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What is a Detox? Ten Reasons To do A Juice Feasting Cleanse

Why Cleanse?
Why do people do a juice cleanse?
Doesn’t your body detox itself its a waste of money to do a juice cleanse?
Juice cleanses screw up your body?
What toxins does the juice cleanse remove, why cant these companies that sell juice cleanses tell you the name of the toxins that are being removed?

I am sure you have heard all these questions and even you yourself have wondered what is the point of a juice cleanse. I am here to tell you its not a hoax, its not a waste of money, and its not useless.

So yes your body does detox itself daily. Or I should say your body is supposed to be detoxing itself daily. Your body works like a well oiled clock. Every few hours in the day a different organ in your body is attempting to detox itself. Have you ever wondered why when you wake up in the morning one of the first things that happen is you go poop. That is because your intestines detox between the hours of 3 and 6am. Problem is our eating habits and lifestyles have changed dramatically. We consume lots of dairy, meat, processed and nutrient deficient foods. We don’t sleep enough, we don’t exercise and get our bodies moving.

The body becomes overloaded with toxins due to various internal and external forces such as unhealthy foods, stress, sleeping habits and harmful environments.

It’s important to flush these toxins out of the body regularly to make sure that the body’s systems are running properly.

Common signs of excess toxins in the body are fatigue, excessive weight gain, skin reactions (rashes and acne), constipation, and bad breath to name a few.

There are two main sources of toxins that affect the body on a daily basis:

Environmental Toxins: These are toxins outside of the body. They include things like pesticides, carbon monoxide, the perfume or cologne you wear, your cleaning products and other chemicals people come in contact with on a daily basis.

Metabolic Toxins: These are toxins on the inside of the body. This can happen through a variety of mechanisms, but the main thought here is something that has been eaten and absorbed into the cells through digestion. The dairy and meat you eat have growth hormones given to the chickens, cows and etc, they also contain antibiotics. Something to keep in mind is that 85 percent of the antibiotics in the world are used on the foods you eat. There is also the fluoride that is added to your water, linked to dementia and Alzheimer. We have all heard about GMOs cant forget those, not to mention preservatives like salt, MSG, and all those long complicated names that you see written on the ingredient lists of foods. We can write a novel about the toxins that are inside your body at this moment just from the foods you have eaten.

What is a detox? You can detox in a variety of ways, but the main purpose is simple – to get the toxins out of the body, best way is by doing a juice cleanse. WHY? A juice feasting cleanse gives your digestion a break by flooding your system with nutrients it needs to reset, reboot and heal. A raw juice is be absorbed by your digestive system within 15 minutes, compared to other foods you eat that can take anywhere from 24 to 36 hours. Anytime you eat your body can use up to 80 percent of its energy on digestion, and that is not good. Hence why you might feel tired after eating complex foods like meat, dairy and processed. When your body is using 80 percent of its energy trying to digest the food you just ate, other organs that are meant to be detoxing are not.

Other ways to detox after your cleanse are through dieting, exercise, inhaling fresh air, and consuming more water, fruits, and vegetables. Juicing can have dramatic effects on your overall health and how you feel.

10 Reasons to do a Tailored Juice feasting cleanse and Detoxify the Body

1. Youthful energy

Remember the vibrant, non-stop energy you had in your youth? Detox programs can help to get some of it back. One of best benefits from detoxification of the body is increased energy levels.

Cutting out harmful chemicals like sugars, hydrogenated oils, fatty foods, and dangerous energy drinks while replacing them with water, vegetables, and fresh fruits, can cause a dramatic spike in the body’s natural energy levels.

Things you will notice in your day-to-day life:

Wake up and feel energized to start the day
Experience less midday energy crashes
Have a greater desire for new experiences instead of time on the couch

2. Improves mental clarity

There is a direct connection between cognitive and digestive health. Once you improve your overall health, you will notice the mind becoming clearer. Foods labeled as inflammatory not only affect your organs and gut, but the brain as well. Most people overlook the important fact that inflammation from foods happens in the brain as well as the body.

Once you clear your plate of sugar and fatty foods, you will notice clearer thinking and an improved mood as a result of the detoxification process.

