Cucumber Avocado Detox Soup

This is an interesting chilled soup that acts as a detox,  tastes great, and is healthy too.
Summer is a great time to detox, and this delightful chilled cucumber avocado soup is a delicious way to do it. The simple soup contains specific healthy ingredients that can help increase your body's alkalinity and help eliminate toxins that may clog your liver.

The soup is very easy to make and is refreshing! The Avocado makes it creamy, the cucumber makes it light, the red onion gives it flavor, the lemon and apple cider vinegar make it a slightly tangy and cayenne gives it a little kick!

It serves as a quick snack or a mid afternoon pick me up after a day's work. The nutrients and healthy fats are energizing, and it only takes 5 minutes to prepare from start to finish.

Personally, I sometimes leave out the cayenne and drink it for breakfast like a green smoothie.
If I want even more greens, I add a leaf of kale or spinach!

Mild, cooling, and delicious, this vegan and gluten free soup is a welcome treat on hot summer's day!I make the recipe for myself in advance as a snack, pick me up, or breakfast smoothie.
If you would like to make it for 2-4 people, the recipe multiplies well

My notes: Although you can drink it immediately after whirling it in the high speed blender , it really tastes best when it's been chilled for a few hours. It also holds up great overnight in the refrigerator so you can make it in advance for guests! Yes, Chill It!

Author: Judee Algazi
Prep Time: 5-7 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Serves 1- multiply by 4 if desired

Ingredients: 

 2 Persian or Kirby type organic cucumbers ( if not organic peel off skin), sliced
1 teaspoon of chopped red onion
1/4 avocado, peeled
1/4 cup of chopped organic parsley
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon ( or lime) juice
1/8 teaspoon of pink Himalayan Sea Salt
1 cup of water
Optional: 1/4 tsp chili powder or cayenne pepper


Directions:
Using a Nutribullet, Vitamix, or blender, add all the ingredients and whiz until well blended.
Remove and drink or chill for later.
Garnish with sliced cucumber or mint sprig.

Chilled Delicious Cucumber Avocado Detox Soup

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St Patricks Day Green Smoothie

It's St. Patrick's Day and I want something green. There is nothing like a green smoothie to help detox, get rid of bloat, and energize the body! Green smoothies are easy to digest, are nourishing and a cinch to make.

In honor of St. Patrick's Day in addition to wearing green, why not treat yourself to this delicious green detox!

I've said it before-
Raw greens are the best choice to help cleanse the body and help alkalize it : Two ingredients needed for weight loss and optimal health.

Using smoothies to cleanse  is like taking out the garbage. We accumulate toxins through what we eat , digest, and breath. Detoxing helps the body rid toxins and take a burden off the liver ( which is our body's filter; if the liver is clogged, it doesn't work efficiently.

I originally saw the recipe for this green detox smoothie  in the Nov 25 2013  issue of Woman' s World Magazine.  It was a great article about how to do a Smoothie Diet and take off 5 pounds in 3 days.

The article offered a variety of detoxes including a green detox smoothie, a red detox smoothie, a detox soup for dinner, and an almond milk smoothie for a snack. I followed their detox suggestions  for the suggested 3 days, and was pleased that I lost 4 and half pounds and didn't feel hungry.

The green detox was my favorite: It's perfect for a healthy St. Patrick's Day Celebration


Ingredients for Smoothie: 
1/2 large banana, sliced and frozen
2 fresh figs, sliced ( or you can substitute any other fruit like berries)
2 cups curly ( organic ) kale
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon ( contains fiber and blood sugar regulators)
16 ounces of cold water

Directions:
Place all ingredients in your blender or Nutribullet ( I use the Nutribullet and love it)Blend and enjoy immediately.

There are lots of other ways to detox too-

Detox Soup is a great way to detox in the winter. I lost 5 pounds in 4 days 




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Beet Detox Drink + my favorite beet recipes

 Do you like beets?
 Beets are one of nature's natural and potent detoxifiers.
 The components of this bright red vegetable help provide an avenue for harmful toxins to be eliminated from the body. I've included a way to use raw beet for juicing to make a Beet Detox Drink and 5 of my favorite cooked beet recipes!

