A couple of weeks ago I got a strong longing to cleanse. 

Sometimes I cleanse because I want to give my digestion a break, other times I want to shake off some holiday weight, but all the time I cleanse because only this sudden influx of nutrients (and simultaneous avoidance of indulgences) is what gives my immune system a strengthening boost, clears up my skin and makes me feel light and energised.

Detoxing is something I do periodically anyway, but each time it can look somewhat different depending on the time of year, my work load and my mood. 

These are the cleanse plans I normally alternate between:

1. 24 hours on 100% raw food once per week for a month
2. Seven days of 100% raw food cleansing
3. 24 hour juice cleanse to give my digestion a mini break
4. Three day alkaline cleanse, where I literally follow the cleanse protocol we used to offer at Tanya’s Cafe
5. 21 days of 500-750ml celery juice for breakfast
6. 28 days being 100% sugar free, including alcohol free
7. Intermittent fasting for as long as my system enjoys it

This time I was so fed up of my protruding belly and weird lockdown weight, that I was prepared to do a juice cleanse for as long as needed to feel like me again. 

What I wasn’t prepared to do however was not to join my family for dinner and let my children see their mama 'on a diet'.

So, with the limited supply of ingredients in our small beach town of Pauanui, our planned trip to Auckland and all the socialising that was to be had there, equipped with my Big Why on doing the cleanse plus knowing what I wasn’t willing to compromise, here is what I decided on:

• 9 days
• Warm water (no lemon, no tea) first thing in the morning
• A brisk beach walk and lunges, daily
• 500ml-750ml pure celery juice for breakfast (around 10 or 11am)
• 500ml-750ml celery/beet/apple/carrot/ginger juice for lunch (around 2pm)
• A small dinner with the rest of the family (between 5 and 6pm)
• Lots of herbal teas throughout
• Definitely no snacking, no sugar, no wine, no overwhelming workload in the diary
• A wellness book while I cleansed to keep me inspired. This time is was The Fast Diet by Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer

And inspired I remained! Just look at this amazing quote from the book:

“The entire time you’re eating, your insulin levels are elevated and your body is stuck in fat storing mode. Only after a few hours of fasting is your body able to turn off the fat storing and turn on the fat burning mechanisms. So if you are continually nibbling, your body will just continue storing fat, resulting in obesity and liver damage.”

What did each day look like?

This was my morning. Every morning. To get a 500ml (1 pint or 2 cups) glass of celery juice in the UK, I'd have to juice 1.5 bunches of celery from Waitrose or Ocado. There was just such a demand for organic celery (all thanks to the Medical Medium!:)) that it couldn't grow fast enough and was far too thin. Here in NZ, one bunch yields 1 litre (2 pints or 4 cups) of juice!

These are literally the exact ingredients and amounts I used for my lunch-time juice. It's always best to drink the juice immediately after making it, so that the nutrients aren't oxidised away, but the opportunity cost of time spent juicing and cleaning up for me won over the small percentage of nutrients lost, so I prepared my lunch time juice right after the morning one and left it waiting for me in an airtight bottle.

Dinner is the only thing that varied from day to day, but usually looked something like these Mexican burritos from the 'Family Meals' section of the Nurtured eBooks series. It wasn't always gluten-free either, but I did stick to dairy-free, because dairy showed up as a sensitivity in my food intolerance test I've done at LMS Wellness.

So how did it go, you ask?

• I lost 2kg (4.5lbs)
• I lost the weight in the first two days and no more. One week after cleanse ended, I kept it off
• Lost a whole inch (2.5cm) from my waistline 
• Got a rare sighting of some long lost abs
• Day 5 was the hardest and at lunch I gave in to a large helping of vegan sushi which I was making for kids’ pre-school Matariki Night (Māori New Year) and had some chocolate at the event with everyone
• Staying off wine wasn’t a problem
• The hardest time of day was getting past breakfast while I made warm cinnamon porridge for the kids
• The second hardest time of day was around 3pm when I usually have tea with  something sweet
• What kept me going was the promise of a warm dinner each day
• What I wish I could’ve done instead was to juice in the mornings and evening but have solids at lunch (it’s always better to go light at dinner and have your main meal in the middle of day for optimal digestion, but that wasn’t an option - for me anyway - with a young family)  

You’re keen to cleanse too, but not 100% on the difference between juice and smoothie…

Differences Juicer and Blender (Source:examinedexistence.com)

Juices vs Smoothies. Juicer vs Blender. What is the difference? This question is so popular, I wrote a separate post here:  tanyasliving.com/blogs/tanyas-blog/smoothies-vs-juices-what-is-the-difference?

