We encounter many spectrums in life: spectrums of colour, spectrums of flavour and spectrums of politics.

Some spectrums we are aware of and move between with the fingers of a master harpist.

Others we clumsily clash about on, oblivious to the pained faces of those around.

Since the beginning of January, I have been dancing around on the Spectrum of Green Smoothies, tiptoeing from one extreme to another.

Some days I am here:

Other days I’m here:

I have revolted my children by requesting that they sample the fruits of my Nutribullet.

I have turned stomachs of co-diners whilst spooning gloop during pub lunches.

I’ve glugged happily. I’ve retched at the swamp-like twang.

And now, 10 days later, I am feeling pretty damn good. Admittedly I wasn’t a green smoothie purist like I’d initially imagined I would be but overall I did alright.

The result of this cleanse is that I now feel a lot healthier.

The weird patch of dry skin on my cheek has faded away.

I feel light in my heart, clearer in my mind and more spacious in my soul.

And with a fresh baby habit of swigging swamp juice established, I can use this as a foundation rock in my next step towards elevated eating.

Would you like to bring a bit more green into your spectrum of munch?

Are you up for the adventure?

You’ll find lots of recipes for green smoothies online (make sure they’ve always got a lot of spinach for your iron levels) and below you’ll find a handful of tips that I have gathered over the last ten days.

Make sure you do a pre-tox to your detox.

Someone on the Grow Your Own Gorgeousness Facebook page asked me whether I prep for cleanses. Usually I don’t. I like to dig in with the dignified patience of a piranha fish in a pepperoni factory.

This time, however, I gave myself a few days of “just trying”. Each day began well, but then I’d come up against a blip, (such as watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which then made me obsess about left over Christmas sweets or visiting a friend who has a massive open bag of Minstrels on her kitchen table).

By the time I officially started the cleanse, I’d worked out what I needed to do in order to make the detox a success, what I needed to avoid and where my trigger points were.

If you find it really tough to go the full day without eating anything other than green gloop and you are at risk of jacking the whole thing in, have an early evening meal (such as a salad or soup).

Like I said above, life is full of spectrums and only drinking green smoothies for 10 days is quite extreme.

If it’s too extreme, then bring yourself down the spectrum a little. It’s okay and you are still doing your body and health a gorgeous favour. Also, when you know that at some point in your day you’ll be able to have something warm in your tum (such as soup or some steamed fish and veg), it positively alters the way you feel about the cool green stuff that you’re consuming at lunch and brekkie.

There is no doubt that doing a complete green smoothie cleanse takes determination and a will of steel.

You have to cultivate the right mindset.

One way to do this is to focus on the positive benefits – the small shifts in mental clarity, physical vitality and lightening of your spirit – the more chances you will have to complete it. Another thing that particularly helped me was to remind myself “Ten days will still pass whether I do the cleanse or not.”

Then the question was, am I going to make this ten days count?