How to do a Juice Cleanse
A juice cleanse is a great way to kick-start the detoxifying process if you’ve never juiced before and fasting on juice for a few days every few weeks is an excellent way to boost and replenish your body.
However, cleansing is not for everyone, nor is it forever. They key is to make juicing part of an ongoing healthy lifestyle so that you can enjoy a combination of tasty food and drink, knowing that you’re getting all the vital nutrients you need to aid your body to optimum health.
Short-term cleanses are fantastic for your body, but there are some strict rules you need to abide by to make sure you get the most out of it.
Pre- cleanse
By taking a few days to prepare your mind and body for a juice cleanse, you will maximise the benefits and enjoy a more pleasant experience, while eliminating a potential hunger crisis! We recommend you pre-cleanse for a least three days by drinking plenty of water and avoiding caffeine, alcohol, soft drinks and processed foods.
During
Start your day with hot water and lemon. This stimulates the liver and begins the cleansing process. Then take your wheatgrass shot and ginger shot – a perfect boost if you’re used to caffeine in the mornings.
You should then drink your juices every 3 or so hours, such as 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm. It’s also a good idea to have the thicker smoothies for lunch and dinner, when you’d normally feel most hungry. Also try to chew your juice (even though they are completely smooth) as this creates saliva in the mouth which prepares your body to accept food.
In between, keep hydrated with plenty of water, add some Himalayan rock salt to your water for extra minerals. Herbal teas can be drank as often as required.
As for exercise, you can carry on as normal. Breaking a sweat is the body’s most efficient way of eliminating toxins and it also helps to transport the nutrients through your body.
By day 3 you may be feeling a little bit tetchy and have a headache, but this is normal and it will pass. Just turn off the voice in your head off! You’ll soon start feeling energised by day 4.
If you’re really struggling, you can make a blended vegetable soup in the evening made with an organic stock cube
Post-cleanse
Firstly, congratulate yourself on your accomplishment for your mind and body. You should feel lighter, leaner and cleaner and positive about making a long-term change.
Because your digestive system has had a complete rest, ease yourself back into eating slowly and make sure you have plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Don’t go straight to the Drive-Thru, as tempting as it might be! Keep your meals light, clean and free from processed foods and sugar.
How to Juice with Food
All of us fall off the barrel from time to time and find ourselves ordering in a takeaway or having a sneaky glass of wine. That’s life! The important thing to remember is that this should be the exception and not the rule.
By making juicing a way of life rather than treating it as a fad diet or something you’re just going to give a try, you’ll feel the benefits for years to come.
There is no right or wrong when it comes to how you juice with food, but one recommendation is to substitute one or two meals a day with a healthy juice or smoothie.
For example, you could have a juice for breakfast, eat a healthy and fibre-rich meal for lunch, have another juice mid-afternoon and finish the day with another meal.
Just remember to avoid processed foods and sugar. Eat as much plant-based food as you can, with lean protein if you’re a meat lover.