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At Home Chef: Yummy Green Juice

Cucumber, Apple, Ginger Juice

Juicy Gratitude

I have been juice cleansing for 8 days now, two more days to go. I feel good, I have a lot of energy and I am enjoying the taste of my new daily concoctions. Another aspect of this cleanse I am thoroughly enjoying is the overwhelming sense of reflection and gratitude I have. It seems not worrying about what to eat next or being bogged down by a full and heavy stomach has allowed my body and spirit energy to focus on other important things in my life. I find myself listing all that I am grateful for.

For instance some of the wonderful things I am grateful for today are: my Orchid which has finally re-blossomed after a year, the abundance of fresh produce in my fridge, access to clean running water, the fresh jasmine that grows near my home, my bodies ability to move freely and effortlessly, and a warm cup of spice tea.

These things may seem super corny to you- which is fine - I am known to be a corn-ball. I realize that I sometimes take these pleasures for granted as though they should always just be this way. Unfortunately, the fact is I have friends in Burkina Faso who are without a home, running water, or food. There are people in my neighborhood who cannot afford fresh produce and are glad just to have one meal. I met a little girl who had never seen flowers before and thought them to be only in story books.

It is not merely the possibility of lack thereof that makes me appreciate what I have so much (because I’d find something to be grateful for in any situation), but in truth I genuinely appreciate all of the good in my life and this cleanse has helped me to recognize these things even more.

I believe that our thoughts create our reality and we attract what we think about most. With that said, if I focus on all the good in my life then I will attract more goodness. However, the same is true the other way around. In an effort to continue  focusing on gratitude I created something special to support in this process.

Today I found one of my many blank journals and I decorated the cover with my favorite stickers and it has officially become my gratitude journal.  Now, even after this juice cleanse I will be tracking all of the wonderful things in my life (that I sometimes overlook).

My Gratitude Journal

An Average Day of Juice Cleansing

Greetings All,

Today is my 5th day of juice cleansing and I feel great. I have a lot energy, my skin is glowing, and I feel centered. I am not cleansing for the cosmetic benefit to merely to loose weight or look HOTT for summer. Rather, my goal is to give my body a rest and allow it to cleanse itself naturally.

Our bodies are constantly working and therefore in need of rest. However, our digestive system is not always afforded this luxury. Many believe it is our intestines that determine how healthy we are. If this is the case we must know it is the food we eat that determines the health of our intestines. Dr. Arnold Ehert states that the average human is holding 10 pounds of waste or more. He stresses the neccessity of cleansing the body regularly to rid it of toxins, carcinogens, chemicals, and old built up food from past years.

The first 3-5 days of any cleanse, especially on cleanses that eliminate solid food longer than 5 days will the shock the body and sometimes create withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal happens on a large scale for people who eat a diet which contains a lot of dairy, meat, sugary, salty, and processed foods. Withdrawal symptoms include headache, dizziness, severe cravings, and mood swings. These symptoms sound like a bonafide addict right? In many ways this is the case because many are using food as prescriptions for healing pain, heartbreak, insecurity, loss, and the list goes on. Food thereby is no longer a tool for promoting nutrition and wellness rather it becomes a crippling aid in the physical, emotional, and mental health of the individual.

In addition, due to the fact that the human body stores 5 days of emergency food in the system, your body is under the impression it is in an emergency situation and will supply you stored nutrients for up to 5 days. The beauty of juice cleansing is you’re allowing your body to cleanse from the past while presently flushing it with large amounts of nutrients. Also, the cleansing process itself aids in the absorption of future nutrients that will enter the body.

Although, I haven’t been tracking my progress on this blog I woke up thinking I should share my average Juice Cleanse Day with you. Here goes:

Time	Juice
7 am	Hot water and 2 tbsp lemon juice 8 oz
8 am	Lemon, Carrot, Apple, ginger, beet 10 oz
10 am	Tomato, Radish, lemon juice 10 oz
12 pm	Fennel, Carrot, Celery, lemon juice 10 oz
2 pm	Kale, banana, rejuvalec  juice/smootie 32 oz
4 pm	Decaf herbal tea: Peppermint or Bengal Spice
5 pm	Celery, Apple, ginger juice 10 oz
7 pm	Ann Wigmore Energy Soup (recipe) Nectarine and strawberry juice 10 oz
9 pm	Decaf herbal tea: Peppermint or Bengal Spice

I also drink 8-10 cups of water in between my juices meals. I always end up feeling very full by 7pm and then by 9pm I feel a little hungry and a warm cup of tea fulfills the craving perfectly. I usually jog 3 miles at 7:30 in the morning and I have more than enough energy to push me through.  On days I feel slower I take it slower. I listen to my body. Listening is key.

I hope you enjoyed this post, please leave any positive and uplifting comments and/or questions you may have. I look forward to hearing from you.