You want to juice too, but what juicer to buy?

Choosing a juicer with all the choices out there can feel like a minefield, especially if you've never juiced before!

Do you go for the cheaper centrifugal juicer and is the more expensive cold-press juicer really better?

But better how? - better to use or better for the juice quality and therefore nutrient density?

And once you settle on a cold-press variety, where to here?.. do you go for the masticating, triturating or a hydraulic press?

Not to worry, I have you covered...

Download my Juicer Buying Guide now>>

If you've followed me for some time or done my Acid Alkaline Breakthrough program, you may remember just how many juicers I've tested and experimented with in the past (I'm up to 14 and counting). 

You may also recall that every single time, I kept coming back to the Green Star Elite. It was always the quietest, it was always very straight forward to assemble and to clean, the pulp came out super dry and there was very little of it (in other words - there was A LOT of juice!), and maybe it's just me but I always felt that my green juice or celery juice always tasted much more pure and refreshing made in a Green Star. This was the only machine I decided to feature in my book, The Uncook Book.

If you too decide to go for my beloved Green Star Elite, the good people at Inspired Health are offering my subscribers a MASSIVE 25% saving on their machines! Use this code at check out:

BETTERRAW

Take a look at the Green Star Elite range now>> 

Last month, my sweet little sis-in-law and I did a 1 Day Juice Cleanse, I posted everything Live in Instagram stories and couldn't believe the response!

So many of you wrote telling me how keen you are to do the same at home, asking for exact recipes and any other helpful tips I could spare.

So, I've typed out your recipes, your plan and your shopping list, I've included a few bits and pieces I thought would be most important to do before, during and after a mini detox, and even uploaded a compilation of those stories from IG in one handy video below...

Enjoy!

[If the video doesn't show up for you, watch it on YourTube here: https://youtu.be/Bm54366zsak] 

Tuesday was incredible.

I got to hang out with some of the key players in the industry, dine with them, share ideas with them and hear about their research into the future of wellness. Not only that, I had the privilege to close the Food & Drink Innovation Network’s (FDIN) event with my own presentation.

All while London was getting painted white out of our windows. Soooo beautiful! 

Then, as though my immune system was holding out until the minute I finished speaking… suddenly I lost my voice, my head filled with cold, my throat flared up and my entire body started to ache. 

Having managed to avoid being this ill for many years now, I basically forgot what to do and went to bed as soon as Lake went down.

I woke up on Wednesday with the same conjunctivitis that she’s been fighting for the last few days. Plus everything I felt the day before was intensified three fold. Not. Ideal.

I went through the cupboards and gathered whatever I felt like my compromised immune system might benefit from, that would be comforting at the same time.

I made this below latte in a blender. Then I made it again. And two more times throughout the day. Today, on Thursday, I woke up kinda back to normal.

That’s some speedy healing if you ask me, so a remedy recipe to bookmark for sure!

Cold & Flu Remedy in a Latte

• 1 inch ginger root, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons Manuka honey
• 1 tablespoon almond butter (or tahini)
• 1/2 tablespoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon beetroot powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 teaspoon ground black pepper 
• 1 cup hot/boiling water

-Blend everything and enjoy, while reminding your cells that they well and good and have a divine right to heal quickly and thrive.

IMPORTANT

There’s not a whole lot of Vitamin C in this latte and it’s something MAJOR for a cold, so I ended up eating lots of broccoli in my meals (way more Vitamin C in broccoli than lemons, would you believe?). Better yet, squeeze lemon all over your broc- tasty, zesty and vital. If it’s a serious cold, you might want to get serious about Vitamin C and get yourself some Camu Camu Berry Powder.

