I lost 5kg on a Juicing diet, did you?

Detox and juicing, in particular, have become very popular these days. Detoxification has been touted to improve overall health and effectively cause weight loss. It has become a new fitness trend around the world. And there is good reason for this.

We live in a world that is full of toxins. They’re present in the food we eat, the air we breathe and the stress we need to deal with every day. These toxins cause our organs especially our liver to malfunction and gradually deteriorate. We then start having problems dealing with weight gain, bloating, irregular bowel movements, sleeping disorder, chronic fatigue and depression (to name a few). I’m sure most people are experiencing or know somebody experiencing at least one of these health issues. Having said this, who wouldn’t be enticed to try it?

As good as it sounds, detoxification is not for everyone. Don’t immediately take the leap without doing a little research. You’ll need to prepare your body and mind a few days before you actually start the process.

There are several ways to detoxify but in this post we will focus on juicing. Some call it juice fast or juice cleanse. It’s vital that you first understand what it is really about. There seems to be no exact definition for it because the method may differ from one person to another. But basically it’s a diet where you consume only the juice of fruits and vegetables to rid the body of toxins. Everything ingested is only in juice form – no solids.

Is detox juicing for me?

As stated earlier, detox juicing is not for everyone. Do not try juice cleansing without professional advice if you are one of the following:
– diabetic
– hyper or hypoglycaemic
– pregnant
– nursing mother
– if you have a persisting health issue
– you are under medication
– you are still in the process of recovery from a recent illness or surgery

Tips for effective juice cleansing & diets

Schedule it. Don’t embark on a juice fast program at a time when you know you’ll be busy, preoccupied or emotionally down. The cleansing process will require not only physical effort but you will need the right attitude, emotion and mental readiness for it.

Before you even go into pre-cleanse, research and plan out the juice recipes you’ll be making. Below we have some detox juice recipes you can easily follow.

This entry is more of a reminder than a tip because the reasons are too obvious. It’s wise not to go to a party or a celebration while you’re cleansing. I guess it’s pretty easy to understand why. I bet no one will want to go on a juice fast well within the Christmas season. But I’m pretty sure this is included in most people’s to do list or New Year’s resolution.

See if you can get a buddy to share the journey with. Having a buddy who can empathize and encourage you and vice versa will make the challenge lighter – even fun. Choose a buddy who is as serious about this program as you are.

Keep it a secret. Don’t tell people you’re in a juice fast. They’ll have fun taunting you.
Put your mind to it. In any challenge, your hardest enemy is your attitude. Do what you think you need to do to stay motivated. Think about your goals: a healthier body, a cleaner digestive system, a sexier body, a more beautiful skin, and improved overall well-being.

But despite your motivation I know the temptation is everywhere. So how do I deal with it? Do something (not physically exhausting) that will get your mind off food –
● read a book;
● catch up on some episodes you missed (don’t watch Master chef);
● go on a walk (away from food shops);
● Do a project/hobby (Have you tried those adult colouring books they’re buzzing about lately?);
● play games (not candy crush as they look yummy!)

Where to start

At least three days of preparation prior to juice cleansing is recommended. They call this time, pre-cleansing. During this period, you should gradually eliminate all the bad food from your system. I know you know what they are- our favourite poisons: coffee, soda, junk food, ice cream, donuts, burger (you get the idea)… Instead eat low-fat meals with less to no meat, eggs and dairy products. If you are not into vegetables, start introducing your system to vegetables and fruits. Or start incorporating juiced fruits and vegetables. Drink a lot of water – no less than eight glasses of water each day.

During juice fast

Jump start your detox juicing process with a glass of warm water with lemon. Lemon water is known to be effective in flushing out toxins from our body. Drink a total of 6 – 8 servings or glasses of juice each day every 2 hours. Follow the schedule. You don’t have to wait until you’re hungry before you drink another glass. If it’s time, it’s time. In between “meals”, drink plenty of water. It will even help in the cleanse. You may feel, nauseous, grouchy, sluggish and may experience a headache and of course, hunger pangs during this time.

It’s not a good idea to work out while you’re fasting. You can do some light exercise like yoga or walking but do not overdo it. You will do more harm than good to your body.

