spring cleansing: days 1 - 3

The thing I love most about this cleanse is that it is step-by-step and easy to follow. The first three days are pretty straight forward:

• Upon rising, do some stretching and deep breathing.
• Follow with a liver flush and cleansing tea.
• Eat raw fruits and vegetables that are in season (no bananas).
• Drink plenty of filtered water with fresh squeezed lemon.
• Drink herbal tea if desired.

I eat a lot of salads on this cleanse because I enjoy them so much and because they are fairly easy to throw together. Before I begin the cleanse, I make sure to stop by the farmers market and stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables, so I have plenty of variety to mix and match throughout those initial days.

This past Saturday, I scored big: Meyer lemons, blood oranges, grapefruit, a variety of live , kale, a few types of lettuce, carrots, fennel, Persian cucumbers, beets, avocados, strawberries, black berries, garlic, ginger, fresh herbs, purple and green cabbage, sugar snap peas, baby broccoli, kohlrabi, and radishes. Focus on variety so you get a nice combination of nutrients.

Adding sprouts to your meals, whether on a cleanse or not, is a great way to get added nutrition. I prefer radish, sunflower, broccoli and mung bean sprouts. Check out Ojai Valley Sprout's stand at the Saturday and Tuesday Santa Barbara Farmers Market to sample their array of sprouted foods.

For the morning liver flush, I combine lemons or limes with grapefruit or orange (blood, mandarin, navel, etc). You want the juice to be tart, not sweet. Since I only own a citrus juicer, I use the second smallest side of a cheese grater to grate the ginger and garlic, but you may have a better tool than I. After you grate the ginger, you will need to scoop it into your hand and squeeze the juice into the citrus mixture. Throw away the pulp. The garlic can be grated and then chopped with a knife to make it very fine before adding it to the juice mixture. Add the olive oil and drink up - yes, it will taste much like salad dressing, but it goes down easier and tastes better than one would imagine.

After the liver flush, I have my cleansing tea. I usually put this on to simmer before making the liver flush to save time. Be sure to not add the peppermint until the very end so your tea is not too bitter.

For breakfast, I have some cut up fruit. Surprisingly, you will not be very hungry on this cleanse. As your metabolism slows, you will need less food, which will make the fast much easier.

*I would not recommend engaging in heavy exercise during the cleanse, especially the fasting days, as you will have lower energy and may feel faint. Be sure to stay hydrated with lots of lemon water for the duration.

For snacks, I munch on some sugar snap peas or make a simple guacamole (smashed avocado, lemon juice, chopped garlic, red onion) with carrot sticks, cucumber spears, and fennel scoops to dip. You can also make a simple slaw from shredded purple and green cabbage, carrots, beets, lemon juice and orange juice.

For lunch and dinner, I make salads of all varieties. Pick a lettuce and 5 or 6 vegetables you enjoy to make you own. Dress it with a combination of olive oil and citrus juice (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit) with or without fresh herbs. The possibilities are endless.

mango avocado salad

serves 2

1 small fennel bulb, sliced
1/2 mango, diced
1/2 avocado, diced
1/2 cup sunflower sprouts
1 small head of baby butter lettuce
1/2 cup chopped kale
1 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp olive oil

Chop and mix the lettuce and kale. If you do not have access to the types specified, use whatever is in season at your local farmers market.
 
Top with sliced fennel, mango, avocado, and sprouts.
 
Dress with lemon juice and olive oil.

garden salad w/ lemon herb dressing
serves 2

1 head of red leaf lettuce
1/2 cup sprouts (any variety)
1/2 cup diced Persian cucumber
1/2 cup chopped radish
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup cubed kohlrabi
1/2 cup diced beet
2 lemons, juiced
2 tbsp olive oil
a few sprigs of 2-3 types of fresh herbs (oregano, fenugreek, thyme, tarragon, basil, etc)

Chop lettuce and place in a large bowl so that you will easily be able to toss the salad.
 
Top with sprouts, cucumber, radish, carrot, and kohlrabi.
 
Combine lemon juice, olive oil and herbs in a Cuisinart or similar chopper to combine.
 
Dress, toss and serve.

blood orange and fennel salad
serves 2

spicy mix of baby lettuces or head of red leaf lettuce
1/2 cup sprouts (any variety)
a handful of fresh fenugreek, chopped (optional)
1 fennel bulb, sliced thin
3-4 medium sized blood oranges, segmented
1 avocado, diced (optional)
1 blood orange, juiced
1 tbsp olive oil

Chop lettuce and place in a large bowl so that you will easily be able to toss the salad.
 
Add sprouts, fenugreek, fennel, orange segments and avocado.
 
Mix orange juice and olive oil. Toss with salad and serve.
 
*If you do not have access to blood oranges, grapefruit or mandarin oranges taste fabulous in this recipe as well - especially with the avocado.

spring cleansing

spring cleansing: days 4 - 6
spring cleansing: days 7 - 9