Things you will notice in your day to day life:

Less brain fog, especially midday
Better focus and attention to detail on daily tasks

3. Strengthens the immune system

If you feel like you’re constantly catching a cold or the flu, juicing and juice cleanses will help. When the body detoxes, it is freed up from the toxin burden on major organs and can operate like it was designed to.

All good juice cleanses will provide a healthy amount of vitamin C, which has been conclusively shown to improve the immune system and protect against diseases. Also you will be getting all the nutrients, phytonutrients and minerals your immune system needs to fight anything that comes its way.

Things you will notice in your day to day life:

Get the common cold less often than co-workers and friends
Recovering faster from illnesses when they happen

4. Aids in weight loss

It’s easy to see how cutting out processed foods, dairy, meat, sugars and fatty foods from the diet will impact weight quickly. Toxins affect the body’s natural ability to burn fat and lead to weight gain. When foods are not digesting properly, losing weight will be more difficult. Juicing gives your digestive system a vacation. The juice you drink will be absorbed by your digestive system within 15 minutes, where the food you normally eat can spend 24 to 36 hours in your digestive system.

Things you will notice in your day to day life:

Yoga pants will fit better
Juice cleanses do help you loose fat cells
Gradual steady weight loss over time

5. Slows the aging process

By reducing the amount of toxins and free radical damage done to the body, you will notice benefits in both the short-term and the long-term. Free radicals are incomplete electrons that are devastating to your health and aging processes, but when you eats more vegetables and fresh fruits, they will combat these free radicals with powerful antioxidants.

The antioxidants will keep the body looking younger and healthier while slowing the aging process.

Things you will notice in your day to day life:

Less wrinkles on your forehead and around the eyes
Less bags under the eyes when you wake up

6. Clearer skin

Environmental and diet-based toxins can have very visible results on the largest organ in the body – the skin. Detoxifying the body can help with acne, will strengthen nails and hair, and will help provide a natural healthy glow. As toxins leave the body though the skin (your biggest eliminative organ), a slight increase in acne or even patchiness to the skin is common.

Don’t worry though, it will clear up after a few days and when it does, you will be left with healthy, vibrant skin that you will love.

Things you will notice in your day to day life:

Improved skin color and overall complexion
Nails and hair will grow a little faster than normal
Acne will become a rare occurrence, if ever

7. Helps curb sugar and carb cravings

It is a fact that sugar and carbohydrates are biologically addictive. Sugar has even been reported to be 8 times more addictive than cocaine. There’s a reason why it’s so hard to give it up, and thankfully a sugar detox can help with this. There really is no better way to kick these craving than to cut it out for awhile. The problem is that this can induce headaches and sluggish feelings that come with withdrawal.

That is why replacing the process sugars and bad carbs with healthy organic cold pressed raw juice is important. Yes the Fruit does have sugar but those sugars come with enzymes that help break them down and make them healthy do your body.

Things you will notice in your day to day life:

Cravings for fruits and vegetables
Bad feelings if you consume sugars and bad carbs again

8. Improves digestive health

When detoxing, the body is getting rid of the excess waste stored in the gut and fat cells. The primary way this happens is through the increase in fiber that comes with the raw juice. Yes you heard us say it, Raw juices do have fiber, its all about the machine you use when you juice those fruits and vegetables. The fiber helps cleanse the colon and drag out any of the toxins that get built up over time. It also improves the functionality of the liver and kidneys that are responsible for processing the foods that you eat.

In this way, the body will be able to better absorb the vitamins and nutrients from your food.

Things you will notice in your day to day life:

Becoming regular
More instant energy from food

9. Establishes healthy habits

Doing a juice cleanse for 10 days and longer will make a huge impact on your life, and will help you make healthy choices and decisions for the days following. The key to making clean eating and being healthy work for you is establishing lifelong habits that you can stick with. That is why detox programs should be the first stepping stone to living a healthier life.

When you cleanse the body and replace the old foods with healthier food choices, you can train yourself into making your health a priority in your life.

Things you will notice in your day-to-day life:

Thinking about how a specific food is going to impact long-term goals
Waking up and thinking about healthy decisions first thing in the morning

10. Restores balance to the body’s systems

The body is a complex group of intertwining systems that work together in order to achieve optimal health. The nervous system, digestive system, and hormonal system are trying their best to keep you healthy and reproduce your genes. That is what the body is made for!

Detoxing and getting rid of these harmful toxins will bring balance back to your overall system and make you feel like you’re in a brand new body!