After indulging during the holidays, I felt it was time to get back on track- adding more vegetables like beets to my diet, just makes sense to help detox  some of the bloat, toxins, and few extra pounds that I've accumulated. 

To detox with beets: add a 1/4 fresh beet ( peeled) to your favorite fresh juice ( made in the juicer)  or add to a smoothie - remember : raw beets are potent, you don't need a lot.

My Beet Detox Drink

• I sometimes juice using my juicer ( not a Bullet )
• 2 -3 carrots,
• 2 stalks celery,
• 1/4 beet,
•  4 stalks romaine lettuce,
• 1/2 cucumber ( all organic) .
• After juicing,  I add some water to the glass so it is not too sweet and a teaspoon of olive or coconut oil. ( need to know more ? here is more in depth info on how and what to juice- need more energy? then juice
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Don't like beets?

Here are two other ways to use food to detox 
without using beets

1. Winter Soup Detox Soup - the most popular post on my blog- everyone loves nourishing, satisfying, warming winter detox

2. Morning ph balancing drink- my #2 most popular post
    Drink This, lose weight

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Eliminating junk food, processed foods, and adding a fresh vegetable smoothie or fresh vegetable juice daily is a great way to get started!

Cooked beets are delicious and contain valuable nutrients and antioxidants. Even kids love them!The best part is that they are actually  low in calories, have significant fiber, low in fat, rich in potassium and have zero cholesterol. (sounds like a good choice)

Two reasons that I often forget to eat or make beets

1. I love them, but my husband won't touch them with a ten foot poll.
2. They can be a little messy to make and do stain, so you have to be careful.

I've learned to use rubber gloves when handling them.

If you are looking to add more variety to your meals and want to improve your diet, don't forget about beets!

My Favorite Beet Recipes

Beet Salad with Lemon, Celery and Mint  is a favorite recipe that has a rich lemony taste. This crunchy side dish can be eaten with just about any meal. It hints a Middle Eastern flavor that is very inviting.  I like beets topped with a dollup of Greek yogurt or sour cream. (otherwise this recipe is vegan gluten free/grain free)

Beet and Orange Salad in White Balsamic Vinegar is colorful to look at and makes a beautiful presentation. The sweetness of the beets and oranges mixed with tart balsamic vinegar makes a tangy side dish that is sure to please all beet lovers! Vegan, gluten free/grain free)

Quinoa Lover's Salad with Roasted Beets- This is one of our favorites! It is a perfect entrée that satisfies your vegetarian or vegan guests while delighting meat eaters as a side dish. Quinoa is high in protein, light in taste, and nutrient dense. The addition of roasted beets makes it hearty and delicious. (vegan, gluten free/ )

Medley of Roasted Winter acorn Squash and roasted beets is a perfect combination that adds a little sweetness to the blander acorn squash. Roasting the vegetables brings out the best flavors. ( vegan, gluten free/grain free) 

Hearty Beet Borscht Soup; Cold or hot- I think you either love beet soup or you hate it! I'm used to it because of my eastern European background. My grandparents and parents ate it on a regular basis: hot in the winter and cold in the summer. ( my grandmother lived to be 107 - was it the borsht??? (vegan, gluten free/grain free)

Caramelized Beets in Balsamic Glaze- Simple to make; a delight to eat. We enjoy this easy but delicious way to eat beets. Looks pretty too.

What are your favorite beet recipes? Please share

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including: 

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Good food is my passion. I am gluten intolerant, busy. and strive for a healthy balanced lifestyle. It has taken me many years to develop and discover easy healthy recipes that meet gluten free, vegetarian/vegan and real food standards. On my blog I share my journey, my struggles, my discoveries, and my new recipes. I hope you find ideas, resources, and recipes that will be helpful to you. Come Back soon.

