Hey Spring time Lovelies!
Spring has finally arrived!
I know it supposedly came a little while back but Québec was pelted with major snow storms and hard winter weather, only these past few days have we had rain and the remnants of old man winter are finally gone away; and warmer weather is forecasted.
Spring time is one of two times in the year when people do some form of a detox/cleanse, for health purposes. The second time is in fall but we will leave that for another day. I am blessed to have 4 consecutive days off of work and am taking full advantage of them, I felt a short juice fast would be wonderful and thought that some of you might be interested too. Curious as to why it can be of benefit? Check out this awesome list, courtesy of:
http://americancensorship.org/health-benefits-juicing-healthy-americans/
So, for this weeks post, I am including: juices, loads of recipes and juicing guidelines. The reason for all this is because if you decide you want to try it out, I want you to be prepared mentally, grocery list and purchase wise, as well as familiarizing yourself with what you will be making for juice fast days.
It's not stressful, it's empowering and fun.
Plus, you get to choose your juices based on what you like, what your budget allows, what works with any fruits/vegetables you already have, and be able to avoid any allergies or intolerance's to certain fruits/veg.
I know you are wondering what happens with the days after the three days of juicing are done, well, there is an info-graphic below that explains how to come off your juice fast, what to eat to help in coming off a fast & the dangers of doing it wrong. I will be doing a post with some menu options for you so you can guide yourself back to eating normally but that's not today. For now, just focus on the juice fast & keep checking back here for deelish noms my lovies!
First thing's first:
I am by no means a medical professional or nutritionist, nor do I specialize in being a fitness trainer. The Bien Confit! GF Website and I cannot be held responsible or liable for any injury, discomfort, and or damage in connection with this blog and the information provided on it and that an individual chooses to use from this site. This includes, but is not limited to, any liability, loss or damage resulting in connection with the use of this site, exercise, health and nutritional information provided/given within. The information being provided is based on my personal experience(s), researched methods, years of experience in the health food industry, my professional training in Polarity/Craniosacral therapy, colonic irrigation therapy courses, and as a professionally trained Chef.
YOU are responsible for what and how you choose to use the information provided.
It is always recommended to consult with a doctor before making any changes to your diet/health routine/lifestyle; especially if you suffer from any minor or serious health issues, are taking medications, are already being followed by any health/nutrition/holistic professional.
I highly suggest you research, tailor to your specific needs, and implement what YOU feel will work best for you.
**We all have different bodies, different health requirements based on needs, level of physical exertion, health concerns, family history, and day-to-day activities.
This blog series is my journey that I have chosen to share and include others in, you are not required to do anything that you know will not work for you, goes against recommendations you have received, or that you deem is not safe.
Moving forward...
Juicing and fasting are opportunities for several levels of health, obviously there are benefits with regards to physical health but you may be surprised to discover the positive impact it can have on your mental, emotional, and spiritual health. It can be quite intense and liberating, there are always unpleasant moments but serious long-term illness is way more unpleasant than anything juice fasting has ever sent my way.
Before I get started on recipes, we need to go over some important information.
1) I need you to stick to the juicing rules:
-Sweeter juices first thing in the morning & as a snack in the earlier part of the afternoon.
-Juices for daily consumption with food should max at 2-3/day.
-Juices for juice fasts are usually 6-10/ juices per day
-You MUST drink green and more savoury juices to help your cells be nourished, detox, and regenerate. You are also making sure not to over feed bad bacteria by sticking to more green based drink's. It is alright to have an apple or a pear in a more vegetable based juice to cut some strong or bitter taste.
2) Drink when hungry and do not drink less because you want to lose weight. These juices are your sustenance, do not be left shaky, irritable, or starved because of foolishness. Drink up!
-Enjoy water and tea.
-Wrap up in a warm blanket when you need, as your body temperature will drop; it is normal. Do not worry, just rest and bundle.
3) Go to the bathroom as often as you need, don't force just flow.
4) DO NOT watch shows with food or read books or magazines laden with food images. Torturing yourself is cruel, be kind and remember that food cravings=drink juice and water as needed.
