The first reason given is that when we drink food, it sends a different signal to the brain than when we chew our food. When we drink our meal, our body may not realize we've eaten and hunger is not satiated. To counter this effect, I add two teaspoons of pectin to my smoothies. (If the smoothie is only for me, I add only one teaspoon). Why pectin? Pectin is used in canning fruits and is derived from citrus so it's all natural. The U.S. Army conducted a study and found that adding pectin to orange juice helped to satiate soldier's appetites. It didn't make a difference on how much pectin was added; one teaspoon per adult worked. NOTE: Do NOT add pectin to plain water to drink. Straight pectin is nasty! But I still use pectin when I'm not on Whole 30 too. I've even added it to margaritas and found I graze less when I do! I buy Ball's powdered pectin at Food Maxx for $4.84.
Additionally, I don't overdo it when I make smoothies on Whole 30. I usually make small ones that I use as a "dessert" so am drinking them with food; not as a meal replacement. Here are the three very easy smoothies I make and all you have to do is throw these items in a blender:
Traditional Smoothie
Banana, handful of frozen strawberries, and almond milk.
Razzmatazz Smoothie
This one tastes like Jamba Juice's drink "Razzmatazz" - banana, handful of strawberries, crushed ice, and pure 100% orange juice (pictured left).
Memory Smoothie
I once watched a documentary about people who enter memory competitions and they drink blueberry extract concentrate to enhance their memory. Scientific studies have found that blueberries can inhibit neurodegeneration to forestall Alzheimer's, etc. - banana, organic blueberries (Food Maxx or at farmer's market), crushed ice, blueberry concentrate (at Sprouts) almond milk.
So when eating clean, just don't overdo it on the smoothies. Try not to use them as a meal replacement and don't drink them all the time.
