St. Patrick's Day Mean Green Juice Cleanse for March to Weight Loss challenge...Slainte Mhath!

Top o' the mornin, mo ghradhs! And a blessed St. Patrick's Day to ye! Today instead of just wearing the green, why not drink green, I don't mean beer (sad face). Here's a Mean Green Juice Cleanse for our March to Weight loss challenge that will have to feelin fightin Irish fit in no time! 

Many people who have struggled with morbid obesity, have found that a "reboot" of diet, AKA a detox cleanse of eating habits have saved their lives. A juice cleanse is one way to not only lose weight but also to boost immunity, gut bacteria and metabolism. 

As a word of caution, not all doctors recommend a detox cleanse or fast. Dr. Now of "My 600-lb Life" cautions against fasts such as the Mean Green Juice cleanse. The concern is that gastric bypass patients such as those on "My 600-lb Life" have voracious appetites. They would not get full with this type of intermittent fasting and so not keep up with the weight loss program. The Mean Green Juice Cleanse may also not include enough nutrients, electrolytes and protein. 

But it could fit within the "My 600-lb Life" gastric bypass 1200 calorie diet after a certain amount of weight loss. When is obesity better managed and the stomach has shrunk, a juice cleanse can be useful. Part of how I lost 100 pounds, without gastric bypass, after age 50, was with intermittent fasting and a calorie restricting 1200 calorie diet. Now that I'm used to portion control and calorie restricting a detox cleanse would be doable. So, here's the recipe.

Mean Green Juice Cleanse for March to Weight Loss

1 cucumbers

4 celery stalks

2 green apples (cored)

8 kale leaves with stalks

1 lemon (peeled)

1 in piece of ginger

Juice and enjoy. Note: some users of this fast drank nothing but Mean Green Juice for two months. This is due to compromised health from obesity. I suggest trying a juice fast preemptively, before getting overweight and only a few days at a time. 

A friend who uses this juice fast, does it in conjunction with intermittent fasting, eating only between the hours of 2 and 7. I would use it with a calorie restricting 1200 calorie diet which was how I lost 100 pounds. 

Whatever you use to lose weight, or stay healthy, make sure you do it in moderation and safely. It's not worth making yourself sick just to get the scale down to a certain number. Stay tuned for more on how I lost 100 pounds and other March to Weight Loss challenge tips. 

Slainte Mhath! 

How I lost 100 pounds with liver and colon cleanse: detox foods to lose weight

I've been blogging about how I lost 100 pounds without gastric bypass surgery or a weight loss drug. I've shared diet food swaps and mind over platter (mental health) tips to lose weight. But now we come to the part of the weight loss show that you may find objectionable: the detox cleanse. I was able to heal obesity, literally, by purging the pudge. 

What is a detox cleanse? It's diuretic or laxative that helps you (here's the gross part) pee and poop out toxins that have built up in the colon, liver, kidneys and other organs. Meds, pain relievers, prescription drugs and foods like refined sugar, HFCS (high fructose corn syrup), transfat, additives and chemical preservatives toxify organs. A liver detox cleanse can help purify organs and lose weight. 

Using a chemical diuretic or laxative (cleanse) however, can do as much harm as toxins. Fortunately, there are natural liver cleanses that work just as well to fight obesity and help with weight loss. Most are found in everyday foods. 

Fiber, both soluble and insoluble fiber work is a laxative and colon cleanse. Beans and legumes are a great source of both. But part of how I lost 100 pounds was to avoid beans and also soy (I'll talk more about why later). The best fiber sources to cleanse, detox and lose weight are leafy greens, grapefruit, lemons, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, seeds, flax, berries and oats and apple cider vinegar supplements. Sweet potatoes and squash work well too, but I tend to avoid for weight loss because they are high carb and calorie. 

But fiber works best with fat believe it or not. Keto dieters eat all kinds of fats but I tend to focus on on MUFA and PUFA (monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids). I do eat some saturated fats from lean meat and coconut oil. Nuts, nut and seed butter and avocado are good source of fatty acids also. They're also super high calorie so I use peanut powder and plant protein supplements. I use avocado for baking in place of higher cholesterol eggs 

The keto diet relies almost entirely on fats but I found that how I lost 100 pounds involved balancing good fats or fatty acids, fiber and lean protein. I make colon detox smoothies with plant protein powder, one half lemon or grapefruit (rind and all), spinach and mixed berries ( blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries). I also use keto coffee and coconut oil supplements which are high in MCT medium chain triglycerides.