Only a few more days until our challenge begins… who is excited?!! MEEEEEE!

Juicing, plant foods, & helping others discover health & healing is my passion & I am pumped to see so many of you stepping up to care for your holy temple.

I want to reiterate that there are no strict rules to this challenge. I hope to do more advanced challenges in the future but for now I simply want you to be flooding your cells with nutrients by drinking 8 ounces of green juice, every day for seven days.

That’s it! Simple enough, right?

With that being said you absolutely do not have to follow the recipes I’m providing! You can drink whatever green juice makes you happy, in whatever order you want. My recommendation is that you are drinking a juice that is made mostly of greens with some fruit to sweeten/enhance the taste. I don’t want you drinking all fruit juice with a tiny bit of greens. We want a lot of greens with enough fruit to make you enjoy it.

If you don’t want the hassle of preparing your own juices you can buy them from any juice bar/restaurant that makes cold pressed juices. This is more expensive but also more convenient. We don’t have any in my area but Kroger does sell some great options. You want to look for those individual bottles that say cold pressed and are not pasteurized. You’ll find them in a refrigerated section; Suja is a good brand.

I’ve decided to put together a shopping list & tentative schedule for the challenge. That way it’s one less thing you have to think about & one less excuse for you to not join in!

I will admit I am NOT AN EXPERT & I cannot predict the exact amount of food you will need. There are a variety of factors that play into this… every juicer will yield a different amount… if you are using a blender your amount will differ from those of us using a juicer… some people will make a juice with a higher proportion of greens while others will use more fruit….

Therefore these are estimates! I have estimated more than I truly think you will need although I hope you decide to drink more than the required 8 ounces of juice & actually need more 🙂 And if you really want to get crazy, consider adding in a daily “Flu Shot” for extra immune boosting benefits!

These recipes are easy, simple, uncomplicated & delicious! Feel free to experiment & make your own combinations, or mix & match these recipes. Also I encourage you to try a few of the flavor boosters if you’re looking for something new!

 

Here’s the juice schedule:

 

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: Cuke Cocktail

Tuesday, Thursday : Pear Punch

Saturday, Sunday: Kale Kooler

Recipe for approximately 8 ounces juice:

 

The Cuke Cocktail

½ large apple

¾ cucumber

3-4 stalks celery

optional: lemon juice

Pear Punch

1 medium pear

4 stalks of celery

1 large kale leaf (or 1 handful)

juice of ½ lime

 

Kale Kooler

1 cucumber

1 cup pineapple

1 large kale leaf (or 1 handful)

optional: lemon juice

Daily Flu Shot

 1 medium orange

1 clove of raw garlic

½ inch of ginger root

optional: ½ inch of turmeric root (or stir in ½ teaspoon ground turmeric)

Shopping list – 1 individual drinking appr. 8 ounces of juice daily for 7 days:

Celery – 2 bunches

Cucumbers – 4- 5

Apples – 3

Pears – 2

Pineapple – 1

Kale – 1 large bunch

Lemons – 2

Limes – 1-2

 

If you’re doing the flu shot:

7 oranges

1 claw of ginger root

1 bulb raw garlic

1 box turmeric root (if you can find it)

Optional Flavor Booster:

1 bunch of parsley and/or cilantro

ginger root

fresh mint

1 jalapeno or habanero pepper

Notes: The best foods to buy organic are celery, cucumber, kale, and apples. However if you cant afford organic or cannot find enough organic (this is typically my issue) do not fret!!! You can give your vegetables a bath!

Fill your sink with enough cold water to cover your veg, fruit. Pour in a tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or the juice of ½ a lemon. Give your veggies a few minutes to soak before rinsing them off. This is a simple, inexpensive trick that is great for removing germs/toxins.

I like to bathe my produce for as long as an hour while I’m working in my kitchen, then I store it in a glass container with a lid to keep fresh until I’m ready to make my juice the next day. This saves me so much time!

Before the challenge starts on Monday I highly encourage you to do some experimentation! Don’t wait until Monday morning when you’re hurrying around to get yourself/your family ready, to try making your juice for the first time. Play around this weekend! Find the combinations you enjoy. Prep your produce & do your shopping!

I also encourage you to be mindful to be extra hydrated this weekend & try not to over indulge too much. You want to be preparing & nurturing your body for the extra cleaning & love it is about to receive!

Let me know if you have any questions… I’m delighted to help! Sending you all lots of love.