Tag Archives: anti-oxidant

Pre-Fast Prep Plan Day 3

Hump Day! Your doing it!

Breathe.

If you feel overwhelmed, breathe. It will calm you and release the tensions.

If you are worried about something coming up, or caught up in something that already happened, breathe. It will remind you to slow down, and enjoy life more.

Breathe, and enjoy each moment of this life. They’re too fleeting and few to waste.

By Leo Babauta

Day 3 Meal Plan:

*Begin the Day: Drink 1 quart of warm lemon water

*Breakfast: Enjoy a blueberry smoothie.

*Lunch: Large Green Salad with diced apple, cilantro, hemp seeds, fresh squeezed lemon, coconut aminos, avocado and a dash of cayenne pepper.

*Snack Ideas: Raw brownies, veggies dipped in guacamole.

*Dinner: Raw pad thai. Its delicious.

*End of the day: Sip 8 ounces of lemon water.

Thought for the day: Believe in the Impossible

Breathe. Heal. Love.

xoxo

Michelle

Raw Pad Thai

Pre-Fast Prep – Plan Day 2

Day two is about being courageous, try a new smoothie today power packed with nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. Greens have more bio-available calcium than cows milk. Greens also have a high amount of fiber promotes regular bowel movements to detoxify your body more efficiently.

Day 2 Meal Plan:

*Begin the Day: Drink 1 quart of warm lemon water.

*Breakfast: Enjoy a kiwi apple spinach green smoothie, or oatmeal with a teaspoon of chia & two tablespoons of raisins and one diced apple.

*Lunch: Wakame kale salad, 1 cup of brown rice or quinoa & bliss balls

*Snack idea’s: Green goodness juice, blueberry smoothie or kale chips.

*Dinner: Green garden salad with white balsamic/pear dressing and miso soup.

*End of the day: Sip 8 ounces of lemon water

Thought for the day: Cultivating Habit

You got this,

Love,

Michelle

Wakame Kale Salad

5 Day Juice Cleanse

This is an extension of the 3-Day Juice Cleanse that was posted earlier this week. Cleansing is a great way to kickstart your way to better health! Give your body a break from caffeine, sugar, wheat, dairy, and alcohol so that you may establish new, healthier habits, renew your energy and detox your body with this invigorating 5-Day Cleanse!

Make sure to use fresh organic ingredients for your juice, to ensure that your juices contain no synthetic ingredients. This supplies the body with a concentrated batch of natural vitamins and minerals in their natural form. With the extra nutrition, your body’s performance will improve and more energy will be available. With all of this extra energy many people report wanting to exercise, which leads to clearer thinking, healthier emotional states & weight control (you may even sleep better too). As dis-ease thrives in bodies which are filled with toxins, bacteria and carcinogens, most of which are found in un-healthy food. To prevent dis-ease and effectively defend itself, the body requires a wide assortment of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. When you feel healthy, its natural to get more out of life. That is why I created this simple 5 Day Cleanse to liven up your life!!!

Juices

To prepare your body for juice cleansing please check out my 3 Day Cleanse.

5 Day Energy Boost Juice Cleanse!

Day 1

  • Drink 48 ounces of fresh juice throughout the day.
  • Drink water. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water. (150 pound person would drink 75 ounces of water).
  • Fiber. Drink apple juice and 1 teaspoon fiber cleansing formula mixed with either 8 ounce of water and/or apple juice. Drink this twice a day.
  • Green Drink. Mix 1 tablespoon of a green powder like Pure Synergy, Vitamineral Green or Premier Research Labs Greens Mix with 8 ounces of water or apple juice. Drink this twice a day.
  • Drink as much herbal tea as you want throughout the day. Ginger tea is amazing because it contains over 477 constituents, it inhibits inflammation, it’s helps fight tumor growth, and it stimulates HCL – Hydrochloric Acid that is used by the stomach to break down fiber and plant roughage. An ancient Indian Proverb once said, “Every good quality is contained in ginger.”
  • Drink lemon water. Although lemons are acidic, they have an alkalizing effect on the body because the contain alkalizing minerals. Lemons are a wonderful germicide and are used to reduce fevers. They are high in vitamin C, B1, and G, as well as potassium. Lemons are ideal for removing toxins from the body, especially the liver.
  • If you’re hungry, drink veggie broth. Broth actually helps improve enzyme and cellular metabolism and general cleansing and detoxification.

