Congratulations on getting to your last day of juicing!
A note if you're struggling: If you're struggling and debating going back to food today, I'd like to give you one last push to continue. You've gotten over what is normally the most challenging two days, physically and mentally. Ask yourself where your desires to stop are coming from- your body or mind. If it's your body, simply prepare more juice so you're taking in more calories. This is not a deprivation diet- quiet the opposite. We're trying to nourish the body with nutrients so give yourself more fruit juice if you're looking for energy. If it's your mind, I can tell you that it's only one more day and it's amazing the tricks the mind can play on us. Keep an awareness of where the mind is going today. Observe but don't react. You can definitely do this.
Preparing for Friday: As we come to our last day of juicing, we'll approach bringing food back into our diet on Friday. Our guidelines for Friday will mimic our guidelines for Monday- clean eating with no animal products, caffeine, sugar, alcohol or processed foods. The best option to ease back into eating is to consume mainly fresh and raw fruits and vegetables on Friday- most importantly, fruit for breakfast. Eating whole fruit for breakfast will allow your body to adjust to food and reactivate the digestion that has partially shut down during this cleanse. Fruit is easy to digest and contains fiber, both are benefits in moving out waste and toxins that have been released during our cleanse. With fruit for breakfast (a cantaloupe or watermelon and a spoon?) after a few hours, a salad with chickpeas or grains would fit well, followed by a light whole foods based dinner. Remember to drink lots of water on Friday too to help with elimination. Choose your food carefully and take note about how each meal and food group make you feel. If you suspect there may be a certain food that disagrees with you, on one of the following days after Friday, eat it independently from any other food (30min before a meal or 2 hrs after) and observe how your body reacts.
As we look into the future, a diet with minimal animal products and refined foods, with an emphasis on whole plant foods will create optimal long term health for most, if not all people. Daily juicing is also an extremely beneficial habit, as is juicing for just one day every couple of weeks, or participating in a 3 day cleanse monthly or every couple months.
Studies show that:
Remember to take time out today on your last day of juicing to relax and rest when needed. To push yourself during a cleanse is to limit the amount of cleansing your body can do. Be kind and gentle to yourself and thank yourself for taking 5 days out of your life for health promotion and reconnecting with whole foods.
Until tomorrow,
Andréa
A note if you're struggling: If you're struggling and debating going back to food today, I'd like to give you one last push to continue. You've gotten over what is normally the most challenging two days, physically and mentally. Ask yourself where your desires to stop are coming from- your body or mind. If it's your body, simply prepare more juice so you're taking in more calories. This is not a deprivation diet- quiet the opposite. We're trying to nourish the body with nutrients so give yourself more fruit juice if you're looking for energy. If it's your mind, I can tell you that it's only one more day and it's amazing the tricks the mind can play on us. Keep an awareness of where the mind is going today. Observe but don't react. You can definitely do this.
Preparing for Friday: As we come to our last day of juicing, we'll approach bringing food back into our diet on Friday. Our guidelines for Friday will mimic our guidelines for Monday- clean eating with no animal products, caffeine, sugar, alcohol or processed foods. The best option to ease back into eating is to consume mainly fresh and raw fruits and vegetables on Friday- most importantly, fruit for breakfast. Eating whole fruit for breakfast will allow your body to adjust to food and reactivate the digestion that has partially shut down during this cleanse. Fruit is easy to digest and contains fiber, both are benefits in moving out waste and toxins that have been released during our cleanse. With fruit for breakfast (a cantaloupe or watermelon and a spoon?) after a few hours, a salad with chickpeas or grains would fit well, followed by a light whole foods based dinner. Remember to drink lots of water on Friday too to help with elimination. Choose your food carefully and take note about how each meal and food group make you feel. If you suspect there may be a certain food that disagrees with you, on one of the following days after Friday, eat it independently from any other food (30min before a meal or 2 hrs after) and observe how your body reacts.
As we look into the future, a diet with minimal animal products and refined foods, with an emphasis on whole plant foods will create optimal long term health for most, if not all people. Daily juicing is also an extremely beneficial habit, as is juicing for just one day every couple of weeks, or participating in a 3 day cleanse monthly or every couple months.
Studies show that:
- Western diseases such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes and autoimmune disease are caused by our Western diet- mainly through the consumption of animal products, processed foods and lack of whole plant based foods.
- nutrition is the symphony of nutrients working together- not isolated nutrients as with supplements. Nutrition is about the package of food and whole, plant based foods come in wonderful packages with optimal ratios of all nutrients. Our body knows exactly what to do with whole plant based foods.
- there are no antioxidants or fiber in animal foods. Animal food packages come with saturated fat, cholesterol, concentrated calories and very limited micronutrients.
- acidity in the body leads to disease. Animal products, caffeine, sugar, alcohol and many processed foods are acidic whereas plant based foods are alkaline forming.
- every element of health, including mental health, is affected by what we eat. Eating whole, natural plant foods including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, grains, mushrooms and herbs will leave you with a lower BMI, a healthy mind, consistent energy with fewer highs and lows, and significant prevention against heart disease (the #1 cause of death), cancer, diabetes, stroke and dementia in later life.
Remember to take time out today on your last day of juicing to relax and rest when needed. To push yourself during a cleanse is to limit the amount of cleansing your body can do. Be kind and gentle to yourself and thank yourself for taking 5 days out of your life for health promotion and reconnecting with whole foods.
Until tomorrow,
Andréa