11 Tips For A Juice Cleanse

11 Tips for a Juice Cleanse

Spring is here and many of us feel the urge to de-clutter, spring clean and re-align our sur- rounding and our bodies. Cleanses are a great way to re-energize our minds and bodies and also clear the clutter from our heads. If you are planning a juice-cleanse, here are some tips to help you get started.

1. Plan your juice cleanse for a week you know you will be home. Plan it so the “Juice Day” is on a rest-day of some sort. If fact, avoid strenuous exercise for the entire week so that you do not deplete your glycogen levels.

2. Psyche yourself up, believe in yourself, and make a clear list of why you want to do this...so you can refer to it if a craving hits you.

3. Take a week to prepare (ie. Getting rid of junk food from your house and purchasing the foods that you need for your cleanse)

4. Find a few great recipes for your cleanse days, so you know what you will be consuming, rather than groping blindly and in the end falling off the band-wagon into a bag of cookies.

5. Start gently. Take 3 full day where you eliminate certain foods from your body one by one. (ie. Day 1: eliminate alcohol, Day 2: eliminate refined sugar and meat, Day 3: eliminated foods with additives).

6. Water, Water, Water! (On ALL days)

7. On Day 4, allow yourself any fruits, vegetables, whole grains, 1 handful of nuts or seeds, and healthy oil such as extra-virgin cold pressed olive oil. (see the list of Clean Produce to choose the best ones)

8. On Day 5: The Juice Day. Have all your vegetables and fruit at home and ready. Prepare 3-4 different types of juice through-out the day to keep some variety, including the “Therapeutic Green Drink”. Be sure to add 1tbsp of olive oil and some cayenne pepper to one of your juices. The oil acts as a carrier for any fat-soluble toxins being released and also helps you absorb your fat-soluble vitamins. When hunger hits: focus on just noticing it, rather than being attached to the emotion it brings along with it. If you must eat something, go for the cleansing soup of page 1 of this issue.

9. On Day 6: Continue sipping juices, the cleansing vegetable soup, and as much vegeta- bles, fruits and brown rice as you like.

10. On Day 7: Feel free to add in more protein such as nuts, tofu, yogurt, seeds, legumes and wild fish or poultry.

11. Be aware of how you come out of the cleanse. Try to avoid processed food, refined sugars, alcohol and grease for a few more days at least, which will make your body (which now feels like a temple) feel pretty rotten.

Therapeutic Green Drink Recipe

Step 1: Soak overnight: 15 almonds, 4 pitted dates, 5 tsp sunflower seeds

Step 2: Liquefy: 1-2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice , Nuts, seeds, dates , 4 handfuls of green leaves (ie. Kale, spin- ach, mint, beet greens, chard, malva, lambs quarter, dandelion)

Have you ever tried a juice cleanse?

With Love,

Grandmother's Kitchen