by Debbie Wright in Blog Posts, Cleanse, Health and Nutrition, Healthy Habits, Recipes, Smoothies, Vegan, Vegetarian

May 6, 2017

Our lives can get really busy these days. Many of us are working like robots, with few breaks in our day. Some people are even working 7 days a week! You may have even forgotten what it’s like to have a weekend to yourself. You might have the weekend off from work but things like house cleaning, grocery shopping and running children around to all their activities occupies all your time. In times like these, a vacation is a blessing and a change of routine is welcome. Even a day spent outside near the water or in the woods can make all the difference in our well being, helping us to de-stress and relax our mind and soul. In much the same way, a one day juice cleanse can de-stress our body and reduce internal inflammation.

Why does it matter?

Have you ever thought about the foods and drinks you consume? Many of us eat whatever comes our way, healthy or not. Because of the struggle to have time to cook at home, you may find yourself eating processed food or fast food much of the time.

Do you know that diet affects our behavior and mood? Dietary changes bring changes in our brains which lead to change in attitude and ability.

For many of us, our busy schedules don’t let us be as careful as we would like to be regarding what we put into our bodies daily. Most of us just don’t have time to cook at home every day. With such busy lives, the tested and proven one-day juice cleanse is just the answer for giving our bodies a break and filling it with healthy nutrients. At the very least, try to add one green drink to your diet every day.

How does it work?

To lose weight, stay healthy, feel fresh and maintain focus you should try to do a juice cleanse once a week, preferably on a day where you won’t be so busy or stressed. It is a refreshing, rejuvenating experience. It will give your metabolism a boost due to the sudden change in diet and your digestive system will thank you for a day off.

Which juices to drink?

Remember, the key is balance. Try to drink juices that leave you without an appetite. You should drink five to six green drinks on your cleanse day to receive proper hydration. Play around with what juice you’ll have at a time that works best with your schedule and also play around with the combinations of leafy greens and vegetables to find out a combination that you like. The recipes below are just suggestions, mix and match as you like, just don’t add any ingredients that aren’t listed. Also be sure you don’t add any sugar or artificial flavors or sugar substitutes.

Things to remember

The most important factor is to not juice/blend in a way that leaves you feeling faint, weak or so hungry that you are waking up for a midnight snack. If you do feel faint or weak you can supplement with a smoothie (add 1/2 of a banana, 1/2 cup of berries and a scoop or two of sugar free protein powder). If that doesn’t work it might be better to stop the cleanse and try on another day. Juice cleanses are never about feeling deprived, they’re about being cleansed and feeling good.

Here are my top 4 green juice recipes. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

GREEN Juice #1

Ingredients:

2 Cucumbers (unpeeled)

1 Green apple (unpeeled)

1 handful Parsley

1 scoop powdered greens (I like Amazing Grass with berries)

Juice of 1 Lemon

Add 1-2 cups of cold water and ice as desired. Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender.

GREEN Juice #2

Ingredients:

1-2 Celery stalks

1 Cucumber (unpeeled)

2 handfuls Romaine Lettuce

2 handfuls Spinach

1 Pear

1 handful Parsley

1 handful Cilantro

1 scoop powdered greens (I like Amazing Grass with berries)

4 ounces Coconut Water

Juice of 1 Lemon

Add 1-2 cups of cold water and ice as desired. Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender.

GREEN Juice #3

Ingredients:

4 Celery stalks

½ of a Green apple

1 Cucumber (unpeeled)

3 Kale leaves

1 scoop powdered greens (I like Amazing Grass with berries)

Juice of 1 Lemon

Add 1-2 cups of cold water and ice as desired. Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender.

GREEN Juice #4

Ingredients:

3 Kale leaves

1 handful of Spinach

4 Celery stalks

1 Cucumber (unpeeled)

Juice of 1 Lemon

Juice of 1 Lime

½ of a Green apple

3 sprigs of Mint

1 scoop powdered greens (I like Amazing Grass with berries)

Add 1-2 cups of cold water and ice as desired. Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender.

This one-day juice cleanse will clean your internal organs and you will see the effect on your skin and general health. You might even feel more focused and productive at work! Hopefully the results will motivate and lead you towards opting for a healthier diet and maybe even adding one green drink cleanse day into every week.

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