Your 1 Day Juice Cleanse - the recipes, the plan, the shopping list
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]
The purpose of this mini cleanse:
- You probably have your own reasons, but for me it always comes down to my digestion. Having a break from foods is a wonderful gift to your overworked digestive system. Everyone deserves a break from time to time, your digestive system demands it.
- Getting a massive intake of nutrients and minerals in a day. Getting your 5 a day may be tricky enough, try getting 20 a day! By flooding your body with an overload of nutrients, it naturally crowds out the bad guys and makes detoxing natural.
- Giving your immune system a boost. When nutrients enter the body and toxins stir up, your cells reawaken and feel reenergised again to fight against free radicals. A periodic mini cleanse can really keep them in check.
The shopping list (this plan is for 2 people):
Fruits
1 grapefruit
3 large cucumbers 4 green apples
4 sweet apples 1/2 large pineapple
optional: 1 avocado
Veggies
7 carrots with leafy tops
2 small beetroots
10 stems of celery with leaves
2 courgettes
8 inch ginger root
Leafy greens and herbs
300g kale leaves
30g mint
50g parsley
A word on organics:
When consuming raw fruits and vegetables, especially in amounts as large as you will during a juice cleanse, it is ultra important that you don’t ingest the very poisons you’re trying to detox away- chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, etc.
If the purpose of these sprays is to keep the bugs away, that doesn’t mean they will sniff it and leave… Insects lick or nibble on the fruit, chemical that is on top of the fruit or inside it, enters their stomach and blows it up. Literally. Think about this- the big difference between humans and insects is our size… so it’s just a matter of time for us. The more conventional products we eat, the faster we will develop stomach pains and the worse would be the consequences.
The Recipes (this plan is for 2 people):
First of the day “The Fireball"
1 Grapefruit with skin
5 inch ginger root with skin
Mid morning juice “The Green Chlorophyll”
2 large cucumbers with skin
4 green apples
200g kale leaves
15g mint leaves + stalks
Afternoon juice “The Rainbow”
7 carrots with leafy tops from 2
2 small beetroots
10 stems of celery with leaves
3 inch ginger root with skin
Dinner juicy smoothie “The Reward”
4 sweet apples
1/2 large pineapple, skinned
2 courgettes
1 large cucumber
100g kale leaves
50g parsley
15g mint leaves + stalks
optional: 1 avocado (blend this in with juice!)
Best juicing practice:
Pass softer ingredients through the juicer before hard ones (cucumber before apples, pineapple before celery). If the soft items cause a build-up of puree in your juicer, push through a few hard items to clear the works.
Pass leafy greens into the juicer before or with other veggies to avoid waste- if any leaves become stuck in the works, the other items will push them along.
Fresh is always best. If you must make juice ahead of time, only make it for a maximum of 16 hours in advance to avoid it becoming heavily oxidised.
The day before:
- Whether your detox is for one day or 30, start getting your body and mind ready now.
- Start drinking lots of herbal tea or water (warm or room temperature is best).
- Pick up a dry skin brush and start brushing morning and evening to get the lymph system moving.
- Have a light vegan meal the night before, preferably raw vegan so the enzymes spark up in prep for next day.
- Most importantly, get excited about your cleanse! The most successful detox happens when you can't wait for it to start.
During your cleanse:
- Please refrain from giving in to any stimulants (coffee, sugar, black tea, cigarettes), but feel free to drink as much herbal tea and room temperature water as you please.
- To support your body during the release of toxins, feel free to exercise however you like if it’s part of your usual routine. If not, then let your pores open up to eliminate toxins in a sauna or go for a long brisk walk.
- Relax as much as possible during the length of your cleanse and make time to be and feel creative- journal, draw, make a vision board, read, watch an uplifting documentary, walk, laugh and do what makes you happy.
- Get an early night. This will ensure you get plenty of sleep and will also help you from giving in to cravings when peckish :)
The day after:
- If you are feeling energised and inspired to continue, I recommend that you do. This is usually your body’s way of telling you that this detox is exactly what it wanted and that it’s not quite finished yet. Feel free to make your own juices, smoothies and raw fibre rich snacks (like soaked seeds, whole veggies and salads), go out for a raw food meal or purchase a variety of vegetable based juices from a local organic cafe.
- Ease out of your cleanse carefully. It’s important that your body has a gentle transition and that you refrain from any stimulants for a minimum of 3 days after the cleanse has ended. Otherwise your body can go into ‘shock’ and ‘survival mode’ where it will hold on to all the bodily fats and slow digestion right down. Caffeine can be the hardest to stay without, so if you feel like you absolutely need it, drink clean organic coffee only and do not mix it with any milks or sugars. It is really important right now that you don’t confuse your digestive system and start combining foods. (BTW: my parents drink black coffee with a squeeze of lemon to balance the acidity, it sounds weird but you get used to it super quick and it can easily become your new fave!)
- You would’ve noticed your taste buds have changed and your appreciation for basic foods increased. Eat simple plant-based meals only, like soups, steamed vegetables, gluten-free seeds and grains, salads and fruits for a minimum of 2 days.