Okay, ready? Let’s go.
I usually juice for about 5-6 days. 2 years ago when I first started, it was a 3 day cleanse. Which really means 9 days… because there is a 3 day pre cleanse and 3 day post cleanse schedule that I follow. That means, in the 3 days leading up to the cleanse, I cut out basically everything except fruits and veggies. I eat lots of loaded salads with different veggies, drink boat loads of tea, and obscene amounts of water to prepare myself.
So once I’ve got the 3 days of pre-cleansing under my belt, it’s time to hop into the juicing stage. Let’s talk equipment. I have the Breville Slow Juicer. It’s amazing. I’m obsessed and I like the “slow” juicers because you actually extract more fiber and nutrients from the fruits and veggies which gives you more pulp and gives you a bit of a thicker juice and all that jazz.
So during my 3, 4, 5, or 6 days of “juicing” I drink about 6 glasses of juice a day and 6 glasses of water. I make 3 kinds of juice and for lack of better names, I call them by color:
Green Juice
Red Juice
Orange Juice
I usually have 3 large glasses of green juice, 2 orange juices and 1 red juice. And then there is the strawberry almond milk I have at the end of they day.
So here’s what a day would look like for me:
7:00 am wake up – drink some white ginger tea
8:00 am – Green Juice #1
10:00 Orange Juice #1
12:00 Green Juice #2
2:00 Red Juice #1
4:00 Green Juice #2
6:00 Orange Juice #2
8:00 Almond Milk and some more white ginger tea
And that’s about it. Then it’s off to bed where my dreams are usually filled with food. Just kidding, kinda, not really. It’s hard when I live in the food world not to dream about food!!
Post juice cleanse I slowly work my body back onto normal food. I eat lots of raw veggies to start and then slowly work in fruits, quinoa, farro etc. I usually try to stay off of meat for a few more days because that’s just how I roll. And I can promise you when you work your way around to having a burger post juice cleanse – it’s going to be the most delicious thing in the whole wide world. Omg. Seriously.
If you’re new to juicing, I’d say start with a 3 day cleanse. They aren’t easy – and you want to make sure you aren’t going crazy all the time! So I vote for starting on the shorter side and seeing how your body reacts. And for sure, don’t skip the pre and post cleanse – I’ve done it before and it’s not pretty. Your body basically kicks you in the stomach. Trust me.
Day 1 is always the hardest for me because I am “head” hungry. Which basically means I think I’m hungry… but really I’m not. I’m just bored and want to eat. Truth is, I’m packing my body with so many micro nutrients, it has plenty to run on. I just start day dreaming about grilled cheese sandwiches and then I go crazy. So if you’re juicing, you should probably stay off the food section of Pinterest. By day 2 I feel like a million bucks. I sleep better at night, wake up in the morning ready to go. (I literally jump out of bed and Thomas thinks I’m a crazy person) Okay and this might sound weird, but you actually see things more clearly. Not figuratively… I mean literally. Things are sharp and crisp and you’re just ready to take on the day!
So… you might be wondering why I juice? Well, I love it. I do it about every 2-3 months as a way to re-set my body and let it rest. And have you guys ever seen that movie, Fat Sick and Nearly Dead? It’s kinda life changing. I’d highly recommend it if you’re into this kinda thing. It’s super inspiring.
Alright. Ready for some recipes… I am going to give you recipes for all 4 of the liquids I drink during the cleanse. And each recipe is enough for 1 glass.
GREEN JUICE
Ingredients
3 leaves kale, stem removed, roughly chopped
1 handful spinach leaves, roughly chopped
1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
1 bunch parsley, roughly chopped
1/2 English cucumber
2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
1 apple, halved and seeds removed
1 inch piece fresh ginger
1 lemon, rind removed
Instructions
Place everything into a juicer and juice!
RED JUICE
Ingredients
1 apple, quartered
2 red beets, quartered
3 large carrots
1 orange, rind removed
1 (1-inch) piece of ginger
1 handful spinach
Instructions
Place everything into a juicer and juice!
ORANGE JUICE
Ingredients
9 carrots
1 orange, rind removed
1 apple, quartered
1 slice pineapple, skin removed
1/2 of a lemon
1 inch turmeric root
Instructions
Place everything into a juicer and juice!
STRAWBERRY ALMOND MILK
Ingredients
1/2 cup raw, unsalted almonds
2 cups water
1/2 tablespoon Agave Nectar
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds removed
3 strawberries, tops removed
Instructions
Soak the almonds in some water for at least 2 hours
Drain the almonds and combine them with 2 cups of water, agave nectar, cinnamon, vanilla bean and strawberries in a high powered blender and blend for about 2 minutes until smooth.
Source: Dave Sommers, WhatsGabyCooking
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Is Your Body Toxic? (Foods That Detox)
http://www.naturalcuresnotmedicine.com/2013/06/is-your-body-toxic-foods-that-detox.html
http://www.naturalcuresnotmedicine.com/2013/06/is-your-body-toxic-foods-that-detox.html
