Juice Fasting Guidelines and Recipes

Juice Fasting Guidelines and Recipes For optimal health, detoxification or weight loss can be important goals, especially when there are endocrine/hormonal imbalances. Both goals are supported by juice fasting. These guidelines and recipes are provided to educate you to use this strategy wisely and effectively. (Note: Pregnant or nursing women, children and others with medical conditions that may be aggravated by juice fasting should not fast.) Through diet and lifestyle, we all take in toxins from our foods and environment; these build up in our bodies faster than they can be removed through natural processes. Coffee, fried foods, fast food, alcohol, frequent consumption of red meat, energy drinks with high doses of caffeine and other stimulants, and processed foods with additives, preservatives, and high salt content are particularly problematic. The liver works hard to clean these toxins out, but can become overwhelmed resulting in weight gain, blood sugar issues, fatigue, mood swings, irritability, insomnia, body odor, skin complaints and constipation. Fortunately, your liver is actually able to heal and repair itself; through juice fasting, you can give your liver a reprieve and help it clean out the toxins. When your liver is functioning well, many health problems are relieved, and you will maintain a healthy weight and balanced hormonal function. Consider having one day per week of juice fasting when you are able to relax at home. It is not advisable to continue a juice fast for more than one day at a time; one day per week is able to support the detox and weight loss goals of most people. Skip exercising on the day you are juicing, and have only a light exercise routine on the days before and after. Also skip taking all vitamins and supplements on the day of the juice fast – you will get plenty of nutrition that day from the juices. Be aware that you are likely to see increased excretory function with both urine and bowels – your body is cleaning house! Beet juice may give a red color to urine and bowel movements; don't be alarmed if you notice this. Juice fasting is invigorating. Raw juices provide live nutrients and enzymes, digest easily, and elicit a very vital response in many people. You are likely to feel a lift in your energy and increased clarity and creativity of mind in the days following your juice fast! Note that enzymes and live nutrients break down quickly – freshly prepared juice is much more vital than any pre-made juices you purchase. Prepare your own. Use organic produce; when taking the initiative to juice fast, use good quality fruits and vegetables without pesticides! Purchase your produce and teas to have everything ready at hand for your juice fast. Important Concepts • Fasting is a process that requires correct preparation and recovery in order to be effective and comfortable. A one day juice fast is actually a 3 day process: the day of the juice fast, and one day of eating considerations before and after the fast. • The day before the fast, eat organic fruits and vegetables ; avoid all prepared foods, anything with preservatives, fried foods, sugar or high fructose corn syrup, grains, nuts, red meat, coffee, soda, dairy products, and alcohol. Eggs, fish, turkey or chicken in small quantity are okay. The fast will be more effective and less uncomfortable if you prepare your body. Eating foods with toxic load the day before your fast may cause flu-like symptoms with digestive upset and headaches, so prepare carefully. If you frequently consume prepared foods or fast food, drink a lot of coffee, soda or liquor, you may want to extend this preparatory period to 2 – 3 days to get your body ready for cleansing. • The day of the juice fast, drink fruit / vegetable juices through mid-day, then only vegetable juices including cabbage, broccoli or beet juices that increase the flow of bile from the liver and help detoxify. Drink herbal teas and water through the day. Rest. Relax. Do breathing exercises (in separate document) 2 -3 times during the day of juice fasting, best right after drinking juice. • The day after the fast, drink at least 5 full glasses of water and eat lightly. During the morning, eat fresh fruit (watermelon, berries, apples, grapes, figs), being sure to consume some fruit every 2 hours through the morning. As often as you are hungry, eat light foods in small amounts. For lunch, have a vegetable soup or salad. Continue water and fruit in the afternoon; for dinner have a light meal with vegetables and a small amount of fish, lean meat or nuts for protein. Eat slowly. • That's it! You can do this! Karen Allen, CCH Integrative Healthcare for Wellness and Fertility www.karenallenhomeopathy.com 415.944.8896 Juice Fasting Guidelines and Recipes Juice Fast Recipes • Juicers / Blenders / Produce: Use a juicer (preferable – a reliable, well built, easy-to-clean brand is Champion) or blender (requires straining pulp