Fresh juice and tea ideas for day 1:

  • Orange-Cherry-Ginger (16 ounces)
  • Celery-Pineapple-Kale-Swiss Chard-Ginger (32 ounces)
  • Ginger Tea

Day 2

  • Drink 48 ounces of fresh juice throughout the day.
  • Drink water. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water. (150 pound person would drink 75 ounces of water).
  • Fiber. Drink apple juice and one teaspoon fiber cleansing formula mixed with either 8 ounce of water and/or apple juice. Drink this twice a day.
  • Green Drink. Mix 1 tablespoon of a green powder like Pure Synergy, Vitamineral Green or Premier Research Labs Greens Mix with 8 ounces of water or apple juice. Drink this twice a day.
  • Drink as much herbal tea & lemon water as you want throughout the day.
  • If you’re hungry, drink veggie broth. Broth actually helps improve enzyme and cellular metabolism and general cleansing and detoxification.

Fresh juice and tea ideas for day 2:

  • Beet-Carrot-Cherry-Grapefruit-Ginger-Lime (16 ounces)
  • Celery-Kale-Apple-Cilantro-Lemon-Ginger (32 ounces)
  • Licorice Tea

Day 3

  • Drink 48 ounces of fresh juice throughout the day.
  • Drink water. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water. (150 pound person would drink 75 ounces of water).
  • Fiber. Drink apple juice and one teaspoon fiber cleansing formula mixed with either 8 ounce of water and/or apple juice. Drink this twice a day.
  • Green Drink. Mix 1 tablespoon of a green powder like Pure Synergy, Vitamineral Green or Premier Research Labs Greens Mix with 8 ounces of water or apple juice. Drink this twice a day.
  • Drink as much herbal tea or lemon water as you want throughout the day.
  • If you’re hungry, drink veggie broth. Broth actually helps improve enzyme and cellular metabolism and general cleansing and detoxification.

Fresh juice and tea ideas for day 3:

  • Beet-Grapefruit-Ginger (16 ounces)
  • Swiss Chard-Apple-Ginger (32 ounces)
  • Chamomile Tea

Day 4

  • Drink 48 ounces of fresh juice throughout the day.
  • Drink water. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water. (150 pound person would drink 75 ounces of water).
  • Fiber. Drink apple juice and one teaspoon fiber cleansing formula mixed with either 8 ounce of water and/or apple juice. Drink this twice a day.
  • Green Drink. Mix 1 tablespoon of a green powder like Pure Synergy, Vitamineral Green or Premier Research Labs Greens Mix with 8 ounces of water or apple juice. Drink this twice a day.
  • Drink as much herbal tea or lemon water as you want throughout the day.
  • If you’re hungry, drink veggie broth. Broth actually helps improve enzyme and cellular metabolism and general cleansing and detoxification.

Fresh juice and tea ideas for day 4:

  • Carrot-Apple-Ginger (16 ounces)
  • Celery-Swiss Chard-Dino Kale-Apple (32 ounces)
  • Soothing Licorice Mint Tea

Day 5

  • Drink 48 ounces of fresh juice throughout the day.
  • Drink water. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water. (150 pound person would drink 75 ounces of water).
  • Fiber. Drink apple juice and one teaspoon fiber cleansing formula mixed with either 8 ounce of water and/or apple juice. Drink this twice a day.
  • Green Drink. Mix 1 tablespoon of a green powder like Pure Synergy, Vitamineral Green or Premier Research Labs Greens Mix with 8 ounces of water or apple juice. Drink this twice a day.
  • Drink as much herbal tea or lemon water as you want throughout the day.
  • If you’re hungry, drink veggie broth. Broth actually helps improve enzyme and cellular metabolism and general cleansing and detoxification.

