Juice Cleanse Conclusion + Your Questions Answered

Well yesterday wrapped up the end of my juice cleanse.  I originally was shooting for a four day cleanse but I concluded that two was my limit (for now).  I did end it with a bang though and made the most delicious juice yet.  I woke up this morning and decided I needed a friggin cup of coffee.  Plus I am starting to feel cranky from not running for two days now and no one likes a cranky Momma.  I also started noticing Ronin was not diggin the new "juicy" breast milk.  Even though his Pediatrician okay-ed the modified juice cleanse (eating was involved) he began to act like I was  sabotaging his milk. So that was the end of that.

I really do think juicing is awesome and is such an amazing and quick way to re-boot your body but I do think it's an individual journey for each person.  No one plan or system is right for everyone.

My best advice for anyone who wants to juice is do what you think is do-able. If do-able means you juice one meal or three meals a day.  If you want to juice and then eat lunch do it. Listen to your body and most likely you will figure out what will work best for you.

I still plan on juicing but I will not be making it my main meal source.  Instead, I will be incorporating it into my diet as a supplement.  I realized I need more fuel for all the exercising and the chasing around of my kids that I do.  I also need coffee.  Like can't live without it.

I have also concluded through this very short juicing experience that everything is great in moderation.  That includes juicing, wine, coffee, running and watching the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (ha).

 Carrot Beet Juice:

• 4-5 large carrots
• 1 beet
• 1 inch slice of ginger
• 1 lemon
• 1 orange

 I still wanted to answer your questions that you left on my first juice post so here they are.

What kind of juicer do you have? 
I have a Breville Juice Fountain Elite.

How do you figure out carbs for insulin on this juice cleanse?
I boulsed for the carbs in the juice such as the carrots, apples, beets, oranges etc.  If I was unsure about carb count I just looked it up online.  I also had to lower my overall basal rate for the two days of the cleanse. 

Do you have snacks in between "juice meals"?
Yes!  I ate raw foods like almonds, apples, avocados and bananas.  I would have been starving if I didn't.  I also made a ton of juice throughout the day and did not only drink it at breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I drank it whenever I felt hungry.

If I work away from home, can I make juice ahead of time and bring it with me?
Yes.  My husband did the two day cleanse with me and he made all of his juice the night before and brought it to work with him in a little jug.  That worked out great for him and that way he was still able to do it.

Is a cleanse safe to do if you are breastfeeding? 
I made sure to ask Ronin's pediatrician before starting and she said it was okay as long as I was still eating food and making sure I was getting enough calories.  If you are breastfeeding, make sure you talk to your child's pediatrician before starting since everyone reacts differently.

Do you have a preference on juicing versus whole foods blending via a blendtech or vitamix? I have been making "green" smoothies with a blendtech for over a year now, but now I'm debating switching over to juicing, however, I dont really know the pros and cons between the two. Which one do you think is better? 
I think both blending and juicing are great!  I love smoothies and I love fresh juice.  When you blend you get the entire vegetable or fruit (skin and all), so if you are trying to purely "cleanse," juicing may be a better option because the skin of the fruit and vegetables is not included (only the juice) and your body is able to absorb and digest the minerals and vitamins quicker.  If you are looking for the fastest way to get nutrition into your body I would suggest juicing over blending.

And there you have it!  If you end up doing a juice cleanse best of luck!