It’s been a long, hot summer and our body may be feeling a bit worse for wear. According to Zoe Bingley-Pullin, Nutritionist and founder of the online food program Falling In Love With Food, vegetable juice may be one of the keys to good health. Here, she provides her expert advice on juice cleansing, ideal juice combinations and a 5-Day Liquid Detoxification Diet to revitalise your body and mind.
Image via pinterest
Juice Cleansing Tips
Raw foods contain enzymes that help breakdown food and assist with digestion. Green leafy vegetables are fantastic to use in juicing as they contain a very high amount of vitamins and minerals. They also contain chlorophyll, which help to purify the blood.
Use vegetables as opposed to fruits as they will not raise your insulin levels and causes sugar craving. Fruit is also high in calories. The benefits of juice diets are they take the load off the digestive system making it easier to process food more effectively.
Tip: When drinking juice, ‘chew’ the juice. This will release saliva which will increase and assist digestion.
Ideal Juice Combinations:
– Spinach
– Celery
– Cucumber
– Fennel
– Carrot
– Lemon
– Ginger
The above vegetables are all highly nutritious and have a natural stimulating effect on the body.
The Dangers of Juice Cleansing Diets?
The worry is long term juicing dieting will cut out key nutrients from the missing food groups, which are vital for good health.
If you are pregnant or have any serious health condition, I would recommend incorporating freshly squeezed vegetable juices into your diet, but not following a juice diet or fast.
5-Day Liquid Detoxification Diet
Day 1:
Drink at least 6-8 glasses (approx 300ml per glass) of fresh vegetable juice and vegetable broth throughout the day at 2 to 2.5 hour intervals.
Carrot, spinach, beetroot and cucumber juice are all suggested. Juices are useful in weight-loss programs because they are filling, yet low in calories, high in water and speed up the body’s metabolism.
In addition, drink plenty of purified non-carbonated water and herbal teas to ensure you are not dehydrated.
Please note that over the day, your energy levels will be low so the ideal time to start the Juice Cleanse is on a day when you are not exercising or exerting your body.
Day 2:
Continue to drink the juices, broth, water and teas, adding raw or cooked vegetables and fruits. Grape fruit is particularly recommended- like other citrus fruit, it helps the digestive system breakdown fats. It also cleanses the urinary system and is a diuretic. Watermelon is probably the most potent diuretic amongst fruits and can help with fluid retention.
Day 3:
Introduce a serving of wholegrain bread (1 slice), beans (½ a cup), nuts and seeds (¼ a cup)
Day 4:
Add fish (130g) (extra two day)
Day 5:
Add a serving of dairy products and/or a serving of lean chicken or lean red meat (120g)
A vegetable broth like the one below is an excellent addition to a detox. It will help to alkalise your system (eating too much meat, alcohol, sugar, salt and caffeine all make your body’s systems over-acid) and also help to detoxify your system. The spinach has a mild laxative effect and will stimulate the liver, gall bladder and aid blood and lymph circulation. Drink approx. 500ml, warmed, daily during all stages of the detox.
Vegetable Broth:
– 1 large unpeeled sweet potato, chopped
– 2 large unpeeled carrots, chopped
– 6-8 spinach leaves, torn
– 1 medium beetroot, chopped
– 1 onion, peeled and chopped
– 1 leek, chopped
– 2 cups of cabbage
– 2 stalks celery, chopped
– 2-3 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
– Add any fresh herbs
Place all vegetables in a saucepan with enough water to cover all ingredients. Simmer over very low heat for an hour or two. Strain and drink.
Tip: You may want to add chilli, ginger, watercress, tomato and/or any fresh herbs
Feature image via pinterest
