When it comes to Spring cleaning, I like to start inside, and work my way out. I believe our health is a direct reflection of what we put in our bodies. Consuming a nutrient rich diet is paramount to vitality and prolongs life.
We have absolute control over what foods go into our bodies, but there are certain toxins we cannot avoid. Environmental toxins are present in our air, water and the products we use, while emotional stresses of daily life take a toll on our health.
Purifying gallons of blood daily, our bodies are in a constant state of cleaning and repair, but ironically, this process is hindered significantly by exactly what fuels it, food.
Digestion demands more than half of the body's energy, so the body does its best housework while you sleep. This is why it is essential to give yourself 7-9 hours each night and counter-productive to eat before you hit the sack.
Detoxing For Health
While eating more vegetables and fruits is the best long term dietary solution to promote a healthy digestive tract and immune system, a short term solution exists in the form of a detox or cleanse.
Drinking fresh pressed vegetable juices provides your body with the minimal fuel it needs to function. I hesitate to call it a fast because the body is still given a full amount of nutrients, they are just more readily available. There are no chunks of food to break down before nutrient extraction can occur.
I Just Completed a cleanse so I thought I would share my experience with you. Please note: I am not a doctor, or a nutritionist. It is best to consult a professional in either field before embarking on a drastic dietary mission such as a juice cleanse. The following is a summary of my own personal experience.
My Juice Cleanse
For 4 days, I consumed only organic fresh pressed vegetable juice. I drank plenty of purified water and diluted fresh pressed lemon juice to aid in flushing out my system. Finally, I got plenty of rest and fresh air.
I drank to my appetite. I had 4 mason jars full of juice per day, drinking half a jar of juice, followed by a glass of lemon water eight times daily.
I prepared all of my juice for the day in the morning. This way, I knew my next meal was ready and waiting so my appetite was not able to get ahead of me.
How Did I Feel During?
If a cleanse is working, I expect to feel awful. I am providing my body the opportunity to clean itself and this means the removal of stored toxins. Those toxins are released into the bloodstream before they pass through the liver and are eventually eliminated.
The detox symptoms I felt during this cleanse (not necessarily simultaneously):
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Irritability
- Achy legs
- Sore/ tight upper back and neck
- Oily skin
- Reduced core temperature
- Bloating
- Phlegm in throat
- Frequent urination
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Caffeine withdrawal
- Cloudy thoughts
- Loss of appetite
- Weight Loss
My best explanation for how I feel when I cleanse is: sick. What is the first thing your body does when it knows it must fight off a bug? It suppresses your appetite. Why? So it can focus on repair without the energy expenditure of digestion.
The same applies when you cleanse. After the first day, I often do not feel hungry. My body accepts that solid food is no longer available and kicks into cleaning mode. It isn't until around the end of day four, beginning of day five, my appetite returns. I take this as a sign my body is detoxed and I go back to solid food.
How Did I Stop The Cleanse?
After a cleanse, it is important to ease the body back into digesting solid foods gradually so as not to shock the system and to experience the full benefit of the cleanse.
By slowly reintroducing whole steamed vegetables and fresh fruit to my body over the next couple of days and keeping well hydrated for optimal detoxification, I allowed these naturally fibrous foods to push through any remaining waste.
How Do I Feel After?
In one word, FANTASTIC! I am happier, more energetic, less stressed, my mind is clear, my muscles are relaxed, my movements are great, even my singing voice and hearing are improved! It's as if I am in perfect balance with my body. I feel like I am glowing and I feel very zen.
For a complete list of cleanse benefits click here.
For all of your juicing needs, I recommend you invest in a high quality juicer. You'll want to extract the most amount of juice possible, especially if you are splurging on organic vegetables and fruits. We have the Champion Juicer. It packs a lot of power and comes with a five year warranty.
Juice Recipes
Press through a juicer in the order listed. Each recipe makes about 1 mason jar, but the water content of the veggies may vary.
1/2 Red Cabbage
1/2 Bunch Parsley
6 Stalks Celery
1 Knob Ginger
4 Cups Green Grapes
1 Bunch Kale
1/2 Bunch Parsley
7 Celery Stalks
1 Apple
6 Radishes
1 Lemon, peeled
2 Cups Spinach
1 Bunch Romaine
1 Large Cucumber
1 Knob Ginger
8 Large Carrots
1 Bunch Kale
1 Handful Basil
6 Tomatoes
1 Cucumber
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Lemon, Peeled
This is what a typical day of juicing would look like for me, plus 1 glass of fresh lemon water for every 1/2 mason jar of juice.
Sugar Sugar
Hard root vegetables such as carrots and beets, as well as fruits produce the most juice, but they also have the highest sugar content. Without fiber to slow the body's absorption rate of sugar, juices comprised mostly of fruit will spike insulin levels, triggering a stress response which is actually taxing on the body.
My juices contain approximately 25% dark greens and cabbage, 65% light greens and citrus (romaine, cucumber, celery, tomatoes, lemon), 15% sweets and spices (I only include: carrot, apple, grapes, garlic, ginger).
Tips For Everyday Cleansing
If cleansing is too extreme, incorporating fresh pressed vegetable juices into your daily routine is an effective and easy way to cleanse and nourish your body. Dan and I enjoy fresh pressed greens each morning.
If you are accustomed to store bought juices, fresh pressed vegetable juices may take some getting used to, but adjust the ingredients to your taste, surf the web for millions of recipes, or create your own combinations.
Don't own a juicer? Don't have time?
Try Adding a fresh pressed lemon to a cup of water a couple of times each day. Almost every cellular process in the body occurs in water, so increasing your fluid intake is naturally beneficial, while lemons are very alkalizing. Their vitamin C content is a powerful antioxidant which strengthens the immune system as their antiseptic properties kill bad bacteria and fungus that thrive deep in the body's intestinal tract. Lemons also contain enzymes which may ease digestion.
Mom always told you to eat your vegetables. Now you have no excuse, you can drink them too!
Sarah
Sources:
www.drbenkim.com
www.mercola.com
Sarma Melngailis'"Raw Food, Real World"
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