Simply Healthy | Juicing 101: The Basic Cleanse

Lately the ravages of winter (Christmas dinner, New Year’s champagne, general winter hibernation) have really taken a toll on my body.

I needed serious help. I decided a small, manageable juice cleanse would be the perfect way to get on track. Juicing has its fanatics and naysayers, but adding more vitamins and minerals by replacing a few meals with fresh, juiced vegetables is a great way to kickstart you back to healthier eating habits.

Just like other diets or cleanses, moderation is the best course of action. I knew a month-long cleanse was out of the question for me. I chose a three-day cleanse. It's just enough of a plan to help you get a hold on cravings and the need to binge.

There are plenty of things to remember to make sure you aren’t starving yourself of nutrients. It's very easy to miss out on needed proteins and other important minerals without following these important guidelines and tips.

- Be prepared
Begin prepping yourself several days to a week ahead, cutting back on heavy foods and switching over to light, raw vegetable and fruit meals – like salads or simple stir-fry dinners. You’ll want to wean yourself off the food, not go cold turkey, or you are likely not to make it through the three days.

You’ll also need to make sure you’ve got the right equipment. Finding the right juicer is just as important as the right recipe. I’ve been testing a MagiMix. It is functional and flexible with juicing as well as offering a myriad of other ways to implement it in my kitchen. I’m pretty sold on it.

However, do your own research and find which one fits your needs the best.

- Drink more water
Make sure you are hydrating all day. Even though you’ll be drinking plenty of juice, make sure to supplement with lots of water.

- Decaf yourself
If you are into a daily coffee routine, you'll have to go cold turkey for the most part. Caffeine is a no-no. You can, however, substitute a small cup of caffeinated green or Oolong tea into your morning coffee routine to avoid headaches. Green or Oolong teas are great detoxifiers, where as coffee – with at least five times more caffeine – can cause constipation. When cleansing, you’re giving yourself a break from your routine, and if coffee is a part of that, then a break is what you’ll need.

- Not so sweet
Steer clear of juicing only fruits and sweeter vegetables. You don’t want your blood sugar to spike. You are basically mainlining sugar when you juice apples and carrots. Mix in more greens for a well-balanced juice.

- Just dessert
Supplement your juice at the end of the day with a protein juice or shake, like the Almond Milk Punch recipe below. You can create a calcium-rich juice by using more cabbage and leafier greens.

For a three-day cleanse, you can prepare your drinks all at once. Juices shouldn’t be kept longer than a 72-hour period. I use canning jars that already have lids, and designate a shelf in the refrigerator for everything – labeled with 1,2,3.

When doing a diet change like a juice cleanse, organization is the best method for staying on track. You can make your own, or you can use this handy printable below.

Twinkle’s 3-Day Juice Cleanse Tracking Guide

If you aren’t ready for a full cleanse, then substitute some of the juices for fresh, raw salads and fruits.

Breakfast:
Green Gypsy
Perfect for adding extra iron and Vitamin K
1 cup sliced kale (from about 3 large leaves)
1 lemon, sliced into small chunks
1 inch peeled fresh ginger
1 small Granny Smith apple (4–6 ounces), cored and cut into chunks
1/2 cup water
Process all ingredients in your juicer. 
Makes one 16-ounce glass.

Lunch:
Beetastic Punch
1 small Granny Smith apple (4–6 ounces), cored and cut into chunks
1/2 large cucumber
1/2 medium beet
2 medium carrots
1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger
Process all ingredients in your juicer. 
Makes one 16-ounce glass.
Note to self: Beets turn everything inside your body pink. Don't be freaked out when everything comes out pink. It just means the beets are working!

Dinner:
Evenin' Greens
1 packed cup of Swiss chard (or spinach)
2 stalks of kale
Handful of parsley
1/2 cucumber
2 celery stalks
1/2 clove garlic
1/2 inch peeled ginger
Process all ingredients in your juicer. 
Makes 16 oz.

Dessert:
1 cup unslated almonds
1 cup red seedless grapes
1/4 inch vanilla bean or 1/8 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Soak your almonds overnight.
Blend in a blender with vanilla and drain.
Juice your grapes and mix with your fresh almond milk.
Add 1/2 cup of filtered water.

The information included on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twinkle VanWinkle was born in a small town in Mississippi. A life-long lover of music, media and food, she grew up following those three things along her path. She has almost 20 years of professional cooking under her apron strings, feeding thousands of friends, family and other folks while working in restaurants and bakeries in Oxford, Miss. She baked apple pies for the “Oprah Winfrey Show” and appeared on Food Network's “The Best Of...” in the same year. Along with producing dynamic lifestyle content for LIN Media, she is a mother, musician and social media fanatic.

Follow Twinkle on Foodspotting, Tumblr and Twitter.