28 Days of juicing!

I decided to do a 28 Day Power Cleanse. This cleanse involves juices and smoothies with recipes that have been carefully created to give abundant nutrition whilst also cleansing the body. The only reason cells become damaged, apart from external trauma, is if they are deficient in nutrients and or if they are toxic, or both. This cleanse aims to deal with both! If the cells are healthy the body must follow suit. So here we go!

Week One – Detoxing.

Day One

Well I didn’t know it was Day One when it started but it ended up that way! I had been a bit resistant to starting the cleanse on the first programme – there’s a few of us doing it together – it clashed with Easter and a few afternoon tea treats I had lined up and didn’t want to miss. I love, love, LOVE a proper afternoon tea! Sigh… I signed up for the second programme instead, the after Easter one – then social plans changed. No problem, I’ll just get into the swing of it all with a few juices during the week before then start properly with everyone else. Halfway through the first ‘precleanse’ day I realise I wanted to get stuck in. The juices were yummy, I didn’t feel hungry, I had a relatively quiet week ahead so why wait? Time for action!

The first thing I noticed was I needed less sleep and felt less tired.

Day Two

It was a bit of a scramble as I wasn’t fully prepared with everything I needed, but hey my intentions are good, I’m doing my best. Still getting into the swing of a new routine. Finding it a bit time consuming preparing everything and then doing the juicing. On the other hand once it’s done it’s done for the day. I pour all the juices and smoothies into stainless steel thermos flasks with some ice cubes and then pop them in the fridge til I need them. Even taking them out for the day they are keeping cool.

I take pictures and weigh myself. Yes I’m a day late with that but never mind. Feel a bit like Bridget Jones as I write the results in a diary.

Finding the juices and smoothies really quite filling. Each day this week two new recipes so no chance of getting bored.

Day Three

Really getting into the swing of it now and feeling good.

Wide awake most of the night for some reason so I write some notes for this blog and a course. I get all the juicing done, have an enema (to help the detoxing move on and out) then a magnesium bath. There’s something luxurious about working from home when it means you can have a long soak in a magnesium bath at 9am whilst sipping a pint of nutritious and delicious smoothie through a straw! Later in the day I have a Skype with a close friend who tell me I look a bit rough! Ah well.

10/10 for the ‘Orient Express’ juice – scrummy yummy flavour combination and my fav so far!

Day Four

A challenging day as an early start and late finish. Will I manage? Got up at larks whatsit to get it all done. While yesterday was a ‘clean’ juicing day, today is VERY messy with blueberries and beetroot juice all over the shop! Kitchen roll an essential today and a pink pee alert as well!

I have a masticating machine (I am careful how I say that!) That means there are two interrelated rollers, like long cogs, that weave into each other and slowly crush everything to a pulp, and then separate the juice from the fibre by forcing the pulp through a metal sieve. Items are put in the top of a tube above the rollers and then pressed down.

Things like celery and asparagus, tips first, go through the rollers almost by themselves, like a rabbit eating a long piece of grass if you’ve ever seen that. Other things like beetroot and carrot need a bit more help. The trick is to get pieces to the optimum size when cutting them. Not so big they get stuck in the tube and not so small they turn over on themselves and jam up the works. I’m getting to be quite particular about my slicing technique, and when I get it right it’s golden! Some things like fruit, especially if it’s soft such as pineapple or berries, makes a froth and can start filling up the tube. The knack is to repeatedly alternate hard and soft items so you don’t lose the juice as it froths over the top and out of the crevices! It’s also a good idea to save some of the harder/cleaner stuff until last, such as celery or apple, as it makes cleaning the machine afterwards so much easier.

I take my juices with me for the day. I have a 2 hour morning meeting and then a full-on afternoon in an office. It all works out just fine. I can’t wait to get back for the evening smoothie though and wished I’d taken an emergency avocado with me to keep me going as I was really hungry by the time I got home. Lesson learned!

Day Five

I feel tired today. There’s lots I had planned to do but instead I take it easy and give my body the rest it needs

Each day we log into a private Facebook Page to see how everyone is doing and get support and any questions answered.

The programme is designed to cleanse emotional toxicity as well as physical. In reality of course they are closely linked. For this reason we are given 11/22’s to do so that as we clear the cells on the physical level we can also open them up to clear old stuck emotions. Well out with the old I say, and good riddance!

An evening clay footbath is very soothing.

Day 6

Again very tired all day and a bit foggy brained. I had an old and familiar backache pain on waking which dissipated in an hour or so. Another day for taking it easy, drinking lots of water, deep breathing and a walk on the beach. The jobs will have to wait, my body isn’t ready for them.

I do a massive shop ready for the next week and fill the fridge, and more, with lots of fresh fruit and veggies. The lady at the checkout must wonder when she scans heaps and heaps of stuff – 7 cucumbers, 5 bags of organic apples, 3 heads of celery 2 bags of pears, 2 pineapple etc etc.

Day Seven

Again some backache on waking but once I’d done the 5 Tibetan Rites it dissipated. I realise I need to do more exercise with this programme to get the blood moving and keep the toxins moving out of my system.

I feel really hungry today between 4 – 6pm. It may well be psychological hunger though rather than physical. Something to watch.

Well that’s it, the first week done. 25% through the programme! Yay!