Fresh juice and tea ideas for day 5:

During your cleansing process:

  • Take time to go for a 20 minute walk everyday.
  • Stretch and practice yoga.
  • Meditate
  • Dry Brush
  • Infrared Sauna
  • Take Detox Baths (I love bathing in Sole Water)
  • Get your Beauty Sleep
  • LOVE YOURSELF!!
  • Click here for symptoms of a detox and more loving ways you can help yourself through the process.

Please note: During a juice cleanse I generally don’t use tomatoes. Tomatoes are a great detoxifier but  they also upset calcium metabolism and should be avoided in cases of arthritis. Large amounts of tomatoes are weakening for everyone. So I like to enjoy them after a fast as they are easy to digest.

On this five day journey, try to free yourself of the past hurts and worries that continue to live with you. Let them float away. Journal or write letters (you don’t have to send them) to give yourself a regular outlet for your emotions, regrets, and worries. Don’t push them aside, harness them and move on as a smarter and lighter person.

Green Juice Goodness

After the 5 Day Juice Cleanse

If you would like to continue cleansing, check out the post on a 3 Day Cleanse! You can make this journey a nine day cleanse if you do the 3-Day Raw Food Cleanse before and after your 3-Day Juice Cleanse!

As you ease back into eating remember to take time, to be thankful for having food. Choose easily digestible foods like soups (my favorite is miso) and smoothies.

The best of all medicine is resting and fasting. ~Benjamin Franklin

Much love and juice,

Michelle

Incredible Strawberry Beet Smoothie

If you have been reading my posts all week you will know that its pre-fast week here in this house, so we are making a lot of soups and smoothies during our 3-Day Cleanse, preparing for the juice fast I am doing starting tomorrow! Yay!

This simple strawberry smoothies is packed with anti-oxidants and sweet goodness. The girls and I made this smoothie as an after school snack before we headed off to dance classes. Its a great pre-workout smoothie to energize and revitalize the body!

smoothie goodness

Incredible Strawberry Smoothie

  • 1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 banana (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 slice beetroot (for vibrant color and energy boost)
  • 1/2 cup kale or spinach
  • 2 Tbs walnuts
  • 1 Tbs vanilla
  • 1 tsp spirulina
  • 1 cup coconut milk or tea
  • 4 drops stevia

This makes one serving, so we made it x3. Place everything in blender, blend and enjoy! This was a great pre-workout/dance smoothie, as beets provide instant energy and are easy to digest (not to mention a great detoxifier)!!!

