This post contains affiliate links.
This is the first in a series of four related cleanse posts.
See the others here: Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
In addition, read this:
The Ultimate Guide To Doing a Juice Detox or Cleanse
from www.positivehealthwellness.com
Vitamix Cleanse! Who wants to Reboot with me?
To Cleanse or not to Cleanse?
If you cleanse, to Eat Food or not to Eat Food?
Detoxing and Cleansing are everywhere. Juice bars are the new cupcake stores and we’re all shelling out $11 for a jar of juice like we used to pay $6 for a coffee drink. Instead of food deliveries, we’re ordering juice deliveries to our homes.
I’ve completed two food-based cleanses before and found them very effective for renewed energy, resetting my taste buds and food preferences and of course, weight loss. During the first cleanse, I lost 7 pounds in 10 days and for the second cleanse I lost 4 pounds in the 7 days I was on it. I talked to someone the other day who had similar results drinking only water and chicken bouillon for a week. I told her she could have eaten and had the same results! To put it simply, my cleanses were high nutrient, no grains, sugar or processed food. (For more information and a great experience, contact Health Coach Deborah Amster at www.nourishingpossibilities.com).
The juicing movement took off a few years ago after the Fat Sick and Nearly Dead movie/documentary became a cult favorite. In the movie, a guy named Joe goes on an all juice diet and loses 100 lbs, regaining his health and inspiring others to do the same (ultimately creating www.rebootwithjoe.com). Subsisting on only juice seems a bit extreme to me but I can understand the appeal of its simplicity.
In the movie he uses a Breville Juicer and if you go to www.rebootwithjoe.com, Breville is all over the place. However, I own a Vitamix. If you don’t know, that’s a crazy expensive blender (or, “more than a blender,” as the company says) that essentially pulverizes anything you put into it. Green smoothies become just that: smooth. They are literally fluffy instead of the little green pieces you usually find in a shake made by a regular blender. So, suffice it to say, I’m not looking to invest in a juicer any time soon. For those without a high powered blender or a juicer, you’ll have to decide on which investment to make.
In fact, if you aren’t sure you want to buy any machine that may end up unused in your kitchen (or your just busy and want someone else to take care of it!), you can order plenty of juice cleanses online (see Glow Bio by Kimberly Snyder in the picture below) or pick up juice locally.
Locally, I love Puree Juice Bar in Bethesda, MD.
I have not heard of an all smoothie cleanse, although I’m told that Hawthorne Organic in NW, DC incorporates both juices and smoothies into their cleanse plans. In addition, they’ll work with you to tailor the program to your needs, although they do not deliver.
I’ve looked into it and apparently you can use a Vitamix instead of a juicer to do one of the Reboot cleanses from its website. (And I’m sure you could also do a sufficient job with a regular blender.) You might want to try in order to see if you really want to make an investment in a Vitamix or juicer.
The difference between using a Vitamix and a juicer is that, with blending the produce in the Vitamix, you are keeping the fiber from the fruits and vegetables. I consider that a good thing (and a lot less clean up time than cleaning all that pulp out of the juicer!). Some people want to give their bodies such a rest that they don’t want the fiber. I, however, have seen great cleansing results from eating whole foods and think I’ll do just fine on blending, rather than juicing. It will also keep me full.
The Reboot website offers guided cleanses for a fee, but also several cleanse plans (from 3-15 days) for free.
This coming Monday I am going to start the 15 day Reboot. You can see which cleanse time and type might be most appropriate for you. The plan I will follow involves eating almost all fruits and vegetables for 5 days, progressively replacing more of your meals with juice, until you consume nothing but juice for days 6-15. I’m going to do this using my Vitamix. So I’ll be getting all the benefits of the fruits and vegetables, including the fiber. In addition, I may add plant-based proteins like hemp and chia. I don’t need to do a mystical cleanse on top of a mountain, delirious without protein. I still need to function as a mom, as well as work and exercise!
For two days before this week’s Jewish fast day of Tisha B’Av, I drank a ton of green juice (see recipe below), in addition to real food (but much less than usual and no grains). I really think it helped me complete the fast. Sometimes, as long as we are hydrated, the less food we eat, the less food we need. Sometimes, especially with empty calories, the more we eat, the hungrier we are.
I’m all about eating real food in a way that is sustainable so that you don’t have to worry about “gaining all the weight back.” However, I have hit a weight loss plateau that has become very frustrating. I think that not having to focus on food (because the plan is set out for me and I’m mostly just drinking my food), I’ll actually be able to cut out the mindless grazing I do that I’m sure is sabotaging my weight loss efforts. In the couple of days that I downed a ton of green juice I had lots of energy, slept better and felt an increase in clarity. Imagine 15 days! Sometimes we need a few days where we don’t have to make decisions about what to eat and what not to eat. So that is what I am going to do.
