Spring is the perfect time to shed whatever kind of weight (mental or physical) you’ve taken on during the winter. Cleansing can reset your body and mind for warm weather and sun, help release residual toxins, and reduce bloating and puffiness which helps you look your best when the long sleeves and pants come off. That being said, cleansing can mean a million different things for different people. Check out some suggestions we’ve compiled for different levels of cleansing. If you’re in New York, try our Not-Just-Juice Cleanse. It’s the perfect cleanse for busy New Yorkers who want to do the raw-vegan thing as a cleanse but might not have the time to do it at home. See below for more details:
Cleansing: It’s Not A Diet!
No matter what you aren’t putting into your body during a cleanse, the one thing you should not feel during the process is deprived and starving. We know, isn’t that the point? It isn’t!! So often, people fail at intense cleanses because they’re starving and can’t take it anymore. The key is in the timing. You shouldn’t be cleansing for weightloss. Ever. It may be a pleasant side effect, but it won’t work to permanently change your weight, so don’t even bother! Use a cleanse to re-train your body to crave healthy foods and healthy habits that will eventually aid in weight loss when you go back to your normal routine. Don’t do a cleanse after coming off of a marathon, a strict diet, or any other extreme situation. (Don’t start a cleanse the day after a huge party where you over-indulged either. While you might feel like you need to cleanse ASAP, doing so will only shock your system). You should know when your body needs a cleanse. When you start feeling run down, like you can’t wake up in the morning, that you’re unable to concentrate – this may mean you need to reboot. Cleansing is also a great way to kick bad habits like too much coffee, alcohol, sugar, wheat, or meat.
So, What to Do?
What kind of cleanse you do depends on your current diet and how active you plan to be during your cleanse. If you are a Standard American Diet-eater you might just want to cut out meat, dairy, wheat and sugar and see how that goes for a while. Going from the SAD diet directly to more than a day or two long juice cleanse, or a strict raw-food cleanse might shock your system. You’ll also probably be starving because you haven’t given your body a chance to readjust to not having certain substances. Be easy on yourself and you’ll be less likely to give up. Just make sure you are increasing your veggie intake, and try to incorporate fresh, organic (preferably green!) juices. Drink lots of water!
If you are already a fairly healthy eater, a vegetarian or a vegan, we’d recommend doing a raw foods cleanse for a few days, incorporating lots of fresh organic green juices. In lieu of a juice fast, you could try the raw-vegan route, with the last day or two (or three or four!) drinking only herbal tea, green juice and tons of water.
So, need some food ideas for your Pre-Summer Cleanse?
If you’re in NYC, let us take care of it for you! We have two cleanses to choose from, Shine and Glow, for different levels of calorie needs. Both cleanses provide three meals a day, two organic cold-pressed bottled green juices and even snacks. Just call 212-982-1231 to reserve, or email us at info@oneluckyduck.com. View pricing and menu options here.
If you can’t commit to three meals a day from us, why not stop by either One Lucky Duck location (Chelsea Market or Gramercy Park) and create your own cleanse? We have convenient bottled cold-pressed juices if you are going the liquid route, and a whole menu full of fresh juices and shakes to choose from, not to mention, all the raw food your little healthy bodies and souls desire. View our takeaway menu here. Or, as part of your cleanse, come dine in the garden at Pure Food and Wine.
Not in NYC?
Check out our holiday posting from a while back for Tracy Anderson’s (trainer to the stars) fabulous website, where we developed a four-day cleanse for at-home preparation. You can view the plan and recipes from Tracy’s site here.
posted by Karen
