all your cleansing is a mistake.  That’s where the “cleanse to juice” approach comes in.  I can’t stress enough how important it is to start changing your diet and routine BEFORE the cleanse.  Cut out the caffeine.  Add more fruits and veggies.  Anything that builds up your general health and digestion is part of the cleansing process and will help to ensure success with your juice cleanse.

Many people who use the first method are forced to quit early due to emotional and physical side effects of many toxins exiting the body all at once.  Do yourself a favor.  Ease into cleansing.  Consider the “cleanse to juice” mentality and fully engage in a new health routine.  You may even enjoy it!

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