Hello! This week I am going to be posting all about ideas on fitness, beauty, health and how to make yourself feel the best you have ever felt, the day you walk down the aisle! Correct, I am not a nutritionist, a trainer or any health expert, however, a healthy lifestyle is something I have always enjoyed and practice. I exercise regularly, love to cook and eat healthy and on my wedding day I want to feel the best I have ever felt! January came along and I realized, oh my… 5 months until our wedding! Eeeekk, time to kick it in high gear! Those last few pounds I've been wanting to lose, the glowing rosy skin I want achieve, all of it can be done with a few healthy changes. After the holiday season filled with fun and indulgence, I decided it was time to kick start my wedding feel good plan! Beau received a juicer for Christmas this year, so it was the perfect time to break it out and start juicing, starting with a cleanse.
I have read a lot of good and bad things about juice cleanse. Some people think they are an instance weight solution to weight loss, no. Some others think you need to do a 30 day cleanse to get any results, are you kidding! I have also read that juice cleanses are full of sugar, so they are really not good for you at all, not true. I did enjoy reading positive things about them, that they made you feel lighter, not hungry and got your system cleansed from over indulging and got rid of some of your cravings {i.e.: sugar, afternoon sweets!}. As Dr. Oz mentions, "A Detox is based upon eating certain “detoxifying” foods that will keep these systems running smoothly." Simple. Start. Let's go.
I used two cookbooks over the three days for my recipes:
Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook: "It's All Good"
Jason Vale's juice book "The Juice Master".
You can also find hundreds of juice recipes on Pinterest alone!
Step 1: Get your Pantry Juice Cleanse Ready
Juices can get expensive if you are using fresh fruit and veggies from the grocery store every day or buying the pre bottled juices. I made a list of all of the veggies and fruit I wanted to use for three days and went to my local market. Luckily we live near an awesome farmers market where I can buy fresh produce for half the cost of the grocery store! You will be shocked at how much produce you go through in one glass of juice!
I decided to do a three day juice cleanse, I made up the cleanse myself, however, I would highly recommend following one of the links I share at the end of this post, because I think I went a bit extreme and wish I would have read the items below before my experience.
Day One:
I begin every day with a cup of warm water with lemon. Correct, no coffee, no tea!
I followed my morning "drink" with the juice masters detox cleanse special juice.
For Lunch I made myself Beet, Carrot, Apple, Ginger Juice and in the afternoon and evening I had more of the master detox cleanse special juice.
I begin every day with a cup of warm water with lemon. Correct, no coffee, no tea!
I followed my morning "drink" with the juice masters detox cleanse special juice.
For Lunch I made myself Beet, Carrot, Apple, Ginger Juice and in the afternoon and evening I had more of the master detox cleanse special juice.
The first day I felt great! I drank a lot of water throughout the day and sipped a lot of warm lemon water. Yes, come 5:00pm I wanted a nice glass of red wine, but I kept the wine bar closed and enjoyed juice glass number three instead. At the end of day three I surprisingly felt great and slept like a baby throughout the night.
Day Two
I woke up early with my warm lemon water and went to work out…probably not the best idea. I attend a high intensity circuit training class and I probably should have chosen to do more
of a yoga class, low intensity or even a power walk.
When I got home from class I made a glass of beet juice and grabbed a handful of almonds, as I was craving a little crunch, not just liquids.
As the day continued I had another green juice for lunch and made myself some fresh mint tea.
I was feeling great until about mid afternoon when I started to feel dizzy and faint, see, the intense workout and only juice was not doing it for me!
After reading up on other cleanses I decided to make a delicious soup and chose a fresh Broccoli + Arugula Soup from Gwyneth Paltrow's book. Your body is craving something warm and more then a glass of juice after two days. This soup was perfect! That evening I was starting to crave something else to eat and not just soup or juice, but I felt like it was a mental thing and let it go, going to be feeling a little lighter.
I woke up early with my warm lemon water and went to work out…probably not the best idea. I attend a high intensity circuit training class and I probably should have chosen to do more
of a yoga class, low intensity or even a power walk.
When I got home from class I made a glass of beet juice and grabbed a handful of almonds, as I was craving a little crunch, not just liquids.
As the day continued I had another green juice for lunch and made myself some fresh mint tea.
I was feeling great until about mid afternoon when I started to feel dizzy and faint, see, the intense workout and only juice was not doing it for me!
After reading up on other cleanses I decided to make a delicious soup and chose a fresh Broccoli + Arugula Soup from Gwyneth Paltrow's book. Your body is craving something warm and more then a glass of juice after two days. This soup was perfect! That evening I was starting to crave something else to eat and not just soup or juice, but I felt like it was a mental thing and let it go, going to be feeling a little lighter.
Day Three
I gave myself the day off from the gym and took Oliver for a long walk. Again, I started the day with Lemon Water and tried a Carrot Juice this day.
At lunch time I had the remaining soup from lunch the day before, an afternoon snack of fresh carrots, a pear and beet juice and for dinner I made the master cleanse juice one more time.
Day Three I did feel tired, however, I was feeling a bit lighter and actually, shockingly not craving an afternoon treat.
I gave myself the day off from the gym and took Oliver for a long walk. Again, I started the day with Lemon Water and tried a Carrot Juice this day.
At lunch time I had the remaining soup from lunch the day before, an afternoon snack of fresh carrots, a pear and beet juice and for dinner I made the master cleanse juice one more time.
Day Three I did feel tired, however, I was feeling a bit lighter and actually, shockingly not craving an afternoon treat.
DONE!
Let me just say, the hardest part I felt was giving up coffee for three days. I had two really bad headaches, however it made me think just how much our bodies get use to things and need a little detox from it! I wouldn't suggest going as minimal as I did, because I did feel a bit tired and achy after day two, but if I had incorporated a light salad and some more nuts, I think I would absolutely do it again.
Green Juice is amazing for you. It is full of antioxidants and calcium. I really enjoy Gwyneth Paltrow's recipe but would add a bit more lemon to it. It is yummy and I thought almost tastes like a green lemonade! Moving forward as we get closer to the wedding I am trying to cut down no my coffee intake and make more things like green juice and as always…water! There is nothing better for a glowing face then water!
I do not recommend juice diets all the time…NO! Your body need nutrients and food to give you energy and feel and look beautiful. I also do not recommend the Master Cleanse, that is called starving yourself. However, a few days of juice cleansing, allows your body to eliminate toxins from your system and feel really fantastic after. Three days of cleansing with juices, soups and light healthy meals, no alcohol and no coffee, YES!
Also, I had some people ask me if I had bought the cleanse in bottles, no. Pre made juice cleanse can be SUPER expensive! I know that juicers can be a bit expensive as well, but honestly, the one time investment is worth it after buying into a bottled juice cleanse program. I also like seeing the fresh juice and veggies go into my glass!
If you are looking for a kick start to looking great for your wedding day, you are a bridesmaids, a big event is coming up or you just want to start feeling better, I do think a cleanse is a great start.
Suggested juice cleanses and recipes to follow:
Cleansing Garlicky Baby Bok Choy Soup
Dr. Oz 48 Hour Weekend Cleanse
Detox Smoothies
Let me know if you try it and how you feel! Good luck!
xoxo - Becca
Dr. Oz 48 Hour Weekend Cleanse
Detox Smoothies
Let me know if you try it and how you feel! Good luck!
xoxo - Becca
Juice cleanses are wonderfully beneficial if you limit high-sugar juices like most fruits and carrot. The best experiences people have are those who do mostly or entirely veggie juice.
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