Please welcome Sharon Johnson, juicing guru and detox queen, as she shares her knowledge with us in today's blog.

Have you ever said "Oh, I tried juicing but it didn't work for me", "I was always hungry", or "I didn't know where to start"? Here are 5 tips to help you ward off some of the common juicing issues.

1. Set your intentions

Understand what you want to accomplish. Is the cleanse to help foster a deeper spiritual connection, to address an ongoing ailment, to flush toxins out of your system, or perhaps to jumpstart a new healthy eating lifestyle? Once you understand what you want to accomplish, you can begin to mentally prepare and set goals for your cleanse. For example, if the cleanse is for a deeper spiritual connection, you may decide to journal, meditate, and do yoga each morning. Or, if you have headaches, you may want to research juices that aid in their relief.

2. Prepare your body
It is normal to experience detox symptoms while juicing. Easing your body into the fast is important. Fried foods, milk, and meat are not recommended the week prior to a fast. Limiting these foods helps to decrease the flood of toxins into your system as well as decrease some of the detox symptoms. Detox symptoms can be emotional and/or physical. You may experience emotions surrounding an event that happened years ago, flu like symptoms, or feel an ache from a foot you injured 10 years ago. This is normal. If you feel like you are detoxing too fast, consider adding smoothies or healthy fats, such as flax seed oil, to your fast to slow the process.

3. Drink abundantly

Juicing is about flooding your cells with nutrient-dense, flavorful juices. Consider drinking 5-6 pints of juice a day and consider a gallon or more, if needed. If you feel weak, tired, or hungry, you are not getting enough juice! Juicing is not about depriving your body of the vibrant foods it needs. You should feel full like you just had a satisfying meal. Drink 1-2 pints in the same time it would take to eat a meal (about 15 minutes or less). You also want to drink juice every 2-3 hours. Drink plenty of filtered water throughout the day also to help flush out your system.

4. Drink the rainbow

Juicing is a great way to nourish your body. Colorful foods have varying properties and you have a full rainbow from which to choose. Incorporate a colorful variety of vegetables and fruits to help ensure that you are getting the necessary vitamins and minerals. For example, Red fruits and vegetables are mostly associated with Lycopene. Lycopene is helpful in reducing and treating heart disease and breast cancer among other conditions. Enjoy watermelon juice or vegetable juices that include red peppers or beets. Beta-carotene is found in orange foods such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and oranges. Carotenoids have been linked to a decrease in risks of cancers of the cervix, bladder, colon, and post-menopausal breast cancer. These are just two colors out of the rainbow. An added benefit of trying a variety of colorful fruits and veggies is it will help keep you from becoming bored.

5. Find the source
Try to drink fresh, living, unpasteurized juices. Ideally, it is best to juice yourself. This way, you have complete control over the ingredients and freshness. If you do not have a juicer, consider nearby natural food or juice bars that prepare fresh juice without the pulp. As a last resort, depending on your goals, you can find detox juices that are pasteurized at mainstream grocery or nutrition stores. This is fine for jumpstarting a healthy regimen. However, for deeper cleansing and healing, fresh and organic is best.

Sources for this article include:
Color Me Vegan by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
The Juiceman's Power of Juicing by Jay Kordich

~ Sharon E. Johnson, AADP CHC

As an AADP Certified Health Coach and Raw Foods Educator, Sharon specializes in helping her clients achieve their goals through conscious eating using raw living foods and juicing. She enjoys sharing her knowledge through public speaking, online media, and raw food classes. Sharon completed training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in December 2012 and received her Living on Live Food Chef Certifications through Alissa Cohen's Raw Teacher Program (May 2005 and September 2012).

Are you interested in detoxing through juicing? Schedule a consultation with Sharon today.

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