-Cravings even after drinking juice are normal, breathe, wait ten minutes, keep yourself busy with simple pleasant things and it shall pass.
5) Remind any loved one's that are home with you of what you are undertaking, how important their support is, not to sabotage your efforts, and apologize in advance with warnings about potential crankiness and even crying jags. Yes, juicing detox can get very emotional, remember to be kind to yourself.
6) If doing colonic irrigation or enema's, you MUST take probiotics within an hour of having one because these remove all bacteria, good & bad. You need to put plenty of good bacteria back in.
7) If you are on medication's that your health provider/Naturopath says you need, keep taking them! You are responsible for speaking with a health provider before embarking on this journey. I continued taking my thyroid natural meds and supplements during my juice fasts, it is important.
8) How you prepare for a cleanse is of utmost importance as how you end one. Here is a link to prepping for a juice fast/cleanse. I prefer to give you a few blog posts to refer to, as information overload is of no help to anyone. Coming off a fast link is below this post:
Good to know:
How and when to get ready is really important. I buy my fruits and vegetables along with water and supplements, the 1-3 days before I start my cleanse. I don't like having to do energy draining tasks the first 48 hours of juicing; and shopping is energy draining. The first 24 hours my body is adjusting to going without food and I have been known to experience mild headaches, feeling more tired than usual, and running to the bathroom for a lot of numbers 1 & 2. This is normal, it's another reason I like to stick close to home, do very gentle stretching or a short walk, (remember to not be too far from a washroom) and lots of water, juices, hot detox tea's, and rest, as I need it. Don't fight the urges to rest, it's good for you.
I have even been known to tell people that I will be away for 3-4 days and won't be bringing my cel or any electronics, as I am away on a health retreat.
I don't care if it's not 100% truthful, I care about my health & creating an opportunity to succeed at what I am doing.
Juice/liquid fasts are serious business & they are not to be entered willy nilly, without proper prep, or without true commitment.
I am giving you 3 days to do this, I like doing 7 days when time and finances allow but a solid three days is great for a seasonal boost.
I also do colonic irrigation, as it helps with elimination, eases detox symptoms-which are worse for eczema or psoriasis sufferers, and it cuts the headaches big time!
It's not for everyone & I am not judging those who don't want to do this. I am only giving it as a recommendation, I used to get them done professionally, then I studied colonic irrigation, and now I do them at home with an enema kit I bought at the pharmacy.
I know some of you might not like this topic but it's important to know about. My first liquid detox was a thousand times worse than it had to be, and it was all because I detoxes too much, too quickly, and my skin suffered horribly for it. I have never had an eczema flare like that before and it would have been completely avoided, if I had known about colonic irrigation. It was a Naturopath, a client, and a Rabbi, who taught me about detox and the importance of elimination in the colon. I am including a link to a video from YouTube that shows you how to do a home colonic safely. This is something you should discuss with a health provider before attempting, especially if you have a medical condition.
BTW, I DO NOT recommend coffee enema's or anything other than a water enema/colonic. That's my personal and professional opinion. Also, enema's and colonic's are not an every day thing, they are for use during cleanses or as a medical professional suggests. People get hooked on these types of methods because they result in rapid weight loss, however, our bodies have a very efficient, effective, and properly constructed method of expelling waste. Irrigating the colon is only needed for specific reason's and for short periods of time.
If you are not comfortable performing a home enema, by all means go to a professional. Just research, check qualifications, and reviews before hand. Personally, when I juice fast, a colonic every day is a necessity.
I would also like to suggest that you clean your home and especially your bathroom, really well, before your fast begins. You will not have the energy to do these things and you will feel much better attempting this in a clean and sanitary environment.
The benefits of colonic irrigation:
I also highly recommend that you do not change or stop taking medication that your doctor has prescribed you, while cleansing. You must consult your health provider before beginning any detox program and juicing is no different. Try to seek out a Naturopath who will listen to you and knows about juicing. My family doctor was big on natural alternative's and had no qualms about my juicing but I did stick to taking my probiotics, my thyroid meds, and I slowed down on days I needed to. I also drink loads of spring water and detox water when juice fasting.
I am going to focus on those of you with adrenal, thyroid, and autoimmune issues for a moment.
