Detoxing and cleansing with raw juices has become increasingly popular in recent times for very good reason.

It's a super effective way to cleanse your body, re-set your digestive system and to provide a plethora of vitamins, minerals and enzymes to your cells, to promote restoration and healing.

The thing to realise is that many lifestyle factors contribute to overwhelm and toxicity in the body over time, including diet, personal care products, cosmetics and your environment.  When these toxins are allowed to accumulate, it impacts your body's ability to assimilate nutrients, causes inflammation, digestive dysfunction, weight gain, fatigue and a host of other ailments and health problems.

Without periodic cleansing or detoxing - which is a wise insurance policy for your long term health, helping to prevent sickness and disease - “plaque" and heavy metals build up internally and line the intestinal wall, which in turn is the primary source of just about every common discomfort and disease you can think of. 

So, if you’re experiencing any of the following ailments, it's probably time to consider doing some type of cleanse protocol, such as a 7 day detox plan with raw juices.

Are you experiencing any of these?

• Low energy
• Moodiness
• Irritability 
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Skin irritations
• Cravings
• Sleep irregularities
• Body odour
• Bad breath
• Weight gain or bloating..

If so, here we outline the details of one of the best things you can do - a 7 day detox plan with raw juices.

Juice Detoxing Benefits

Like other forms of fasting, a raw juice detox or cleanse gives your digestive system a rest from the constant rigours of processing regular food.

With all of its functions to perform every day, your body only has so much energy, and constant digestion is one of the most energy depleting activities that your body actually does.

For this reason, it's wise to take a break every now and then, to allow your body the breathing space to devote it's available energy and innate intelligence to detoxifying and healing.

Raw juice fasts or cleanses are known to help to heal and improve a variety of health problems including:

• Inflammation
• Intestinal parasites
• Arthritis and joint pain
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease
• Psoriasis and eczema
• Irritable Bowel and Leaky Gut.

Additionally, many people experience beneficial results such as:

• Better digestion and less bloat
• Reduced sweet food cravings
• Effective weight loss
• Better sleep patterns
• More energy.

As an added bonus, you may also find that your mood improves and you become more emotionally balanced, thanks to the vibrant, nutritional frequency that a variety of colourful plant foods can have on your mind and body.

A detox juice cleanse incorporates a daily intake of nothing but raw fruit, vegetable and green juices that are typically prepared using a cold-pressed juicer, due to the fact that all of the living enzymes remain intact with this type of slow, expeller press juicing method.

Why A 7-Day Juice Cleanse?

Many long-lived ancient cultures believed in the wisdom of fasting with each change of season for 7 days.  This would equate to 28 days of fasting every calendar year, as a basic, health and longevity ritual.

Fasting for 7 days on raw juices gives your body sufficient time to begin dispatching toxins, heavy metals, impurities and pathogens that have accumulated in your digestive tract.

At the same time, the nutrient-rich enzymes flood your cells with an influx of vital nutrients, which are easily absorbed - because virtually no digestion is required - for energy, healing and repair.

For most people, a shorter fast or cleanse will not provide as much benefit, because the first 1-3 days are usually serving as an “adaptation” period, where the body is adjusting, before the main detoxification processes begins to kicks in.

Whilst any number of days will be beneficial at some level, in most cases 7 days is considered optimum to achieve significant detoxification results from a raw juice cleanse because the body has had sufficient time to complete the process.

What You Should Know Before You Start

If you’d like to give a 7 day raw juice cleanse a go, here's a few tips that can help to maximise the results and even make the journey more comfortable…

Preparation

1. Foods To Cut Down and Avoid

Leading up to your juice cleanse, 2-3 days before you start, it’s a good idea to start cutting out heavily processed or concentrated foods from your diet so that your digestive system is not overwhelmed leading in to your cleanse.

Foods to minimise or avoid in the few days leading into your cleanse include:

• Refined Sugars and artificial sweeteners
• Refined Grains
• Processed Meats and Dairy
• Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (common in frozen and takeaway foods)

Instead, focus on smoothies, soups and salads, avocados, raw nuts, healthy cold-pressed plant oils and drink plenty of water leading in to your detox cleanse.

2. Consider a Colon Cleanse or Colonic Hydrotherapy

Though not essential, a smart step to take is to do a natural colon cleanse for 2-4 days prior to the start of your detox, particularly if you have digestive problems, excess body fat or inflammation in your body. 

A colon cleanse works by binding stubborn, stored waste stuck in your digestive tract and helps to sweep it out of your body.  This then creates a more ideal terrain within your digestive system for the juice cleanse to work faster and be optimised.

Available in our online store, our Cleanse Me protocol consists of a blend of Australian Food Grade Bentonite Clay, Ground Psyllium Husk, Ground Flax Seed, Dried Apple, Cinnamon and Ginger.     

A good alternative to this type of cleanse protocol, is to visit a local colon hydrotherapy clinic and to have a colonic prior to commencing your detox cleanse.  Some people find this more convenient, however either of these choices can work well and are based on personal choice.

The process of detoxification

As a way to protect your internal organs, the body will store toxins in tissue, especially fat tissue, which is an insulator for toxicity in the body.

As your body is relieved of its normal digestive duties, it will not only turn to fat as a source of fuel, it will start to look for ways to "clean up" by targeting areas of toxicity and create a pathway for these toxic residues to be eliminated from the body.

Additionally, bad bacteria and pathogens will start to “die off’, releasing what's known as "endotoxins" into the bloodstream, compounding the detoxification effect.

During the process of detoxification, it is common to notice some of the following symptoms, particularly during the first 2-3 days of a raw juice cleanse:

• Hunger pangs
• Headaches
• Body odour and bad breath
• Acne and skin problems
• Dizziness and nausea
• Fever and sweating.

