What is the Difference Between Juices and Smoothies?

We often get asked to weigh in on “juicing versus blending,” like it’s a contest or a prize fight. We both drink juices and smoothies, with different benefits in mind, and recommend both. Green smoothies and whole blended juices retain the nutrients in skins, piths, and seeds, along with fiber, which slows down the assimilation of sugars and pushes food through the digestive system, binding and bulking toxins to assist the body in expelling them. Fresh juices, either with their pulp or strained, provide a more concentrated, nutrient dense food, and facilitate a less vigorous digestive process, reserving energy for detoxification and regeneration. That’s especially helpful in periods of illness or during a cleanse. Specifically for fasting, we recommend drinking fresh juices strained to remove as much of the pulp as possible.

What are Pre-Fast Guidelines?

One week prior to fasting;
Prepare your body for cleansing, by reducing your intake of:

• caffeine

• nicotine

• alcohol

• sugar

• dairy

• wheat

• gluten

• grains

• legumes

• processed foods

• meat, chicken, fish

*Do not go cold-turkey or you could experience mild to severe detox symptoms. 
If you consume any of the above items in large quantities, ease off of these substances slowly over the course of a week so that you have completely eliminated consumption at least 48 hours prior to beginning the juice fast.

24 to 48 hours prior to the juice fast
Consume raw foods only.

To prepare your digestive system to move away from solid fibrous foods to strained juices, we recommend consuming raw fruits and vegetables only for 24 to 48 hours before beginning our 3-day juice fast. If you are fasting in cold weather and feel the need for cooked food, choose vegetable broth lightly steamed non-starchy vegetables (like leafy greens, broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower). Drink filtered water, lemon water, raw coconut water, fresh juices, and herbal teas.

During these two days, avoid the consumption of all processed foods, meat, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy, gluten, grains, sugar, caffeine, and nicotine.

How to perform Daily Fasting Routine

Upon Rising
Scrape Your Tongue (see instructions in bodywork section)
Dry Skin Brush (see bodywork section below) 
Shower

Early Morning 
1 (8-oz) glass warm alkalizing vegetable broth

Breakfast
1 glass fresh juice 
*Dilute all fruit juices 50-50 with filtered water. 

Mid-Morning
1 cup herbal tea (organic rosehip, peppermint, chamomile) 
*When heating water for tea, we don’t bring the water to a complete boil, as boiling destroys enzymes 100%, kills some nutrients.

Noon
1 glass fresh juice
*Gentle Exercise. (See bodywork section)

Mid-Afternoon
1 cup herbal tea (see additional drinks section)

Early Evening
1 glass fresh vegetable juice 

Mid-Evening
1 glass fresh vegetable juice (optional)
*Double the evening green juice, if desired.

Bedtime
1 glass warm vegetable broth 
Dry Skin Brushing (see bodywork section)
Detox Bath (see bodywork section)

What is theSuggested Bodywork?

Rebounding and Other Exercise
Gentle movement is vital during cleansing, to assist the lymphatic system as it works hard to expel toxins. Unlike the circulatory system (which the heart serves as a pump) the lymphatic system relies on our movement to conduct its fluids through our systems. During the juice fast, we recommend 30 minutes of gentle, low-impact movement such as walking, stretching, and yoga. Avoid intense workouts, such as running and lifting weights.

During a juice fast, our go-to exercise is rebounding. Jumping on a mini trampoline actively moves the entire body and stimulates the lymphatic system. Specific benefits of rebounding include improved lymphatic drainage and immune function, increased bone mass, low-impact movement with reduced stress on the ankles and knees, increased endurance at the cellular level by stimulation of mitochondrial production (mitochondria being responsible for cell energy), improved balance, and increased energy and oxygenation. If you have access to a mini-trampoline, bounce for 5 to 15 minutes everyday. As detoxing can affect your balance, take special care to steady yourself to prevent injuries.

Dry Skin Brushing
Brushing your body encourages detoxification by boosting circulation, stimulating the lymphatic system, exfoliating the skin, relieving stress and energizing the body. For best results (especially during a fast) brush once or twice daily. One of the best times to brush is in the morning, right before a shower. Always use a brush with natural bristles, like cactus fiber. Dry brushes are available at most health food stores and online.

To brush your whole body (except your face—there are special brushes for that), use a firm but not painful pressure (avoid “scrubbing”). Karen prefers circular strokes; Tess favors long strokes. Either way, start at your feet and work up your legs to your arms, chest, back, and stomach. Avoid brushing your genitals, or any areas with irritations or abrasions (including varicose veins). Your skin should be slightly pink after a brushing (not red or irritated). Whichever kind of stroke you go with, always make the overall movement of brushing toward your heart; that’s best for circulation and your lymphatic system. For optimal results, brush from 5 to 20 minutes.

Detox Baths
A soak for 20 to 30 minutes before bedtime opens the pores, draws out toxins, lowers the stress-related hormones, balances your pH levels, and aids restful sleep. For a simple detox bath: add to a full tub 1 cup of Epsom salts, 1/2 cup of baking soda and 5 to 10 drops of lavender essential oil. 

Nasal Rinsing/Irrigation
The practice of rinsing the nasal cavity with a specific saline solution is a tradition that’s seeing a much deserved renaissance. For those with sinus conditions, nasal rinsing is a great, simple way to ease congestion, promote drainage and alleviate sinus headaches that may occur during cleansing. The traditional method uses a Neti pot, available at most health food stores, and modern methods use a plastic container with pre-measured buffered salt packets, available at most pharmacies.

Karen likes the NeilMed system as it’s easy to use, is made of lightweight plastic, and travels well. Using this system regularly, many of Karen’s clients have freed themselves of chronic sinus infections and other sinus conditions. Tess prefers a ceramic Neti pot.

Tongue Scraping
During a cleanse, you may notice that your tongue and teeth become coated with a white, sticky, film, particularly evident after sleep. This is an indication that your body is purging toxins up from or through the esophagus into the mouth. It’s perfectly normal. We recommend tongue scraping with a copper tongue scraper. You can also use the inverted bowl of a spoon. Scrape from the back of the tongue to the front, in one continuous movement. Rinse the tongue scraper, and brush your tongue and teeth afterward.

Infrared Saunas
Research shows that infrared saunas can be beneficial for detoxification, relaxation, regulating blood pressure, anti-aging & skin purification, cell health, weight loss, pain relief, and improved circulation. Infrared saunas use infrared elements (not the stove coils traditional dry saunas employ), and their infrared rays penetrate through the skin and into the body’s tissues, provoking a more detoxifying sweat (extracting less water) at lower temperatures. (They also use less energy.) Sitting in an infrared sauna feels balancing and relaxing, too, like sunshine on the skin---the absorption of the infrared rays is in fact like lying in the sun. We both use infrared saunas made by Sunlighten. This company makes the best infrared saunas, accessible to all budgets. You can access infrared saunas at many wellness centers and day spas. 

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