Hey people, do you know who it is? It’s Mwaka, back again with practical advice and personal perspectives from my own alkaline adventure. Today I’m going to share my experience with an alkaline juice cleanse - 48 hours of delicious alkaline juicy goodness.

In case you missed it, here is my journey so far from the beginning: my story about going plant-based, and my first 24-hour fasting experience. 

I got curious about cleansing after reading this article about cellular rejuvenation. My eyes were opened to how dirty we get on the inside, and the power of plants to clean us up. So, after doing my own research, I decided to go for it. Who wouldn’t want a spring in their step? I know I do!

What is an Alkaline Juice Cleanse?

I’m so glad I asked! It’s restricting solid foods and consuming only fruit and vegetable juices. A water fast is to water what a juice fast is to juices. But not just any fruit and vegetables, alkaline ones. The finest and most nutritious bounty of goodness nature provides, and conveniently listed by Dr. Sebi in the Nutritional Guide. 

Okay, so we now know what it is, let’s find out what happens to our bodies when we deeply nourish with alkaline juices - I did it for 48 hours, you can do it for longer, or less. You could simply choose to start your day with alkaline energy if you want.

What will Alkaline Juices do to my body?

I wanted to understand how drinking just tasty alkaline juices will impact my body, this is what I discovered:

Metabolic Changes

When you stop eating, the rate at which your body uses energy slows down. Your amazing biology activates a ‘conservation mode’ to ensure there is enough energy to meet all your critical needs (like breathing and blood flow). Think of it like the power saving mode on your phone that dims the screen when you are down to your last 5% battery!

When food is limited you will initially feel more tired while your body switches to the backup energy stores (your fat). As this fat is used up it provides energy, and it releases any toxins that have been stored there. At the same time, you only need minimal energy for digestion (because alkaline juices are very easy to digest) so you have more energy available for the immune system to fix you up on the inside.

Toxin Mobilization

Your beautiful body is doing its best to keep you healthy. One ‘trick’ it uses it storing toxins in fat when they can’t be processed. Toxins need energy, and specific nutrients, to get them out of the body.

When you do an alkaline juice cleanse there is more energy for the immune system and extra nutrients - your liver is paying attention to these things. So, as toxins are released from their fat stores they can be removed from the body.

Weight Loss 

Most people lose a few pounds during a cleanse. This is a combination of water loss: as you burn up fuel stores before switching to fat burning, and consuming less energy than your body needs (it's not an alkaline juice binge so you will likely drink less than you would usually eat).

Getting on the scales after a juice cleanse can be a nice motivation in your weight loss journey. But, since most of this weight loss is from water and energy stores, it will come back on when you start eating again. 

But, all is not lost, the weight you regain is ‘clean’ it's made from the delicious alkaline juices you have been drinking. Imagine you are in a bathtub (sounds odd I know but stay with me) and over the years the water has become dirty and stagnant. Doing a juice cleanse is like pulling the plug and letting the water out (hence the weight loss) then filling it up with premium spring water. Beautiful. 

Appetite Reduction

Fruits and vegetables contain fiber that increases your satiety level. Feeling full reduces the chances of comfort eating. My advice is to drink your juice without sieving it, as sieving removes the fibrous pulp from your juices.  

Most of what we think of as ‘hunger’ is actually cravings for sugar and chemicals that we have become used to. A few days of alkaline nutrition resets cravings and appetite by feeding up the good bacteria which crave all things green! 

Micronutrition Increased

The Western world is both obese and malnourished. People overeat when they don’t have enough of the critical minerals and teeny tiny nutritional building blocks that the body needs. Even if you are full (or overfull) of heavy foods if your body hasn’t got enough micronutrition your appetite won't be switched off.

Alkaline juices are densely packed in nutrition. The ‘juicing’ breaks down fruits and vegetables a bit like chewing (and most of us don’t chew anywhere near enough). This makes it easier for the gut (and good bacteria) to digest and absorb them. Also, since you are only drinking juices, there is no other food ‘in the way’, and with laser-like focus, your gut and immune system can target those delicious nutrients and get to work using them to build healthy new cells.

Internal Healing

Drinking organic alkaline juices will provide the critical inflammation calming antioxidants that make a plant-based diet so healthy. By providing even more anti-oxidants than usual, and not taxing your body with tasks like digestion, your immune system is free to do all the long-term repairs it hasn’t had time to attend to.

So, since alkaline juices are so good for the body, should we use them more often? Absolutely Yes! If you have a shower in the morning, but get hot and sweaty in the garden, you would probably have another shower right? It's the same with alkaline juices, they keep you clean. The only problem is you don’t notice the dirt (as it's internal). But it's there. 

Dr. Sebi taught us that “If you can’t do it for life, then it’s not a lifestyle”. So, here’s an idea, why not incorporate the benefits of alkaline juice cleansing into your daily routine?

What are the Benefits of an Alkaline Juice Cleanse?

So, we’ve looked at what’s going on inside, the biology and the biochemistry. But how does it feel? What’s the experience like?

• Energized: Eating less surprisingly gave me more energy than usual!
• Refreshed: I feel like every nook and cranny has been nourished.
• Movement: Joints feel lubricated and easier to move.
• Focus: I have never been one to pay so much attention to details until 28 hours into my juice cleanse when I noticed a chip on the edge of my table. Impressive, right? 
• Concentration: I had more concentration while working (even as I write this for you guys).
• Composure: I didn’t lose my mind when reviewing my expenditure. That’s a win for sure.
• Recovery:  Have you updated your laptop or phone software lately? After the update the device restarts and works better than before. That’s what a juice cleanse feels like: your system shuts down, resets, and restarts. 
• Habits: Getting clean on the inside acts like a kick start for a new healthier habit. If you have over-indulged, a juice fast can help to restore you both mentally and physically.

