After stuffing, gravy, pies and cocktails, you might be looking for some simple and easy ways to get your body feeling back on track. Well, look no further because we’ve asked Meredith Baird, the creative director of Matthew Kenney’s raw kitchen in Santa Monica to share detoxing tips and insights from her forth-coming book Every Day Raw Detox, including this recipe for the ultimate cleansing smoothie.

Q: Meredith, you’re constantly surrounded some of the best gourmet raw food in the country – what inspired you to write a book about less complex raw meals?

A: Believe it or not, I don’t spend a ton of time in the kitchen using a lot of different equipment, spices, nuts or sweeteners. Everyday Raw Detox will really be a reflection of the way I eat! We’re going to share real-life, easy to execute recipes that can easily be included into your daily schedule. My meals are very simple. While I love gourmet raw food, I know that most of us don’t have time to prepare it at home. When I’m doing the making I like it clean and simple and I think that at the very least, one meal a day should support your health. Breakfast is a good start- so the book is full of juices and smoothies like the one below! Each dish focuses entirely on fruits and vegetables, and avoids the excessive use of nuts and concentrated sweeteners. Everyday Raw Detox will include recipes that you can make, and eat, every day no matter what your level of culinary expertise may be.

Q: What might you personally eat on a typical day eating the Everyday Raw Detox way?

A:  I’m very routine and consistent with what I eat…

Breakfast: I’m a sweets for breakfast person. Before I exercise in the morning I’ll have Green Vibrance mixed with a little Coconut Water. After my workout I enjoy English Breakfast tea with a touch of steamed hemp milk and a Banana Carrot Chai Smoothie (I love carrot juice!) or a fresh persimmon and a few handfuls of sprouted buckwheat granola.

Mid-morning: I try to get green juice with a lot of lemon into my system. I love the Clean Green at our new restaurant MAKE in Santa Monica.

Lunch: I’m always working around our space at MAKE. I bike to work along the beach each day and my favorite thing to eat afterward is our kale salad with orange, teriyaki almonds, cured olives, and avocado. Later in the afternoon there are always a few pieces of dark chocolate- always! We wrote the book on raw chocolate – literally – it’s called Raw Chocolate!

Dinner: This is my most variable meal. We’ve been preparing recipes for the upcoming book lately and the Millet Bowl with Sea Veggies and Tahini sounds amazing right now! Since it is fall I have been roasting squash and mushrooms from the Santa Monica Farmers Market and serving that with a fresh green salad. If I don’t eat all raw, I will usually still incorporate a raw component.

I also live near Gjelina and Shima on Abbott Kinney here in LA and I find that you can eat very clean, veggie meals at both places as well!

The smoothie below is just the kind of delicious and cleansing green drink that I’ll be including in Everyday Raw Detox. It is extremely cleansing and rich in beneficial healthy fat. I love pears, and they have less sugar than richer tropical fruits. This combination is delicate and the flavor is refined. Without the Vitamineral Green, it would even make a great summer soup.

• Coconut Pear Detox Smoothie, Serves 1 -2

• Ingredients:

  1 pear, peeled, seeded, and cubed
  1 avocado, peeled and pitted
  2 cups spinach
  1 tablespoon coconut butter
  11⁄2 cups coconut water or nut milk of choice
  1 tablespoon Vitamineral Green (optional)
  Pinch of sea salt
  

• Instructions:

  Blend all ingredients to desired smoothness and serve fresh in tall chilled glasses.

  Enjoy!