Apple, Flax, and Pomegranate Detox Smoothie

Ah! This past weekend was one of those nutritionally challenging ones for us. Our clients always appreciate hearing that as registered dietitians and personal trainers, we are not immune to tough weekends too. We wish we were! However, it seemed everywhere we turned something else was sabotaging our healthy eating efforts—whether it was the restaurant adding so much butter (despite requesting them to leave it out) that our fish was swimming in it, to ordering a vegan butternut squash soup to later learn they mistakenly added cream—and lots of it! Ah! So we’re dying to get back on track! In these situations, we typically go for our Kale Recharge Smoothie, our Green Grape & Matcha Detox Drink, or our Sparkling Cucumber and Detox Refresher, however, today we’re feeling like we want a breakfast “detox” smoothie…

If overindulgences leave you feeling bloated and uncomfortable like we do this smoothie will flush bloat and the stomach irritants that may be lingering in your digestive tract, flood your body with anti-inflammatory compounds to help to protect against any of the damage that may have resulted from less healthy indulgences and from environmental pollution, as well as immediately get your mind and body back on the healthy track. We recommend drinking 16 ounces of water when you wake up, and then following up with this great breakfast “detox” smoothie.

Here are some reasons this breakfast “detox” smoothie works its magic:

Fluid- This liquid smoothie helps to hydrate the body, helping blood to carry nutrients and oxygen efficiently throughout the body to help it to function more efficiently. Fluid helps to “rinse” the body by flushing out bloating-sodium and the break-down end products from metabolism. Getting waste out of the body is a normal bodily process and fluid helps the body to do this effectively.

Flaxseeds! Flaxseeds are loaded with essential fatty acids, particularly the omega-3s, and are a great source of antioxidants to help to fight the damage from toxins and everyday stress and pollutants and to bolster the immune system. They are packed with fiber to keep the digestive tract moving to flush out the bloating stomach irritants and to keep you regular, flushing waste from the colon.

Greek yogurt provides protein for this breakfast smoothie to help keep you feeling satisfied. Yogurt contains probiotics which supply the gut with healthy bacteria that fortify the GI tract’s natural flora. These help aid digestion and boost the body’s natural immune responses. So more of this healthy bacteria, can mean less illnesses.

Apples are the one food we have each had every day since we were in high school. We like to credit them with helping the slogan ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ hold true for us.They’re packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and many beneficial phytochemicals, all which boost immunity. Apples are a good source of fiber including the soluble fiber pectin, so they help to keep you regular, flushing out bloat by preventing food from lingering in the colon.

Pomegranates give your immune system that extra boost of protection while your body is ridding itself of harmful toxins and chemicals. Pomegranates are loaded with anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant that gives the fruit its’ beautiful red color! It’s possible that anthocyanins may protect against DNA damage, inflammation, and reduce the risk certain diseases.

This smoothie is fantastic at breakfast because it’s a good source ofprotein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats to keep you satiated while providing antioxidants and anti-inflammatories to bolster the immune system and prevent damage from free radicals and fiber, to keep you regular.

Apple, Flax, and Pomegranate Detox Smoothie

This Breakfast smoothie is great on those mornings when you feel full from the day before because it satisfies you with liquid and doesn’t make you feel overly stuffed–and it helps to prevent you from overdoing it later, all while flushing bloat! You can read more about why having a breakfast like this is critical to put the kibosh on over eating.

Makes 1 Serving

Ingredients: