Guest Blogger

Hi all, this is a guest blog post on juice detoxing by my friend Dougan, enjoy!

Juice Blog

Our immune system is a broad and powerful network of dark magic that (generally) conspires in our favor.  When that system is weak, or distracted by fighting other battles, malicious viruses and bacteria may seize the opportunity to invade our bodies.

This past summer I had pneumonia -- it was horrible, and I hope I never have to face it again. But, it gave me the opportunity to think about my body, about my health, how I take it for granted, and what steps I should take to ensure that it stays strong and resilient.

I realized that I needed a “reset” of my body, so I started looking at ways to do this.  Fasting? I’ve fasted before, and its always made me skinny, hungry and angry.  Vegetarian for a week? Maybe... but where is the real merit in that? Eventually I decided to try a Juice Cleanse.

The Juice Cleanse is something I’m familiar with.  “Familiar” is the wrong word... but its something I’ve seen in those extreme infomercials, internet banner advertisements, and hippy-health blogs from San Francisco.  When I chose this path, I also took the time to briefly make fun of myself for being so cliché. Eventually, I would come to understand the impact of the Juice Cleanse in full spectrum.

I won’t go in to the day-by-day details of how I felt, how hungry I was, how badly I wanted a cheeseburger, etc.... but if you are considering the Juice Cleanse, there are a few things you will probably want to know before you dive in.

• Jump on the internet and figure out where the local shops are that serve FRESH juices.  There are plenty of smoothie shops and cafes that have frozen fruits and veggies mixed with cremes and concentrated, sugary juices.  You don’t want these.  Look for the ones with actual Juice Machines and a variety of fresh fruits and veggies to choose from.  These juice shops are usually few and far between, or may be in addition to a local coffee shop or healthfood store.

• Check to see if any of your friends or family have Juicers. Luckily, my mom had one and I was able to borrow it for the week. If you can’t borrow one, you can usually find them for $100-$200 from Amazon or some other local retailer. Breville makes a very good product.

• Head down to the grocery store and stock-up on plenty of fruits and veggies.  Be willing to try some that aren’t a part of your normal pallet, and experiment with different combinations of cocktails.... its fun.

• Regular juice smoothies from the grocery store will not work.  Don’t buy these.  They taste good, and with a normal diet, they are probably good for you, but if you are dependent on Juice for a temporary diet, they won’t work.  The problem is that anything you buy from the grocery store is going to be “pasteurized”.... just like milk.  Pasteurization is basically a process that flashes the juice with extremely high temperatures and electrical impulses.  This process kills any bacteria that may be living in the juice -- so you won’t get sick from e-coli or salmonella -- but it also kills some of the key nutrients that our bodies will need during the Juice Cleanse.  Go Fresh.

• Veggie juice tastes like crap.... but its also more fulfilling than fruit juice.  I don’t care how big of a Health Hippy you are... anyone who says they enjoy drinking broccoli, wheat-grass, and avocado is lying (or totally crazy).  This isn’t a recipe blog, so I won’t try to tell you what to put in your cocktail... but I found that adding fruits to the veggie blends made them much easier to drink.  A large glass of the veggie juice around lunch time really helps satiate your hunger in the afternoon.

• Lastly, try to make it to day 5. Be Strong. I did a total of 11 days, but the first 3-4 days are really difficult.  Really difficult.  Something magical happens by the 4th or 5th day.... something I can’t explain, but basically, that intense craving for solid foods starts to wash away, and your energy levels suddenly become very high.  Your head will become clear, your angry growling stomach will quite down, and your body starts regulating to the new diet.

Everyone will have a different experience, but I’ve found that the end result is usually the same:  People who have made it through a week (or more) come out of the Juice Cleanse feeling refreshed & energized, with a clear mind and body.  The Juice Cleanse is a great “Reset”, so if you’re looking to kick-start a healthy new diet, recharge your immune system, or just add a beneficial challenge to your life, give this one a try.