DrinkGreen Spring Clean
Welcome to Day 2
You did it! You survived Day 1 of the DrinkGreen SpringClean Challenge! Congrats to you all! You should now have a plan and a schedule that will work for you during the next 6 days of the detox! Don’t forget to share with your DrinkGreen common unity (Community). We want to know your recipes and what you found works for your Lifestyle Change! Make sure you all are drinking plenty of water during this challenge and your health journey! It is suggested you drink up to a gallon of water a day, if this is too challenging for you try to incorporate at least 7/8 glasses (8 oz or more) in your daily routine.
Below you will find:
Day 2 Tip
Daily Green Smoothie Recipe
Dinner Suggestion
Useful Links
Reminders
Encouragement
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Daily Tip:
The Health Benefits of Water 
While not everyone agrees on its flavor, water remains essential for life. On average, 61.8 percent of your body weight is water, and water composes roughly 80 percent of your blood and 90 percent of your brain. Because of its nutritional content and its direct availability into your bloodstream, water can significantly boost health while increasing weight loss.
Reduces Fluid Retention
People often believe that drinking water can lead to increased fluid retention. However, it is the consumption of soft drinks, fruit juices and sports drinks, high in sodium, that help to retain fluid. Sodium, found in salty foods and preservatives, triggers cells to retain excess liquid for use in bodily functions. Water helps to flush additional sodium from the kidneys, lowering the amount of fluid in the body and leading to weight loss.
Reduces Sugar Intake
When you drink water as a beverage of choice, you are less likely to choose other drinks which contain sugar and high fructose corn syrup. These drinks, like sodas and sweetened juices, can increase insulin levels, resulting in more sugar stored as fat. So, water causes weight loss by keeping you from drinking beverages that would normally lead to weight gain.
Waste Removal
Drinking plenty of water promotes regularity. Water increases salivary gland functioning and works as a digestive tract lubricant, assisting with the breakdown of food during digestion. Constipation can cause the body to absorb more nutrients like fat from digested particles, and enough stored matter can result in extra pounds on the scale. So, drinking water will help you lose weight by minimizing backed up wastes in the body.
Speeds Metabolism
Studies have shown that drinking ice water can increase the number of calories you burn for a short while. Although scientists disagree on the extent to which drinking cold water helps, at least 8 additional calories are burned with every 8-oz. glass. Moreover, drinking cold water as opposed to a cold soda reduces the amount of calories you take in. Regardless of if it burns additional calories, water helps you lose weight.
Assists with Exercise
In most weight loss plans, the recommendation of exercise requires the refueling of liquids lost to sweat. Water is important to weight loss in the sense that it helps eliminate bad nutrients, balances excess electrolytes from sports drinks, buffers against dehydration and keeps the joints lubricated. Also, by reducing the stress of exercise, water makes it possible to partake in longer workouts, increasing the number of calories burned.
Source: http://www.livestrong.com/article/78550-water-important-weight-loss/#ixzz2PvuLIL1W
- Daily Green Smoothie recipe:
Pineapple Mango Green Smoothie, Total Cal. 120 per serving, *Calorie credit to MyFitnessPal.com*
1.5 cups of spinach, 1/2 cup of kale, 2 baby carrots, 1 cup of pineapple, 0.7 cup of mango, 1-2 cups green tea or water, 1 tbsp of honey/agave
*Vitamin A 97.9%, Vitamin C 110.6%, Calcium 6.2%, Iron 6.815, Total Fat 0.3g, Sodium 36.8mg, Potassium 376.2mg, Total Carbs 31.0g, Deitary Fiber 3.4g, Sugars 23.0g, Protein 2.2g*
Try to stick to the recipe as much as possible. Its ok to add natural sweeteners such as honey or agave nectar, a couple banana slices are also a great sweetener but remember everything you add adds calories so add as little as possible..
- Dinner Suggestion
*Sauteed Kale, cooked in low fat/sodium chicken broth over brown rice
- kale
- chicken broth (low sodium/low fat)
- garlic
- red onions
- tomatoes
brown rice *no more than 2 cups of brown rice stay away from WHITE carbs as suggested in the meal plan from the BlackGirlsWorkOutToo DVD.
*We don’t add measurements to the meal recipes because we believe meals are made with love according to family size, to taste and dietary needs. We STILL look forward to hearing what wonderful recipes you used during this challenge…Don’t forget to take pictures for us. and REMEMBER! NO meat, NO dairy (i.e milk cheese), NO bread, NOTHING white (i.e sugar, iodized salt)*
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Exercise tip
For those of you who have your blackgirlsworkouttoo dvd pop it in and get to work! For those of you who do not you can follow this simple BASIC workout. The goal is to work out for at least 30/40 minutes a day for at least 4/5 days a week. It does not matter what time of the day you your workout just make sure you do it!! You should increase your daily activity as MUCH as possible. I know most of us have heard this many many times but it’s true… take the stairs instead of the elevator! Importantly…Make sure you have a bottle of water handy, you will need it!
Reps of 10 basic crunches (4 times = 40)
Leg lifts (10 leg lifts on each leg)
10 jumping jacks (4 times = 40)
Run in place (until you get tired, take a break, do it again)
REPEAT
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Useful Links
On Day 1 of our challenge we listed some very useful links. We are giving the links again today today for those who may have not received the links or who maybe just joining us on our challenge.
Fruit and Vegetable Calculator
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Reminder
NO eating after 9pm!, try to eat your heaviest meal in the middle of the day in order to have enough time to burn it off!
Be encouraged that you are not alone but an IMPORTANT part of OUR Common Unity (Community). We are not encouraging diets or focusing on losing weight….. We are DETERMINED to CHANGE our lives. This is very important to sustaining a healthier life and the time is now. Use this 7 days to begin telling yourself something different! To start making different and better food choices….slowly… as we all know changing your life is a process. This is a NO GUILT PROCESS… take your time…BUT DO IT. Know that you are STILL IN the ongoing process and BE PROUD that you have reached THIS point. One day at a time.
*Remember to use the hashtag #DGSpringClean with all your challenge posts!*
The Ladies of DrinkGreen4Life
~Ife & Renee~
#DGSpringClean
DrinkGreen Smoothies.... 