cleanse – GRIT By Brit

4 Fantastic DETOX Drinks

October 29, 2013 3 Comments

Hey guys! As always I hope your week is going well. In preparation for the holidays, I’ve been searching for some interesting yet effective detox drinks to help me get through all of the turkey, ham and pie that I plan to eat. I found these 4 recipes that I’m super excited about. I’ve already tested them and they received the GRIT by Brit stamp of approval. Remember that detox drinks are good meal replacements and/or supplements to add to your diet every once in a while. However, long-term elimination of food for intense detox cleanses can be dangerous and actually slow down your metabolism which leads to weight gain. Be smart and drink up! Lots of luv, Brit

1. Fat Burning Detox Drink

I love this drink because it has apple cider vinegar in it! Apple Cider Vinegar is believed by many to be a natural fat burner – my mother and grandmother swear by it. Growing up, I remember watching them take a straight shot of it every morning. In case you’ve never had it, it’s disgusting! I found this recipe on Raining Hot Coupons and I was excited to find that the drink actually tastes good!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of water
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sweetener
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
½ apple (sliced) – add to the liquid ingredients at eat after you finish drinking

Instructions: Mix all liquid ingredients together in a blender/shaker for 10 seconds. Pour into a cup a let sit for 10 minutes. Drink and eat the apple slices at the end.

2. Liver Detox Drink

The liver is our most vital, detoxifying organ. Sometimes it has to work overtime when we consume too much processed food, alcohol, sweeteners and coffee. Everyone once in a while, it’s a good idea to give your liver a rest by drinking tons of water and drinking this liver detox drink. All of the ingredients in this recipe are ‘RAW” and have been shown to naturally help cleanse the liver.

Ingredients:

A handful of spinach
1 apple
1 banana
1 lemon (squeezed)
Half a chili pepper (optional)
1 garlic clove or as much as desired (optional)
1 glass of water

Instructions: Put all ingredients into a blender and mix until smooth

3. Digestive Detox Drink

Warning! This drink does NOT taste good, but it is really good for you. It’s got a ton of vegetables that are super rich in fiber. If you’ve been suffering from constipation and want a digestive “cleaning,” look no further!

Ingredients:

3 carrots
3 kale leaves
2 celery stalks
2 beets
1 turnip
½ bunch of spinach
½ cabbage
½ bunch of parsley
½ onion
2 garlic cloves

Instructions: Mix all ingredients with water and puree in a blender.

4. Diuretic Detox Dandelion Tea

Dandelion detox tea is a diuretic that will eliminate bodily toxins through your liver and kidneys. Drinking it is natural way to rid your body of excess water and feel lean. According to classical homeopathic practitioner Sonya McLeod, B.A., D.C.H., dandelions are a great source of vitamin A, potassium, iron and calcium. Also, some research shows that it’s a natural cancer fighter. Most importantly Lindsey Lohan and Gwyneth Paltro swear by it (kidding, not kidding).

6 tablespoons of 1-year-old dried dandelion root
12 tablespoons of fresh dandelion leaves
4 cups of purified, boiling water.

Instructions: Mix all ingredients together in a tea bag. Place bag in boiling water and brew for about 10 minutes.

Just for Fun

5 Super Smoothie Recipes: Lo SUGAR Hi PROTIEN

August 12, 2013 No Comments

Since I travel for work every week, I often need a nutritious filling meal on the go. Lately, I’ve gotten really into smoothies (as you know from all of my Dr. OZ Drink Cleanses). I like smoothies because they’re an easy way work in my daily serving of fruit & veggies as well as other vitamins and protein. BUT, I have to be careful to choose the RIGHT smoothies. By “right” I mean smoothies with low to moderate sugar and lots of protein. While smoothies are tasty, they can be loaded with sugar which packs on the pounds and makes us hungry. Keep in mind that smoothies are good forms of “meal replacements” not “appetizers.” Often, I unintentionally consume too many calories in 1 day because I’ll have a smoothie PLUS my meals – not a good look. If you are trying to drop a few pounds, be sure to drink a smoothie INSTEAD of eating a meal. Keep this in mind as you enjoy these 5 Super Smoothie recipes! Lots of luv, Brit 🙂

Brit’s Berry Blast Smoothie

3/4 Grapefruit Juice
1/3 Cup of egg whites
1 Cup frozen or fresh mixed berries (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries)

Carob Nut Banana Smoothie

1 banana (small) cut into pieces
1/4 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon dried carob powder*
2 tablespoons reduced fat peanut butter
1/2 Cup of ice

Apple Cinnamon Soy Smoothie

1/3 Cup egg whites
1 Sweet, crisp apple (medium size) peeled, chopped red apple (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 Cup refrigerated vanilla soy milk
1/4 Teaspoon ground cinnamon

Lean Mean Green Smoothie

1 cup kefir
2 T ground flax-seed
1 1/2 cups spinach
1 banana
1/4 quinoa (prepared with milk)
1 tsp peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla (optional)

Copycat Gladiator Smoothie (Smoothie King)

This recipe is great because you can alter it to fit your own preference and change it up as much as you’d like! (My favorite is vanilla protein powder with strawberries and banana!)

