New Year, New Cleanse

Who can wait 'til spring to clean out your internal system? This year with all the amazing desserts and butter-flavored food I indulged in between Thanksgiving and New Year, my body was screaming to get back on track. So, I figured, why not try a new cleanse to kick off 2012. While there are a plethora of options out there these days, I opted for Joulebody, an NYC upstart that now delivers nationwide. Choosing the Active 3-day option, I knew I was going to get a sampling of meals and juices, which would leave me energized and able to work out.

 

Day 1 -

• 9 am - Joule Raw
• 12 pm - Edamame Hummus
• 3 pm - Joule Green
• 5 pm - Joule Citrus
• 7 pm - Spaghetti Squash
• 8 pm - Detox Brownie

While the late delivery and less then stellar customer service had me wondering about the company, once the goods were stocked in my fridge I was looking forward to my morning start. After an early round of BariMACRO, I popped the top on my first 18oz raw juice of the day. While I have no idea what was in the yellow tinged drink, I detected a bit of anise and turmeric, both of which are great for digestion. At noon, not exactly hungry, but sticking to the planned schedule, I broke open the Edamame hummus. Delicious! This is a great twist on a staple in my house. I can't wait to make it for my next dinner party. The green juice of the day was mild compared to others I've tried, but was heavily spiced with fennel among other things. The 5pm citrus juice had me flashing back to my horrific master cleanse experience due the cayenne/lemon combo, but since it was only one juice a day, I didn't mind it. My dinner for the evening was pesto spaghetti squash. Again, another common dish is my house, but the pesto gave it nice flavoring. At this point there was no need for me to try the detox brownie, but being an admitted chocoholic, I couldn't leave it behind. While the bar contained cacao, buckwheat flour and maple syrup it didn't taste like chocolate or a brownie. My normal diet does not contain caffeine and I had about 2 weeks to cut out the sugar that had been shocking my system, so there were no negative side affects from my first day of cleansing. We'll see what day two brings.        

Day's winner: Edamame Hummus    Weight Loss: 0.7lbs

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Day 2 - Hummm.. I seem to have woken up with a winter cold! It seems to be going around right now so we'll see how my cleanse can figure in and hopefully kick it quick!

• 9 am - Joule Raw
• 12 pm - No Nightshade Curry Stew
• 3 pm - Joule Green
• 5 pm - Joule Citrus
• 7 pm - Beet & Brown Rice Salad
• 8 pm - Detox Brownie

I slept in a bit this morning and woke up with a very dry throat. I'm not sure if this is due to my cold or the fact that I have yet to set up my humidifier. Either way, I was only able to drink 3/4 of my morning Raw juice and chose to hydrate with about 20oz of water to complete breakfast. I don't feel much like exercising today, so I'm going to take it easy, rest and conserve my energy. My noon lunch was eaten about 1:30pm due to my late start, but I was thankful that the yam & carrot dish could be heated up. It's important in the wintertime and when battling a cold to help your body in it's healing process by eating warm food (warm in temperature and spice). I was only interested in about 1/2 of the afternoon's green juice and settled under a blanket on the couch with a huge mug of hot herbal tea, which is a pre approved add-in item. I will have to save my 5pm Citrus for another day as adding any more water to my system would cause me to float away! The beet salad was like nothing I've tasted before. It wasn't as 'beety' as you would assume and the consistency can be best compared to the wasabi you get with your sushi. While I probably wouldn't try and make this for myself, it wasn't bad at all. I have been peeing red for the last day though.          

