Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie
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Do you worry about the amount of heavy metals in your body? You’re not alone. Heavy metals like lead, mercury, and arsenic can be incredibly harmful to our health, and they’re more common than you might think.
Fortunately, there are steps we can take to detox from these dangerous toxins. One simple way is to add a few heavy metal detoxifying ingredients to your morning smoothie. This delicious smoothie contains blueberries, mushroom powder, flax seeds, hemp seeds, greens powder, lemon, cilantro, spinach and coconut water – all powerful detoxifiers!
Why is Heavy Metal Detoxification Important?
Toxic heavy metals are all around us. They’re in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. Unfortunately, our bodies are not very good at getting rid of them once they’re inside us. This can lead to a build-up of toxic heavy metals over time, which can be extremely dangerous to our health.
Exposure to heavy metals has been linked to a whole host of health problems, including cancer, heart disease, brain damage, and kidney failure. Detoxifying from these toxins is essential for maintaining good health.
Common Sources of Heavy Metals
There are many sources of toxic heavy metals, both natural and man-made. Natural sources include rocks, soil, and volcanoes. Man-made sources include factories, power plants, cars, and pesticides.
Many of the foods we eat every day also contain small amounts of heavy metals. This is because they’re absorbed by the plants as they grow. Fruits, vegetables, grains, and even meat can all contain traces of heavy metals.
We get metals from things like aluminum foil, aluminum cans, metal cookware, and many other ways we are exposed to metals daily. This can build up and lead to heavy metal toxicity with symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, shortness of breath, brain fog, tingling in your hands and feet, chills, and weakness. (1)
Some common foods that are high in heavy metals include grains like rice and wheat (due to their absorption of the metals from the soil) and sea animals such as fish and crustaceans (due to them consuming the metals from the water). Salmon and other fatty fish are known to have higher levels of mercury, so be careful in your food choices and read more about heavy metals in food here.
Luckily, there are plant foods that can help with heavy metal removal. Several of these foods are in this smoothie to help remove heavy metal neurotoxins, clear your digestive tract and help prevent oxidative damage.
Why We Love this Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie
We do a smoothie detox a couple of times a year, and a heavy metal smoothie always makes the list of the detox smoothies we drink. In our world, the soil and water contain contaminants, and no matter how “clean” you eat you are consuming some level of comtaninants daily and there isn’t a lot we can do about it.
This is our favorite heavy metal detox smoothie because all of the ingredients have been carefully selected to help detox the body of heavy metals.
Ingredients in This Detoxifying Smoothie
Blueberry
Blueberries are a powerful detoxifier, thanks to their high levels of antioxidants. They can help rid the body of harmful toxins and metals.
The best blueberries for detoxifying are wild blueberries, as they have higher amounts of antioxidants to help get rid of heavy metals. You can buy wild blueberries in the frozen section of your local grocery store, or get a wild blueberry powder. If you can’t find wild blueberries, feel free to use cultivated blueberries, either regular fresh or frozen blueberries.
Read more about blueberries and detoxifying here
Flax Seed
Flax seeds are a source of healthy omega 3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for overall health. They can also help with detoxification, thanks to their high levels of fiber.
If you don’t have flax seeds you can also use chia seed or hemp seed as they also have good levels of omega 3 fats to help with your detox.
You can easily find flax seed at your local grocer, sometimes in the natural food section and sometimes in the baking area, and that is where you can also find chia seeds and hemp seeds (also called hemp hearts).
Greens Powder
Greens powder is packed with nutrients and antioxidants, which can help with detoxification.
Look for a variety specifically for detoxification like the ones shown below for best results, but any greens powder will help, so if you already have a variety on hand you like, it’s great to stick with it.
Barley Grass Juice Powder is good for detoxing, so if you don’t have a powder that includes barley grass juice extract try picking one up for your detox smoothie. I like ones that have a variety of greens and other ingredients including spirulina, chlorella and dulse flakes.
If you don’t have any greens powder, here are my top recommendations:
- PROMOTES HEALTHY DIGESTION: Our Greens Blend are thoughtfully crafted with a nutritious blend of alkalizing greens, antioxidants, fiber & pre and probiotics to support your overall digestive health to help you feel amazing.
- CLEAN AND GREEN: Made with ingredients you can trust, our Greens Blend are Certified Organic by CCOF, Sugar Free, Gluten Free, Plant Based, Kosher and Non GMO.
- SUPPORTS IMMUNITY AND GUT HEALTH: Packed with 2 full servings of wholesome fruits, vegetables, vitamins & minerals in every scoop, our Greens Blend ensures you are getting the right amount of nutrients to support overall health and immunity.
