3 day juicing cleanse

 While doing a little kitchen deep cleaning, in the back of the cabinet I came across my juicer. Currently I am dealing with a shoulder injury that needs some rest so I decided to take 3 days off the gym and do a juicing cleanse. I am not usually a person to "detox" or "diet" I just try to eat healthy and enjoy treats here and there.... but this seemed like a fun challenge.

 So I got in the car and drove to the local farmers market and picked up the following:
-Kale stalks
-Celery
-Spinach
-Iceberg
-Green peppers
-Cucumber
-Apples
-Pears
-Lime
-Lemon
-Juicing carrots
-Pineapple
-Oranges

 For the next 3 days I consumed nothing but juice and lemon/lime water or a green tea before bed. I did not go to the gym at all because I was not consuming enough calories for the types of workouts that I tend to do. I continued to drink lots and lots of water as well. In the next few days I lost 5 lbs, any stomach bloat that I had, had flattened itself out, I found that my skin was looking more clear, and I was feeling fantastic. The 4th day I still had leftover produce so I had 2 juices along with a protein shake, some raw almonds, and a 1/2 cup oats, that way I could go back to the gym.

 They say that juicing is better for you than is eating whole fruits and vegetables because your body can absorb the nutrients better and it gives your digestive system a rest from working on fiber . Make only as much juice as you can drink ...at one time because fresh squeezed juice can quickly develop harmful bacteria. And when juicing, try to keep some of the pulp. Not only does it have healthy fiber, but it can help fill you up. Note that each ½ cup of fruit has about 60 calories. Juicing 4 to 5 cups of fruit comes out to 480 to 600 calories in one serving. If you’re trying to lose weight while juicing, portions still matter. It is best to use lots of greens such as kale and spinach, and veggies over fruits with sugar. (avocado is good too I just can't stand it so I opt for other options)

 I just made my own creations, here were my top 3 for flavor

 

 

2 kale stalks, 1/2 cucumber, 1/2 pear, 1/2 green pepper, 1/2 peeled lime, handful spinach, and handful pineapple. This one was more light with a sweet hint to it.

 

 

 

 

 

2 kale stalks,handful spinach, handful iceberg, 2celery stalks, 1/2green pepper, 1/2cucumber, and one carrot for color. This one was thicker and more hearty. the celery kind of over powered it but I found if I made it ice cold I didn't mind so much.

 

 

 

 



3 kale stalks, 1/2 pear, 1/2 green pepper, 1/2 apple, a handful pineapple chunks, a handful of spinach, and one small orange. This one was the best taste wise in my opinion. I chose to have this for breakfast.

 

 

2 kale stalks, 4 juicing carrots,1 cucumber, 1 cup iceberg, and 4 celery stalks. I find that the carrot taste can be over powering as well. I tried to mix most carrot base juices with oranges and apples so it would blend nicely.


 So not only do I feel better, I got some use out of my expensive juicer that I basically forgot I owned, I fit into my pants a bit better, and I did not catch my boyfriends cold when normally I could just look at someone who is sick and catch whatever it is they have. I recommend everyone give it a try at some point. Note that cleanup is a bit much though, and ALWAYS remember to put the pulp tray on before you start or else...............