Should You Use Smoothies as a Meal Replacement?

One of the most frequently asked questions we get during our 30 Day Green Smoothie Challenge is: “Do I use the smoothie as a meal replacement or is is on top of what I already eat?”

You can replace one meal per day with a smoothie, if that works for you.

As you sleep, your body is working away to restore, heal and cleanse. Digestion consumes a lot of energy, and so by having a smoothie for breakfast or your evening meal, you can help to support your body around that “sleep window”.

…This works well because smoothies are “pre-digested” aka your body doesn’t have to work to break down solid food. Since they are made up of raw plant-based foods, this is generally easier for the body to digest than cooked foods. You are also providing your body with anti-oxidants that help to reduce oxidative stress.

That said, we want to re-emphasize how important it is to make sure you’re still eating well. If your main meal is in the evening, and you want to replace that with a smoothie, then make sure you have an adequate lunch, etc.

If you’re hoping to shed unwanted weight, here are some tips for you to follow:

1. Keep eating: Don’t restrict your calories, but instead choose foods that are nutrient dense and come from nature. Real and whole foods are unprocessed, do not contain artificial sugars, refined flours or denatured fats.

If you want to do a cleanse, make sure you’re prepared and following a cleanse guided by professionals. Click here to see if our 21 Day Raw Food Reset Cleanse is for you.

2. Keep hydrated: Drink water, green smoothies or green juices. Skip store-bought fruit juices, sodas, dairy products and soy.

3. Stick to a routine: Your body and hormones crave routine and in order to shift gears into fat burning and weight loss, your body needs to know exactly what to expect. Eating at the same time daily can be a big help.

4. Try liver supportive herbs and tinctures: Check with your herbalist or Naturopath to see if something like Milk thistle or another liver cleansing herb would be right for you. Supporting your liver in its ability to detoxify will free up energy to focus on weight loss and healing.

5. Get more sleep! You’ll be amazed at how powerful transforming your sleep cycle can be for the body when it comes to weight loss, hormonal balance, and healing. Try to get at least 8 hours and be in bed before midnight.

Young and Raw

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