Author: Judee Algazi

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Disclaimers: 

The information on this blog is for educational purposes only. Always check with your doctor before making changes to your diet.

I am an affiliate for Amazon and receive a very small compensation when you buy anything from Amazon by clicking on to Amazon from my blog - This helps me defray the cost of my blog expenses. Thank you for your support.

 

Detox Soup

Need a quick detox from too many parties, holidays, and overeating? This 4 day soup detox is healthy and will get rid of the extra pounds quickly. 

Last weekend, we attended three parties: 
Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday night.
Need I say more?

I enjoyed the parties , but when I stepped on the scale on
Monday, I wasn't happy.



I've been enjoying the festive season, but festivities can be fattening.

 I was sharing my woes to my good friend Anne. She said that when she needs to get off the junk, cleanse, lose a few pounds and detox, she spends 4 days detoxing the easy way.

The Healthy and Easy Way to Detox

She makes a big pot of delicious vegan vegetable detox soup and eats it for lunch and dinner.

She read about this type of detox in one of her weight loss books. 

It's healthy, filling and cleansing.

The very next day after my confiding to her,  Anne presented me with a huge container of her soup,  enough for me for two days. 

That was four days ago, and since then I took off five pounds and never felt hungry or dissatisfied in the least. 

I even went to my book club pot luck dinner and guess what I brought? Everyone loved it!

I made a pot of that soup, and I ate it for dinner along with a salad that someone else brought. I just called it vegetable soup.

This detox is easy and works for 4 simple reasons

• It's short term - just four days
• Convenience- once you make the soup in advance- it's always ready when you are hungry.
• No choices- that keeps me on track
• Healthy,  filling and tasty- full of vegetables and beans
• The high fiber and protein helps stabilize blood sugar to eliminate cravings

Also , Since I haven't been starving myself or eating restrictive foods, I'm able to maintain the weight loss once I go back to my regular healthy eating habits.

Can't do it for 4 days?
Even 2 days can help you detox some of the bloat

The best part is that there is no steadfast recipe.
You can substitute any non starchy vegetable or bean in your recipe. 

Don't like kidney beans? Add black beans. I added spinach to my 2nd pot of soup and my daughter in law Wendy added green beans to a soup she made.

* Do not add potatoes, butternut squash, or sweet potatoes if you want to lose weight.

From: Gluten Free A-Z Blog
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Slow Cooker Cook Time: 3 hours

Stove Top Cook Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

1/2 medium cabbage, chopped (about 6 cups)
1 28 ounce can of organic only chopped tomatoes (or 6 fresh chopped fresh tomatoes roasted)
1/2 cup organic tomato paste
1 and 1/2 cups uncooked red or brown lentils, washed
2 cups of cooked kidney beans with liquid ( or 1 organic can with juice )
4 large organic carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
10 fresh green beans

1 large organic red bell pepper, chopped
1 package of sliced mushrooms, or any dried mushrooms(soak first)
1 onion chopped
4 -5 cloves garlic, pressed
fresh cracked pepper to taste ( I also added 21 Salute salt free seasoning from Trader Joes which is a salt free seasoning like Mrs Dash with lots of herbs in it) 

8 cups clean filtered water depending on the size of your pot
4 cups vegetable broth 
a few sprigs of fresh basil

2 bay leaves (remove before eating the soup)

a few shakes of ground hot pepper (optional)

**remember- this soup is versatile and as long as you stick to non-starchy vegetables such as zucchini, green beans, mushrooms, cucumbers, spinach etc.you can add or omit to your personal taste. 

Do not add starchy vegetables (potatoes, sweet potato, winter squash)

 Easy Directions:

Crock Pot Directions
Put everything into the slow cooker on high for 3 hours and then  change to low for another two hours if the lentils are not soft enough

Stove Top Directions:
Use a few sprays of olive oil to a very large soup pot and add garlic and onions. Stir for a full minute and add then add cabbage and stir for another full minute. Add the carrots, celery, red pepper, tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, and lentils , beans, seasoning and water. Bring to a boil and allow to cook on high for about 15-20 minutes uncovered. Add the raw mushrooms and turn down heat to simmer and cover the pot. Allow to cook for about 1 and 1/2 to 2 hours until your lentils are nice and soft. I like to make mine in a pot- I like the taste better.

