If you are going to take the time, energy and expense to do a juice cleanse you want results!!
I started doing juice cleanses many years ago- one of my coworkers came back from vacation with a radiant glow to her skin and a fit and trim body. She was always gorgeous but she was shining like a light had been turned on inside of her. She shared her secret spot in Palm desert and soon I was sipping juice and trading colon therapy session stories with
Bianca Jagger (Mick's ex-wife) who was in the room next to me and who actually may have saved my life that week - she awakened me when the water heater outside the back of our shared building had overheated in the 110 degree heat and caught our building began to burst into flames! Hey Bianca if your reading this thank you! This place was a low key juicing getaway for famous actresses and supermodels so of course I fit right in - haha. I survived the week quite well and dropped 10 lbs exactly where I needed to - took breaththerapy classes, sat in a special vortex triangle, meditated, hung upside down, experienced rolfing and it was life changing and I felt so good. I was so inspired by cleanses and all of the amazing things I learned that I decided to become a Holistic Nutritionist and it has really helped me to better serve my clients since a lot of skincare concerns can be linked to diet.
I've since sought out juice cleanses around the world from a Retreat in Thailand to a rustic camping experience a few years ago in the sierras complete with a giant black spider as a tent-mate and with what turned out to be a group of juicing nudists . How was I to know that "Natural Hygenists" actually meant naked juicers? For 2 weeks we swam in the rivers of the sierras and drank juice together - I was a bit out of my element and had moments where I just thought how the heck did I end up here - YOLO and it was an experience I won't forget and I learned a lot from those hippies. I've also been to Optimum Health Institute in San Diego a few times, which I really like- having a regimen and schedule and being surrounded by like minded guests who are fully dressed helps keep me on track and plus it's inspiring to hear peoples stories of how juicing and raw foods has actually cured them of many ailments and diseases. At OHI they call them "health opportunities" since really it's an opportunity to create change in your life. I learn a lot every time I go here. I truly believe and have seen miracles happen when people give their body the right nutrients and also maybe take away the excess that's not needed. There is an intelligence in our bodies that wants to be healthy. When I lived in San Francisco I did group cleanses with the amazing Teresa from Rock Solid Fitness
I have some tips from all these years of doing them that I want to share. I do not recommend water only cleanses and I have been told that water cleanses can really sap your energy as you are detoxing too fast and without nutritional support. You can design your own juice cleanse that works for you easily and maybe you want to incorporate raw foods as well since a raw food diet is very cleansing.
How to get the most out of your juice cleanse!
1. If you can take a few days off work and stay home. Cleanses can effect your energy levels and moods since you will have less calories and your body is detoxifying so if you can stay home and juice then do it. Some people get headaches especially in the beginning and if you are used to drinking caffeine you are most likely going to be getting some headaches for a day or two.
If you must work, start your cleanse on a Friday after work and for your first cleanse try a weekend and see how you feel. I believe it's easier on the body to cleanse in the Spring and in warmer weather especially if this is your first time.
2. Gather recipes from the web and make your own juice. For the price of a 3 day pre-made cleanse you can buy a good juicer and make your own juices. When Juicing it's even more important to buy organic because you don't want to be consuming pesticide residue when you are cleansing.
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| The raw ingredients for Carrot Orange Ginger Juice |
3. If you already know you are a bit of a "Juicing Diva" and aren't going to want to shop, prepare juice and clean up your juicer every day-- then find a local place and buy your juices fresh every day. Juices are best consumed fresh and make sure the place is using organic fruits and veggies. Many Whole Foods have juice bars now. You can also mail order fresh-pressed juices and have them delivered if you don't mind spending a little more. I've been wanting to check out Paleta's juices- in Southern CA because they look delicious and they even have a skincare regimen package. There are many companies that will send you juices in the mail if you can't get to a store. I regularly go to Déjà Vu Juice Bar in downtown Burlingame - they have great juices and are such great people they can supply you with your own jars or you can bring your own and carry out for at home juicing.
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| My Orange, Carrot & Ginger Juice |
4. Dry brushing your body- obtain a dry brush at the health food store and every day before shower dry brush from bottom to top towards your heart before showering. You will be stimulating your lymphatic system and this is helpful for your bodies detoxification process.
