Tomorrow we begin three days in a row of consuming nothing but pure, fresh, unaltered vegetable and fruit juices.
Some tips for newbie juicers:
Remember to review the juicing guidelines for more tips, and the Day 1 post for juice recipes.
As you begin juicing tomorrow you may find yourself hungry. Juice through the hunger. Your body is getting what it needs and the hunger is not for lack of nutrients, it's simply from expectation and habit. Though you'll only be taking in about 1000 calories on average, so much of our daily energy goes into digestion and by consuming juice, you'll free up this energy, in turn using fewer calories during these days. Though we'll have limited calories, many people report feeling more energized and alert during cleanses. The hunger will pass. And remember, when hungry, drink juice! Don't restrict your juice intake!
At any time that you find this hard, just remember that whatever feels bad now feels twice as good when you get to the other side. Your body is going to have all the nutrients it needs to go on a cleaning spree and your job is to be patient and kind. Have a nap if that's what you want, go to sleep at 8:30pm, or switch your intense workout for a walk in the park- this is time for you and your body. Be selfish. Your body will thank you.
Good luck and have fun! And don't forget, I'd love to hear how you're doing so leave a comment on the message board and say hello if you haven't already!
Happy Juicing!
Andréa
Some tips for newbie juicers:
- prepare your fruit and vegetables before you starts juicing- that means washing, cutting produce into the right size for your juicing tube, peeling non-organic apples and cucumbers (minimizing exposure to pesticides), peeling citrus fruits, etc. Having them prepared before each juice makes the juicing process go a lot smoother.
- prepare your juicer and a compost bag- one tip for a centrifuge juicer is to take away your pulp collection part of the juicer and replace it by tying a plastic bag in its place around the pulp elimination spout, loosely but securely. This allows you to collect more pulp before having to empty it, and also makes clean-up easier.
- empty the pulp before its full- keep an eye on the pulp and empty it as often as necessary. If you allow it to get too full it will back up and restrict your juice from flowing, and sometime mix in with the juice. It's messy and inefficient so keep an eye on the pulp collection!
- rinse the juicer now and then if you're making large quantities at one time (a day's worth, for example). Sometimes juicers get a little blocked up and you can end up with pulp in your juice. You want as little pulp as you can manage in each juice so as not to activate your digestive system.
- clean your juicer right after you use it- to make clean up easiest, clean your juicer immediately. That way none of the pulp has dried, your mesh strainer can be cleaned easily and your juicer is ready to go for your next juice.
Remember to review the juicing guidelines for more tips, and the Day 1 post for juice recipes.
As you begin juicing tomorrow you may find yourself hungry. Juice through the hunger. Your body is getting what it needs and the hunger is not for lack of nutrients, it's simply from expectation and habit. Though you'll only be taking in about 1000 calories on average, so much of our daily energy goes into digestion and by consuming juice, you'll free up this energy, in turn using fewer calories during these days. Though we'll have limited calories, many people report feeling more energized and alert during cleanses. The hunger will pass. And remember, when hungry, drink juice! Don't restrict your juice intake!
At any time that you find this hard, just remember that whatever feels bad now feels twice as good when you get to the other side. Your body is going to have all the nutrients it needs to go on a cleaning spree and your job is to be patient and kind. Have a nap if that's what you want, go to sleep at 8:30pm, or switch your intense workout for a walk in the park- this is time for you and your body. Be selfish. Your body will thank you.
Good luck and have fun! And don't forget, I'd love to hear how you're doing so leave a comment on the message board and say hello if you haven't already!
Happy Juicing!
Andréa