Starting next Monday, this is my plan.
Before then, I’m going to replace a few meals with the following Vitamix cleanse that I found on an athlete’s blog.
The first recipe is the “Green Juice” I referred to above. If you add plenty of water (I also added coconut water), the mixture takes on the consistency of juice and produces enough for you to drink all day, in between and perhaps in place of, your usual meals. You can also share with your family and friends!
Of the following plan, unfortunately I’ve been away from my Vitamix for logistical reasons this week and only had a chance to try the Morning Greens recipe. I look forward to making the others over the next few days before I start the Reboot. Especially over Shabbat, I’m not looking to replace all meals with these juices. However, adding them to my daily routine will give me more energy and keep me away from empty and unhealthy calories.
[Keep reading after these smoothie recipes for less extreme options for speedy weight loss, increased health and energy.]
STORAGE/PREP TIPS: I store my smoothies in mason jars with these reusable plastic lids. I’m also going to purchase these tops that allow you to pour, open and close and use a straw easily.
This is also a good 2 in 1 option.
I can use a dry erase marker to label the tops of the plastic lids before placing them in the freezer or fridge.
Morning Greens (Green Juice using a blender)
1 Cucumber
Handful of Kale
Handful of Spinach
3 Celery Stalks
1/2 lemon peeled
Small knob of ginger (peeled)
2 Granny Smith Apples
4 Cups Water
3 cups coconut water, divided
Blend until smooth and a juice consistency. If you aren’t achieving that consistency, add more water. You may have to do that in batches, depending on the size of your blender. 4 cups of water filled my entire 64 oz Vitamix container. I then took a mason jar, added 1/4- 1/3 cup of coconut water and 5 ice cubes. I filled the rest with the Vitamix juice mixture. This makes it cold and a little sweeter, which changes the entire experience and makes it easy to keep drinking. I put the leftovers in a 64 oz pitcher and used the new space in the pitcher (from pouring myself 1 serving) to add ice and coconut water. I then put the whole thing in the fridge. If you don’t want to pour from a pitcher, like if you will be taking your juice to your office or on a car trip, you can also simply repeat what I did with the first Mason jar in additional ones, until you have approximately 6 filled. Then you’ll have them handy to grab and go for the rest of the day. If you’re going to be using the juice in more than 1 day from making it, put the jars in the freezer and then take one out 3 hours before you want to drink it.
Mid-Morning Boost
1/3rd of a Pineapple, Chopped (or just use frozen!)
2 Granny Smith Apples
2 Tablespoons Fresh Mint
1 Cup Water
Blend until smooth.
Late lunch
5 Strawberries
Small Handful of Blueberries
Small Handful of Blackberries
1 Banana (frozen is best)
Handful of Spinach
1 Scoop of Hemp Protein Powder
5 Cashews
1 Cup of Water
Blend until smooth.
Dinner
2 Roma Tomatoes
3 Carrots (Peeled and Chopped)
3 Celery Stalks
2 Cups Water
Blend until smooth or a little chunky like gazpacho. Your choice.
Dessert
1 Handful of Cashews
Dash of Cinnamon
1 Tsp of Vanilla Extract (which was too much)
1 Cup of Water
Blend until smooth.
What if I want to eat?
If you are concerned you’ll feel deprived and you like to chew, but want to use juicing or blending as a way to increase your nutrient intake, you can always juice for 2 meals a day. That can also work well if you are a committed meat or fish eater. I’d recommend committing to 1 meal a day (breakfast is perfect) and then, when you’ve got that routine down, deciding if lunch or dinner will be your other juice/smoothie meal. Perhaps you have a lunch meeting where you will need to eat at a restaurant, in which case you can skip the juice but make sure to pick a place where you can order a meal of mostly fruits and vegetables, and then juice for breakfast and dinner.
If you need to maintain your body weight, I would just add juice or smoothies to increase your nutrients and not replace any meals with them.
Knowing that one or two of your meals each day will consist entirely of fruits and vegetables (and perhaps hemp protein powder, or other nuts and seeds) will help you create a healthy and sustainable routine. After all, isn’t that what we’re all ultimately looking for?
Stay tuned for reports on the cleanse and do let me know if you want to join me (and my hubby who is also participating). You are welcome to bring your fruits and vegetables to my house and use my Vitamix. I’m here to support you!