Things you will notice in your day to day life

Becoming happier with yourself
Improved mood and outlook on day-to-day living

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Improve your Digestion

Love. A woman’s hands forming a heart symbol on belly.; Shutterstock ID 44072719; PO: aol; Job: production; Client: drone
15 Ways to Improve Your Digestion

The health of your gut is directly related to your overall well-being. I
like to think of your gut as your second brain – it’s that important to keep it healthy! It seems more of my clients are coming to me with complaints related to their digestive systems including constipation, gas, bloating, diarrhea and heartburn. Luckily, your digestive health can be easily kept healthy and even improved with a few simple lifestyle adjustments.

If you’re experiencing digestive troubles, implement some of these simple ways to improve your overall digestive health. It will make a huge difference to the way you look and feel. When you’re experiencing sluggish digestion, this can have an impact on other areas of your health like your skin as well.

1. Increase the amount of fruit and vegetables you consume: Eating a range of fruit and veg will provide your system with heaps of soluble fibre to keep your digestive system moving the way it should. Juicing is a great way to get all those nutrients and minerals your body needs.

2. Increase the amount of whole foods in your diet and decrease the amount of processed foods you consume: Processed foods are difficult for the body to digest and can cause blockages within your digestive tract. The more real food you eat, the more your gut will love you.

3. Start your day with a tonic of freshly squeezed lemons with a tablespoon of ACV (Apple cider vinegar) in spring or filtered water: This is alkalizing and helps to clean the stomach of any residual debris, while also kick-starting your digestive system first thing in the morning.

4. Listen to your body and what it needs. Your body is always talking to you, so if you’re having a difficult time “knowing” what works for you, consider doing a short cleanse.

5. Eat more fibre (fruit and vegetables are a great source of this!) as this helps your bowel movements to happen regularly: You should poop at least once a day, ideally up to three times a day.

6. Skip non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs if possible: As regular use of these can cause peptic ulcers in the digestive tract. Great for inflammation is ginger, turmeric and green vegetables.

7. Be careful of use of other drugs that also create digestive problems: Especially including antibiotics which strip your gut of all the good bacteria that your body needs to maintain good immunity.

8. Don’t overeat, but always eat when you feel hungry: This all comes down to listening to your body’s needs.

9. Use herbs which aid digestion: Such as peppermint, fennel, and ginger. Also consume ginger to help settle an upset tummy.

10. Drink liquids before and after meals, not during: This is the best way to avoid diluting your digestive juices.

11. Take your time and really chew your food: It might seem silly, but most people don’t chew their food enough! Your body can use energy for other things if you chew your food instead of relying on acid and enzymes. Aim to chew at least 30 times per mouthful.

12. Eat slower so your body has time to digest everything: Eating slowly means you won’t have too much air coming into your body when you swallow.

13. Avoid using laxatives: Your body becomes reliant on them and they are habit forming. Instead, try these 7 Ways to Heal Constipation Naturally.

14. Stop smoking a& drinking alcohol: These habits cause ulcers & heartburn.

15. Don’t be afraid to enlist the help of a specialist (gastroenterologist): You may want to get a referral from a friend or relative. Remember that they are there to diagnose and treat, prevention lies in your hands.

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GUT-HEALING VEGETABLE BROTH (AND WHY IT’S BETTER THAN BONE BROTH)

img_0213Apparently, animal products are absolutely essential for gut healing, which I find very hard to believe or understand. After searching forums, all I can find is people frustrated with the lack of choice for veggies and vegans and people encouraging them to compromise their ethics, as this is “the only way”.

One particular “superfood” related to gut-healing that I’ve seen talked about a lot, is Bone Broth. You might have seen a lot about it in the news and media, as it seems to be a health trend at the moment. I’ve read a few books and articles that INSIST this is the number one thing you need for healing your gut and that if you leave it out, you’re not going to the best results and healing will be much slower.

So I decided to look into what exactly it is about bone broth is apparently so fascinating… and was very underwhelmed.

Bone Broth is Nothing Special

Turns out, the most beneficial nutrients and electrolytes in bone broth can be found in vegan-friendly sources and the one thing that sets itself apart, the thing that is impossible for vegans to find a veggie replacement for is the collagen.

