HOW TO DO A JUICE CLEANSE IN ORDER TO START 2014 WITH THE RIGHT FOOT

Many people have been asking about how to do a juice cleanse properly now that we are starting a new year, so I decided to make this post as a guide from personal experience and investigation, sorry it’s a bit long but it needs to be detailed. Many people think it’s complicated and so they buy pre-made cleanses which unless you're traveling or you are an extremely busy person I don’t recommend (not because they are bad but because fresh is always better). Here I provide you with several tips for people who have no idea how to do it.

A detox is tough, and the more toxic your life is, the more difficult it hits you, but after the first two days you start to feel really good, in fact after doing my first detox I was feeling so positive and great that I decided to transfer to a vegan diet.

Are you ready to start? 

1. You must have a juicer (not a blender). By removing the fiber from fruits and vegetables and leaving only the juice, the body can digest quickly making it's nutrients available to the blood, tissues and organs to be used immediately. Many times we eat so much or mix so many types of foods, that the body needs to invest much of your energy in digestion; when you give it a break, the energy from digestion goes to healing and repairing.

2. If you don't have a juicer and own a good blender, you can also make a smoothie detox, it will not be as intensive as if with juice, since a smoothie is digested in about 2-3 hours, but you are still nourishing your body with pure living raw plant food and that is excellent. I incorporate them into my diet every day.

3. If you are a healthy person you can make a detox that lasts for 3-4 days (if it's your first time) and 5 days if you've done it before. Long fasts exist, but should be supervised by a professional. I usually do 4 days. If it seems crazy to do such an long detox, you can also let your body rest by juice fasting one day a week or twice a month.

4. It's important that during this time you are relaxed, if your cortisol levels are elevated because your stress responses are active, you will not detoxify effectively. Enjoy the weekend at home, or use a holiday. During this period your tissues and organs will begin to release toxins into the blood to be excreted, but sometimes the body cannot keep up with it and then you feel sick. That's totally normal, it will last one or two days. I usually get headaches and fatigue, so I allow myself to sleep all I want. I also meditate and lounge all day in my pj's (I deserve it).

5. Between juices, drink herbal tea without caffeine and lots of water.

6. It's important to do low intensity cardio during detoxification so you can sweat, walking and yoga are excellent choices. Don't do high intensity exercises!

7. If withdrawal symptoms are very strong, something that helps relieve it, is a colon hydrotherapy session with a professional (I prefer gravity method). It's also important to go to the bathroom everyday so toxins are not reabsorbed by the body. If you can't, take a gentle natural laxative or a laxative tea.

8. Drink 5-6 juices daily.

9. If you feel like you're about to leave your detox, drink a smoothie and go back to juices. If you have strong will, keep at it, the results will be worth it.

10. Begin your day with a glass of water (room temperature) and then take a glass of water with the juice of a lemon, after this I usually prepare myself an herbal tea and then start with my juices. Before bed I drink a turmeric, pau d'arco or dandelion tea.

11. During this time try not to use chemical or toxic products. Don't clean your house with detergents, don't use makeup, creams or perfume, also don't go swimming in a pool. The simpler, the better.

12. If you have a bathtub, take a hot bath every night with epsom salts, baking soda or apple cider vinegar.

13. Watch the documentary "fat, sick and nearly dead" on a man that by doing a long detox (with medical supervision) broke free from an autoimmune disease.

14. Sleep. You should go to sleep early during the detox (around 10:30 pm) and if you have no obligations the next day, don't set up the alarm. It's important that you get at least 8 hours of rest during this period.

Tips for Preparing Juices

- As sugested by Jay Kordich in the book "The Power of Juicing", don't mix fruits and vegetables as the digestion of both is different. The natural oils from the vegetables combined with the acidity of the fruit produces indigestion, upset stomach and intestinal inflammation in some people. The only exceptions to this rule are apples and carrots, and both can be used in any juice. I follow his advice, but if you don't feel like it bothers your tummy and like to mix them, then be free to do so.

- Never take more than a quarter (two fingers) of concentrated green juice from kale, green cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, stems, spinach, parsley, cilantro, among others. The exception to the rule are cucumbers and celery which should be the base to most of your juices and then you can add whatever you want, fruit, fennel, ginger, etc.

- Chew your vegetable juice. It seems strange to chew a liquid, but that movement inside the mouth stimulates digestive enzymes in saliva making the digestion and absorption of nutrients much more quick and effective.

- Only drink fruit and veggie juices that are certified organic, which means they grew in soils that have not been exposed to pesticides for three years or more and also guarantees that they are not genetically modified (GMO). If for some reason you cannot purchase them, then peel everything before passing through the juicer, I can't guarantee that it won't have pesticides but at least the concentration will decrease.

- Take the juice as soon as possible after getting it from the machine. As soon as they get in contact with oxygen, they begin to oxidize and lose nutrients so the quicker the better. If you need to take one with you or go out, pour it into an airtight container (preferably glass) fill it until it overflows, close and keep refrigerated if possible.

- Fruit juices or sweet vegetables like carrots and beets, have antioxidants, provide energy and cleanse the body, but they are high in natural sugars, so they must be consumed moderately. I do two juices with fruit a day during the morning and the rest mainly with veggies.

- Wash the juicer after each use, it's a pain but you don't want bacteria to grow there. You should also wash all vegetables and fruits you consume.

- Never add sugar or sweeteners of any kind to your juices or smoothies, sometimes some green combinations are not that delicious, in that case, I would add a couple of drops of liquid stevia (which is natural) or half green apple and drink up.

- When you finish the detox please don't go an eat a burger! This is important, remember that you shocked your body and it's important to come out of the process gradually. The day after, my recommendation is that you continue eating plant based, for example have a fruit and vegetable  smoothie for breakfast, a yummy veggie soup with brown rice for lunch and a light salad for dinner. You should do that for two to three days before reintroducing the regular foods from your routine.

From Kris Carr's book "Crazy Sexy Kitchen", here is a green juice recipe:

1 cucumber 
3 sticks of celery 
1 green apple 
1 piece of ginger 
1/2 lemon 
1 handful of romaine lettuce
 

Here's one that I usually do:

1 cucumber 
1 handful of romaine lettuce 
1 bunch dandelion greens 
1 handful of spinach 
1 green apple
1 piece of ginger 
1 piece turmeric root 
1 piece fennel

Some delicious combinations are: 

Fennel and Apples (yum!)
Apple-Carrot-Parsley Celery
Beet-carrot-celery-parsley-spinach-cucumber

Our body is a perfect machine, but with the stress we experience every day, air pollution, pesticides, the processed foods in our diet, refined carbs and prescriptions, it starts to fill up with toxins and needs a break. Do a good kind detox every couple of months, this will fill you with many benefits. Star today, you'll thank me tomorrow!

Happy New Year!

With Love,
Romina