1 serving of whey protein powder (any flavor you like)
1 Cup of fruit
1 Cup of water, or milk of choice
1/2 Cup of ice

Inspiration & Motivation

Dr. Oz 3 Day Cleanse Confessions

May 16, 2013 77 Comments

So, I’ve officially completed the Dr. Oz 3 Day Detox. I personally wanted to try the detox because I’m a new vegetarian (5 months strong) and I’ve noticed that I’ve become sloppy (i.e. eating lots of simple carbs and fewer fruits and veggies). I’ve actually gained 3 pounds since I’ve become a vegetarian…not a good look. The Dr. Oz cleanse presented me with a great opportunity to get back on track it because it replaces meals with fruit/veggie drinks for 3 days. Click here to see the drink recipes. Overall, I give the Dr. Oz cleanse the “GRIT by Brit 2 thumbs up” and here’s why…

First off, I definitely got my fair share of veggies and fruits. Each drink consists of at least 3-4 servings of fruits/vegetables (sometimes more than I eat in an entire day). I feel like a born again vegetarian 🙂 Unlike most cleanses, each drink includes some sort of healthy fat (i.e. avocado, coconut oil, almond butter). This is really important because my body wasn’t deprived of essential nutrients AND I got an adequate amount of protein. Since I weight train 2-3 times per week, I HAVE to make sure that my protein intake is sufficient so that my muscles can repair themselves. I was also really impressed by how tasty each of the drinks are. I mean, who would guess blending mango, blueberries, cayenne pepper, avocado and coconut water would actually taste good?

Secondly, in only 3 days I lost 2.2 pounds 🙂 I’m 5’8″ and very muscular but I always try to keep my weight below 153 pounds. Still 1 more pound to go!

Also, I developed a new obsession = Epsom Salt and lavender oil baths! This was HEAVEN IN MY HOME! Daily soak sessions are a part of the Dr. Oz cleanse. Not only are they detoxifying, but they are SO relaxing and soothing! As a group fitness instructor I always have sore muscles and these baths were a perfect remedy for my muscle aches. I also discovered Dr. Teal’s Epsom + Lavender oil bath soak, so I can buy both ingredients already combined – yes!

Last, the cleanse has definitely helped me ween off coffee. I sometimes drink 4 cups a day…not good I know, but at least I’m honest. After going 3 days without coffee, I’ve realized that I don’t really need it. The cleanse calls for 1 cup of hot green tea ever morning which gave me a decent caffeine fix. However, I was a little groggy on some days without my Cup-a-Joe. This is something I’ll continue to work on.

Now that the cleanse is over, I’ve decided that this is not going to be a “one time thing” for me. I really loved the lunch drink, so today I’m having it for dinner before I head to yoga! I’m going to continue making these smoothies and drinking them as meal replacements every now and then. It’s an easy and efficient way to ensure I get enough fiber and my fruit/veggie fix.

If you are considering trying the Dr. Oz 3 Day Detox cleanse – I highly recommend it. Let me know how it goes!

Lots of luv, health & joy to you!

xoxo, Brit

Inspiration & Motivation

3-Day Detox Cleanse by Dr.OZ

May 12, 2013 36 Comments

So, some of my best friends have been ranting and raving about the great results they’ve had with the Dr. Oz Juice Cleanse. Have any of you tried the cleanse before? Were you successful? Obviously, I have serious FOMO (fear of missing out) and have to try it for myself. I already went shopping and bought all of my ingredients (see pic below).

I’m especially excited about bathing in Epsom Salt every night! Growing up, my mother (a true country woman) would ALWAYS make me bathe in Epsom Salt to help soothe mosquito bites, achy muscles or open scrapes from playground accidents. No matter the issue, an Epsom Salt bath was her go-to cure.

What’s really interesting about this “cleanse” is that the drinks actually include A LOT of food. I spent $90 at Central Market today buying all of the ingredients. If you look closely at each of the drinks, they each include almost 4 full servings of fruits and veggies – that’s AMAZING! I have a feeling that the drinks are going to be very filling 😉

Also, I’m infatuated with Coconut Oil right now. I like to use it on my skin and in my hair for deep conditioning, but never have I ingested it. This will be a first. Last, the almond butter, almond milk and flax seeds are nice additions to help ensure I get sufficient protein Altogether, this cleanse is HEALTHY, BALANCED and LEGIT according to GRIT by Brit!

Follow me on Twitter @GRITbyBrit for my pictures and progress updates over the next 3 days. Also, please share your cleanse stories if you’ve decided to try it too!

Hope you had a great weekend – CHOOSE to have a great week ahead!