Ah, Spring…the season for renewal and new beginnings. Perfect time to end hibernation and dust yourself off. For us, it means zoning in on our health and wellness just before we start back-up full throttle for the next eight months.
Having focused on rest and relaxation all winter, we knew it was time to get some pep back into our step 😉 Our goal was to give our tummies a digestive pause and reset while building a new healthy habit of incorporating yoga into our daily lives.
Here’s the scoop…
The Juice Cleanse. At first, our plan was to make our own juices. We have a juicer and have dabbled before. The downside was the time of year. Here in the Sullivan Catskills, we’re in seasonal transition. Spring crops are not plentiful and veggies like cucumbers and celery are way out of season.
On the way home from the Green Fest NYC (2nd place Green Brand Award – woo-hoo), we stopped at Whole Foods. Grabbed everything we needed (all organic, of course) but when it came time to the cucumbers the only kind they had were conventional…oh, no! For us, we didn’t want the base of our juice to be not “clean”. While you can juice with conventionally grown veggies, it’s tons better to use organic veggies and fruit. After all, you’re trying to detox – not add more toxins to the body.
So, there’s Jen, our daughter and myself, in Whole Foods, 45 minutes later putting everything back (sorry WF). We were so bummed in the end but were completely determined to figure it out.
Back home and a few internet searches later, we made the decision to purchase a 3 day cleanse through Project Juice. Here’s why… First and foremost, one of the biggest problems with juicing is the sugar overload. Lots of juices contain a butt load of fruit – which makes the taste 10x better. However, it’s not the best way to juice. Optimum juices combine lots of green veggies with compliments of fresh herbs and ginger. All the green juices we selected had zero fruit – making them the absolute best option. While we’re not advanced juicers, our attitude was if we’re doing this, we’re all in and hardcore, of course!
Project Juice 411…
Pros: Organic, non-gmo and they source from local farms. Cleanse customization – this is how we were able to select juices with lowest sugar. It’s already done and ready to drink. This is a big one! After every juice, we would look at each other and agree there is no way we would have done it for 3 days if we needed to do the work. Bonus, a nut milk drink to end each day!
Cons: It’s not local. In an ideal world, the juices would have come from a local (to us) business using local/regional organic produce. And all those plastic bottles. But that’s the downside to consuming anything in a modern world. Of course, we recycled…but that always feel like not enough!
Takeaways: (6) 14.5oz drinks per day. We were full. Every day. Not once were we hungry or did we feel that hunger pain (which made it much easier). That doesn’t mean we weren’t dying for food or craving the act of chewing. Jen kept smelling food that whole first day. Green juice can be hard to swallow – especially when it has no fruit (and you’re on your 4th for the day). We kept saying to ourselves, it just 3 days – you’ll be fine. The nut milk drink in the early evening was amazing. Seriously, after drinking 4 green juices and a black charcoal coconut water (don’t worry – it’s very tasty), it was a real treat to have their turmeric almond milk 🙂
If you can afford the investment, treat yourself. We work super hard and make all our meals. It was nice to have a break from cooking and preparing. Plan ahead. Kids gotta eat too, right?!? With leftovers in the fridge and quiche in the freezer, all we had to do was heat it up and make a salad. Keep it simple, easy and fast.
If you’re gonna juice at home, follow a good program like Food Matters Detox Guide or Joe Cross’ Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead, another good one.
OK. Let’s talk yoga. Are we the only ones who can’t get to class? No matter how hard we try, it’s almost impossible for us to carve out 2-2.5 hours (including travel time). Luckily, we found the sweet and talented, Brett Larkin’s lovely and extensive YouTube channel. She’s amazing and does an awesome job at guiding you online (something that not everyone can do well). With Brett, you feel like you’re in her class, right there with her. So, we embarked on her 8 Day Yoga Detox. Wow! So happy we did! We made the commitment and in the past 14 days, we’ve done yoga 12 times (and never left our house). Check her out…giving your body some attention is always good, you deserve it…
Lastly, a day at the spa… Since a weekend away wasn’t in the cards for us, we thought a half-day at the spa would be a real special treat. Lucky enough, the Lodge at Woodloch (#3 destination spa in the world) is just 20 minutes away from us and boy, it is just wonderful.
The second you arrive, a warm energy passes you – perhaps because you know your worries are about to melt away…
Our day started with meditation, chakra yoga, pilates and foam rolling (a new favorite activity that will be perfect for these two factory-like workers. Being on your legs for an average of 12 hours per day really does take its toll). Lunch was insanely good with a local focus (something we’re always happy to see). Then, full body massages and a visit to heaven…the eucalyptus steam room!
Seriously, it was needed and well deserved. We are grateful for every second. And, while we’re not able to indulge often, we look forward to developing a yoga practice, maintaining detoxification and finding our way to foam rolling…
So, get your cleanse on and take care of you! It makes all the difference…
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