TURMERIC

Turmeric is the anti-inflammatory ruling, antioxidant buzzing superstar of them all.  And it’s all thanks to curcumin, the main active ingredient in turmeric, that we aren’t only limited to using this herb for healing and fighting disease, but also for strengthening our immune system, extending our life span, improving our skin, and becoming happier people. (Buy it here)

BLACK PEPPER

Peppercorns may have its health benefits but in this recipe, it plays more than a crucial role. The curcumin content of turmeric is actually only approx 3% by weight. To get the dosage required for healing you’ll need at least 1 gram of curcumin per day, which is basically 5 tablespoons of curry powder in a meal. Good luck with that. To top it off, curcumin is poorly absorbed into the bloodstream, so make that 10 tablespoons. Or don’t!… mix a little ground black pepper (it contains piperine) with turmeric, and the absorption is enhanced by 2000%. Suddenly a 7 gram tablespoon of turmeric, that would’ve otherwise only contained 0.21 grams of curcumic becomes equivalent to 4 grams in absorbable terms. Pass the pepper please! (Buy it here)

GINGER

Ginger is pretty much an antibacterial, antiviral, flu fighting, toxin releasing, mucus preventing, digestion strengthening, immunity boosting Ninja Warrior of dreams! No way was I to leave it out of my magical cold & flu remedy. (Buy it here)

BEETROOT

Beets’ latest and biggest claim to fame is  for their oxygen giving properties to especially key to athletes and those looking to boost their stamina. It’s all in the nitrates converting into nitric oxide in your body. Nitric oxide improves blood flow which is also important when you’re healing, detoxing and fighting inflammation. (Buy it here)

CINNAMON

I reckon God must’ve been in a good mood when he thought of giving one of his trees a bark so aromatic, so flavourful and so easy to grind up into powder that it would be added to some of the tastiest dishes, drinks and desserts in many cultures. It’s incredible for regulating blood sugar levels. Just think - cinnamon roll. Ok stop thinking about cinnamon rolls now, because this herb ranks #1 for its protective antioxidant levels and ability to fight infections and viruses. It’s a natural anti-biotic, anti-microbial and anti-viral agent, so don’t be shy with it. (Buy it here)

MANUKA HONEY

The higher the Active NPA or MGO rating of manuka honey is, the more anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal are its properties. If anyone has head my story, you might recall that honey contributed greatly to my healing at 14 years old. I was in hospital with a broken back and inflamed pancreas, while a catheter burst and spread infection through my bladder. No-one prescribed the honey to me, but my body intuitively craved it and I’m so happy I listened. Big big fan of Manuka right here. Oh and it’s native to my beloved NZ! (Buy it here)

More on turmeric: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric#section2

More on ginger: https://homeremediesforlife.com/ginger-for-flu/

More on beetroot: https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/01/25/beets-health-benefits.aspx

More on cinnamon: https://draxe.com/health-benefits-cinnamon/

More on Manuka honey: https://draxe.com/manuka-honey-benefits-uses/

 P.S. What do you crave? Doooo you crave anything at all? How often do you crave something and is it usually at a certain time of day, during a particular time of year or dependent on where you are in the world? My next class is all about cravings but I'll be putting it all into an article soon as well, so please leave your comments below, if you'd like me to cover something in it. 

I was so nervous posting the last video of what I feed Lake in a day, because as you would've seen here, it revealed why I'm not bringing her up fully vegan.

Although I'm the biggest advocate for plant-based living that I know, I never actually stated in all of my years of blogging that I am 100% vegan or 100% raw for that matter myself.

But, since my blog was called 'Better Raw', the general perception was that there is no way my diet can be anything but...

I knew that when posting the video, a few people might react negatively to the news and I mentally prepared to say goodbye to a lot of subscribers.

Knowing that the most important thing to me is the health of my family and being authentic, I felt comfortable showing the world how I prepare my child her eggs 3-4 times per week, because not only have I done a mad amount of research around this topic, I also didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea and to keep following my posts believing they were following a strictly vegan mother.

As anticipated, some words no one wants to hear came my way.
As anticipated, some people unsubscribed and unfollowed.

To my shock however, the support and words of encouragement flooded in overwhelming volumes.  

The amount of emails, comments and love that came our way brought me to tears.

For the millionth time in my life, the gratitude I felt towards this community was too much to bear.

Thank you for sticking around and for letting me speak my truth. I literally feel like it is YOU that I write to every time I blog. So, thank you for that.

I made a new video (almost 5 months ago now, but only just found time to edit it) and it's now up on YouTube!

It's the TRAVEL EDITION of "Healthy Toddler Diaries- What I feed my 17 months old in a day".

Check it out below or keep scrolling for the menu and a whole lot of handy links that take you directly to products and articles I mention in the vid...

Here's what's on the menu...