from puree or waiting while most of the pulp separates and settles to the bottom of the blender). Wash the produce well. If the produce has been waxed, peel it. Also peel melon husks, citrus and beets (skins make the beet juice bitter; dip in boiling water first to make peeling easier). Chop into chunks and put into the juicer or blender. You may need to add a little water if you are using a blender. Drink it right after it has been made; don't delay. • Timing / Quantity / Dilution: Between when you start in the morning and mid day (6 am to 1 pm) drink juices that are a mix of fruit and vegetables. In the afternoon through evening (1 pm to 7-9 pm) drink only vegetable juices. For each serving, either dilute the juice 50/50 with water and drink a glass, or if you prefer the taste of the juice full strength, drink a cup (8 oz) of water first, followed immediately by a cup of juice. If you are hungry, drink juice. When thirsty, drink water followed immediately by juice. • Herbal Teas for Detox: In addition to juice, support your body's detox efforts with herbal teas. Through the day of the juice fast, drink 2 cups EACH of Milk Thistle and Dandelion Root teas. Milk Thistle tea is an antioxidant that supports the liver. Dandelion Root tea encourages the liver and gall bladder to excrete and rid the body of bile carrying toxins. It is also important to support the kidneys and help them excrete toxins while your body is cleaning itself out during your juice fast; drink 2 cups of Nettle tea, which has a mildly diuretic effect, during the day of your juice fast. To support all of the digestive organs, drink 1 -2 cups of Chamomile tea in the evening between 6 and 10 pm. This means that in addition to juice and water, you will be drinking a minimum of 7 cups of tea during the juice fast day. Make sure you have these teas on hand before you begin. You can drink them warm or cold, and sweeten them with stevia or agave if desired (not with sugar or honey!) Women may also benefit from drinking raspberry leaf tea. • Breakfast / Morning juices As a guideline, plan to have 3 servings from these options; drink at 2-3 hours intervals. Drink more if you are hungry; you really can't over-consume these juices. • 2 apples + 4 carrots + a handful of parsley or romaine lettuce • ½ small watermelon (INCLUDE RIND) + 1 zucchini + 1 lemon + large bunch red grapes • ½ melon (honeydew, cantaloupe, casaba or crenshaw) + 1 cup blueberries + pinch of cinnamon • 3 oranges + 2 pears + 1 yam + ½ cup berries • 3 pears + 1 sweet potato + ½ cantaloupe + a handful of watercress • 2 radishes + 1 lemon + 1 beet + 1 sweet potato + 1 apple • 2 tomatoes + 2 apples + a handful of parsley + 1 clove garlic • 2 apples + 1 cup cranberries + a handful celery leaves, watercress or spinach • Afternoon / Evening juices As a guideline, plan to have 3 servings from these options; drink at 2-3 hours intervals. Drink more if you are hungry; you really can't over-consume vegetable juices. (If you have low thyroid function, avoid raw cabbage, broccoli, spinach and watercress.) • 2 celery stalks with leaves + 1 cucumber + 1 tomato + a handful of parsley or watercress • ½ head of cabbage + 1 cucumber or carrot + 2 celery stalks with leaves • 1 green pepper + 1 red pepper + 3 celery stalks with leaves + 1 cucumber + 5 romaine leaves • ½ cup broccoli + 3 medium carrots + a handful of parsley or spinach • 2 yams + 1 beet + 1 celery stalk with leaves + 1 slice spanish onion + 1 slice ginger • 1 fennel bulb + 1 beet with greens + 2 yams • ½ cup cabbage + 1 green onion + 1 EACH carrot, tomato, red pepper, celery stalk with leaves • 2 beets with greens + 1 large cucumber + 1 carrot + a large handful dandelion greens or chard Karen Allen, CCH Integrative Healthcare for Wellness and Fertility www.karenallenhomeopathy.com 415.944.8896 Juice Fasting Guidelines and Recipes Grocery Shopping List (print and take to the strore with you) DETOXIFICATION TEAS • Milk Thistle Tea • Dandelion Root Tea • Chamomile Tea • Nettle Tea • Raspberry Leaf Tea (for women with uterine problems or weakness) • Agave or Stevia for sweetening if desired VEGETABLES • Celery with leaves • Carrots • Cucumbers • Yams and/or sweet potatoes • Cabbage (green or red) • Beets with green tops • Zucchini • Tomatoes (heirloom tomatoes are preferable when available) • Broccoli • Fresh Parsley, Romaine lettuce, Watercress, Dandelion greens, Chard and/or Spinach • Red and Green peppers • Fennel • Radishes • Spanish or green onion • Fresh Ginger • Garlic bulb FRUITS • Apples, Pears (juice when hard) • Oranges, Lemons • Melon: watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, casaba, etc • Grapes (preferably seeded red or purple grapes) • Berries: blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, cranberries, marionberries, etc Karen Allen, CCH Integrative Healthcare for Wellness and Fertility www.karenallenhomeopathy.com 415.944.8896.

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