WRITTEN BY: Sarah & Mike
Why juice cleanse....
For us, juice cleansing is a time for reflection. We often choose to cleanse when we feel like life is getting a little too busy or feeling a little bit out of control. Cleansing is the perfect time to slow down, take a breath and dedicate our focus to understanding where our energy is spent.
When cleansing, not only are we turning our attention to what kind of food we are putting into our bodies, but what are we putting onto our bodies, what is our workout routine, what kind of social situations are we finding ourselves in, and most importantly of all: WHY? Are we being true to ourselves and our goals? Would a gentle yoga class be a better choice today over heavier cardio or lifting? When we go out to eat, are we able to maintain our standards of consumption or are we feeling influenced by peers or settling for whatever is available? What areas in our life are we compromising that we would like to be more conscious about?
Our favorite part of a cleanse is being able to see where we are spending our time and constructively choosing our energy outlets in life.
We plan....
Planning is key in juice cleansing! We find a time when we have eaten all the perishable food items we have at home and when we don't have friends or family visiting or any out of town trips planned. We also ensure the days during our cleanse will allow us the flexibility to bring our own sustenance, get a good night of sleep, and adjust our activity levels. We also ensure we have a cooler bag to transport juice with us to work and anywhere else we might be headed.
In the days leading up to the cleanse....
This is a time where you can start to become aware of what your diet consists of and decrease your consumption of processed foods, sugar, meat, dairy, gluten, etc. We stick mostly to whole fruits and vegetables and make sure that our portion sizes are appropriate to our hunger levels (i.e., not overeating that delicious vegan mushroom risotto when we know we are full just because it tastes so dang good). We also back off from caffeine and alcohol.
In the mornings....
We like to start the day off with a room temperature glass of lemon water to kickstart our metabolism and give our stomach something gentle and hydrating.
In the daytime....
- We plan to drink a juice every 2-3 hours as needed (have them handy!) to ensure we are getting all the calories and nutrition we need.
- We drink each juice within 20-30 minutes of opening it so that our digestive system doesn't have to keep stopping and restarting.
- We intentionally choose which activities we want to participate in. When eating normally, our digestive systems use about 30% of our overall energy to break down food. Once we eliminate that step and give our bodies liquid nutrition that can be immediately absorbed, we often find that we have more energy than usual. If you are "detoxing" during a cleanse (from sugar, caffeine, alcohol, dairy), you may find that on some days your energy levels feel a bit lower. When this is the case, try sticking to activities that will be rewarding rather than too challenging. It might even be a great time to try something new like painting, writing, reading, or doing a puzzle.
- If we are feeling a little slow, we sub in a nut milk for a juice for a little extra calorie intake.
- We observe how we are feeling and how are bodies react to different juices and situations throughout the day.
In the evenings....
- We finish our last juice or nut milk 2 hours before getting into bed.
- We turn off our screens with our last juice and switch to an activity like reading or writing.
- We go to bed maybe even a little earlier that usual and experience a full night's rest.
Post-cleanse....
Whenever we feel like we are ready to introduce whole food back into our diet, we do so mindfully. Instead of returning immediately to prior eating habits, we consciously choose to remain eating organic, vegan, and gluten-free. We are able to tell more easily when we are full at each meal and what our body prefers at certain times of day. For us, that usually looks like overnight oats or a nut milk in the mornings, a salad full of raw veggies for lunch, and steamed vegetables for dinner. We find that lunch as our heartiest meal works best for us and allows us to eat a lighter dinner. Not only that, but we take the time to actually shop for exactly what we want to be eating, make time to prepare our food, and sit down to eat without distractions.
Our favorite part....
We love the opportunity to consciously create our lives and all that we want in them!
Have any questions?
Email us or ask us in the shop! While we can only speak to our personal experience, we are more than happy to share!