Knowing when it’s time to heal

Over the past 6 weeks, I’ve not only travelled through Europe, but I also ate my way around the continent too. As delightful or frightening that may sound, my time has come to kick back into gear.

We all need to indulge here and there. There’s absolutely no shame in eating 4 macrons in a day, having a gelato each morning for a week or buying way too many paninis at the airport.

Yes, I did all of the above. Yes, I regretted making those decisions at the end of the day when I couldn’t walk from being so full. But I can’t say I regret indulging throughout my travels with my best friend and cheese platter expertise. Because one of the best things about travelling the world, especially throughout Europe where there are so many amazing culinary adventures is, well, eating!

Tasting cultures and traditions, and getting to experience the effort the Parisians put into their pastries, the love the Italians put into their pasta or the passion the Greek put into their Gyros; is what travelling is all about! Especially for me.

But there comes a time when your stomach signals to your brain and your brain responds to your stomach; when the jeans don’t fit as well or the skin doesn’t feel as soft. And when that time comes, you know it’s time to put the carbs to rest for a little while and eat a damn piece of broccoli.

After a month of amazing food, as soon as I arrived home, the only thing I could think about eating was some VEGETABLES. Isn’t that funny? Who would’ve thought you could crave the greenness of a snowpea or the crunch of a carrot.

A big part of my job is staying healthy. Mind, body and soul alike. Pasta is good for the soul, a few wines good for the mind (or is it?) but now its time to make my body happy and thriving again. I’m ready, and I think we all get to a point where we feel the same… right?

To kick that European slump in the butt and shift the gears into drive; I decided to do a 3-day juice detox.

Before you STOP reading because you a) think this is ridiculous, b) think I’m ridiculous or c) don’t like multiple choice: hear me out.

Did you know by drinking a slow & cold-pressed juice, all the nutrients are extracted from the vegetable, and when you drink it, enters your bloodstream within 15 minutes!? Crazy, huh.

Did you know that each colour of the RAINBOW that fruit and veggies present all have properties that lead to things like inhibition effect on the formation of cancer cells, ageing prevention and even anti-depressants?

Intrigued yet? If the answers yes, then get ready for me to totally geek out. But don’t worry, I’ll colour coordinate for you 😉

The substance that represents the colour of fruit and veg is called ‘PHYTOCHEMICAL’

The main nutrient in Red foods such as tomatoes, watermelon or beetroots has an inhibition effect on the formation of cancer cells.

For yellow foods like carrots, lemons, or pineapples, that substance effect boosts the immune system, skincare and can act as an anti-depressant.

Green grapes, kiwis, broccoli, celery and all green goodness help with hematogenesis (or blood cell production) and eye care.

Our purple friends? Red cabbages, purple carrots and berries all are high in antioxidant- crucial in keeping you looking young and timeless.

Let's not forget the white foods like pears, apples, cabbages and garlic- these guys help eliminate wastes and toxins from the body and boost the immune system too.

No wonder they say eat the rainbow!

So, with impulse and the urge to feel vibrant within- I charged into this 3-day detox a little scared, nervous & excited to see the outcome.

I won’t go into too much detail, because everyone who does something like this will have different results. But for a quick rundown & conclusion: I was hungry, then I felt good and then I was surprisingly surprised.

Day 1 was easy. But you could expect that- your mind is focused and your body still feels a little full. With 4 juices a day & clear soup at night + multiple herbal teas throughout the day; it really wasn’t that difficult.

Day 2 saw a bit more of a challenge. I missed chewing food. I guess part of the sensation and fullness of food is actually eating something. Breakfast is always easy- I'm not overly hungry when I wake up, so sinking a juice wasn’t too bad. By lunch all I could think about was food and then to top it off, my friends went out for burgers and I had to decline. My headspace wasn’t in the right place that day. I was too focused on what I wasn’t eating.

By day 3 I was on the home stretch. Excited to only drink the same green juice 4 more times, but also excited to see the results. I was impressed by my own will to keep going and see the challenge out.

All in all, I was surprised at how well your mind affects everything. If I had a busy day and was completely occupied at work or in the water- food wasn’t on my mind. The more I thought about food, the more obsessed I became and the hungrier I felt.

Would I juice detox again? Maybe. Was it worth it? I mean, a challenge is always good. Would I recommend it? Yeah! Did I learn anything? Hell yeah.

I learnt about the power of fruits and vegetables and how crucial they are to the way we function. Each and every one of them has their own individual way of helping or curing.

It’s great to have your time away and indulge in all the treats, but when the time comes, challenge yourself; mind body and soul and take faith in some vegetables.

My daily juice:

3 sticks of celery

1 cucumber

3 stalks of kale

Handful of parsley

1 green apple

1 stick of ginger

1 lime

Want some more inspo? Visit www.lovemysalad.com for some healthy tips, tricks and recipes!