My Alkaline Juice Cleanse

Honestly, I was a little nervous about starting this cleanse because it was new territory. Although I am plant-based, my body is adapted to solid foods, so I was anxious about how it would react to a liquid diet. 

Here’s how my 48-hour cleanse went:

Wednesday

• 3 pm: I decided to start the juice cleanse in the evening since my boss (my toddler) wasn’t around, which gave me the freedom to experiment. I had mango juice after reading about its benefits. Plus, mangoes don’t need much hype since I already love them.
• 6 pm: I went to the supermarket. I regretted this decision immediately after I walked in; I had no choice since I had to shop for ingredients for my juices. Recommend you shop in advance!
• 8 pm: I made avocado juice and added dates to it for flavor. Something about that juice took my movie night to another level.
• 11 pm: I was kind of hungry (in hindsight I shouldn’t have added those dates as the carbs increased my appetite) but, I decided to take a glass of water and then go to bed.

Thursday 

• 10 am: Perks of working from home include sleeping as much as you want - we heal when we sleep, did you know that? So, since my toddler wasn’t home, I had the liberty of waking up at this time. I did my morning stretches, had a glass of water then took a shower.
• Noon: I was having quite a slow day. I kept drinking water regularly to keep the hunger at bay. I did some laundry, did the few dishes I had in the sink (another perk of juice cleansing, no washing up!), and dusted my house.
• 2 pm: Keeping myself busy with chores kept my mind off food. But the minute I was done and sat on the sofa, a wave of hunger hit me, and I almost fainted. I drank some water, then made fresh cucumber, kale, green apples, and ginger juice. I picked green juice because I didn’t want to focus only on fruit juices. Next time I will have more green juices as these give the most nutrition without making me hungry.
• 4 pm: I had to step out of the house and meet a few people. Since I was outside and everyone was having a cup of tea, I thought a cup of tea wouldn’t hurt. We move on regardless, but next time I’ll be more prepared.
• 9 pm: I came back home, tired and hungry. I had my juice and went to bed.

Friday

• 8 am: I spent the whole night sweating and peeing (that’s the toxins coming out). I woke up feeling light and clean. Before doing my stretches, I noticed my back pains were less, unlike every other day. I was so excited that I almost missed my morning stretches but decided otherwise.
• 9 am: After a long shower, I made strawberry and grape juice, which I enjoyed. Since I had to step out later in the day, I decided to make tamarind juice and kept it in the refrigerator for later. This is how we learn, through ‘mistakes’ (let’s call them opportunities to improve!).
• 11 am: I had some tamarind juice (because it is one of the most alkalinizing and detoxing juices and cleans your pineal gland!) I bottled the rest and stepped out to run a few errands.
• 1 pm: I was done running my errands and was a bit hungry but running low on tamarind juice. Since I was going to pick my son up from my friend’s where he had a sleepover, I got a few groceries to make juice and dinner too.
• 2 pm: I got to my friend’s house and made papaya, mango, and orange juice (we baptized it the sunset juice). It was almost time to end my juice fast, but I’ll be honest with you, I wasn’t looking forward to this as much as I did at the end of the water fasting.
• 3 pm: I had seen a recipe on Dr. Sebi’s Cell Food social media page that I was dying to try. I made the infused water apple spice, and it was love at first sight (or first taste in this case).

Tips for a Successful Alkaline Juice Cleanse

Here are a few tips to ensure your cleanse goes smoothly:

Choose Wisely

There are so many fruits under the sun, some that you like more than others. Dr. Sebi's Nutritional Guide gives you a variety of fruits and vegetables to pick from, some of which may push you out of your comfort zone. Pick what works for you and roll with it. Remember, it’s not a one size fits all situation. The more greens you pack in, and keeping fruit lower, will increase nutrition and help keep your hunger at bay.

Preparation is Everything

Proper prior planning prevents poor performance (borrowed from my kindergarten teacher). Before starting your juice cleanse try and wind down what you eat (binging before doing anything is not a good idea). Eat lighter plant-based meals and eliminate processed foods. Prepare your juice recipes beforehand and do your shopping too. Also, write your goals down so you can have something to refer to for motivation. Why do you want to be clean, nourished, and energized?

Supplement Your Success

An alkaline juice cleanse will help you gradually detox the body and rebuild nutrition. You can help make this process more efficient with a specialized herbal package designed by Dr. Sebi to help you meet your cleansing goals. Dr. Sebi’s Small cleansing package provides the perfect botanical beginning for newbies to juice fasting and individuals who want to make healthier choices and get rid of accumulated toxicity.

Will I do this again?

Definitely! I would love to keep feeling how I felt at the end of the juice cleanse. I would also consider doing it for more than 48 hours to see if there will be even more changes. My goal for doing the juice cleanse was to reset, and I did. I would thoroughly recommend you try an alkaline juice cleanse for yourself to foster healthier habits or just experience the benefits for yourself.

As long as you have Dr. Sebi’s Nutritional Guide to help you incorporate clean organic foods, that don’t stress the digestive system, you’re good to go. Moreover, have fun while you’re at it! I found out what works for me, and so should you. It’s your body and biology to discover.

I’m curious, are you a pro or a newbie to the wonders of an alkaline juice cleanse? Would you dip your feet into these waters? What experiment should I do next? Please share your thoughts with me. 

Until next time,

Stay healthy,

Mwaka