I went through all of the classic detox symptoms, as well. I got hives, my throat got sore and swollen, my nose ran, etcetera. But, at the end of it, I felt amazing and I was ten pounds lighter! I didn't get lightheaded from low blood sugar at all (which I get frequently), I had lots of energy, and I felt healthier than I have felt in a long time. Not to mention it was so easy thinking about dinner - usually I forget to defrost dinner, but this time I had the reassurance that I was just going to make a delicious smoothie for dinner.
The one downside to all of this intense smoothie-making was that I burned out my blender! I had an older KitchenAid blender that I had been given upon originally moving out of my parents' home years ago that finally gave up the ghost. Since I'm a big smoothie person anyway, and considered it an investment in my health, I talked my boyfriend into getting a Vitamix with me. I compared the Vitamix to Blendtec and the Ninja, and after watching many comparison videos (I highly recommend Blending With Henry - he does the best comparisons!), I decided on the Vitamix.
I got the Vitamix 6300, which I absolutely love. It's so quiet (!) and powerful - I love that I can put it on a preset setting and walk away while my smoothies are blending without having to worry about the blender going crazy and spraying smoothie all over my kitchen. Even though the price is chest-clutching, heartburn-inducingly high, it is definitely worth it. I also look at it as an investment in my health - I don't have a gym membership, since I work out at home (I love pilates and my yoga ball), so I consider this to be sort of a one-time purchase equivalent of years of non-purchased gym memberships. :)
Making my green smoothie for work the next day
I was already thrilled with it, and then I got a coworker of mine hooked on making green smoothies. She showed me the smoothies she made with her Ninja, and it hadn't even blended her avocado! She showed me all of the chunks in her smoothie and, not gonna lie, I was fairly grossed out. Even my old KitchenAid did a better job blending. C'mon, not even avocado? Seriously? That's like the creamiest stuff ever! I'm so glad I went with the Vitamix.
At any rate, I highly recommend the 7 Day Green Thickie/Smoothie challenge! It's a great way to detox and feel great while doing so. I never felt hungry and, as I said, I lost 10 pounds! Sure, it may have been water weight, but that's still 10 pounds I didn't need to be carrying on my frame, and I haven't put it back on.
Sorry for the update taking longer than usual - I'm in the process of getting a new vehicle (a 2012 Hyundai Elantra Limited - I'm SO EXCITED!), so I've been pretty preoccupied. Anyway, have a great week! Ciao!
