getting the most from your Gather juice co. cleanse

how to prepare

You can certainly accomplish what we view as the two main goals of a juice cleanse (reset, examine your relationship with food) by simply drinking raw juice and being present with your bodily feelings, moods and emotions during the cleanse.

In order to get the absolute most of out a cleanse, or if this isn’t your first cleanse and you want to step it up a level, there are a few things you can do in the week leading up to your cleanse to get even more out of it.

First, attempt to transition “junk” food or any highly refined or processed food out of your diet. Consider cutting out meat, dairy, processed sugar and alcohol.

Slowly taper down your caffeine intake over the same period. If you’re still consuming caffeine the day before you start your cleanse, we wouldn’t recommend going cold turkey.

Next, you can be more conscious of portion sizes, eating only until you no longer feel hungry.

Finally, be sure you’re drinking enough water, which is one of the best tools you can give your body has to assist regular detoxification.

during your cleanse

we’ve intentionally structured the cleanse in a way that will give you maximum benefit and make it as easy as possible to get through.

you should, of course, listen to your body and do what feels best to you, but we recommend drinking the juices in order of the numbers on your juice cap.

and don’t worry, most first time cleansers that we talk to report that 3 days of only juice turned out to be much easier than they anticipated.

juice #1

drink juice #1 as breakfast. we want to kick off the day with tons of nutrients and enzymes from a green juice. we recommend drinking your first juice 30 minutes to one hour before you’d normally eat breakfast. if you normally skip breakfast, drink juice #1 within an hour of waking up. we find that juice prevents hungry but juice doesn’t solve hungry. so, don’t wait until your tummy is growling!

juice #2

drink juice #2 as a mid-morning snack. this juice is intended to help support your body’s natural detoxification systems.

juice #3

drink juice #3 as lunch. the mid-day juice is generally going to be a bit sweeter to give your body the support to make it though the rest of the day with plenty of energy.

juice #4

drink juice #4 as dinner. this juice contains lots of root vegetables — beet, carrot and ginger. root vegetables feel grounding and calming, which is great near the end of the day. plus, this is the juice that most people report to be the most satiating.

juice #5

drink juice #5 between dinner and bed. the healthy fats in the cashew mylk help hold you over overnight so you don’t wake up feeling super hungry.

helpful hints

we can’t stress enough that a cleanse should absolutely not feel like punishment. listen to your body. if you feel very hungry, please eat something. we recommend broths (mushroom or veggie for vegan/vegetarian, bon broth for others), raw nuts, raw fruits and veggies, or a salad with a very simple dressing (something like oil and vinegar).

if you’re a hard charger and you typically work out hard, be conscious of how you’re feeling. some people prefer lighter exercise — yoga or walking for example. there’s no reason you can’t go hard on a cleanse, but you should be more conscious of what your body is telling you. feeling tired or lethargic? maybe skip the hiit workout.

in the case that you’re cleansing because the way you’ve been eating doesn’t make you feel your best, take some time to ponder what actually does make you feel your best.

finally, focus on relaxing. if you have a regular meditation practice, be extra diligent about it during your cleanse. if you don’t, there’s never been a better time to start one. we love the headspace app or the waking up app, both of which offer free trial periods. journaling is also a great way to be conscious and intentional.

after your cleanse

honestly a lot (maybe the majority) of the benefit of a cleanse can be from what happens after a cleanse. if your intention going in included eating in a way that make you feel better afterward, this can really be where the rubber meets the road. you my have experienced the phenomenon where, when you’re eating in a way that makes you feel great, you feel like continuing it. that’s amplified after a cleanse. most people report that they’re craving healthier foods after a cleanse and this is a great way to continue to get the benefits you felt from the cleanse.

we’d recommend slowly transitioning back to a normal diet, starting with raw nuts, fruits and veggies. slowly reintroduce meat and dairy if these are part of your diet and be conscious of how these things make you feel. is your body trying to tell you something that you couldn’t hear through the noise before?

ultimately, you’re the expert on your body and how you feel.

once you wrap up your

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