Today the clocks went back an hour which gave us an extra hour in bed. This marks the official end of British Summertime.

I thought this would be a good time to clean up my system in preparation for the cold months ahead and to shift a few extra pounds that I accumulated in the summer months due to excessive living. (Barbecues, ice cream etc)

I am seeing A LOT of sick people around at the moment. Mainly colds, joint stiffness, digestive issues. It’s the feeling that something isn’t right. So, in order for me to get a good start on the next coming seasons I have decided to do a Juice, Smoothie and Soup 7 day cleanse. This formula works really well for me. I have tried just juicing, just smoothies and just soup but I tend to get bored and then I stray. I am going to document my 7 days and who knows, it might help someone else who is thinking of cleaning up their system. I get asked a lot about my cleanses and how they work so here is how I do this one and how I feel along the way.

DAY 1

As soon as I got up I went to the kitchen and made myself a lemon and ginger in warm water.

I love this drink.

It helps keep my digestive system in order, clears out accumulated toxins and revs up my metabolism.

When it comes to digestive health and detoxification, lemon juice works similarly to the digestive juices found in the stomach by helping the liver produce bile and we all need that to emulsify fats. It reduces indigestion, acid reflux and fluctuating blood sugar levels.

I also use lemon juice when I have a gripey gallbladder (see my blog on travelling) Healthy Travel

Ginger really shines in its ability to boost digestive health. It’s a great detoxifier.It reduces stomach bloating, helps treat constipation and lowers inflammation.

I prepare the drink by squeezing half a lemon in a glass and then juicing a big piece of ginger (I like about 2 inches), and then filling the rest of the glass with warm water.I have been eating ginger for a long time so I can handle a lot of it, and my system loves it.  If you are not used to it then don’t use as much or you could even just slice it into the glass and it won’t be as strong. Fresh ginger is the way to go, not powdered.

My juicer is out the whole time I am doing this cleanse so it is easy to get to. I put a plastic bag into the receptacle that catches all the flesh and then empty it into my compost at the end of the day which means one less thing to wash up. I wash the other bits of the juicer at the end of the day. I don’t bother washing after each use. I am sure I would give up if I did it that way.

Juice number 1 

After my shower and getting dressed I’m ready for my first juice/smoothie. (smoojie)

Lime, apple, pineapple, cucumber and avocado

Juice the lime, cucumber, pineapple and apple then add to the blender with the avocado. You could put the pineapple and apple into the blender as well as the avocado if you want something thicker.

I use this juice/smoothie a lot during the cleanse.

It tastes lovely. Quite tangy.

Cucumber and lime are great cleansers. Cucumbers contain silica, a trace mineral necessary for keeping connective tissue healthy. This means your skin will glow.

The addition of an avocado makes this smoojie more filling and provides me with a balance of essential fatty acids (the friendly fats we all need).

If you are going to do this cleanse and you drink tea or coffee regularly then you might want to start weaning yourself off them before you start. Of course you can drink them through the cleanse but try to have them black. You may even find you don’t want as much coffee or tea. You are still giving your body a break from the big offenders such as processed foods, sugar, refined carbohydrates, dairy.

I love coffee. I don’t drink many cups a day but I do like it strong. Today I have had 2 cups of black coffee in the morning. I don’t tend to drink coffee in the afternoon. We will see what tomorrow brings?

Juice Number 2   11am

 

At about 11am I had the same juice but added ½ of a teaspoon of one of my favourite superfood powders by Natures Living.  I will increase the amount as the week continues. I don’t start full on because this powder can be quite detoxifying.  It is a supercharged cocktail of health containing green foods, sea vegetables, enzymes, bacterial cultures and algae.

2pm

On the way to work at the retreat I snacked on a Nakd Bar.

5pm

On the way home from the retreat I had another juice which I took with me in a flask.

Pineapple, celery, cucumber, spinach, lime, apple and avocado

Rich in potassium from the celery, also vitamin C and iron.

This is a great intestine cleanser and of course I’m boosting my immune system.

 

Tonight is soup time

I am going to have Butternut Squash soup

• 1 onion
• 1 medium butternut squash
• 2 large carrots
• 500ml vegetable or chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 190 C / Gas 5.

Peel and chop onion, squash and carrot into large chunks and place on a roasting tray. Sprinkle with oil, cumin seeds, salt and pepper and put in the oven for 20 – 30 minutes. The vegetables should be soft but not mushy and slightly caramelised.

In a large saucepan place the stock and roasted vegetables. Bring to the boil and simmer for a further 20 mins. When the vegetables are soft blend soup until smooth.

 

Overall I haven’t felt too bad today. I was a bit hungry mid morning into lunch time but I do enjoy feeling hungry. A lot of people don’t let themselves experience hunger. Think of your digestive fire like a bonfire. If you continuously add wood to it you will smother the flames, and you will need to stop adding and wait until it grows again before putting more wood on. Most of us are in the habit of eating too often. The fire never gets to come to full strength because it always has something new to digest. The practise of being hungry allows the fire to grow.

I haven’t really thought about food today which is great for me as I like to snack, especially on sugary stuff and carbohydrate.

My energy has been good.

When you do a cleanse like this you don’t get the blood sugar hunger that so many people are worried about. I hear it all the time “Oh, I need to eat so I can do my work etc” “I would be so weak”.

If this was the first cleanse you have ever done then yes you probably will feel peculiar. So maybe start on the weekend or when you have some time off and at least you will go through the harder part on your days off.

For me, I have done so many cleanses and diets that it doesn’t make much of a difference when I start.  Mind you, I have got a really busy week coming up, let’s hope I don’t eat my words. See you tomorrow.