Detoxification Smoothie Recipe

By Misook Lee, LOM

Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, bok choy and brussels sprouts are very important for supporting detoxification in the body. They contain glucosinolates, which are converted into sulforaphane, a compound that turns on liver phase II detox enzymes. They also supply sulfur and amino acids like cysteine to boost glutathione, an important antioxidant. With their fiber, these veggies also bind and remove toxins in the gut, and feed our beneficial microbes, while at the same time providing antioxidants like vitamin C to reduce oxidative stress.

For all these reasons I try to cook and eat cruciferous vegetables as a side dish as much as possible. However, it is not easy for me to always fit that into a busy schedule. So, what about a smoothie?

In my training as a traditional Eastern medicine practitioner I was taught that chewing is important for digestion and assimilation, as well as avoiding overconsumption of raw foods— therefore I personally do not like smoothies that much. However, I learned about a recipe that is a cooked cruciferous vegetable smoothie designed for detoxification. Using this recipe, I make smoothies one or two times a week and keep them in refrigerator. This way, I eat smoothies every day and experience the beneficial effects!

When we use cruciferous vegetables in the green detox smoothie, we need to steam them for just a couple of minutes. Steaming for only a short period preserves the enzyme myrosinase, which is necessary to convert the molecule glucoraphanin into the extremely beneficial compound sulforaphane. If we overcook them, the enzyme is destroyed, but if we eat them raw, some anti-nutrients found in cruciferous veggies can interfere with digestion or have negative consequences for the thyroid.  

This recipe is from the book Detox Revolution by Dr. Ji-Rong Choi (available in Korean). Dr. Choi received her bachelors in biology and chemistry from Penn University and MD degree from Seoul National University College of Medicine. She practices in South Korea as a dermatologist and certified Functional Medicine provider.

Detoxification Smoothie

Ingredients:

2 to 3 minutes steamed broccoli - 200g

4 to 5 minutes steamed cabbage - 300g

avocado - 360g

lemon juice - 90ml

water - 750ml

honey to taste (optional)

Preparation:

First, cool the steamed vegetables. Then, liquefy all ingredients in a blender, and it will be about 2 liters of volume. Immediately pour the smoothie into serving-size glass jars and store them in refrigerator. When it contacts air, it turns brown (due to the effects of oxidation).

How to take:

Unlike many smoothie recipes (which are often full of fruit sugar) this recipe does not spike blood sugar, and therefore it works well as breakfast or before a main meal. For those trying it for the first time, it is best to start with a small amount, observe how your body and digestion responds, and gradually increase the amount.

I hope this recipe helps you to feel more energetic, with better skin, less inflammation and less pain!