All of these are typical signs that your body is detoxifying, however if these reactions become too intense or severe, its best to try drinking more water and less juice and/or to incorporate some smoothies, soups or salads into your detox for at least a day or two, before continuing with exclusively juices. 

The secret is to listen to your body and to apply common sense if you experience excessive discomforts or reactions.  Also, get plenty of rest and aim to have 8 hours of quality sleep each night to allow your body to reset and heal.

Best Type Of Juicer For Detox Cleanse

As already mentioned, cold-press Juicers are the preferred juicing method due to the way it slowly grinds the produce and extracts the juice from produce without excessive stress or heat, avoiding oxidation and keeping the most vital nutrients intact.

This gentle method of juicing allows for a much higher proportion of living enzymes, vitamins and minerals to remain in the juice, in a form that is readily available to be absorbed into your bloodstream.

Some of the best cold press juicing machines that we use and recommend are made by Kuvings whose models are:

• A compact size
• Super quiet with low-noise design
• Easy to clean
• Eco-friendly with BPA-free components

Plus, if you purchase through our store, you'll also get over $200 worth of bonuses which will set you up with everything you need for your 7-Day Juice Cleanse!

The free accessories include:

• Anti-Bacterial Chopping Board
• Large Ceramic Knife
• Smoothie/Sorbet Maker
• 4 Glass Bottles
• Juice Fasting Guide Book

Learn more about the Kuvings Elite C7000 Cold Pressed Professional Juicer

How To Do A Juice Cleanse & Options

The best way to do a 7-day detox cleanse on raw juices, is to simply follow the tips and steps shared here and by listening to your body.

Everyone is unique and has different needs, preferences and goals when it comes to doing any form of detox or cleanse.

In terms of the amount of juice to prepare and consume, 2-3 litres per day is a suitable amount for most people, but again it depends on personal preference and what you learn and experience during your cleanse.

For example, you could aim to consume 1 litre of juice for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Or, you could go with a 300-500 ml bottle of juice every couple of hours. Really the choice is yours and there is no 'hard and fast' rule that fits everyone, so the key is to experiment and to discover what works best for you.

No matter how much juice you choose to enjoy each day, it’s important to drink plenty of clean water in between juices throughout the day to ensure your body hydrated and to support the flushing of toxins. 

Also, a good way to start your day is with lemon water (mix the juice of a whole fresh lemon with water into a glass and add a pinch of Celtic Salt) before consuming any juices.  In addition, enjoy organic herbal teas in between juices or at night time once you're done with juice for the day.

For convenience, when you prepare your juices using a cold-press juice machine and store it in air tight bottles in the refrigerator, it stays fresh for 72 hours.  The means, if you can prepare 3 days worth of juice in one go and then replenish your juices again on day four to see you through until the end of the 7 days.

Tips for preparing your juices:

• Clear your fridge of as much space as possible

• Go to your local kitchen shop and stock up on mason jars or large glass bottles for storing your juice. Mason jars are super convenient as they generally hold around 300mls and are easy to take with you in a cooler bag when you're on the go

• Choose one of two basic recipes and stick with those for the duration of your cleanse to keep things simple. For a detox cleanse one GREEN and one BEET blend is usually the best way to go (recipe ideas to follow)

• Decide on your recipes and head down to your local markets and load up on fresh produce to make your juices

• Choose locally sourced, seasonal spray-free or organic produce if at all possible.  Your local Farmers' Markets are the best place to stock up!

Raw Juice Blends

There are many different recipes you can experiment with in preparing your juices for a detox cleanse.  However, as mentioned, we recommend keeping it simple with ingredients that are readily available year round and focussing on just two types of juices for your cleanse: one GREEN and one BEET juice blend.

One of the best BEET juice blends is CABALA, which is a combination of carrots, apples, beetroot and lemon.  We also like to throw in ginger for good measure.

BEET BLEND  

• Carrots
• Red & Green Apples
• Beetroot including leaves
• Lemon including the rind
• Ginger

GREEN BLEND

• Spinach
• Celery
• Cucumber
• Green Apple
• Mint
• Lime including the rind

The first two items in each recipe should account for approximately 80% of your produce assigned to each blend.  There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to making juice and yield can very significantly, depending on the size of the produce, season to season etc. so it's all about using your best judgement and just going for it!

Raw Juice Powders

If during your cleanse, you run short of juice and need a stop-gap, then our raw juice powders can come to the rescue.

Our powders are the next best thing to fresh juice and are available on our website for delivery to your door in both CABALA and GREEN varieties.

The Main Takeaway

A 7 day raw juice cleanse is a great way to help detoxify your body and reset your digestive system. 

The first step is to actually DECIDE that it's time to give your body a break from your regular diet and then to schedule a start date for your detox cleanse. 

Next, it's important to do a little preparation in terms of avoiding certain foods leading in to your cleanse, as well as doing the manual prep work of putting your juices together in time for the start.

Now, if you don't have the time to do this, or just the thought of preparing your own juices is enough to make you rethink the idea, then we recommend that you look up a local cold press juice company in your area.  In major cities, certain companies deliver fresh cold pressed juices and also, more and more cafes are popping up that prepare and sell cold pressed juices as well.

When you get started on your cleanse, remember to listen to your body and to make the suggested adjustments along the way, if you find that you're struggling to stick with it. 

Finally, if you have any type of chronic health condition or you're concerned about the suitability of a juice cleanse for you, we recommend that you consult your doctor or health professional prior to starting any type of fast or cleanse.

Good luck!

Tolman Self Care.