Congratulations on starting your New Year 4-Day Cleanse! It’s a time of new beginnings, so start the year off right by ridding your body of all that holiday indulgence. Throughout your cleanse, in addition to consuming the various juices and raw foods presented here, be sure to drink plenty of water over the course of each day to stay hydrated.
BREAKFAST
Upon rising, drink a big glass of water with a squeeze of lemon. If you don’t mind it, I suggest heating it up a bit. Lemon will help your digestive tract start moving. This will be especially important during the first couple days of your cleanse as you drop your morning coffee.
Next, enjoy a hot cup of green tea. The warmth from the tea will also help start moving your digestive tract along, and if you are experiencing caffeine withdrawal, the tea will help quell your headache. Green tea is also full of antioxidants.
BREAKFAST
Finally, my favorite part of the morning: preparing my Morning Green Juice. As you can probably tell by now, this morning juice is an essential part of my day. And it can be an essential part of yours too! If you prefer to try your own recipe, keep it simple and follow my “Simple Green Juice Formula” (see page 21).
INGREDIENTS
4 to 5 romaine (cos) leaves
2 to 3 kale leaves
1/4 pineapple or 11/2 cups (250g) pineapple chunks
Handful of cilantro (coriander) leaves (from 3 to 4 stems)
1 Wash the romaine, kale, and cilantro.
2 Top and tail the pineapple, peel it, and cut into pieces that will fit through your juicer.
3 Run all ingredients through your juicer, scrape off foam (if desired), and enjoy!
LUNCH
Kiwi is a fun and unusual choice that gives your green juice a tropical twist. I love incorporating tropical fruits into my juices in the winter to help chase away the winter blues. It makes me feel like I have taken a momentary beach vacation on a faraway island.
Optional lunch addition: 1 kiwi, peeled and quartered. On the first day in particular, you may be hungry. If your green juice does not satiate you, enjoy this cut-up fruit as part of your lunch.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Granny Smith apple
2 to 3 romaine (cos) leaves
Handful of watercress (1/3 bunch)
1/4-inch (0.6 cm) piece ginger root
1 kiwi
1 Wash the apple, romaine leaves, watercress, and ginger.
2 Peel the kiwi and cut into pieces that will fit through the juicer.
3 Cut and core the apple and cut into pieces that will fit through your juicer.
4 Run all ingredients through your juicer, scrape off foam (if desired), and enjoy!
SNACK
Combining orange with your greens offers a healthy boost to the traditional orange juice. It adds loads of vitamin C to your green juice, which is already packed with vitamin A and B vitamins, making this recipe a nutritious (and delicious!) powerhouse.
Optional snack addition: 1 orange, quartered. Only snack on the fruit if you are not feeling satiated from your mid-afternoon green juice.
INGREDIENTS
4 to 5 kale leaves
2 to 3 romaine (cos) leaves
Handful of cilantro (coriander) leaves (from 3 to 4 stems) (optional)
1 orange
1 Wash the kale, romaine, and cilantro.
2 Peel the orange and cut into pieces that will fit in your juicer.
3 Run all ingredients through your juicer, scrape off foam (if desired), and enjoy.
DINNER
Romaine wraps are one of my go-to quick and easy appetizers. You can put all kinds of fun things into a romaine leaf, roll it up, and replicate the flavors of your favorite sandwich, taco, or wrap. I prefer using prewashed heart of romaine, which does not include the outside dark green leaves that tend to be stronger in flavor and a bit bitter. The leaves at the heart are juicier and sweeter—making them ideal for these scrumptious wraps.
INGREDIENTS
5 to 6 heart of romaine (cos) leaves
3 tbsp raw almond butter
1 tsp raw agave nectar
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced or shredded
2 medium celery stalks, thinly sliced or shredded
1 Arrange the romaine leaves on a plate and spread 1/2 tablespoon of almond butter on the inside of each leaf.
2 Drizzle agave nectar over the almond butter.
3 Distribute veggies evenly onto each leaf.
4 To eat, wrap the sides of each leaf inward to cover the filling, and enjoy!
TIME SAVER
Most grocery stores carry bags of shredded carrots. In addition to my usual supply of carrots, I always keep a bag of these in the fridge to aid in quick assembly of wraps and salads.
DINNER
Grapefruit is one of my favorite fruits, especially in the winter. It’s also low in sugar compared with other fruits. In Texas, we have the most delicious Ruby Red grapefruit that grows all winter long. I keep it on hand at all times during the winter to add to green juices, smoothies, and salads. Kale, of course, is a wonderful winter green, so baby kale is usually available all winter long.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups (134g) baby kale leaves
Handful of watercress (1/2 bunch), stems removed
1 avocado, thinly sliced
1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
Handful of basil (6 to 7 leaves), finely chopped
Handful of cilantro (coriander) leaves (from 5 to 6 stems), finely chopped
1 large grapefruit or 2 small grapefruits
1 tsp almond oil
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
1 Combine the kale leaves and watercress in a salad bowl and toss well.
2 Add avocado and fennel to kale mixture, then add basil and cilantro. Toss gently to combine.
3 Peel the grapefruit and remove meat from the skins, collecting any juice as you do so. Set aside the grapefruit slices.
4 To make the dressing, whisk together the grapefruit juice and almond oil in a small bowl.
5 Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.
6 Add grapefruit and toss gently, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
TIME SAVER
Short on time? Most grocery stores now carry prewashed containers of baby kale leaves.