Day's winner: No Nightshade Curry Stew     Weight Loss: 0.8lbs

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Day 3 -

• 9 am - Joule Raw
• 12 pm - Root Ginger Soup
• 3 pm - Joule Green
• 5 pm - Joule Citrus
• 7 pm - North African Kale Soup
• 8 pm - Detox Brownie

I awoke feeling much better this morning. I don't know if it was the cleanse, rest, herbal tea of cloves of garlic I swallowed mid-day, but it seems to be working! So, I decided to start strong and head to my favorite rebounding class, BariBOUNCE, to see if I could sweat the rest of the illness out. Hydrating with the raw juice afterwards was great, even though I'm partial to a green juice in the morning. Looking forward to my afternoon of hot soup, I was sad to see the last of the root ginger go. It had the thickness of a butternut squash soup, but the ginger was an amazing fresh touch. Again my 3pm juice turned into hot herbal tea and the cayenne in the 5pm citrus had me smelling again! While the broth in my evening's North African Kale Soup was a bit thin, the pieces of kale, carrot, onion, and chickpeas did make for a tasty alternative to the typical vegetarian bean soup I usually eat. Overall I'm very fond of the food that Joulebody has provided and do not feel hungry in the least. Unfortunately due to my cold I have 2 'left over' juices. But that's fine; I'll happily drink them tomorrow as I start to introduce other foods back into my system.     

Day's winner: Root Ginger Soup   Weight Loss: 1.2lbs

Behind the Fad: Why Detoxing is Good for your Body

Cleanses and detoxes seem to be everywhere these days and for a good reason. We often find ourselves running from point A to point Z in the course of a day without paying much attention to what we are eating, where it came from and how it affects our bodies. By definition, detox is shorthand for detoxification, which is the process of removing toxic substances or qualities. Unfortunately modern day food is just this – toxic. So much focus has gone into making food quick, easy, inexpensive and highly marketable that little attention is paid towards the actual nutritional properties. The result is a food supply that is full of crap – literally and figuratively.   

So it’s important to take time to detoxify your body from the waste the builds up. Think about what happens when your shower drain gets clogged. First, the water drains more slowly. Then the water starts to back up and finally, if left untreated, it simply stops draining and gets stuck. And let’s face it…it's kind of gross when this happens, right? So a plumber goes in and cleans out the gunk that has accumulated so everything works as it is meant to.  

 Well, the same thing can happen in the body. Toxins ingested from food, medications, alcohol, smog, personal care items, and cleaning products (to name just a few culprits) can all build up in the gut and, if left there, may cause toxicity that can be attributed to numerous diseases. 

So cleanses and detoxes are aimed to clean out the clutter and promote a healthier environment in the gut, which may help the rest of the bodily systems work properly.  Signs that you may need to detox include:

• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Irregularity
• Bloating
• Cravings
• Skin irritations including rashes, acne, dry skin, etc
• Dark and/or puffy under-eye circles
• Trouble losing weight
• Sinus challenges
• Weak immune system
• Muscle aches and joint pain

If you have been on several rounds of antibiotics in the last few months, consume a lot of overly processed food or soda, crave sweets or salty foods, drink a large amount of caffeine or alcohol or have recently stopped smoking, a detox may be a good choice for you as well.  

There are a lot of different theories on detoxes out there and it’s important to find one that is good for you and your life. I’m guessing you are a busy person, because let’s face it, who isn’t? You may also get nervous about the idea of surviving on mostly liquids for several days, which is the basis for many popular cleanses. 

A whole foods cleanse is designed to slowly wean you off many acid forming and overly consumed foods including processed sugar, coffee, and wheat over the course of a few days. After removing the culprits, you then incorporate healthy whole foods such as fresh leafy greens, gluten free grains, and low sugar fruits. These are foods that we should all be eating plenty of to begin with but, more often than not, we aren’t. This type of detox is also designed to bring any food allergies or sensitivities to light and determine if any health challenges may be improved with dietary changes. The use of healthy supplements including probiotics, milk thistle and senna root are used to gently clean out the gut and restore healthy bacteria to the intestinal track. 

I encourage anyone interested in detoxing their body to find a program that best suits your lifestyle. The results may surprise. Detoxing may become part of your new lifestyle toward a healthier body. 

Guest post written by Jen Morris, a certified health coach and Pravassa collaborator. Jen will be leading her first group Detox-in-a-Box program with Pravassa in the new year.  

Review: Pressed Juicery | L.A.

