The weather change here in NYC, however brief it may turn out to be, is the perfect time to celebrate the city’s creep towards a new season with a little spring cleaning… or rather spring cleansing!
I’m a big proponent of juice cleansing throughout the year. I’ve tried it many different ways, but find that doing a 2-3 day juice cleanse at the beginning of every season is exactly what I need to recalibrate and press the restart button on my ever so seasonally-dependant system.
This season I am so pleased to be doing a custom-cleanse with Magic Mix Juicery. USDA approved Organic, Vegan, Gluten Free, Raw, GMO-Free and Kosher, this plant based, fruit and roots juice cleanse is as heavenly to sip as it is heathy. Visiting MMJ at their store in Downtown NYC is total pleasure as everything is made from scratch onsite. You can of course order everything online and schedule delivery to your door.
Prepare! Leading up to a cleanse, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, and continue hydrating throughout the cleanse. Yoga and meditation are excellent aids for detoxifying both mind and body, but to really prepare your system, eat cleanly and avoid alcohol for the days leading up to your cleanse. You don’t want to shock your body, but rather ease into a liquid lifestyle. The night prior to starting a cleanse I will do a strong session of hot Bikram yoga, take a relaxing epson salt and lavender oil bath and drink a lot of water. I’ll finish eating by 930pm, and my dinner will be light, entirely plant based, and vegan. Magic Mix Juicery also has a delicious array of pre-made raw and vegan foods that are wonderful to try leading into and coming out of a cleanse. Last night I had their new vegetable sushi and the Warrior Blend protein and berry smoothie and slept soundly for 8 hrs… it felt great.
On day one, weather providing, I usually take a long walk as fresh air is something I crave when starting any cleanse. I will stretch twice daily, do an at home facial and face mask, fill dinner time with getting a mani-pedi, light my favorite candle and read. Getting caught up in a good story or a stack of magazines is a wonderful way to pass the time, and get through any moment when a craving my strike. Try taking a steam or sauna, scheduling a massage, or treating yourself to something luxuriously healthy for your body during cleanse-time.
Because of all the nutrients you are pumping your body with, you likely won’t get “hungry.” It is more likely that you’ll get thirsty and that can mask itself as hunger, so be sure to drink 2-2.5 liters of filtered water throughout the day. Just think about drinking a glass of water before and after each juice: it’s the best way to make sure you are hydrating adequately.
Always chew your juices. This tells your body that you are “eating” and activates the digestion process to make sure that you are absorbing all the nutrients you are putting in and wards off bloating. If you really need something to eat to get you through a tough moment, limit yourself to a slice or two of cucumber, watermelon, or celery. All have high water content and won’t kick your hard work to the curb. You want to avoid coffee if you can during a cleanse. I love green tea with some lemon to get me through working days when I am cleansing, and it also seems to prevent any withdrawal headaches I may get from missing my morning latte.
They way you leave a cleanse is just as important as how you enter. You will want to ease your body back into solid foods, and the first day after cleansing is key: have 2-3 juices that day if you can and of course hydrate constantly. Absolutely try to remain eating fruits and vegetables for as long as you can on that day. For dinner that you night you can begin to incorporate a healthy lean protein, but a plant based protein would be best in that first 24hrs post-cleanse. And try to stay away from the alcohol and dairy for two days afterwards as your body will have the most difficulty processing both.