***Remember this is a low salt soup to help you detox! It will not be salty like regular soups. If you absolutely cannot palate soup without salt, then add one container of clear vegetable soup broth of your choice when it's done cooking.

Feel free to eat salad with lemon juice with your soup for lunch or dinner you will still be ok. If you find you are really hungry, eat 1 large boiled potato at lunch!

Like this recipe ? Pin it for later- don't loose it!!

Remember, you can substitute the vegetables and beans to any beans or vegetables of your liking.. use any kind of non starchy vegetables and any kind of beans. You won't be hungry and the best part is that your meal is always ready and waiting for you

Don't have a crock pot/slow cooker? Just make the soup in a pot.. tastes even better

Make sure to pin this recipe for future reference!!

Want another great way to detox and lose weight? Try Drinking this- works great!

Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor. The information in this post is for educational information only. ALWAYS check with your doctor before making any changes in your diet. Do not try this detox without asking your doctor first.

Order My Soups Cookbook on Amazon: 

I am a cookbook author and have published a wonderful healthy plant-based soups cookbook with over 80 delicious easy to make soup recipes and 80 inspirational quotes to help motivate you to healthy eating.

 

Order on Amazon plant-based soups cookbook (link)

(Easy Plant-Based Soups From Farm To Ladle)

Like this recipe ? for later- don't loose it!!

To see the many other healthy gluten free recipes, healthy living tips, kitchen and blogging ideas that I pin each day, follow me on Pinterest Gluten Free A-Z

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Juicing Is My Self Care When I'm Run Down or Stressed

      

                                            

Why I Juice Instead of Making Smoothies

Juicing  Feels Like Self-Care When My Body Needs Support

Although they’re often grouped together, smoothies and juicing are very different.

Smoothies are made by blending whole fruits and vegetables, which means all the fiber stays in the drink. That fiber is healthy, but it can also be harder on the digestive system, especially if your digestion isn’t at its best.

Juicing, on the other hand, uses a juice extractor to remove the fiber and bulk, leaving behind a clear, light liquid. This allows the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients to be absorbed almost immediately—no heavy digestion required.

When you’re worn down, stressed, or overwhelmed (which many of us are), that quick nourishment can make a noticeable difference.

And in a world full of processed foods, environmental toxins, and chronic stress, fresh vegetable juice can be a simple, powerful form of daily support.

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Juicing Makes Nutrients Easier to Absorb—Especially for Digestive Issues

If you have celiac disease, gluten intolerance, IBS, or other digestive challenges, you may not be fully absorbing nutrients from the foods you eat—even if your diet is healthy.

This is where juicing really shines.

Because the fiber has been removed, the nutrients in fresh vegetable juice are nearly 100% absorbable. Adding just one daily green juice can help support energy, digestion, and overall vitality.

If you’ve been feeling depleted, this small habit may have a surprisingly big payoff.

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The #1 Reason People Give Up on Juicing: The Clean-Up

Let’s be honest—the clean-up is what turns most people off.

But here’s the good news: it doesn’t have to be a big production.

I’ve been juicing for years, and from start to finish—including clean-up—I can make a fresh glass of vegetable juice in about 6 minutes.

My trick? I clean the juicer immediately after using it with a water sprayer. Everything rinses right off, and most of the parts go straight into the dishwasher.

Six minutes is a pretty small investment for the daily health benefits fresh juice provides.

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Raw Vegetables Contain Powerful Enzymes

One of the biggest advantages of fresh juice is the natural enzymes found in raw fruits and vegetables.

These enzymes support digestion and overall health, but they’re fragile. That’s why it’s best to drink your juice right away, while the enzymes are still active and intact.