Our bodies can’t even digest collagen whole. We simply absorb the nutrients from our food which provides our bodies with the building blocks it needs to naturally create collagen, if and when it needs it.

Eating collagen does not equal having more collagen. “Just as the dietary fat you swallow doesn’t directly translate to body fat, swallowing collagen doesn’t become collagen in or between your bones.”

Kantha Shelke, a food scientist says “Eating a diet rich in leafy green vegetables is ideal. Plants offer richer sources in collagen building blocks and, in addition, provide nutrients not found in sufficient quantities in meats or broth.”

Healing the stomach lining

And as for it being healing for the stomach lining, particularly from the gelatin, there are some great plant-based sources for that too. Particularly fermented foods.

There are many other foods that have been shown to contribute towards healing the stomach lining and digestive tract, such as seaweed, aloe vera, healthy fats and turmeric.

Vitamins and minerals

Obviously, all the calcium, potassium and other minerals found in bone broth are more than easy to find in plant-based foods plus they contain much, much more goodness.

So the animal product-reliant parts are kind of useless… Or at the very least, unnecessary and over-hyped. It’s all in aid of making what our bodies already naturally produce and plant-sourced vitamins and minerals are the best option to actually help it do that.

img_0212Gut-Healing Vegetable Broth And Why It’s Better Than Bone Broth a Plant-Based Option Works The Same If Not Better

So now we’ve established that the bones in this healing broth are not only unnecessary but also not as nutritious as plant-based sources, it seems pretty clear that using a bunch of wholesome plant-based ingredients is going to be WAY more healing. And way more appealing, too.

Although, I should say that I haven’t come across any evidence of the healing benefits of slow-cooking or broth, in general. It doesn’t do much to enhance the nutrients but there is definitely something that feels healing when drinking broth. It’s warming, it’s comforting, it’s full of goodness and it tastes good.

The bottom line though is that we shouldn’t be relying on a broth to heal our gut! Because that’s silly. Also, many foods that help heal the gut need to be eaten raw (such as fermented foods and cabbage juice) so adding them to a broth is counter-productive.

But the aforementioned benefits are good enough reason to make it. Plus, it’s delicious and a great way to use up peelings, scraps and leftovers.

Vegan Bone Broth Alternative

This has lot’s of nutritional goodness that is great for overall health but particularly focuses on plenty of gut-healing properties. Feel free to switch up, leave out or add in any ingredients you like, to suit your diet and taste.

The Six main stars are:

Wakame seaweed: Great source of omega 3 – one of the best for vegans, great for intestinal health, full of vitamins and minerals (particularly good source of iron, calcium, magnesium and iodine). Not suitable for SCD diets, leave out as necessary.

Shiitake mushrooms: Gives the most amazing, comforting flavour. Full of vitamins and minerals (great source of vitamin D – especially if sun dried, zinc and B vitamins). Contains all essential amino acids. Prebiotic.

Coconut oil or olive oil: Healthy fats with a good omega ratio that help absorb nutrients.

Turmeric: Powerful anti-inflammatory plus adds delicious flavour and a beautiful colour.

Spinach or kale: Full of vitamins and minerals (particularly high in Vitamins K, A and C, magnesium and calcium). Also a good source of protein and omega 3. Prebiotic.

Coconut aminos: Mainly used for flavour but also gives the benefit of it’s amino acids. May not be suitable for some diets as it’s considered a sugar, so leave out if necessary.

img_0211A nutritious, gut-healing broth as a vegan alternative to bone broth. If you don’t like or can’t find any ingredients, don’t worry. Add what flavours you like and try to get as much variety and nutritional goodness as you can!

Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS

12 cups (2¾ litres) filtered water
1 tbsp coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, quartered (with skins)
1 garlic bulb, smashed
1 chilli pepper, roughly chopped (with seeds)
1 knob ginger, roughly chopped (with skin)
1 cup greens such as kale or spinach
3-4 cup mixed chopped vegetables and peelings (I used carrot peelings, red cabbage, fresh mushrooms, leeks and celery)
½ cup dried shiitake mushrooms
30g dried wakame seaweed
1 tbsp peppercorns
2 tbsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp coconut aminos*
A bunch of fresh corriander or other herb of your choice (plus extra, to serve)
(optional) ¼ cup nutritional yeast, for extra flavour and vitamins

INSTRUCTIONS

-Simply add everything to a large pot. —Bring to a boil then simmer, with the lid on, for about an hour.
-Once everything has been cooked down, strain the liquid into a large bowl.
Serve immediately with some fresh herbs, for decoration or cool for later.