How long should you juice cleanse?

It could take 1 day, 3 days, 5 days, 10 days, and some longer. It depends on what you feel you body needs and what it can take. Listen to your body.

After the cleanse (Post-cleanse)

Just because you’re done with your juice fast doesn’t mean that you can go ahead and eat chicken right away. As you gradually began the process, so you will gradually introduce solid food back into your system. On the first day, you can start eating solid fruits and vegetables. The next day, you can add in some gluten-free grains and nuts. Not until the 5th or 6th-day post cleanse can fish and organic meat, be added back to your diet. The gradual transition also applies to physical activities. Don’t jump right back to heavy exercise. Pace your body from light to moderate activities before going full swing.

How often can you juice fast?

You can do this three to four times in a year. The duration of your actual cleansing can differ again, depending on what you feel you body needs and what it can take. Say on your first try you did a 3-day cleansing program. The next time you do it, you go for a 5-day program. Don’t feel pressured to increase the duration each time you do it. Feel your body and see what works for you.

Recipes

These are just sample recipes that serve as a guide. But it’s best to go ahead and add in or take out an ingredient to suit your taste. If you feel like the leafy taste is too much, add a little more sweet fruit. This will be a lot better than quitting the program because the taste is a little too unbearable for you. What’s important is that you’re still eating natural food in juice form.

For desserts and in-between snacks you can go ahead and mix n’ match various fruits that you like.

Breakfast juice Recipes

Option 1
● 2 apples
● 1 cucumber
● 2 cups seedless grapes
● 1 cup fresh blueberries
● 1 inch of ginger

Option 2
● 3 carrots
● 2 apples
● 2 oranges
● ½ lemon
● 1-inch ginger

Option 3
● 2 apples
● 1 orange
● 1 cup pineapple
● ½ lemon

Lunch juice recipes

Option 1
● 1 pear
● 1 cucumber
● 4 celery stalks
● 2 cups baby spinach leaves
● ½ cup broccoli
● 6 mint leaves

Option 2
● 3 tomatoes
● 4 garlic cloves
● ½ cup basil leaves
● ½ lemon

Option 3
● 2 apples
● 2 cucumbers
● 8 kale leaves
● ½ cup parsley

Snack juice recipes

Option 1
● 3 cups watermelon
● 1 apple
● 2 limes
● 12 basil leaves

Option 2
● 2 beets
● 3 carrots
● 1 apple
● 1 cup broccoli
● 1 cup baby spinach leaves
● 1-inch ginger

Option 3
● 1 tangerine
● 1 orange
● 2 beets
● 1 carrot
● 3 celery stalks
● ½ lemon

Dinner juice recipes

Option 1
● 1 beet
● 2 carrot
● 1 cucumber
● 6 kale leaves
● 1 apple
● 1 lime

Option 2
● 6 kale leaves
● 2 cups baby spinach leaves
● 1 apple
● 1 pear
● 2 carrots
● 2 celery stalks
● 1 inch of ginger

Option 3
● 8 kale leaves
● 1 cucumber
● 1 apple
● 3 celery stalks
● 1 lemon
● 1 inch of ginger

Homemade vs bottled juices for your diet

If you’re always on the go, you might find juicing quite tedious. Most likely you will think about just buying everything. After all, bottled juices are popular and readily available in stores and online. But it’s worth knowing the difference before you decide.

The good thing about bottled juices is that they are convenient; it can save you a lot of time and effort compared to making your own. Plus, you can skip the meal planning part which can also be challenging. Bottled juices may even taste better than the fresh ones because they contain flavourings which is sad because it means they contain sugar. Bottled juices go through several processes before they reach the market. The problem with this is that in every step of the process healthy nutrients are lost. If you go on a juice cleanse and use bottled juices, you might as well not do it because it defeats the purpose.

The main advantage of home-made juices is that they’re fresh. You can drink them as soon as you’ve made them. You don’t risk losing the good stuff that we’re after from our fruits and vegetables. And you can be sure of the cleanliness of what you’re drinking. You can also be in control in terms of what ingredients you put in your drink. You can customize the recipe depending on the taste that you want.

Good luck! Do you have any delicious juicing recipes?