3 Day- Cleanse & Detox At Home Guide
Author: Alexandra Puscas
I have no idea how to start this blog post, so I'll just have to jump right into it.
Truth is, I haven't been feeling too well in the past couple of years, and I know that part of it is my messy diet. A couple of weeks ago I decided to go on a three day juice cleanse.
Juice cleanses that get shipped right to your door cost roughly $70-$200/day, and it is something that I personally like to do myself at home. It is much more cost efficient and it makes me see it as something that I can do monthly or even more often (if I'm ambitious enough).
The results: I must say that I have been feeling much better after those three days: my skin has cleared up, I wake up early with no alarm, and overall I just have much more energy.
I put careful thought in the recipes I use. The ones I've used and had for years are very close and inspired by what you can order in London from this company - Radiance Cleanse
Here's what you'll need in case you decide to follow the recipes.
- Blender
- Juicer
No, you do not need a $600 Vitamix blender, nor do you need a $300 Omega juicer.. a $50 blender and juicer from Walmart will do it's job just fine if you're on a budget. In case you don't own any yet, do your homework and read up some reviews online before you go out to purchase them.
There are 5 juices / day. You can make your own schedule, but you should roughly drink each juice every 3 hours. I took a couple of tablets of Milk Thistle ($8/60 capsules) each morning after the first juice to support the liver throughout the cleanse. Each juice is approximately 500 ml ~ 17 oz. I still drank water between them, and I recommend everyone to hydrate themselves accordingly.
1. Spicy Lemonade (8 a.m)
- filtered water
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- 1/8 cup organic maple syrup
- a pinch of cayenne pepper
Thoughts: Only add the cayenne pepper before you have the juice, as it gets more spicy if you keep it in there for a long time. I've had lemonade with cayenne pepper before, and it's definitely an interesting feeling. I am now used to it, but I'd completely understand someone who couldn't have it.
2. Root Boost (10:30 a.m.)
-everything juiced
- 1 beetroot
- 1.5 apples (I've used Pink Lady apples)
- 1/3 fennel bulb
- 1/4 of a lemon
3. Cashew Milk (1 p.m.)
-blender needed
- 2 handfuls of unsalted cashews (Soak them in cold water for 2 hours, then blend them with cold filtered water for 2 minutes)
- filtered water
- 1/6 cup of organic maple syrup (just choose one that's as dark as possible)
- half a teaspoon of vanilla extract
- a pinch of Himalayan pink salt
Thoughts: Make sure to blend the cashews well enough, otherwise you'll have little pieces of nuts in your milk. Soaking the cashews is a MUST!(it removes anti-nutrients like phytates, tannins and goitrogens. It also helps to neutralize enzyme inhibitors.) I've adjusted the recipe to my own liking and added some high quality vanilla extract.
4. Vibrant Veg (4 p.m.)
-everything juiced
- 2 large Carrots
- 2 medium oranges
- 1/4 of a lemon
- a small piece of ginger
- one teaspoon of extra virgin coconut oil
Thoughts: The desert of the day!
5. Vital Green (7 p.m.)
-everything juiced (you can also blend the spinach, or use a slow juicer for it, if you have one)
- half of a large cucumber
- 1 apple
- 2 large handfuls of spinach
- a handful of parsley
- 1/4 of a lemon or 1/2 of a lime
Thoughts: It definitely has that earthy taste, but the apple is a saver and makes the overall drink very refreshing.
Tips on keeping your juices fresh
I highly recommend drinking your juices right away, but most of the time I know that's not possible. If you'd prefer making all the 5 juices once a day, here's some tips that will help you keep them fresh and full of nutrients:
- Use glass jars and avoid plastic
- Make sure to fill up the jars/bottles completely, and try to leave no room for air
- Add lemon to every veggie/fruity juice. (Those "1/4 of a lemon" are my way of slowing down the oxidation process.)
- Keep them in a cool place (fridge, cooler, whatever that may be.)
Here are a couple of pictures of how I stored them when I knew I was going to be gone for a good 8-10 hours from home.
I highly encourage you to try juicing. It will not be too easy to stay away from food, but you'll be glad you did it. At least try it for a day. You can adjust the recipes to your own liking. They are not set in stone, and you should certainly see this as a personal, enriching experience.
Have a good week and stay healthy