As summer quickly approaches, now is the perfect time to get our bodies and health in order.
I recently participated in a “7-day juice cleanse” to reduce toxins in my body and lose a few pounds to meet my goal for summer.
The 7-day juice cleanse consists of fruits and veggies whether juiced, blended or eaten raw. The cleanse forbids all meat, carbs, seafood and unhealthy snacks for an entire week.
The first step before deciding to juice cleanse or even dieting is to prepare your mind and ask yourself the reason for changing your eating habits.
One of the things I learned during my cleanse is to be able to resist unhealthy foods and focus on the greater good of your goal. It’s all a mind thing.
Next, write down your target areas of your body that you would like to focus on, whether it be a flat tummy or smaller legs. After figuring out your targeted areas, research the fruits and vegetables that will contribute to your weight loss goal.
My targeted area was my stomach. Over the past few months, I’ve noticed a difference in my diet and essentially how much my body has changed. After preparing myself for a change in diet, I discovered the fruits and vegetables that were crucial to assist me with a “bloated stomach.” They were: apples, pineapples, celery, ginger, cucumbers, lemon, strawberries and papaya.
Throughout Tallahassee, there are plenty of juice bars that have hundreds of juice combinations that cater to your juice diet. However, I decided to buy a “Green Apple Detox” juice from Néktar Juice Bar on West Tennessee St. After feeling like I wasted nearly $8, I then headed to the grocery store to purchase my fruit and vegetables to start making my juices at home.
Unfortunately, I don’t own a juicing machine. However, a blender does the job. I began by adding in the fruits and veggies, adding a cup of water, and blended it to get a juice-like consistency.
After blending, I let the mixture sit for about 20 minutes and strain it into a cup. I repeated this process 2-3 times a day for 7 days.
The overall experience of the juice cleanse was a challenge. At times, I craved a sweet tea from McDonalds, or simply a cookie. Nonetheless, the results were truly rewarding. I lost a total of 5 pounds in the 7 days, and I’ve never felt better.
If you ever want to give juicing a try, research on Pinterest for recipes. Juicing is the way to go.