I completed my 3 day juice cleanse! A few days of juice was just what my system needed to re-charge. I’m not going to say it was easy, but it was definitely worthwhile.
Cleansing is one of the most powerful things we can do to bring our bodies (and our minds) back into alignment. After all, balance is one of the most important things in our lives, right? Even though I eat a plant-based diet of whole foods, I am still exposed to environmental toxins, occasional stress, and if I can’t get my greens organic, I’m sure there have been pesticides in my salads too. I also have a pretty major sweet tooth, so I felt my body could do with a little clean up.
This is a good time of year to do a juice fast because fruits and veggies are coming into season, weather is warming up so our bodies can take more raw foods and as the seasons make their transition outside, it feels so right to make one inside.
First you might ask, why would anyone want to do a juice cleanse for goodness sake? The answer is – to jump start your health journey! This is especially good if you are not well or you have low energy. Drinking fresh juice will give your body incredible easily absorbed nutrition that its craving. This is quite a gentle cleanse compared to many others. I chose to include smoothies in addition to fresh juices in mine because this is what felt right for me. I didn’t experience many hunger pangs and instead I felt this wonderful overall feeling of comfort knowing that I was feeding my body the best thing on this planet. Its very empowering to say the least.
There are so many reasons why juicing is beneficial. Fresh juice gives you energy and vitality that you will notice right away since it is so easily assimilated by your body and bloodstream, you can feel the boost within 10-15 minutes. Without the added burden of digestion, which takes quite a lot of time and energy, the body is now free to work on other things like detoxing the liver and kidneys. The liver is involved with detoxifying harmful substances (like environmental toxins, chemicals, food additives, preservatives, drugs, etc) before they can enter the bloodstream and harm the body. Periodic cleansing of the liver through juicing can be important in maintaining good health.
I like to include plenty of vegetables in my juices. All vegetables are alkalizing. The benefits of maintaining alkalinity in the body are crucial. Here are just a few benefits of maintaining an alkaline environment in our tissues: improved focus and mental clarity, stronger immune system, better digestion, healthier hair, skin and nails, and more energy!
Tasty fresh juice recipes need not be complicated. I have found with experimenting that the simple flavors of fresh veggies can be highlighted or buried. I rather enjoy tasting the individual veggies I put in and combining them in various ways. I certainly encourage you to do your own experimenting as it’s fun and exciting to find interesting combinations that become favorites.
The recipes below are a few of the ones that I enjoy using for this juice cleanse or just as a snack when I am craving some serious nourishment. I usually go for 6-7 juices in total everyday when I’m cleansing, so I pick and choose from the following “menu” depending on the time of day.
- 1 cucumber
- 2 med size apples
- 1 bunch kale
- a few large handfuls of spinach
- 1 lemon
Run all ingredients through a juicer and enjoy!
Heart Beet - 1 beetroot
- 2 apples
- 1 pear
- thin slice of ginger
- juice of 1/2 lemon
Place all ingredients in juicer and drink immediately.
Carrot & Lemon
- 4-5 carrots
- 1 lemon, peeled
Place in juicer and drink immediately.
Orange Dream- 2 carrots
- 3-4 oranges, peeled
- 2-3 pears
- 1 medium sweet potato
Place everything in the juicer and juice away.
Cucumber Fennel
- 1 cucumber
- a piece of fennel
- 1 lemon, peeled
- 1 stalk celery
- few stems of bok choy.
Place in juicer and drink immediately.
Green Ginger Ale
- 1 cucumber
- few stems of each mint & parsely
- 2 leaves of kale
- 1/2 inch piece of ginger
- 1 lemon, peeled
Place in juicer and drink immediately.
Berry Superfood Smoothie
- 1 cup homemade almond milk
- 1/4 cup fresh or frozen berries
(I used raspberries, blueberries and strawberries)
- 1 banana
- handful of fresh baby spinach
Place everything in blender and blend until smooth.
Day 1: I was pretty excited to get started. I started off my day with a warm cup of water with a slice of lemon. I consumed six juices and one smoothie throughout the day. I must admit, I was really full from all the liquid so I wasn’t feeling hungry. I was feeling a little worn down so I went to bed early.
Day 2: Woke up first thing in the morning to grab a warm cup of water and lemon. When I was writing in the afternoon I felt very clear-headed and seemed to get more done than usual. Juice is definitely a productivity booster! I felt restored and rejuvenated. As the day wore on I was feeling a bit achy as if some detox symptoms were kicking in – stuffy nose and a slight headache.
Day 3: I woke up feeling great! Any sort of ill feeling I had the night prior had disappeared. The thought of chewing some real food was sneaking into my mind today so I ended up consuming two smoothies throughout the day in addition to juice and plenty of water. I’ve noticed I feel lighter and my skin is looking more hydrated and clear.
After the cleanse: The cleanse has given me a deeper connection with my mind/body. It has helped me realize and identify my emotional ties to food. I’m never physically hungry, I just feel like eating because I am bored, cold, procrastinating, stressed, etc. I’ve learned to be in the moment when I’m eating and appreciate it. I was delighted that I no longer had any sugar cravings. I was real excited to eat food again. I broke my fast by consuming a huge salad of greens, sprouts and assorted veggies.
Important bits to know:
- Be prepared. It’s always good to be a little prepared for any sort of program, but as you’ll be living on nothing but the finest juices and smoothies for 3 days, good preparation is of paramount importance. Purchase organic produce if your budget permits.
- Get mentally prepared. Making sure you have all the fruit and veg you’ll need for the program in advance is important, but even more so is the right frame of mind before you start.
- Sleep. Rest is as important as clean air, exercise, good nutrition and an attitude of gratitude, so allow yourself to do it over the next few days.
- Pamper yourself. If you are going to do a detox then really go for it. Maybe schedule a massage, attend a few yoga classes, relax in a hot tub… heaven!
- Detox. If your body is pretty toxic, you may experience detox symptoms in the form of headaches, lethargy, and nausea. You can give the process a little nudge by eliminating toxins with things like dry skin brushing.
- Ease out of cleanse. When you come out of a gentle cleanse such as this one, I recommend easing out of it slowly. Gradually start adding foods back in to the diet.
- Take care. Continue eating a balanced, whole foods diet, exercise regularly and get plenty of sleep. As we treat our bodies with the physical and emotional respect they deserve, our need to detoxify becomes less and less and the better we will feel everyday.
Interested in getting started with juicing? Here you can find a post I did recently called Quick Guide to Juicing.
Please don’t hesitate to drop me a line with any questions or comments you have as I love to help and inspire :)
(Photo Credit: my sister, Jenny Norris – jjnorris.com)
PLEASE NOTE: Juice cleansing is a pretty major undertaking and you should consult with a qualified health practitioner prior to commencing any sort of fast. Do not use this post as your sole reference. The content on this site is for information purposes only and not written with intentions to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatments.
