Congratulations on starting your Spring 4-Day Cleanse! This is the beginning of a whole new you. It’s spring outside, and now it’s time to do your own internal spring cleaning! 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
1 cucumber
Big handful of spinach (2/3 bunch)
1 pear
Handful of basil (3 to 4 leaves)
1 Wash the cucumber, spinach, pear, and basil.
2 Cut and core the pear 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
I always love the combination of pineapple and mint. Mint in particular really wakes up my taste buds: It’s so aromatic and adds a refreshing kick to any green juice.
Optional lunch addition: 1 Fuji apple, sliced. On the first day in particular, you may be hungry. If your green juice does not satiate you, enjoy this cut-up fruit afterward.
INGREDIENTS
1 cucumber
Big handful of spinach (2/3 bunch)
1/2 Fuji apple
Handful of mint (3 to 4 leaves)
1/8 pineapple or 3/4 cup (125g) pineapple chunks
1 Wash the cucumber, spinach, apple, and mint.
2 Cut and core the apple and cut into pieces that will fit in your juicer.
3 Top and tail the pineapple, peel it, 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
Fresh ginger root is wonderful in vegetable stir-fry dishes, and it adds a touch of spice to any green juice or smoothie. You can find it year-round in the produce section of your local market.
Optional snack addition: 1 pear, sliced. Snack on the fruit if you are not feeling satiated from your mid-afternoon green juice.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 Fuji apple
1/2 pear
5 kale leaves
5 celery stalks, bottoms removed
1/4-inch (0.6 cm) piece ginger root
1/4 lemon, peeled, remainder reserved for morning lemon water (optional)
1 Wash the apple, pear, kale, celery, and ginger.
2 Cut and core the apple and pear, and cut into pieces that will fit through your juicer.
3 Run all ingredients through your juicer, scrape off foam (if desired), and enjoy!
DINNER
These finger-food cups offer a unique and delicious sweet-savory flavor combination. I adore blood oranges. They are incredibly beautiful and so different from regular oranges. Endive is such an interesting and mild green, and here it also functions as a fun, ready-made appetizer cup.
INGREDIENTS
1 head of endive (curly endive)
1 blood orange (or regular orange, if you can’t find a blood orange)
2 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup (90g) pomegranate seeds
1 tbsp raw pine nuts
1 Remove individual endive leaves and arrange them in a star-shaped circle on a plate.
2 Peel and slice the orange, making sure to remove the membrane. Squeeze the remaining juice from the membrane into a separate dish and combine with an equal amount of apple cider vinegar to form the dressing.
3 Place the orange slices on the open endive leaves, then sprinkle pomegranate seeds and pine nuts on top.
4 Drizzle the dressing over each endive cup, and enjoy!
DINNER
This fun and hearty salad came about as I was preparing for a hamburger cookout. I needed something to complement all the burgers and pickles, and this salad was an instant hit.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 head of red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 to 2 green (spring) onions, thinly sliced
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp whole-grain mustard
2 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp raw halved walnuts
Maple syrup, for drizzling
1 Combine the cabbage and green onions in a large salad bowl.
2 To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the olive oil, mustard, and apple cider vinegar in a separate bowl, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3 Pour the vinaigrette over the cabbage mixture and toss well.
4 Top with walnuts, drizzle with maple syrup, and serve!
