Three Day Spring Cleanse.

Feeling sluggish? Low in energy? Perhaps have indulged in excess food and alcohol? Been burning the candle at both ends?

Spring is the perfect time to give your digestive system a clean. Just three days can help you to reset some good habits, revitalize and start feeling fantastic.

Before you get started

• To minimise side effects*, cut down on caffeine (coffee, tea, energy drinks), highly sugary foods, processed foods and fast food in the 5 days leading up to your cleanse.
• An ideal time to do your cleanse is over a long weekend – Saturday, Sunday and Monday, or whenever you can take time to slow down and nurture yourself.

Equipment

• Juicer
• Blender
• Saucepan

What to eliminate for the three days

• Alcohol
• Processed foods
• All grains
• Pasta
• Sugar
• Caffeine
• Tea
• Coffee
• All fizzy drinks
• Sweets, crisps, biscuits, cakes
• Cigarettes and recreational drugs

Shopping List

This shopping list is for the entire three days so you don’t need to worry about running out of ingredients or working out how much you need.

Juices

• 3 carrots
• 2 cucumbers
• 2 bags baby spinach
• 1 bulb of garlic
• 1 chilli
• 1 ripe pineapple
• Bunch of coriander
• Bunch of parsley
• 6 centimetres of ginger
• 1 red capsicum
• 1 ripe mango (use frozen mango cheeks if not in season)
• Lecithin granules
• Organic flax seed oil
• Organic, free range eggs

Lunch and Dinner, and Snacks

• Fish
• Hommous
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Tofu
• Tempeh
• Legumes
• Vegetables
• Lemons
• Pure water

Supplements

It is best to purchase these supplements from a health food store or your naturopathic practitioner to ensure the best quality and potency.

• High potency multivitamin and mineral formula
• Milk thistle
• “Greens powder” example wheatgrass, barleygrass, spirulina and/or chlorella
• Epsom salts (for the bath)
• High-dose vitamin C with flavanoids
• Good quality probiotic

The Three Day Routine

Go Slow

If possible, take the three days off work, and tell friends and family you are replenishing yourself and make these days all about you.

Detoxify your environment and avoid harsh chemicals (cleaning products, cosmetics, pollution) and also avoid being around negative, energy-draining people.

Turn the television off for the entire three days, and avoid using any technological devices and electronics including your mobile phone where possible.

Make the most of this opportunity to catch up on some reading, meditate, spend some time in nature and listen to relaxing, uplifting music. Sleep and rest well.

Breakfast

• Start the day with one of three juices (recipes below) – enjoy a different one each morning. Sip the drink slowly and in a relaxed environment.
• Follow your juice with one hard boiled egg. Eggs are rich in amino acids and also sulphur – a vital nutrient for your liver.
• Then take your multivitamin, milk thistle, chlorella, vitamin C and probiotic supplements.

Lunch and Dinner

• Choose your protein – fish, eggs, tofu, tempeh, nuts, seeds, legumes or hommous and serve up with plenty of vegetables of your choice, cooked or raw.
• Fill your plates with vegetables to avoid feeling deprived, particularly as you are cutting out grains.
• Vegetable sticks and snacks make a good snack. Have some fruit (fresh, not dried) if you feel like something sweet, with a half handful of nuts.

Keep Hydrated

If you don’t usually drink much water, now is the time to really increase your water consumption. You can drink warm water if you are averse to cold water. Add a squeeze of real lemon or lime, or some chopped cucumber to make it more interesting and cleanse the palette. Also drink as many herbal teas as you like – chamomile, peppermint, ginger or dandelion are all great options for your cleanse.

Physical therapies and Exercise

Every evening, dry skin brush your body, working towards your heart before relaxing in a restorative Epsom salt bath. The salts work to remineralise your body, aids detoxification through the skin and is also relaxing.

If possible, enjoy a massage and if you want to exercise, keep it gentle and slow. Yoga and walking are perfect options, or take a gentle swim in a natural body of water such as the ocean (but not a chlorinated swimming pool).

Juice Recipes

Digestion Boost

• 1/2 pineapple
• 1 garlic clove
• ½ chilli
• Bunch of coriander
• 1 red pepper
• ½ inch ginger
• 1 cucumber
• 1 carrot

Juice all ingredients in your juicer, putting the smaller ingredients (chilli, garlic and ginger) down the chute at the same time as the larger ingredients. Serve over ice.

Omega 3 Greens

• 2 carrots
• ½ bag of spinach (push through with other ingredients)
• 1 cucumber
• Juice the above 3 ingredients, then pour into your blender jug, and add:
• 1 tablespoon lecithin
• 2 teaspoons flaxseed oil
• 2 extra handfuls of spinach

Blend on high speed until the juice is smooth and the spinach has broken down into a liquid. Serve over ice.

Green and Mango Smoothie

• 1 ripe mango
• ½ bag spinach
• Big handful of parsley
• Chilled water

Peel mango, and add to blender first. Put spinach and parsley on top and blend. You’re aiming for a smooth, creamy texture, so depending on the blender, add water gradually until you achieve this result.

Side Effects

When changing your diet and lifestyle, it is not unusual to notice the following symptoms:

• Nausea
• Wind
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Diarrhoea
• Aggravation of existing health conditions

Should you become concerned, do consult with your healthcare practitioner.