BREAKFAST #1
Millet milk & Probiotics

BREAKFAST #2
Fruit salad, or 
Free range egg omelette

LUNCH
Porridge

DINNER
Hummus plus Rice & Veg stuffed peppers, or 
Baked aubergine

SNACKS
Water & Green smoothie, or
Homemade raw seed & fruit bars, or
Dates & prunes, or
Plain avocado, or
Toasted nori crisps

Millet milk: http://amzn.to/2z7pdBI

OptiBac probiotics: http://amzn.to/2A5mM0T

Previous video on why egg yolks not egg whites: https://tanyasliving.com/blogs/tanyas-blog/why-my-child-isnt-vegan-what-i-feed-my-16-months-old-in-a-day-video

What is dowsing: https://tanyasliving.com/blogs/tanyas-blog/what-is-dowsing-and-what-do-i-use-it-for

Ella’s Kitchen: http://amzn.to/2xHzQHX

Corfu Imperial Resort: http://www.corfuimperial.com

Muesli bars from seeds and strawberry powder recipe: https://tanyasliving.com/blogs/tanyas-blog/why-my-child-isnt-vegan-what-i-feed-my-16-months-old-in-a-day-video

Tribest’s Personal Blender: http://amzn.to/2A30TyV

Udo’s Choice Beyond Greens: http://amzn.to/2zUxCps

Clean 15 & Dirty Dozen article: https://tanyasliving.com/blogs/tanyas-blog/dirty-dozen-clean-15-clean-and-mean-18-when-to-buy-organic

Clearspring’s Seaveg Crispies: http://amzn.to/2A4UX8M

Neal’s Yard Remedies Sunlotion: http://amzn.to/2iR89Kp

Raw Cheezecakes to order: https://tanyasliving.com/collections/all

P.S. Don't worry, I'm not going all carnivorous on you, it's only plants and eggs that we're talking here. Mostly plants though.

As you might know, we offer our Alkaline Cleanse packages only three months per year. Since we put a limit to how many we're able to offer, they usually sell out pretty quickly.

We send these detoxes all across the UK, which is amazing as we are now able to produce more than just enough to service London.

But, I still receive messages from many of you not residing in the UK as well as requests for tips from those that can't afford my Alkaline Cleanse, so I decided to take a day to document what the detox involves, what ingredients we put into it and how I recommend everything to be taken, so you can do your own cleanse at home :)

Here we go...

Today, I'm doing my own #AlkalineDetox #TanyasCleanse. FUN!

'Fun', because not only have I done it before but I designed it my way. I've tried many juice cleanses and noticed that long term they weren't right for me. I needed some solids to make it through; and because I felt so lethargic and starved, I noticed the pH of my body going from slightly acidic to very acidic! I played around with food combinations, added probiotics, fibre, more chlorophyll, calcium and other nutrients and minerals to the mix, spaced out all the 'snacks' strategically and BAM!... Alkaline result!

My alkaline cleanse comes complete with your own set of pH Strips so you can also monitor your own #AcidAlkaline levels through the day (or buy your own litmus paper from a Pharmacy). 💚

[7:30AM] SPICY CHIA

Here is my first 'meal' of the day on #TanyasCleanse #AlkalineDetox. I say 'meal' because it is complete nutritionally. The chia provides protein and cleansing fibre, the lime is the most alkalising food of all and the cayenne is there to fire up your digestion.

If chewing it, you'll receive extra benefits- this meal will be able to mix with your saliva, which is the first step of digestion within your system.

[9:00AM] ALKALISER JUICE & PROBIOTICS

This is our signature organic cold-pressed juice at Tanya's. It's made of kale, spinach, cucumber, lemon & green apple. Greens contain high levels of alkaline minerals, including magnesium & calcium, but they won't digest well if the juice is gulped down. Sip slowly & focus on it making you shine from within.

Either empty the OptiBac probiotic sachet into the juice or dilute in water to have as a shot, but try to have the probiotics at the same time as sipping on the juice. Optibac offer an amazing line of live cultures for every one of your needs & this one in particular is 'for a flat stomach', because it helps against bloating during the cleanse. I recommend taking probiotics every single day for healthy intestinal flora. 💚

[10:00AM] DETOX DUST SEEDS

Enjoyed crunching on these super delicious activated sunflower, sesame and pumpkin seeds. They have been soaked to make them easier on the digestion, then sprouted to boost the nutrient value and their pH, then coated in spices which promote detoxification (cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, rosemary, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, pink salt) while strengthening the immune system. Finally they’ve been dehydrated below 47degrees C to keep them raw and full of enzymes.

