Tags
almond milk, bee pollen, beetroot, blueberries, cardamon, carrots, chai, detox, fast, ginger, gluten- free, goji, juice, juicefast, kale, minerals, nutrients, raw, smoothies, superfoods, tumeric, vegan, vegetarian, vitamins
Greetings! Its been too long hasn’t it? What have you been keeping yourselves busy with? Me? Well, i’ve watched the miracle of nature turn a positively fresh Spring into a sub- zero blizzard Winter and back again- all in the space of a week. The snow only came at the weekend, coinciding with my trip down to Northumberland to celebrate Mother’s Day. Its a running “joke” that whenever i go down, no matter what the weather the preceding few days, it will almost always snow. And boy did it! Still, us Northumbrians are tough folk and me and my fantastic momma made the best of it. We had a wonderful walk along Jesmond Dene, perfectly formed snow flakes picking out the scenery, hunting for more Wild Garlic. Although we spotted some across the river, alas there was none to be had.
During the more Spring like part of last week me and Callum embarked on a three day juice fast. It seemed fitting to go through a seasonal detox- to give our digestive organs the time to relax, to purify and to re- strengthen their supplies. A great way to get pure, raw, unadulterated minerals and vitamins directly into our blood stream and all around our bodies. A juice fast is not something to be taken lightly: it requires a lot of thought, preparation, time and energy (which seems ironic since the second day in i was feeling pretty light headed- so heres a recommendation i should of followed- do not engage in rigorous exercise. Especially if its your first fast). That being said, a few less- than- delicious juices, and three days later, i felt amazing. Honestly, that juice you so look forward to- the breakfast one, the supper one, as soon as it gets to your lips you can feel, taste and understand all the nutrients your consuming. You feel the positive effect on your body directly and fully. And yes, we were hungry, pretty darn hungry actually, but it makes you really appreciate the joys and textures of solid food. Food becomes a privilege again. Oh and did i mention? You skin glows and your eyes sparkle, just like they always should/ you want them to!
So yes, the fast was good, both physically but also emotionally. You just have to take things/ life a lot slower, you have to really listen to your body and take things at a gentle pace. You appreciate everything around you in a way your not usually open to. I feel like it was a kin to being away from home for a very long time, that bit just before your about to return, when you notice and remember everything you love, you miss, your excited to do. So thats what we did with our week. And the celebratory break- fast smoothie on Friday morning was like imbibing liquid gold- pure bliss.
We started each morning with a Golden Detox Drink (from Elenore) but swapped the Stevia for Agave. This is such a perfect way to start your day, better than any caffeine hit- really, it led to me not drink coffee for 5 days (and thats saying something!)
- Hot water
- 1/2 teaspoon of Tumeric, ground Ginger, Cayenne Pepper/ Chilli Flakes
- tablespoon of Agave Nectar
- juice of 1/2 a Lemon
I’m not sure theres any point n me giving you exact recipes for the juices we had. It all depends on how you feel and what your body is telling you it needs. I will give you some ingredients that we included in every juice- those that are just plain old good for you, and necessary to keep your nutrients up.
- Spinach
- Curly Kale
- Red Cabbage
- Carrot
- Ginger
- Maca
- Lemon
- Orange
- Blueberries
- Cucumber
Other really delicious and nutrients filled goodies included:
- Garlic
- Pepper
- Tomatoes
- Beetroot
- Apples
- Pears
- Mango
- Blackberries
- Black Grapes
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Grapefruit
- Kiwi fruit
- Courgette
My favourite juice was on the second day, as supper:
- 4 Carrots
- 1/2 Red Cabbage
- 1/2 Beetroot
- 1/4 Savoy Cabbage
- 6 Tomatoes
- 1 Red Pepper
- 1 clove of Garlic
- 1/3 Red Chilli
Our break- fast Superfood Smoothie:
- handful of Blueberries, Blackberries, Black Grapes
- 4 tablespoons of soaked Oats
- 1 tablespoon of Goji berries
- 4 Dates
- 1 tablespoon of Sultanas
- 1 tablespoon of Agave Nectar
- 1 teaspoon of Maca powder
- 1 teaspoon of Flax Seeds
- 1 teaspoon of Bee Pollen
- Almond Milk
I also made spiced Chai tea for the afternoon:
- 1 decaffinated black tea bag (or equivalent loose)
- 1 star anise
- 2 pods of Green Cardamon
- 4 peppercorns (usually black, but i tried pink and they were delicious)
- tablespoon of Cinnamon bark
- Bash up the spices in a pestel and mortar and add to a small pan
- Add the tea bag and enough water to serve two people (or Almond milk is also great and a bit more wholesome)
- Heat until just about to boil, strain and serve- sweetened with Agave if you like
Yes so i do recommend trying a juice fast, even if only for one day to begin with. To clear your body if your eating habits have gotten a bit out of hand, your feeling low, ill, or sluggish. Or even if you just want to experience that beautiful peace of mind and take a step back to appreciate everything around you.
(NB please don’t try this is you have any serious illnesses, eating disorders, an exceptionally busy and stressful time ahead. It is a shock to your body and you need to be able to take care of yourself, be able to listen to what your body needs and treat it well.)
Whats your favourite juice combination? Anyone got any wild/ out there mixes? I’d love to know. Always feel free to pop them into the comments below- share the love xx