02 Jan 10 Tips for a 5 day Juice Cleanse
To start of the new year, I’ve decided to do another 5 day juice cleanse so that I can really let go of all of the physical and emotional toxins of 2013. I am so excited to have so many people joining me in our Juice Cleanse group on Facebook. Feel free to head over and join us if you’d like to get tips and support.
I may not be a juice cleanse expert per se, but I do juice pretty much every day and I have done a ton of research as well as completed a successful 5-day juice cleanse last year so I’ve picked up a thing or two. To get ready for our upcoming cleanse, I’ve put together a list of 10 tips to help you in the process. If you would like a complete guide, I highly recommend this one: The Juice Cleanse Reset Program.
1. Pre-cleanse & post-cleanse routines are super important!
For at least a few days to a week before you start, it is really important to eat clean. This means limiting or cutting out caffeine, alcohol, sugar, refined carbohydrates, animal protein and dairy if possible. This will help to minimize the side effects of cleansing and won’t be so shocking to your body.
After your cleanse, your body will continue to go through some serious detoxifying so it’s extremely important to ease out of the cleanse. Your first meal should be all fruit. Last time I had an apple with a few dates. Melons are great as well. You may think that you want to run out and get a burrito or huge meal but you’d be surprised how amazing fruit will taste after you haven’t eaten for 5 days. You may also make yourself sick if you don’t eat the right meals after your cleanse.
Your next few meals should also be extremely light. Veggie broth soups, raw salads, etc. You should continue to eat clean for at least 3-5 days after the cleanse and slowly introduce heavier foods back in. You may be surprised at how your cravings change…healthy foods may actually seem much more appetizing and you may lose your unhealthy cravings.
2. Drink fresh, organic juice.
It’s best to juice everything yourself and drink it within 24 hours if possible. This means you will be juicing every day. Do not buy juice from the store unless you know it’s fresh squeezed within 24 hours. Juice loses nutrients over time and if you buy anything pasteurized, it kills a ton of the enzymes that make fresh juice so good for you. Last time I would make juice the night before and then again in the early afternoon, but you’ll have to adjust for your schedule. And of course, you should be using all organic fruits and vegetables so you aren’t putting additional chemicals in your body.
3. Drink 4-6 glasses of various types of juice.
Be sure to vary the types of juice you are making so you don’t get bored and you are giving your body all types of nutrients. It’s best to do sweeter juices in the morning and mostly vegetables in the evening so you don’t have too much energy from the sugar before bed.
Whenever you get hungry, you should drink juice. I was pretty active on my last juice cleanse and I found that I needed 6 glasses a day, but adjust according to how you feel. Most experts recommend 4-6 glasses.
4. Drink a lot of water between your juices.
Water will help to further detoxify your body. Most experts recommend 1/2 gallon to a full gallon. Listen to what your body needs. You should start off every day with a large glass of water with 1/2 lemon squeezed into it.
5. Do not drink caffeine during the cleanse.
Most herbal tea is ok, but stay away from caffeinated tea or coffee as they will reverse the effects of the detoxification process.
6 Don’t tempt yourself!
If possible, don’t keep a lot of other food around your house except what you are juicing so that you’re not tempted. I would also suggest modifying your plans to help ensure success…sitting in a restaurant, smelling food is the worst temptation. It might be best to spend some time reading, reflecting, meditating, being creative, or doing light exercise so that you are staying busy. You’ll be surprised how much time you have when eating isn’t a part of your life.
7. Listen to your body, don’t push yourself physically.
Most experts don’t recommend heavy exercise during a fast. You want to get PLENTY of rest and don’t push yourself too hard so that your body can really focus on detoxifying. Light exercise like walking, yoga and pilates are usually ok. I was able to do yoga every day last time but just listen to what your body wants. If it needs to sleep more hours and is too tired to exercise, then honor what it’s asking for.
8. Assist your body in the detoxification process.
There are a number of additional ways you can detox during your cleanse. Some of these you can do yourself, and others may require an appointment with a professional. Here are some ideas:
9. Educate yourself – juice cleanse resources:
Here are a few resources. I would recommend clicking around the sites, they are my favorite places to get information for juicing, cleansing and overall health.
- How to Juice Fast – All about Juicing
- Daily Juice Plan
- Sticking to a Juice Cleanse
- 10 tips for before, during and after a juice cleanse
Here is an AWESOME guide that you can follow if you want more direction and information:
10. Use some of these fresh juice recipes:
Hopefully that will help you! I’m so excited for you all to take this journey with me. This is such a great thing to do for your body, and I know you can do this. If you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments. Happy juice fasting!!
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