Day 2 has arrived. I know that yesterday was tough, but today will be better. Your energy will begin to pick up and you will feel less hungry. This is a sign that your intestines are starting to more fully absorb the nutrients from all the raw fruit and veggies in your green juice and your raw food dinner.
BREAKFAST
Like yesterday, when you rise, have a glass of water, preferably heated, with a squeeze of lemon in it. If your bowels did not move yesterday, hopefully this will get things moving.
Your need for caffeine should be a bit less today as you start to gain energy from your green juice.
Today should be an easier experience with the juicer—hopefully you’re getting the hang of it. To help develop your “green palate,” I find it best to stick with the same simple green juice each morning.
LUNCH
Peaches may be my all-time favorite fruit during the summer. I love stopping at farm stands and buying them directly from farmers. Don’t refrigerate them, as they taste much better warm and ripe straight from the farm. They make a scrumptious addition to a green juice.
Optional lunch addition: 1 peach, sliced. Your need for additional fruit should decrease each day of the cleanse. However, you don’t want to run out of energy, so if your energy or blood sugar is running low, have this sliced fruit after your juice.
INGREDIENTS
1 cucumber
1 peach
Big handful of spinach (2/3 bunch)
Handful of mint (3 to 4 leaves)
1/4-inch (0.6 cm) piece ginger root
1/8 pineapple or 3/4 cup (125g) pineapple chunks
1 Wash the cucumber, peach, spinach, mint, and ginger.
2 Cut and core the peach, and cut into pieces that will fit through 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!
SUPERFOOD HIGHLIGHT: ginger root
Ginger root has been used for centuries to alleviate symptoms of gastrointestinal upset and as an aid for digestion. Recently, ginger has been shown in studies to help prevent and ease symptoms of motion sickness, including nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. It can be easily stored, unsealed, in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator for long periods of time.
SNACK
Zucchini makes a perfect substitute for cucumber in any green juice. It gives the juice a slightly creamy texture. I love using zucchini in my green juice all summer long while it’s in season.
Optional snack addition: 1 pear, sliced. Only eat this fruit if you still feel hungry or low on energy after your green juice snack.
INGREDIENTS
1 pear
1 zucchini
Big handful of spinach (2/3 bunch)
Handful of cilantro (coriander) leaves (from 3 to 4 stems)
1 Wash all ingredients well.
2 Cut and core the pear, and cut into pieces that will fit through your juicer.
3 Chop the zucchini into pieces that will fit through your juicer.
4 Run all ingredients through your juicer, scrape off foam (if desired), and enjoy!
SUPERFOOD HIGHLIGHT: cilantro
Some people absolutely love cilantro. Others report that it tastes like soap. If you are in the “soap” category, just skip it in lieu of another dark leafy herb. However, if you are one of the lucky folks who find the smell “intoxicating,” use it often in green juices or smoothies or tossed into your favorite salad. Cilantro offers loads of antioxidants, phytonutrients, and minerals such as calcium and potassium. You’ll also get vitamins A, C, and K and even some B vitamins from this potent herb. It’s truly a cleansing and healing dynamo that’s fantastic during a juice cleanse. To store cilantro, loosely wrap the stems in a paper towel to keep it free of moisture. Put it in a plastic bag and store in the fridge to preserve it for a longer period of time. Stored properly, it can last up to three days. When juicing, cut off the long stems, as they can be bitter.
DINNER
I was inspired to create this salad one Fourth of July. The secret to the success is the sea salt, which brings out the sweetness in the watermelon and cucumbers.
INGREDIENTS
1 cucumber, peeled and cubed
Sea salt, to taste
2 cups (300g) chopped watermelon
Handful of mint (6 to 7 leaves)
Handful of basil (6 to 7 leaves)
1 Place the cucumber into a salad bowl and sprinkle a light layer of salt over the top.
2 Add the watermelon and sprinkle another light layer of salt on top.
3 Tear up pieces of mint and basil and sprinkle over the salad. Toss gently, and enjoy.
DINNER
This is a crowd favorite among my friends and family. Living in Texas, I get invited to more than my share of BBQs. Since my diet is 100 percent plant-based, this presents a challenge for me. I often volunteer to bring a dish that will complement the standard BBQ fare. Coleslaw always seems to fit the bill, but Southern-style coleslaw is usually drowning in a creamy mayonnaise dressing. So, I came up with my own healthy version that is 100 percent raw and plant-based. The result is a hearty blend of familiar coleslaw ingredients that will really fill you up.
INGREDIENTS
1/4 head of purple cabbage, thinly sliced
1/4 head of green cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 yellow pepper (yellow capsicum), finely chopped
2 to 3 green (spring) onions, thinly sliced
1 small avocado, chopped
1 tbsp raw almond oil
1/4 cup (30g) raw almond slivers
Sea salt, to taste
1 Combine the cabbages, pepper, and green onions in a salad bowl and toss to mix well.
2 Add the avocado, almond oil, and almond slivers and toss gently until the mixture is coated with avocado.
3 Season with salt to taste, and serve!
