On February 1st 2012 I started a juice cleanse.
I have been familiar with juice cleansing for quite sometime, but never truly considered it until I watched the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. Only then did I realize the extreme benefit to even a short term juice fast. It makes sense: the toxins in our body effect our organ functioning and prevent you from losing fat. When your body can't properly access the nutrients from the food it consumes your body stops using your fat for fuel and starts to store it. Drinking juice allows you to cleanse all harmful toxins from your body while giving it an easily digestible highly nutritious meal (allowing for fast fat burning, i.e. food=fuel). This is a very basic summary of the benefits of juicing-this blog is intended to give you an idea of what it is like to participate in a cleanse and to provide recipes that I have tried. There are vast amounts of information on juicing available on everything from the benefits, to recipes, to nutritional advice. If you have interest in starting a juice cleanse please read as much information as you can before you begin!
I choose to start my cleanse for many reasons: detoxing, energy boosting, weight loss, and to stop craving foods that my body does not need. I eat pretty healthy to start with. I have been a vegetarian since 2006 and my family and I eat nutritious homecooked vegetarian meals every night. I make my own pasta and breads and love to do so. This is one of the reasons I never thought I needed to cleanse: I eat healthy enough anyway. Now after shedding my ignorance and realizing I have 27 years of toxic build up in my body I begin my first cleanse. I intend on juicing for two weeks, possibly up to 30 days.
My first day did not go as well as I expected. I had a rather busy day and was not as prepared to begin my cleanse as I would of liked to have been. As a result I only ended up having 3 16 ounce servings of juice, when I should of had at least 4 and drank some of the most awful juice I have ever tasted. I will come back and try these juices later, as they are packed with amazing fruits and veggies, but they were not the right juices to try on the first day (especially since I am not the biggest fan of beets). I was pretty hungry all day, but then again I was not drinking juice everytime I felt hungry. It is recommended to drink 4 16 ounce glasses a day or to drink it when you feel hungry. On a juice cleanse, especially after the first 3-5 days, you will not feel hungry as your body has rid itself of all the things it does not need and is getting only what it does.
I was trying to keep myself positive and follow Shane's advice to "transcend through the ewww." I drank my juices and just thought about how good I will feel and all the positive effects I will see, physically and emotionally. I was concerned about having to prepare food for Shane and Kenna and that I would cave and eat what they are having. My tummy and my taste buds want it, but my will power has allowed me to say no. I do not believe that this will be a problem after the first few days, once I am past the detox stage, but this could be one of the hardest things for me to overcome during my cleanse.
In the mornings I will make a berry smoothie in my blender as it should help fill me up right away. Here is what I tried this morning:
3/4 cup strawberries
1/4-1/2 cup raspberries
1 banana
1/2 cup 100% juice-i use a morning blend mix with orange, pineapple, and melon
8 ice cubes
Blend until smooth
This was okay...but I realized after looking at the recipe again that I forgot to add the juice!
For my second juice (at 1:00 pm) I made a beet juice. I was very excited to make this because of all the amazing ingredients in it, but I found it rather horrible. I forgot to mention before it is best of all if your ingredients are organic to ensure they have the highest nutritional value possible.
1/2 beet root
6 baby spinach leaves
1/4 green cabbage
1 full stalk broccoli
1/2 grapefruit
1/2 lemon
1 orange
1 kiwi
2 cm ginger
Juice in order and mix.
We choose to juice using a food processor and paint strainer bags. Not only will it save you $300+ on a good juicer, but this method still allows for some fiber to stay in the juice, giving for an even more nutritional juice. Simply put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process into fine pieces. Add 1/2 cup to 1 cup water and continue processing. When mixed dump mixture into the paint strainer bag (just put over a bowl or I use a large juice pitcher which works well as the bag sits right in the pitcher. I will attach a picture later). Then just squeeze the bag and goodness inside until all the liquid has been expelled. The leftover pulp can be used to make crackers, muffins, and other foods, or could be simply composted or vermicomposted.
After my afternoon juice (I did drink the entire glass though!) I looked through my preselected juicing recipes to find something that would better suit my tastes. The resulting juice was okay, I would have preferred it tasted much better, but was able to tolerate it much better than the beet juice above. The ingredients in this juice help boost your immunity.
2 tomatoes
1 handful parsley
2 celery stalks
1/2 cucumber
1/8 onion
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