If you’re looking for ideas on how to detox in spring, this super refreshing green detox smoothie is what you need! It’s my favourite green smoothie to have as a mid-day snack, addition to lunch, or even as a light breakfast. It’s perfect for an anti-inflammatory diet, clean eating, spring detox, or simply adding a ton of important nutrients to your diet. Make this green detox smoothie for a large dose of antioxidants and phytonutrients, and start feeling better today!

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Why I love this smoothie in spring

I once had a green smoothie at the Farmer’s Market that was addictively good. It was one that I would consider super healthy, yet the taste was just so refreshing that I found myself craving it! It was just lightly sweet in the best way. I decided to try and replicate that Farmer’s Market smoothie at home, and here it is.

This is what I make when I am craving something extra healthy that is also delicious. It is the perfect smoothie to make in the spring, because it is full of nutrients that assist liver function, support your body’s natural detoxification pathways, and help defend against the harmful effects from everyday toxins.

Spring is the best time to put more focus on “detoxing” practices, as it’s when our body amps up for growth and renewal after the season of rest, known as winter. 🙂 This smoothie is full of superfoods for spring and is perfect for embracing seasonal eating.

Why is this called a detox smoothie?

All plant foods contain phytonutrients and antioxidants– both being very important in helping the body detox harmful substances and defend against free radicals. There are hundreds of different phytonutrients (or sometimes called phytochemicals) all with different mechanisms for how they help, and it can be confusing and overwhelming to decipher which ones you should be consuming and focusing on.

To make things simple and less overwhelming, it’s best to simply eat a wide variety of different-coloured fruits and vegetables! Focusing on eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, a wide variety of colours, and a combination of both raw and cooked, will help you to get the most benefits from these foods without being overwhelmed about which ones are best.

Why I like these ingredients for a detox smoothie

Fresh parsley is high in chlorophyll, a well-known detoxifier that binds to toxins. It is anti-inflammatory, aids digestion, and acts as a diuretic by flushing out the kidneys. It contains vitamin A, C, E and K, folate, iron, and antioxidants.

Parsley adds a really fresh and unique flavour to this smoothie. It is not something you see everyday as a smoothie ingredient, but I really love it! Don’t worry, the flavour is not overpowering!

Lemons are alkaline (despite their high pH), provide antimicrobial benefits, are high in vitamin C, and provide traces of calcium, potassium, and magnesium. They support liver function and protect cells from free radicals.

PLUS did you know- the vitamin C in lemons makes the iron in the spinach and parsley more bioavailable (easier for your body to absorb). An easy trick to help your body absorb more iron is to eat it along with a good source of vitamin C, and simply adding fresh lemon juice is a great way to do this.

Cucumbers contain silica, which helps in strengthening and building connective tissues like collagen. They also contain vitamin C, caffeic acid, and electrolytes, which makes them great at fighting puffiness and bloating in the body. They also contain some B vitamins and vitamin K.

Spinach is a great source of iron, vitamin K, vitamin A, and is high in antioxidants. As mentioned above, it’s best to eat spinach along with additional vitamin C in order to make the iron easier to absorb.

Ginger is a fantastic ingredient for helping with digestion and reducing inflammation. It contains a natural compound called furanodienone, which activates a cellular process that reduces inflammation and strengthens the gut lining.

Another reason that this is a great smoothie for detox is because it’s relatively low in sugar (fruit). Most smoothies are packed with fruit, which is great, but when you’re trying to bring down inflammation and assist in your body’s detox pathways, limiting sugar is beneficial.

I use a high-powered blender like this or this in order to really grind up all those greens and not leave little chunks behind. I haven’t tried it with other types of blenders, but it may work!

Equipment

1 high-powered blender I haven't tried this with a lower-powered blender, but it may still work.

Ingredients

1.5 cups water filtered (or coconut water)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 handful fresh parsley
1/2 of a large cucumber
1 tbsp honey
1 handful spinach
1 inch fresh ginger can leave the peel on
1 1/2 ripe bananas frozen (or substitute mango, apple, or pineapple)
1 large handful ice

Instructions

Add the ingredients to your blender by layering them as so: first add the liquids, then the fresh ingredients, then the frozen ingredients and ice on top. Blend.
Add additional liquid if needed, but it wasn't needed for me.
Taste and adjust sweetness if needed, although this smoothie is meant to be just lightly sweet.
If you would like a thicker smoothie, you can add additional frozen fruit. (Adding more ice can work too, but it may dilute the flavour.)

Give this smoothie a try and let me know how it goes! Make sure to pin this post to Pinterest, and please enjoy!