A week long detox, drinking nothing but juice and naively believing we are cleansing our bodies of toxins. Why wouldn’t we? Lots of health websites and books promote this to be the best and healthiest way to free your body of toxins.
So I believed it and I tried it… a few times actually. A week full of juices. The first day I was okay, I felt great, I was enjoying it and was full of energy and very positive about it. But, from my second day I started to have mood swings and had neither the energy or motivation to do anything, to work, let alone exercise. The only things I could think about were fries, chocolate, crisps and ice cream.
When my crazy week finished I was so happy it was over that I rewarded myself with that ‘dreamy’ chocolate, not the smartest thing to do obviously.
I don’t believe extremes are good for our bodies or health in any way. A week full of juices to compensate for a binge like, say Christmas or a vacation, is a hell of an extreme!
Now I still detox, I just don’t call it detox anymore. I include it in my LIFESTYLE, I do it every day without even noticing. I feel much healthier and much happier than I do after a week of juicing.
Here are my little TIPS, so I can spare you that ‘juicy’ week of misery, some easy guidelines to follow EVERY DAY to make your BODY healthier and put less pressure on your digestive system. This way your body will have the time and the energy to cleanse out the toxins completely without extreme detox methods.
TIPS:
- Water (hot or cold) with ½ an organic lemon squeezed into it each morning, instead of tea or coffee. It’s delicious and I look forward to it every day, it will also wake you up! Add grated organic ginger if you like, especially if you feel like you’re getting a cold.
- Green Juice – the best detox ever! Buy the cheapest blender you can get. I initially invested in an expensive juicer and actually never use it. Instead I bought a simple blender that’s easy to maintain and clean, the simpler the better. For me, PREPARATION is the key. If I had to blend my juice each morning I would give up, there’s never enough time. So on a Sunday evening I prepare juices in advance for the whole week and then freeze them. Well, if I’m honest my man does it for me while I blog, another great tip! Each evening I take one out of the freezer for the following morning. RECIPE- More of a guideline than a rule, if you miss an ingredient or two it doesn’t matter, the same for adding things… If you like certain green vegetables then add them, even if it’s not on this list. (I personally add an apple or a banana (or both), this is more for taste, don’t go OTT with fruit): This recipe is for around 7 portions (a one week supply), it will make approx. 1.8 litre (60 ounces) of juice. The ingredients should be organic, if possible:
– 3 stalks celery
– 1 head of romaine lettuce
– large bunch of spinach/ or arugula/ or kale/ or ALL (if you like)
– 3 lemons (juiced)
– 1 banana
– 1 apple / or 1 pear
– small bunch of parsley
– small bunch of cilantro (I don’t as I hate it), I use grated ginger
– 4 stalks of broccoli
– 2 beetroots (great for cleansing blood and removing toxins from digestive system)
– 2 large carrots
– 2 large cups of water
– add a teaspoon of ‘Green Superfood Powder‘ if you have it
- ‘Green Genius’
- Sprinkle a teaspoon of organic extra virgin olive oil on your salads.
- A tablespoon of Coconut Oil as a food supplement and for cooking.
- Snack on berries like blueberries, strawberries, raspberries… (great antioxidants) or avocados (very filling). Almonds are also great for energy.
- Drink organic detox teas, fennel and dandelion are great for cleansing the liver and kidneys.
- Eat as many green veggies as possible (celery, parsley, kelp, spinach, broccoli…) I like to get all my green vegetables at a local farmer’s market. That’s the best place.
- Chew properly! Sounds funny I know, but when I was in my crazy ‘juice detoxing’ days I got an obvious piece of advice in a small Paris health store. I was looking for organic ingredients for my ‘juice week’ so I asked the the lady in the store for help. I explained enthusiastically my ‘amazing’ detox plan, and how I intended to liquidize all my vegetables so that my stomach could get a break from digesting all that food. She looked at me like I was nuts and asked, “Why don’t you just chew properly, it will be much cheaper and easier!”I laughed at the time, but now I see how clever her advice was. These days we live such busy lives that we have no time to eat our meals, we’re constantly on the go. So I suggest you sit down with your meal and try to chew your food properly. It doesn’t cost anything and you’re body can expend it’s energy detoxing and cleansing you, instead of processing un-chewed food.
- Exercise. I know it’s hard to find the time but even 10 mins COUNTS! Before you go to work find a little time for yourself to stretch and breathe properly. Yoga is best, or just dance, dance like there’s no tomorrow in that short time. You’ll immediately notice the difference, you’ll have greater energy and you’ll feel more positive.
I know some of these things are harder to get used to than others, but even one little change in your lifestyle counts and makes a lot of difference. If you can only pick one, pick the green juice, no pick exercise, no… pick juice, okay, pick two things! A GREEN JUICE and EXERCISE combo is the winner!
Have a great night…. oh that reminds me… SLEEP! That’s yet another great tip for ‘detoxing’, your body cleanses while asleep! So stop reading this thing and go to bed!
