Im a big fan of blending and liquid meals: juices, smoothies and soups.

Smoothies are all the rage and with good reason, they are an awesome way to add great nutrients: fruit, veggies, supplements filled with enzymes, phytochemicals that are wonderful for you.

So you want to get your smoothies and use them also to detox or lose weight and you may have been doing them for a while for nothing seems any different! Youre not slimmer, not feeling better, theres no burst of energy or anything else and totally frustrated about it!

Thats because there are some common mistakes you may be making that are making your smoothies make you fatter and even more toxic. And here they are!

Too Much Fruit

Fruit is the food of humans but too many of them and especially combined with milk, yogurt and more sweeteners are a big no-no. Improperly combined fruit can cause bloating, gas, indigestion. You want to add a little fruit to your smoothie in a 2:1 ratio: 2 portions of leafy green veggies and 1 portion of fruit. The smoothies are in essence pre-digested and easier to travel through your GI so they may not cause fermentation of the fruit.

You Add Sweeteners

Really?! Why!!! You are adding awesome fruit, which are SOOO great for you and they are sweet enough! Stop adding more toxic sugar into your gorgeous body. Youre just adding more calories and toxic sugar! Stick to just fruit, maybe using the sweeter fruit first like pineapples or papayas until your taste buds get used to the new way of eating, then move on to other fruit like berries.

Not Enough Greens

This is kind of part of the first one. The reason why smoothies are so great, is because they help you add more portions of vegetables into your diet. So add them! 2:1 ratio of greens. Great greens are kale, spinach, collard greens, mustard greens, lettuce, celery, cucumbers.

Too Many Add Ons

I admit Im a culprit of this one. I add chia seeds, walnuts, flax seeds, some times even protein powder, maca, spirulina. It is too much and some of these things can add up in terms of caloric intake. So keep them simple: one portion of fruit, 2 of green veggies, a little water, a little alternative milk and some fun warming spices like cinnamon or cayenne.