The Juicy Details - Guide to a Healthy 4 Day Cleanse

Juicing 101

There are a ton of articles out there discussing the health benefits and risks of a juice cleanses.  If done right, a juice cleanse can be a great way to detoxify your body and kick start a healthier lifestyle.  My 4 day juice cleanse includes all the necessary nutrients your body needs while allowing your digestive system to take and break.

Fact or Myth

- Juicing leaves out essential nutrients from your diet.
This may be true depending on the cleanse you choose.  If you do your research you can choose a well rounded cleanse that will leave you feeling energized rather than tired and hungry.  Fruits and veggies are rich in vitamins and contain a ton of fiber, which helps cleanse the digestive system.  Many fruits and veggies also contain protein, calcium and iron.  These are just a few nutrients that cleanse naysayers target as those that are "left out" during a cleanse.  Fun fact: Kale has more Calcium per calorie than milk!

- Juice cleanses help you lose weight
This is true.  You will lose weight, but this should not be your main reason for doing a juice cleanse.  My main reason for cleansing is it is a great way to get on the path to a healthier lifestyle and leaves me feeling healthy and energized.  When I fall of the bandwagon and start to eat poorly, I always turn to a juice cleanse to get me back on track.  Doing a juice cleanse for a few days will not help you with long term weight loss as you must lead a healthy and active lifestyle after the cleanse is over.

- It is best to drink your juice right away after juicing it?
Yes.  This is not to say it loses all nutritional value if left for a day, but juice has it's highest nutritional value right after you make it.  When doing a cleanse, try to have your juices sitting for less than a day.  I make my juices the night before or the morning of drinking them.

The Cleanse

Juice #1- Sara's Green Juice

• 1 Cucumber
• 4-5 Kale leaves
• 3-4 Stalks of Celery
• 1 Green Apple
• 1 Lemon
• Teaspoon of Ground Ginger

Juice #2- Tropical Paradise

• 1 Peach
• 1 Pear
• 1 Cup of cut up Pineapple
• 1/4-1/2 cup of Coconut water

Lunch Smoothie- Berry Blend
* I make this a smoothie, but it can easily be made into a juice
** Protein powder is optional.  This is if you are not feeling full enough

• 1/2 Cup of Blueberries
• 1/2 Cup Strawberries
• 1/2 Cup Raspberries
• 1-1 1/2 Cups of Fresh Squeezed Watermelon Juice
• Scoop of protein powder (optional)

Juice #4- Lucky 7

• 2 Carrots
• 1/2 Cup of Pineapple
• 1 Pear
• 1 Orange
• 1 Beet
• 1 Lemon
• 1 Teaspoon of Ground Ginger

Juice #5- Sweet Greens

• 1 Apple
• 1 Cup of cut up Pineapple
• 6-7 Kale leaves
• 1 Lemon
• 1 Teaspoon of Ground Ginger

Juice #6- Green Gulp

• 5 Kale leaves
• 1 Cucumber
• 1 Apple
• 1 Cup Green Grapes

Tips

• Do not drink Caffeine while cleansing
• It is OK to drink decaf tea
• If you absolutely need something substantial, do a light salad for dinner (only use oil and vinegar for dressing)
• You can turn these into smoothies by blending with ice