Please chew lots and do not mix these seeds with any liquid. If you are thirsty, let them digest first, then drink after 30 minutes. 💚

[12:00 PM] DOCTOR JUICE

This organic cold-pressed juice contains beetroot, carrots, celery, green apple, lemon and ginger. The root vegetables are helping to keep me grounded and balanced, while lowering the discomfort of toxin release from my body during my #AlkalineDetox #TanyasCleanse today. The antioxidants and electrolytes within the juice will provide you with energy and mental focus, while looking after your immune system too!

[2:00 PM] KALE WHEATGRASS CRACKERS

These crackers are packed with fibre to scrub your insides clean. They contain sprouted oats (all gluten free), hulled flaxseeds, chia seeds, kale, sunflower seeds, ginger, cracked pepper, pink salt and lots of wheatgrass powder.

Please do not flush them down with any liquids, chew them slowly on their own. Your body is designed to provide you with enough fluids for ideal digestion and it is possible to restore this memory within it in as little as three meals. Solids are not to be eaten with liquids and you will get great health benefits following this alkalising principle. 💚

[4:00 PM] VISION JUICE

This organic cold-pressed juice is the healthiest afternoon treat. It contains organic carrot, orange, mango and fresh turmeric root. The anti-inflammatory properties within the juice will help settle any bloating or joint issues, while the sweetness from the fruit will take care of unhealthy cravings in a healthy way.

Although citrus fruits are often mistaken for being acid, they actually leave an alkaline ash in your body after they are burned into energy. That’s true only and specifically for cold-pressed, non-processed and non-pasteurized juices, like the organic hand-squeezed juice I had at 4pm during #AlkalineDetox #TanyasCleanse.

Try sipping yours with closed eyes and visualise how your cells are waking up and guiding the acids to leave your system. 💚

[6:00 PM] ALKALINE SOUP 💚

This soup contains whole blended vegetables for you to get all the fibre. It, like the entire #TanyasCleanse, is also free from nuts and mushrooms, which can be acidifying for the body.

I prefer a warm soup, but would like to keep it raw, so I simply transfer mine into a bowl and add boiling water, then stir. As you are not microwaving it or keeping it over a burning stove, this won’t ‘cook’ the soup or kill any enzymes.

Ingredients: cucumber, spinach, celery, lemon, mint, peas, avocado, basil, mixed herbs, cumin, pepper, pink salt.

[7:00PM] VEGGIE STICKS & TURMERIC TAHINI DIP

Crunching on raw vegetables has been found to release serotonin and aid digestion. That’s an ideal combination for boosting your body’s pH also. Sesame seeds provide the highest form of calcium, which together with the lemon are the most alkaline way to end your day. The turmeric is high in anti-inflammatory properties, perfect for calming any uncomfortable toxin release.

Remember to chew plenty and enjoy every bite consciously. Ingredients: carrots, celery, raw tahini, lemon, cayenne, pepper, pink salt.

(I decided on a change of scenery and came out into the My Chelsea reception to have my dinner and just look at what I discovered in their guest book above!)

[ALL DAY] GREEN COMPLEX POWDER

This 1 litre bottle includes 10g of Neal's Yard Remedies Green Complex Powder. Inside is a mix of spirulina, spinach, parsley, chlorella, seagreens ascophyllum nodosum, barley grass, wheat grass, green tea extract, acerola cherry extract (on manioc maltodextrin), oat grass.

I simply add filtered water, shake shake shake and sip on it through the day while on the #TanyasCleanse. I also recommend that when you take a sip, imagine it flowing to your cells and purifying them, while you say ‘I love and respect every cell of my body. Being healthy is my divine right’.

So there you have it!

As you can see just a 1 Day Package includes more nutrients and minerals than many of us get in a whole week, but if you are after a nice internal scrub, glowing skin, weight-loss, mega energy boost, flatter stomach and serious improvement in your digestion, I'd really go for a minimum of 3 days, better yet- two lots of 3, so you get 6 consecutive days in total.

1 Day - to give your digestion a break and boost pH levels - £69

2 Days - for a system reboot and an all organ spring clean - £135

3 Days - acid toxin release and a clean, slim, alkaline start - £199  

Happy detoxing!