Restaurant: Pressed Juicery
Cost: $6.50 16 oz juice or $70 a day for the cleanse (includes 6 juices)
Hours: M-F 7:30am-8pm; S-Su 8:30am-8pm
Neighborhood: Brentwood | L.A.Pressed Juicery in Brentwood
What to expect: Pressed Juicery came to life after three friends from LA all with different stories realized the benefits that juicing has to offer. They decided to create a place where even people with stressed out busy lives could incorporate healthy habits into their day and it's conveniently located in the heart of Brentwood, (below Maha Yoga, across the courtyard from The Bar Method and next to the country mart). Juices are pressed and packaged in the morning using a hydraulic press at their kitchen in Beverly Hills so there's no wait time for your purchase. You can buy one juice or partake in a single or multiple day cleanse. There is even the option of having the juices delivered to your doorstep. Pressed also sells 1 ounce bottled supplements that can be added to any of the juices or taken alone. There is 30 minute validated parking, and a plethora of pretty people to look at in the courtyard.

Our Take:  A few people told me Pressed Juicery was a must try, but it came with a warning: it's expensive. I love fresh juice, so I had to check out what all the buzz was about. It wasn't hard to find as I followed the line of people I saw the moment I walked into the courtyard. For some reason I expected a sit down joint, but it was just a guy, a counter, and a refrigerator of juices behind him. There are around 16 juices to choose from that range from greens to roots to detox to fruit. My choice was easy, apple strawberry coconut, yum! It may not be the healthiest option, but I enjoyed it. The employee was helpful, kind and interested to hear my thoughts on his favorite, Greens 2, a combination of kale, spinach, romaine parsley, cucumber, and celery. Liked it, didn't love it which disappointed him. However it was refreshing and I appreciate the health benefits it has to offer. My juice, which I did love, was a bit sweeter, but also very refreshing. As for the price, $6.50 does seem a bit steep for a 16oz juice. However if you consider the cost of organic fruits and vegetables, and the nutrients you are getting in just one drink, I've justified it. Will I be going every day, no, but I liked it enough that be back every once in a while. I may even indulge in a cleanse someday soon and if you read about the benefits of juice cleanse, you may be tempted as well.
cost to value:   (4) atmosphere:   (4) likely to return:    (5)

Reviewed by Kristen Matthews, a Los Angeles based Pilates instructor who teaches in Santa Monica and outlying neighborhoods.

L.O.V.E. it or leave it?

This year for my spring cleaning, I've decided to clean my body, in addition to my apartment. I was turned onto Organic Avenue by some friends who routinely use their products.  The purpose of a cleanse is to rid one's body of toxins, clear out your digestive system and feel more energetic. The Live Organic Vegan Experience, or L.O.V.E., cleanse that I decided to try is called LOVEeasy, This is the basic cleanse meant for someone who is not currently a vegetarian and ease the body into digesting nutrient dense foods.

Day 1 - I picked up my cleansing case at the beautiful new store on the L.E.S. and this is my menu for the day:

• Chlorophyll Elixir
• Fresh Pressed Pear Juice
• Cucumber, spinach, celery Juice
• Burrito Crudo
• Edamame Salad
• Vanilla Chia
• Green Mylk Drink: (Cucumber, celery, Spinach, almond mylk, cinnamon)

Drinking liquid of any kind has never been my strong suit. It fills me up quickly and I always have to pee, so I knew drinking all these juices as well as the recommended daily amount of water was going to be my biggest challenge. Luckily, an email I received the night before I was to start simply stated: You do not have to finish every item. The above items were to be consumed in order about ever 2 hours. Immediately I decided that waking up to a shot of Chlorophyll is not the way I want to start my day, but hey, it's only for 5 days. There is light at the end of that tunnel. Throughout the day I ate or drank on schedule and by 7pm the thought anything crossing my lips turned my stomach. I decided to power through and even if I didn't finish the Vanilla Chia or Green Mylk if I could consume 1/2 of the servings, I would hopefully benefit from the nutrients offered. The one things that did surprise me about today: no caffeine headache. I cut down on coffee to 1/2 a cup a day in the week leading up to the cleanse, maybe that was the trick.

