Nutso-Sweet “Kick-the-cleanse”

Happy NUSTO-SWEET Monday!

Yes, we’ve changed the day from the 3rd Friday to the 3rd Monday of every month. Please keep sending us your questions. We LOVE hearing from you.

Q: What are your thoughts on starting the New Year with a Juice Fast?

In a “Nutso-Sweet” Shell, here’s the scoop from Mo and Lauren:

 Forget the “Fast”, Kick the “Cleanse”

There are so many “cleanses” and juicing programs available. Everyone is rushing for that quick fix – slimming down in 10 days. If it really were that easy… Well it may be, but the problem isn’t losing the weight, it’s maintaining the weight loss. We all have heard about or experienced the re-bound following a dietary “success”. And often times people gain back more weight than they’ve lost. When we “fast” or consume too little over a period of time – our bodies eventually adjust so we can sustain/survive. The metabolism slows and we create energy stores (our fat stores energy) so our bodies can rely on that energy when their is little or no food available. That means that once we start “eating” again, the weight comes right back on.

The thing to remember is that no matter how whole-food based/nutritionally powerful your concoction is, if it isn’t a plan you can realistically stick with for the long term – it probably isn’t a great idea. If you’d like to include a powerhouse juice (lots of green veggies, some fruit and perhaps some added wholesome sources of heart-healthy fiber) into your day, that’s great. Think of it as a power, pick-me-up or for an on-the-go meal perhaps once or twice of week.. But remember unless you can establish a realistic routine that can become a part of your lifestyle,  you may be setting yourself up for failure in the long run.

Cleansing may be necessary for specific conditions, but if you are a relatively healthy individual it should not be necessary. Instead, consider the following:

1.   Build your lifestyle to include more plant-based foods which naturally contain the antioxidants and wholesome nutrients your body needs
2.   Limit the highly processed items and incorporate lean proteins (plant or animal depending on your dietary preference).
3.   Wean yourself gradually to acclimate to a realistic goal of desiring and consuming those foods your body needs (and junking the crap – you know the refined sugar-based products, starchy empty-caloried foods such as cookies, chips and snacky items (and that does include those 100 calorie snack packs and many of those energy bar treats which can contain as much sugar (and junk) as a candy bar). Just like anything, if you kick it all into high gear too quickly, you may lose interest and incentive after only a couple weeks.

You Can Still Incorporate Healthy Juice Blends into Your Heart-Healthy Lifestyle

That being said. There are a lot of great ways to juice. I’ve been using my Vitamix hi-speed blender to make delicious soups, salad dressings and yes, wholesome juices complete with lots of leafy greens, some citrus, ginger, a little bit of green apple and complete with all it’s natural fiber. That’s because it all stays in the blender (pulp and all) processed into a creamy-licious smoothie.

 

Here are some Tips from Mo:

 

I agree with Lauren on the effects of the metabolism yo-yo’s from severe juice cleansing

First of all, if you need a day to JUMP START or RE-CHARGE your habitual over-eating or bad-eating, then by all means, give it a shot for a day, but for many of us, we are better suited to a CLEAN-EATING ritual/lifestyle program.

Digestion begins in the mouth and chewing/eating a clean salad chock-full-o-nuts & veggies gives our bodies proper micro-nutrients and a more sated-fuller feeling.

I’ve created a simple-sample list of clean foods to incorporate on your clean eating/MORSELICIOUS CLEANSE if you choose to go this route:

Greens:

lettuce,

broccoli,

zucchini,

kale,

spinach

beets

carrots

celery

parsley

cilantro

radishes

cabbage

avocado

green apples

kiwi’s

blueberries

bananas

pears

juice of lemon

juice of lime

apple cider vinegar

raw-unsalted nuts

raw-unsalted seeds

The above list is a partial list of my personal favorite clean foods I incorporate in my daily diet and when I say diet, I mean lifestyle.
I am NOT a dieter NOR do I truly believe in fad or crash diets.

Lifestlye choices are lasting and we can wean our taste buds to learn to appreciate and love the taste of REAL CLEAN WHOLE FOODS.

In my MORSELICIOUSLY humble opinion, this is a mo’ lasting life change than a 5 or 10 day juice fast.

Would LOVE to hear your thoughts and suggestions for clean eating tips or a MORSELICIOUS LIFESTYLE path. 🙂

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