A gentle cleanse

According to my emails, texts, messages and conversations, so many of you are getting juicers and giving it a try. I am so excited to hear and read about these steps you are taking! I have been having fun chatting with so many new and old friends and realized I never really addressed how I kicked off my juicing life!

When I first started juicing the very first thing I did was a 3 day Juice Cleanse. There are many companies that bottle, sell and ship these to you and they are generally pretty good. Make no mistake though, you will pay dearly for the convenience. They are very expensive and can run about $10 or more a drink. Or you can prepare your own modified cleanse as my friend and Juice Mentor showed me. I did this for the first 3 days that I had the juicer and it really set me into orbit and on my way to what would become success.
- The night before: Soak one cup of RAW cashews in 4 cups of water overnight.
-Wake up: drink one glass of green juice. Your recipe can vary with what you like but be sure to include kale or spinach to add the nutrients you need.
- You will take the soaked cashews and blend with the water in your blender ... NOT your juicer! Add 3 tbsp agave or honey, the bean of one whole vanilla bean (carefully split down the middle and scooped out), and 1/2 to 3/4 tsp cinnamon. Blend and put in the refrigerator for later in the day. This is enough to last the entire three days.
- Approximately 2 hours later or when you feel the need, drink some Pineapple Wheatgrass Juice. Wrap the wheat grass in a leaf of lettuce so it goes through the juicer easily and add about 1/4 of the pineapple. A little wheatgrass goes a long way. Do not have a heavy hand with the wheatgrass.
- An hour or two later have some Spicy Lemonade ( 2 cups water, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 3 oz. fresh lemon juice and honey or agave, if you need, to taste).
- Later have another Green Juice.
- In the evening have a glass of fresh cashew milk. shake it gently before pouring.

I did this for three days and in addition I drank all the water and herbal tea I wanted and, when I needed to chew, I enjoyed raw veggies and some lettuce to make a salad. I also had a cup of organic butternut squash soup once or twice during those 3 days.

This is something I like to do occasionally, about every 3-4 months. I may be doing a cleanse soon so maybe a few of you could join me. I will keep you in the loop and let you know. These things are always easier and more enjoyable when done with other like minded people.

Before closing, i need to address the biggest question I get about cleansing which is "How will this effect my stomach and bowels?" I promise this will not keep you trapped in the Restroom. It is very gentle and you will not feel much of a difference unless your diet is so poor that the first day may be a little rougher than usual. Sorry for that, but I know many of you have that concern. So there ... Now it's behind us and we can move on. Puns intended. Sorry! I just want to stress that this is NOT a colonic and does not serve as such.

So the best advice I can give you if you are considering a juice cleanse or just getting ready to juice once or twice a day is to prepare ahead! It is no different than any other food preparation or cooking that you would shop ahead and set up for. I hope you find it a positive experience and that this information is beneficial to you all! Thanks so much!

Peace,
K