It also freezes well.??

NOTES
*Coconut aminos can be very salty, depending on what brand you use so taste before adding any additional salt.

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Seven Greens To include in Your Life

post33 percent of us meet the recommendation for fruit consumption, and fewer than 30 percent of adults eat the recommended servings of vegetables.
Although the amount of fruit and veggies you need varies, depending on age, gender, and how physically active you are. There is no one diet or one program that fits all.
The eating plan or cleanse you do needs to be tailored to you, customized and formulated to help your body.

So let’s talk about 7 greens that we should all try to eat more off.

1. Avocados:
This tasty fruit packs 690 mg of potassium making it the perfect after-workout snack to help fight muscle cramps. The healthy fats it has decreases inflammation and improves cholesterol levels.

2. Apples:
An apple a day really might help keep the doctor away. The crisp fruit helps fight obesity, lower cholesterol, reduce your risk of stroke, and stave off certain types of cancer. Of course, not all apples are green. The good news? These health benefits apply to red and yellow ones, too.

3. Kale:
kale is good for your bones, offering 24 mg of calcium per cup. It’s also rich in vitamin A, which keeps your skin healthy and may protect against some forms of cancer. Kale is a good source of vitamin C, which acts as an antioxidant and could amp up your immune system to help your body fight off bugs. You can also get lots of vitamin K from kale, a nutrient essential for blood clotting.

4. Spinach:
Spinach is filled with vitamins C and A, and it offers more fiber than kale.

5. Nopales:
Nopales is a cactus plant, rich in vitamins A and C, as well as fiber. It could also help lower your blood sugar.

6. Brussels sprouts:
These little veggies offer plenty of vitamins A and C. You can also get more than four grams of fiber per cup from them.

7. Pistachios:
Although not a fruit or a vegetable but they are green. pistachios offer serious health benefits. Just a quarter cup had more than 6 grams of protein. They also offer a healthy dose of filling fiber.

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Dandelion greens part 1

imageDid you know those pesky little weeds on your lawn have actually been used for hundreds of years by native healers and herbalists to treat all sorts of ailments?
?#?Dandelion? greens are packed with vital nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium and copper. They contain more protein per serving than spinach (14% daily value). They have been shown to be good for exhaustion and boosting energy levels.
They are also incredibly powerful for detoxification.

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Is There Fiber In Raw Juice?

fiberYou have all asked is there fibre in our raw juice? Yes. The separation you see in picture that 80 percent is the fiber. And this juice is apple, cucumber, parsley, cilantro, kale, lemon.

You can always tell the amount of fiber in any raw juice you buy by this separation. It also varies on the kind of juicer you use. We use the best cold pressed juicers to give your body the best amount of live enzymes, nutrients and fiber.

It was also thought that the juice had no fiber. Juicing got a bad rap in the early nineties because it was thought that the juice lacked fiber. But that assertion was simply not true; only the insoluble fiber is removed in the juicing process, and it’s loaded with soluble fiber, which is excellent for the intestinal tract.

There are 2 main types of fiber in fruits and vegetables. There is insoluble and soluble.

We all get enough insoluble, the problem is we are not getting enough soluble because it’s harder for our bodies to break down. Because of the food choices we make. When you remove the insoluble fiber and are left with the fluid part of the fruits and vegetables, it allows easier assimilation and absorption of vitamins, minerals & other important phytonutrients across the digestive tract. Insoluble fiber slows down absorption of many micronutrients, so basically juicing is fast tracking our nutrients.

In the past it was thought when juicing fruits and vegetables, a significant amount of nutrients remained in the fiber of fruits and vegetables, but that theory has been disproved. The Department of Agriculture analyzed twelve fruits and found that 90% of the antioxidant activity was in the raw juice rather than the fiber.

The recommended fiber intake for adults is between 20 and 35g per day, but the average Persona daily intake of dietary fiber is only 14 to 15 grams. It is easy to double that by juicing once each day. You can drink 2-3 lbs of veggies in one juicing, where it would be next to impossible to eat that amount in a meal.