Juicing is a great way to kick start a sluggish metabolism, support the body's natural desire for health, to detox, and turn over a new healthy leaf. However, if you struggle with the above mentioned issues, you need to be aware of some important things.
1-Take it easy on goitrogenic foods that could worsen your thyroid's functionality. Here is an info-graphic on goitrogens:
I personally do not have a problem with almonds, flax, pumpkin seeds or figs. I eat from the above listed foods sparingly and usually have them cooked when I can.
I incorporate a bit of cabbage, peaches, strawberries, and pears when juicing but it's about 2 juices over my whole juice fast. I know my body, I listen to what it's telling me on any given day, I am aware that on some days my thyroid is not operating well and I respect what my body needs & doesn't need.
2-I have incorporated bone broth on liquid fasts when my thyroid was particularly bad and my body was in autoimmune response over drive. I am including links to my bone broth recipe & Dr. Josh Axe's site, he helped me with a lot of issues that modern medicine, specialist's, tests, and regular doctor's, were just not finding or listening to me about. I would also recommend the Stop The Thyroid Madness blog if you are struggling, all your tests come back as normal but you know something is wrong, and you need help or have question's, that you are not finding or getting answers to,
3-Drink juices that support your thyroid. I always include them in my fasts and they do make a difference.
4-Don't push it! And this applies to everyone doing a juice/liquid cleanse, you cannot expect to be well if you abuse your body, no matter how well nourished it is. I mean it when I say rest, gentle exercises, and kindness to yourself. Self-Love, there is a reason why the word self is first.
5-You may want to keep a 3 day juice journal. The reason why is because some juices may negatively or positively impact your body more than others. I know that when I took a mix of carrots, apples, a beet with a know of ginger and a stalk of celery, that juice made my energy levels sky rocket! I was hyper but super charged and happy. It's good to take notes, so you can refer back to them and decide which juices make you feel the best; this way you can incorporate them in your daily routine, even after the juice fast is done.
6- Drink when you need to, don't deny yourself juice because you think you're having too much. These juices are your source of nutrients, let yourself have them. My first day is usually 6-7 juices and then my second day goes up, along with having warm almond milk and all the other recommended liquids. I feel fine and full.
7- Lastly, I suggest getting some Tulsi tea, I like Pukka Three Tulsi tea. It's a bit pricey but I feel really great when I drink it, it's also known as Holy Basil tea and is purported to have a number of health benefits. I discovered that I feel much better and less sluggish when I drink it, on bad thyroid days. I also drink lemon, ginger, fig-wort detox tea in the morning and just before bed. These support my detox process and ease digestive issues.
Here are some info-graphic's to help you out.
http://draxe.com/the-healing-power-of-bone-broth-for-digestion-arthritis-and-cellulite/
THE SUM OF ALL GREEN'S!
Ingredients: -handful parsley
-handful coriander
-handful watercress
-4 romaine lettuce leaves
-1 fennel stalk
-10 Basil leaves
-1 stalk celery
-1 carrot
-1 tomato
-1/2 lime
-1/2 cucumber
-1 love garlic
-1/2 an onion
-pinch of fresh ground pepper and salt to taste.
Method:
-All in the juicer and down the healthy hatch! 
MINTED PINE JUICE
Ingredients:
2 Cups Pineapple
2 Stalks Celery
2 Lettuce leaves
1 Cucumber peeled
6 Fresh mint leaves
Method:
-Run all through juicer, serve over ice & enjoy!
GREET THE DAY JUICE
Ingredients:
3 Apples
3 Carrots
2 Grapefruits
1/2 Lime
Handful of red grapes
1/2 Cup Mango
Knob of fresh ginger
Method:
-Peel citrus, run all through juicer, serve over ice.
Don't forget to share with a loved one!
I found these on Pinterest and also the next pics, these are to give you a variety of recipes to mix and match as you please, while allowing you to try new flavours.
Remember the importance of green juices, especially in the evening to help regenerate and feed cells while assisting the detoxing process.
Coming off your fast is just as important as how you prep for one. Here is the link to that post, I did not want to overwhelm you with too much information on one post.