Day's winner: Burrito Crudo    Day's looser: Chlorophyll Elixir

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Day 2 - I woke up feeling great. I had a wonderful night sleep and the sun was shining into my bedroom. I checked my email and found today's menu:

• Chlorophyll Elixir
• Fresh pressed Grapefruit Juice
• Cucumber, spinach, celery Juice
• Sunflower Falafel
• Sunflower Sprout Salad
• Chocolate Mousse (really? YAY!)
• Green Mylk Drink: (Cucumber, celery, Spinach, almond mylk, cinnamon)

I decided to alter my plan of attack and took the shot of Chlorophyll on the bus on my way home from picking up my daily cleanse. Being surrounded by people, I figured this would ensure that I wouldn't throw up. What do you know, the shot wasn't too painful this time around. Next to down: the Grapefruit juice, not a fruit I'd choose to eat, was actually pleasant. The tangy sourness didn't bother me as expected it would. I was looking forward to my lunch of sunflower falafel and it did not disappoint. Honestly, it tasted just like regular falafel, but healthier because there wasn't oil dripping from it. Sprout Salad lacked total taste and the thing I was looking forward to most: the chocolate mousse tasted more like coconut with a hint of chocolate, but was delicious non the less. Again it was too much food for me to consume in total and I only drank 1/2 the green mylk. Best of all, my husband thanked me today for not being cranky. Haha, it seems if you set your expectations low, everyone's a winner in the end.

Day's winner: Sunflower Falafel  Day's looser: Sunflower Sprout Salad  

Weight Loss: 1.8lbs

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Day 3 - Today I woke up with thoughts of food. I didn't feel hungry and I wasn't thinking about any specific food, but the idea of food was lingering. I drank a glass of water and set off to pick up my menu.

• Chlorophyll Elixir
• Fresh Apple Juice
• Cucumber, spinach, celery Juice
• Portobello Wrap
• Sesame Seaweed Salad
• Key Lime Pie
• Green Mylk Drink: (Cucumber, celery, Spinach, almond mylk, cinnamon)

Everyday I mind the Chlorophyll less and less. I'm not saying I'm going to continue this every day, but it's over in 2 seconds and I move on. The fresh apple juice was a pleasant surprise today as the package told me it was going to be grapefruit. Taking a break mid-day to attend my favorite yoga class at Sankalpah, forced me to wait a bit for my favorite meal of the day: lunch. The Portobello sandwich was wrapped in something, but I can't figure out what (see photo). Inside the juicy Portobello was wrapped in spinach leaves with parsley and the other ingredients including: carrots, cucumber, beets, ginger and nuts were pureed and used as a spread. AMAZING! Unfortunately the most disgusting thing followed this experience. I don't mind seaweed when it's wrapped around raw fish. While there was no fish in this salad, it still reeked as it had just been pulled from the ocean. I forced myself to eat a few bite and then gave up and ate out the peppers, shallots and sesame seeds. And then I cheated. I couldn't help it, my will power gave in and I ate a piece of gum to banish the awful seaweed taste. While it wasn't a big misstep, I suppose I could have brushed my teeth instead. Well, tomorrow is another day!

Day's winner: Portobello Wrap  Day's looser: Sesame Seaweed Salad 

Total Weight Loss: 4 lbs

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Day 4 - I was very excited when I picked up my daily servings today as the menu included a Wheatgrass shot instead of the Chlorophyll. Yes!! Today's feast:

• Wheatgrass Shot
• Fresh Orange Juice
• Cucumber, spinach, celery Juice
• Raw Lasagna
• Fennel Orange Salad
• Apple Nectarine Crisp
• Green Mylk Drink: (Cucumber, celery, Spinach, almond mylk, cinnamon)

Today was the hardest day of the cleanse for me so far. I wasn't temped to cheat, but I felt a bit tired and kept thinking about food. Part of the instructions for this cleanse say to let your body do it's housekeeping. I took that to heart and after my early afternoon cucumber juice took a nap. Though I was tired, I had trouble falling asleep. I started in on my relaxation exercises which must have worked because the next thing I knew I was being awakened by dreams of Greek yogurt with granola. I'm actually surprised the dream wasn't about chocolate and, if you knew me, you'd be surprised too. I think I'll rack that up to progress! Once again lunch didn't disappoint. Slivers of zucchini separated the mixture of spinach, nuts, pureed peppers and sun dried tomatoes makes for great raw lasagna. Yummy! The fennel salad gave me hart burn temporarily and the apple nectarine crisp with slices of fresh apple and applesauce wasn't too bad. Maybe it was the nutmeg :) Well, tomorrow is the last day and I'm proud I made it this far.