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Here’s Why I Juice

Fresh vegetable juice provides:

• Antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and natural detoxifiers

• Nutrients that are easy to digest and quickly absorbed

• A noticeable boost in energy

• Immune-supporting compounds

• Powerful antioxidants that nourish and protect cells

• Support for the body’s natural detoxification process

And honestly? When I drink a glass of freshly made green juice, it tastes incredibly pure—and it just feels healthy.

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Why Fresh Juice Is Far Better Than Store-Bought Juice

No bottled, frozen, canned, or packaged juice compares to freshly extracted vegetable juice.

Store-bought juices are heated and processed to extend shelf life. That process destroys many vitamins, minerals, and enzymes—the very things we’re drinking juice for in the first place.

Some of the most nourishing juices come from vegetables like:

• Cucumber

• Kale

• Collard greens

• Romaine lettuce

• Celery

• Parsley

• Carrots

But their benefits are highest only when the juice is fresh and consumed immediately.

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How to Make Fresh Juice

There are many juicing machines available on the market that make fresh juice in a matter of minutes.

• Step 1:  Buy an electric juice extracting machine like a Breville or a Braun
  
   Juicing extracting machines are available on amazon -  juice extractors
  Prices range from around $50-$300; you can get a decent juicer for about $79-$99
  ( Also check out yard sales; many people get juicers as gifts and try them once or never even open the box. I got a brand new one at a yard sale for $10 from someone who never used it)
  
  
• Step 2:  Read the consumer reviews below each machine before purchasing  a juicer 
  
  
• Once you have a machine,  follow the manufacturer's instructions and make fresh life giving  juice in just minutes

Why I always juice  healthy greens such as romaine lettuce, kale, collard greens and or celery.

I always use organic carrots as my main base and add romaine lettuce, cucumber, celery, 1/2 organic apple. This combination is rich in beta carotene and chlorophyll.

Green juice is not for those that are not accustomed to eating greens. In the beginning you may want to stick to a milder drink of carrots, cucumber, apple, and a little romaine. Dark greens like dandelion greens, collard greens, and kale can be very pungent, so go easy in the beginning. 
You can also add a clove of fresh garlic or ginger if you are under the weather.

A chlorophyll rich drink with carrots, romaine lettuce, dandelion greens, and apple.

If you are new to juicing, Here is a good juice: 
start out with 3-4 large organic carrots, 1 small organic apple, 2 stalks romaine lettuce in the beginning. As you become accustomed to juicing greens, add dandelion greens, kale or parsley.

Detoxify the Blood Stream with Dark Greens: 
Dark leafy greens contain the pigment chlorophyll, which gives greens their dark green color. This pigment absorbs energy from the sun during photosynthesis and is a wonderful cleanser to help detoxify toxins out of our system. 

With Less Toxins, it is easier to lose fat stores

Because the body holds onto excess fat in an effort to defend itself against toxins, it makes sense that the more dark leafy greens you consume to eliminate toxins, the less fat your body will need to accumulate for protection. 

Boost the Immune System: 
Dark leafy greens provide potent antioxidants and essential vitamins and minerals. 

Amino acids: 

The amino acids in greens are the very building blocks needed for the body to make protein, which of course is needed to build strong muscle. 

Aids Digestion: 

Greens also stimulate enzyme production which is needed for proper digestion of foods. If you digest your foods properly, this may help eliminate bloat, puffiness and even allergies related to improper digestion of foods. When you are bloated, puffy and have allergies, you tend to hold onto water weight. 

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Start your day with a glass of fresh juice and flood your body with easy to absorb nutrients

                                            A link to a variety of  juice extractors


There are many good books on juicing that might be helpful to find recipes and the specific health benefits of certain vegetables, Here are some suggestions:
Books on Juicing  - This is a full list of books, e-books, and kindle books available online.

Here are some highly rated books to get started.
The Everything Juicing Book

Your Comprehensive Green Juicing Guide

Juicing Life Guide Benefits

Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor and am not trying to diagnose or treat disease. This website is for educational purposes only. Consult your physician before making any changes in your diet.



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