beets

13 Health Benefits of Strawberries:

  • Cardiovascular Benefits: No area of strawberry health benefits is better documented than benefits for the cardiovascular system. It’s also hard to imagine any other research result, since our heart and blood vessels need everyday protection from oxidative and inflammatory damage, and the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrient content of strawberries is simply outstanding.
  • Antioxidants: Cardiovascular Benefits: No area of strawberry health benefits is better documented than benefits for the cardiovascular system. It’s also hard to imagine any other research result, since our heart and blood vessels need everyday protection from oxidative and inflammatory damage, and the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrient content of strawberries is simply outstanding. These sweet gems help prevent cell destruction and harmful disease. So grab a pint and get snacking!
  • Anti-Inflammatory: The phenols in strawberries also fight against many inflammatory disorders, such as osteoarthritis, cancer, asthma and atherosclerosis.
  • Anti-Cancer: Since chronic, excessive inflammation and chronic, excessive oxidative stress (lack of antioxidant nutrients and unsupported oxygen metabolism) are often primary factors in the development of cancer, strawberries would definitely be expected to have cancer risk-lowering properties given their outstanding antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrient content. Anti-cancer benefits from strawberries are best documented in the case of breast, cervical, colon, and esophageal cancer. Most of the tumor-inhibiting studies on animals have focused on the phytonutrient content of strawberries.
  • Healthy Eyes: The antioxidant properties in strawberries may also help to prevent cataracts—the clouding over of the eye lens—which can lead to blindness in older age. Our eyes require vitamin C to protect them from exposure to free-radicals from the sun’s harsh UV rays, which can damage the protein in the lens. Vitamin C also plays an important role in strengthening the eye’s cornea and retina.
  • Immune Booster: The amount of antioxidants, phytochemicals and flavonoids that work together synergistically in strawberries helps protect your health and destroy illness-causing germs.
  • Bone Health: Manganese in strawberries is great for the bones, helping in bone building and maintaining proper bone structure. The potassium, vitamin K, and magnesium in strawberries are also important for bone healthYounger Looking Skin: The power of vitamin C in strawberries continues, as it is vital to the production of collagen, which helps to improve skin’s elasticity and resilience. Since we lose collagen as we age, eating foods rich in vitamin C may result in healthier, younger-looking skin. But vitamin C isn’t the only naturally-occuring wrinkle fighter found in strawberries. Researchers at Hallym University in the Republic of Korea concluded that ellagic acid visibly prevented collagen destruction and inflammatory response—two major factors in the development of wrinkles—in human skin cells, after continued exposure to skin-damaging UV-B rays.
  • Fight Bad Cholesterol: According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, heart disease is one of the leading causes of death among Canadian women. Luckily, strawberries also contain powerful heart-health boosters. “Ellagic acid and flavonoids— or phytochemicals—can provide an antioxidant effect that can benefit heart health in various ways,” explains Edwards. “One way includes counteracting the effect of low-density lipoprotein, or LDL—bad cholesterol in the blood—which causes plaque to build up in arteries. A second way is that they provide an anti-inflammatory effect, which is also good for the heart.” Researchers at the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Center in Toronto studied the effect of strawberries on a cholesterol-lowering diet and concluded that adding strawberries to the diet reduced oxidative damage, as well as blood lipids—both of which play a role in heart disease and diabetes.
  • Regulate Blood Pressure: Potassium is yet another heart healthy nutrient, and with 134 mg per serving, strawberries are considered a “medium source,” according to Alberta Health Services. Potassium can help regulate blood pressure and may even help to lower high blood pressure by acting as a buffer against the negative effects of sodium. With their impact on the reduction of LDL, inflammation and high blood pressure, strawberries have earned the title of one of the most heart-healthy fruits you can eat. (And it kind of looks like a heart too!)
  • Promote Prenatal Health: Folate is a B-vitamin recommended for women who are pregnant or trying to conceive, and strawberries are a good source with 21 mcg per serving. Folate is necessary in the early stages of pregnancy to help in the development of the baby’s brain, skull and spinal cord, and the folic acid in strawberries may help to prevent certain birth defects, such as spina bifida. (While I was pregnant with my second child I ate a pound of strawberries everyday!)
  • Improvement of Inflammatory Bowel Problems: Interestingly, even though strawberries contain relatively small amounts of salicylic acid (an anti-inflammatory compound very similar to the acetylsalicylic acid of aspirin), some researchers have suggested that this naturally-occurring anti-inflammatory substance in strawberries might be partly responsible for decreased inflammation in the digestive tract of individuals diagnosed with inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.
  • Aids in Weight Management: Strawberries contain a compound called nitrate that has positive effects on blood flow and oxygen around the body. Nitrate stops muscles from becoming too tired after exercise. Plus they are low in calories so you can eat a lot of them!

Go on and make your Incredible Strawberry Beet Smoothie to enhance your workout potential!! You are amazing and worth it!

strawberry smoothie magic

Have a beautiful day!

Michelle

Empty yourself Empty yourself and let the universe fill you!