A little "wellness" update: I'll be commencing a Lucky You 5 day juice cleanse tomorrow morning. And I'm a little bit excited. Why a juice cleanse? "The name of the game is nourishing while eliminating. A cleanse will kick start the process of releasing toxins from internal tissues into your bloodstream for removal" (learn more here - the Lucky You website is a wealth of information!). My day on a plate in a jar will look like this (6 juices plus 2 "elixirs"):
Call me crazy, but YUM. And the best bit? Lucky You juice cleanses are delivered to your door (Sydney only). Sarah Wilson does one heck of an informative blog post, so if you're busting to know more, read her diary of a Lucky You juice cleanse. I found this golden nugget in the comments section:
If you’re googling juice detoxes, this (from Lucky You founder, Heidy Jameel) would be a good checklist:
- Ensure the company uses organic produce as often as possible.
- Ensure the company uses proper produce and not that designated for “juicing”. Those that buy the “juicing” variety do so to save some $. It’s cutting corners that should NOT be cut. This type of produce is often well past its use by date meaning it has turned acidic. Don’t touch it.
- Ensure the company doesn’t dilute their offerings. Dilution is up to the user. It is the “juice” that is doing the work in a cleanse. If it’s diluted you are getting a half strength cleanse. Why would you pay full price for a half priced option?
- Ensure you never eat nuts and seeds with your cleanse unless they are pre-digested, they are very difficult to digest in whole form which defeats the purpose of the cleanse.
- Ensure they are able to give you suggestions on what you can grab, if you are in dire straights, especially for you coffee drinkers out there!
- Ensure you understand “what” exactly is being juiced. Some produce should not be juiced – it creates more negative than positive.
- Ensure coconut water is included, if not, crack your own.
- Ensure the method of juicing is “hydraulically pressed”. The nutrient and enzyme content is lost quickly if not. Why pay money and spend time drinking just another liquid?
- Ensure weight loss is not a major selling point. You’ll be disappointed. No one can promise you are going to lose weight – even if you drink only juice for a week ?. What we can promise is that consuming “alive” food and drink will result in the weight nature intended you to be – make sense?
- Ensure they can knowledgably advise you on an “individual” constipation strategy. We talk to LOTS of clients about poo! In fact, if you have not called us this week we hope you have this area under control. Word to the wise…do NOT ever go with something you have not tried before except for an enema or colonic. For example, if you have never used psylium husk before, don’t touch it. When it works it’s great, when it doesn’t it’s a NIGHTMARE.
- Ensure the company can give tried and true recommendations regarding enemas and colonics. Colonics give some the willies…they don’t need to if you get the right place and right person.
- Ensure the company can provide juice “between” cleanses to keep you on track. Juice cleanses should not be a walk in the park unless you have been practicing eating “alive” food meaning raw and sprouted for more than 12 months. If you don’t and you glide through your cleanse from day dot chances are your cleanse provider may not be following the above mentioned steps. Real raw fruit and veg should pack a POWERFUL punch. This is what we want, this is what we pay for…this is what gets results.
With Spring just a couple of weeks away (and my birthday a couple of weeks after that!!) it's a good time to start thinking about spring cleaning our weary winter-y bodies, don't you think? You seem to be a healthy and inspired bunch of Tonic-ettes, and I'm thoroughly enjoying sharing the road to health and wellness with you all. And yes. Of course I'll keep you posted on the next 5 days. Happy Tuesday!