Day's winner: Raw Lasagna  Day's looser: Fennel Orange Salad 

Total Weight Loss: 4.6 lbs

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Day 5 - My final day. I couldn't wait to begin because everything I drank or ate was going to be the last.

• Chlorophyll Elixir
• Fresh Pressed Lemonade
• Cucumber, spinach, celery Juice
• Pesto Zucchini Noodles
• Kale Dulse (salad)
• Lemon Cheesecake
• Green Mylk Drink: (Cucumber, celery, Spinach, almond mylk, cinnamon)

I went to pick up my final day's food in the crummy weather and decided it was the perfect excuse to finish my cleanse by relaxing on the couch. Yay, last chlorophyll shot! The lemonade was delicious, but alas I did not finish it. Too tart to drink the entire 16 ounces. The cucumber/spinach juice did it's job of cleaning me out all week and today was no exception. Since I was staying house bound I got my butt on the elliptical and decided to rock my way through a few hundred calories with the help of some Young Folks. I had to dig deep to make it through the workout, but I suppose that's to be expected as for the previous 16 hours I had consumed nothing but liquid. Next up, my favorite meal. Thumbs down the zucchini noodles! I make spaghetti squash all the time it's amazing. These zucchini noodles lacked flavor and the pesto sauce was a runny mess. The kale salad did nothing to brighten my food mood; zombie-like I chewed my way through it because I had to. I almost forgot to eat my cheesecake as by 6pm I wasn't the least bit hungry. But, as I'm supposed to be savoring these dishes I decided to press on. What a wonderful surprise! The irish moss, vanilla, lemon juice, lecithin and agave were whipped together and put over ground almonds and cashews. Who said vegan desserts are bad? I thoroughly enjoyed all the ones that my plan had to offer this week. I am looking forward to working my way back to real food this weekend. I'll post a recap on Monday so check back.

Day's winner: Lemon Cheesecake  Day's looser: Pesto Zucchini Noodles

Total Weight Loss: 5.2 lbs

Spring Cleaning for the body and mind

With the weather starting to get warmer and the days getting longer, I have decided that I'm ready for my spring cleaning. In year's past, my spring cleaning was limited to my closets but, this year, I've decided to clean my body and mind and I hope to discover something new about myself in the process. Start a spring cleaning for yourself in these 3 easy steps.

1) Do something for yourself every day It might be as little as 10 minutes a day, but you deserve it! If you spend time in the car, clear your mind with a walk around the block. If you wake up feeling stiff, start the day with some stretching. If you have trouble sleeping at night, try meditation or breathing exercises to find stillness. What ever you do, you'll force yourself to slow down and relax.

2) Expand your mind Learn something new and exercise your brain. If you have time, take a cooking class, learn a new language, or volunteer in your community. If your time is limited, watch a documentary and get perspective on the food industry or learn the history of a foreign culture.

3) Do a cleanse Cleanses don't have to be intimidating, just pick one area of your diet to focus on. Eat dessert only twice a week instead of everyday. Move away from processed food and start to focus on clean whole foods. Make the switch from white flour to wheat. Whatever you choose, you'll notice a difference in your energy levels and your waistline.

For me, spring cleaning will consist of a few minutes of meditation a day, watching Food Inc at our Heal Your Body retreat in April and starting Monday, I'm embarking on a L.O.V.E. cleanse from Organic Avenues. Check back to our blog as I will be writing about my experience daily. I'm ready to do my mind and body good, how about you?

photo courtesy of Maggie Smith