- NATURAL ENERGY BOOST: Packed with superfoods, our Greens Blend provides that extra boost to your day. With added probiotics, our Greens Blend promote healthy gut bacteria so you can feel your best!
- ONE SCOOP A DAY: Whether it is starting your day off on the right foot or for an afternoon pick me up, our Greens Blend are easy to incorporate into your daily routine.
Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is a great source of vitamin C, which helps the body to detoxify. It’s also a refreshing addition to any smoothie.
Since we are doing a detox, it is important that you squeeze the juice from a fresh lemon. Bottled lemon juice is okay for a variety of applications, but since heat damages the vitamin C, it’s best to get it fresh.
Cilantro
Cilantro is a cleansing herb that can help to remove toxins from the body. This is a known detoxifying agent for heavy metals and is widely used as such.
Some people don’t like the taste of cilantro, so if you really don’t like it you can buy supplements to take instead so you don’t have to taste it.
Personally I like cilantro and don’t mind the flavor mixed with the others in this smoothie. If you’re unsure, add just a few leaves to start.
Read all about cilantro and detox here
Spinach
Spinach is also a cleansing herb that can help to remove toxins from the body. In fact, all green vegetables can help with detox, so fill up with as many green vegetables as possible during your detox period for best results.
Spinach is a great green for smoothies because it’s a very mild flavor that hides well in smoothies. If you’re new to greens, start with just a few leaves and work your way up.
Banana
Okay, I’ll be honest, the banana in this smoothie is the only ingredient that doesn’t really do much for heavy metals, but it makes this smoothie so much better tasting, which is why we included it.
Let’s face it, all the detoxifying ingredients in the world can be added to one smoothie (including mushrooms and garlic)… but would anyone really want to drink it?
In our smoothie a smoothie has to not only be healthy but it must pass our taste test, too, and we found this smoothie passed with the addition of a frozen banana.
If you don’t like banana feel free to leave it out or add another sweet fruit such as pineapple or mango. Even dates, stevia or monk fruit can replace the banana in this smoothie.
Coconut Water
Coconut water is high in electrolytes, which can help to flush toxins from the body. There isn’t really a “perfect” detoxifying liquid for heavy metals, but coconut water comes the closest so I chose it for this smoothie.
You can use any coconut water you want as long as there are no added sweeteners. You can also substitute a juice such as celery juice or orange juice.
Read more about the 10 best foods for heavy metal detox, including many of the ones listed here
How to Blend a Detox Smoothie
Start by adding all the solid ingredients to your blender. Then, add the greens powder to the top and pour the coconut water on top. It will seep around the solids to reach the blades.
Then, blend on high speed until smooth. Taste and see if it needs any other sweeteners or adjustments and check your texture to see if you want to thicken or thin it out.
If your smoothie is too thick, add more liquid until it reaches the desired consistency. If it’s too thin, add more solids until it reaches the desired consistency.
If you want to add more sweetness, add a little honey, dates or another sweetener of choice. You can also add more banana if you want it sweeter and don’t mind the extra calories.
You’ll Also Love These Other Detox Smoothies
Tips for Making the Perfect Detox Smoothie
To make the perfect detox smoothie, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Use fresh ingredients whenever possible. This will help to ensure that you’re getting the most nutrients possible.
- If you can’t find fresh ingredients, frozen is the next best thing.
- Try to avoid canned ingredients as they can contain metals.
- Add as many greens as you can handle. If you’re new to greens, start with a small amount and work your way up.
- Use a high-powered blender for best results. This will help to break down the ingredients more and make a smoother smoothie.
- Add a little bit of sweetness to make it more palatable. This can be in the form of a ripe banana, honey, dates or another sweetener of choice.
- If you want a thicker smoothie, add more solids. If you want a thinner smoothie, add more liquid.
- Add ice if you want a cold smoothie.
- Drink your smoothie right away for the best results. If you can’t drink it right away, store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Enjoy your detox smoothie and feel good knowing that you’re helping your body to remove toxins!
Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie
Equipment
- Measuring Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1/4 cup flax seeds
- 1 scoop greens powder
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 banana (frozen)
- 1 cup coconut water
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to blender.
- Blend on high speed until smooth.
- Enjoy.
Final Thoughts on Our Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie
Why not give this detox smoothie a try for yourself? It’s easy to make and contains ingredients that have been shown to help with heavy metal detox.
If you’re new to detoxing, start with a small amount of greens and work your way up. And if you can’t drink it right away, store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Enjoy your detox smoothie and feel good knowing that you’re helping your body to remove toxins!
Happy Blending!
Amanda