Today is your day. You should feel fully energized and totally comfortable with this new way of eating. My hope is that, as you return gradually to your former eating habits, you will take with you several of your new habits, the most important of which is drinking a green juice every morning.
BREAKFAST
Your bowels should be running like clockwork now, allowing you to fully absorb the nutrients from all the wonderful fruits and vegetables you’re consuming. Keep up your water habit first thing in the morning—not just during a cleanse, but for every single day of your life.
Still optional. If you don’t need the caffeine, skip it.
Did you wake up craving your morning greens? You should notice a definite change in your “green palate” since the first day of your cleanse. If your Morning Green Juice tastes too sweet, that means you have succeeded in cleansing your body of the toxins that lead to sweet cravings. Good for you! If you continue to drink a green juice every morning, you can use less and less fruit and move toward a purely green juice (no fruit included). Try cutting the pear in half today.
LAUNCH
Today is the day to let go of the fruit and start making your green juice as green as can be. This juice contains an amazing superfood—collard greens.
Optional lunch addition: 1 cup (90–120g) of chopped veggies (such as carrots, cucumbers, and celery). If your juice isn’t enough, nosh on some veggies today instead of fruit.
INGREDIENTS
1 cucumber
3 celery stalks, bottoms removed
3 romaine (cos) leaves
2 collard green (or Swiss chard) leaves
Handful of parsley leaves (from 3 to 4 stems)
1/2 lemon, peeled (optional)
1 Wash the cucumber, celery, romaine, collard green leaves, and parsley.
2 If you need to cut the greenness, use 1/2 lemon. If not, skip it.
3 Run all ingredients through your juicer, scrape off foam (if desired), and enjoy!
SNACK
Bok choy is another veggie that makes an early appearance at the spring farmers market. Look for firm, bright green leaves without any browning or small holes.
INGREDIENTS
1 cucumber
1 head of bok choy
Big handful of spinach (2/3 bunch)
Handful of basil (3 to 4 leaves)
1/2 lemon, peeled (optional)
1 Wash the cucumber, bok choy, spinach, and basil.
2 If you need to cut the greenness, use 1/2 lemon. If not, skip it.
3 Run all ingredients through your juicer, scrape off foam (if desired), and enjoy!
DINNER
Kimchi is a combination of flavorful Korean-style fermented vegetables. It’s a wonderful raw food option: The fermentation process softens the texture of nutrient-rich vegetables (making them easier to chew and digest) without cooking away the nutrients. Fermentation also produces probiotic bacteria, which is important for your overall immune system and digestive health. For a hearty appetizer, combine your kimchi with raw almond slivers or peanuts.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 head of cabbage (preferably Chinese cabbage), cored and chopped into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup (145g) sea salt
2 small green (spring) onions, thinly sliced
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp raw coconut nectar
1/4-inch (0.6 cm) piece ginger root, minced
1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper (or less, if too spicy)
1 Place the chopped cabbage in a large bowl and add the salt. Toss to combine.
2 Transfer to a large zip-tight plastic bag and remove excess air. Leave the bag at room temperature for at least six hours or overnight.
3 Drain the excess liquid from the cabbage.
4 Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add the cabbage and toss well, coating it completely with the onion mixture.
5 Transfer to an airtight mason jar and leave at room temperature for four days.
6 After four days, carefully open the jar to let the gas escape. Prepare to serve, or store in the fridge.
TIME SAVER
While it’s fun to make kimchi yourself, it is also very time consuming. Thankfully, most supermarkets and natural-food stores carry several great raw kimchi brands. My personal favorites are made by Oh-Kimchi. Look for them in the refrigerated section next to the tofu.
DINNER
Bok choy is very satiating, especially when I’m craving Asian food. Plus, it is one of the easiest greens to prepare as it requires minimal trimming.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 head of bok choy, roughly chopped
2 to 3 green (spring) onions, thinly sliced
1 small avocado, diced
1/4 cup (30g) raw almond slivers
1 tbsp black sesame seeds
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
11/2 tbsp coconut vinegar
1 tbsp raw soy sauce (nama shoyu)
3 tbsp maple syrup
1/4-inch (0.6 cm) piece ginger root, minced
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1 Arrange bok choy on a platter. Add green onions, avocado, almonds, and sesame seeds.
2 To make the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, coconut vinegar, soy sauce, maple syrup, ginger, and garlic.
3 Drizzle over bok choy platter and serve.
CONGRATS! You have successfully completed your Spring 4-Day Green Juice and Raw Food Cleanse. Your intestines, body, and mind should be thanking you now. You should be feeling more energized than ever. In addition, you might notice that you have more mental clarity and even a nice glow to your skin. For information and recipes that will help you maintain the wonderful benefits of your cleanse and help you transition to post-cleanse eating, please turn to page 149.