5. Usually around the 3rd day or so your tongue will develop a coating - it's your body detoxing. Buy a tongue scraper at the health food store and use it a couple times a day!
6. Take a technology cleanse as well! Turn off your tv, computer and take this time for yourself. Don't watch the news and stay away from people who stress you out too.
7. Keep a journal while you are cleansing - think about what you are grateful for and what your goals and ambitions are. When you cleanse your body and take this time for yourself it's a great time to be a little more introspective and stay positive and try some daily meditation
8. Get books about cleansing, health, nutrition and yoga - you can go to the library and find a bunch of books to inspire you to stay on track. I love Kimberly Snyder's books
9. Moisturize your skin with natural oils like evening primrose, extra virgin olive oil, jojoba oil, argan oil, etc. and cleanse and with ingredients like honey and home made sugar scrubs.
If you normally wear makeup go makeup free while you are cleansing
10. Wear loose comfortable clothes made of natural fibers - lets your skin breathe and be comfortable - don't use deodorants or perfumes - this will really help facilitate cleansing. Our skin is a detoxification organ and called the "second kidneys" for a reason
11. Take a bath with equal parts sea salt and baking soda and you can add a couple drops of lavender or an essential oil you like
12. Drink juice flavors you like- it's bad enough you aren't eating so don't torture yourself with horrible tasting juice. An apple added to any green juice can make it taste so much better. I avoid pure fruit juices and try to stick to green juices since fruits have so much sugar
13. Stock up on tea that you like - I'm a rooibos tea fan. It doesn't have any caffeine and has 30x the vitamins and minerals than green tea. Zhenas Gypsy Teas has some of my favorites. Tea is good and for sugar cravings. Ginger tea is very warming and increases circulation. In my opinion it's a good idea to wean off of caffeine before a cleanse and to avoid it during a cleanse
14. Look into getting professional colonics, or at home colemas or enemas. Of course if you have any concerns check with your doctor. My advice would be to seek out an experienced, professional and gentle colon hydrotherapist if this is something you want to do to enhance your cleanse. Some therapists will also do implants with probiotics and wheat grass. It's important to support your intestinal flora. A friend "released" a barbie shoe that had been swallowed as a child and this was 30 years later - that can't be good to have a little piece of pink plastic stuck in your body for years! You never know what you might find.
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| This a great T-shirt I saw at a popular SF Street fair |
15. Don't exercise vigorously during your cleanse. Walking, stretching and light yoga are enough. It's important to let your body use it's energy for the cleansing process. What's amazing is the bodies inate healing process and you will lose unwanted pounds exactly where you need to and cellulite disappears on cleanses as the body breaks down fat and detoxifies - our toxins are stored in our fat as it's the safest place for the body to keep what it can't clean away
16. Eat lightly for a couple days leading up to your cleanse - fruits and veggies and also to "break" your cleanse. Papaya and pineapple are two of my favorite foods to eat pre and post cleanse since they are full of digestive enzymes.
17. Ask for support from your family and friends. if you have a cleansing partner you can support each other.
A lot of juice shops offer this type of support too and so do some of the online juice cleansing companies too.
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| My Cleansing crew - trust me you don't want to see her litterbox after a 3 day cleanse! |
18. Wheatgrass - this is the SUPERJUICE and loaded with nutrients. They say one ounce of this has the equivalent in nutrients and 2 1/2 lbs of cruciferous veggies. The more of this you drink during your cleanse the better. It's very sweet so it helps with sugar cravings. At OHI we juiced our own in their greenhouse and they forced I mean encouraged us to drink several ounces a day. it's not my favorite but some people love it. If you want to make this at home you have to buy a special wheatgrass juicer. For all things health and juicing I have purchased from Mike at The Raw Diet and he is very helpful and has good prices. You can also find equipment at Costco, Amazon and even Craigslist.
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| 2 oz shot of wheatgrass with an orange chaser |
Good Luck with your cleanse and I would love to hear from you about your cleansing experience!
Stay healthy and vibrant!!
Pearl
Juicing Essentials:
Veggies
Apples
Lemons
Herbal teas
Dry brush
Sea salt (for bath)
Baking soda (for bath)
Essential oils
Health books (inspiration)
Journal
