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6 Strategies for Your Juice Cleanse

I love juicing, and I'm not alone. I sat down with fitness genius Joe Cross, and he gave me some basic tips and tricks for how to pull off a successful juice cleanse. After speaking with Joe for ten minutes, I was starting to understand how he has motivated people around the world to lose more than half a million pounds.
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Today was a great day for me. I was fortunate to speak with Joe Cross, the genius behind the movie Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. He was visiting Vancouver (luckily on a sunny day) and doing appearances at local stores to spread the word about the juicing revolution he has created.

I asked Joe for a few of his top tips for juicing and how anyone can make the transformation to a healthier lifestyle. "When you eat fruits and vegetables, you are consuming the energy of the sun into your body; any person is going to thrive and feel better after this." says Joe.

Joe advises balance and not extreme eating habits. "I want people to find that balance in themselves, this is not about going to the far side of juicing or any routine. We are all human and are going to have a piece of cake or a drink now and then, this is about bringing the body back into a natural balance that has nourishing foods the majority of the time."

After speaking with Joe for ten minutes, I was starting to understand how he has motivated people around the world to lose more than half a million pounds.

We also discussed the emotional aspect of eating and I shared with Joe my own personal experiences with meditation and being more mindful of my eating and questioning my motivation when I grab a snack. We both agreed that stress can be a major factor in weight issues, general well-being, and health.

"It is not only about weight loss, there is a much bigger issue which is better physical condition, if a person is focused on better health then it is easier to stay motivated and include this new way of eating as a part of daily life," says Joe. I completely agree. In the past, when I have lost weight and I get to my goal weight it can be a challenge to maintain. This year (after my mom's cancer) my focus turned from what size I was to feeling better and healthier. I have more motivation now, and the weight has naturally stayed off.

Joe shared with me his top tips for first time juicers:

•Let people around you know that you will be starting a juice cleanse

•Start with baby steps; 3 days for a beginner juice cleanse is a good start

•Ask your friends if they want to cleanse with you, community will make your juice cleanse easier

•Plan a week that you do not have other social events (like a wedding or other events that may have a lot of eating)

•Store your juice in a mason jar and refrigerate the juice; you can bring it with you when you go out (Joe says juice stored in a mason jar can last up to 72 hours)

•Try to find another activity to do when it is dinner time. Have your juice and then go for a walk or read a book, then you will be active and not focused on your usual meal time.

I love juicing. I am now juicing for my breakfast and trying a new juice each morning. I continue to eat healthy (mostly vegan) meals for the rest of the day, and Joe says my approach is quite common. Some people prefer to have their juice cleanse for one juice per day and others will do a full day of juicing for several days at a time.

"It depends on how out of balance an individual is with their lifestyle and diet, the more out of balance they are, generally the longer their cleanse will be," says Joe.

Joe told me exciting news: he will be releasing a follow up film to Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. The new film is set to be released worldwide May 2014. I am left feeling inspired by Joe and his journey and commitment to introduce people to a healthier and happier life.

I invite you to share your comments below. I would love to hear from you.

Keep an eye on my blog, I will share my day by day experiences of living a happy, healthy and fun life.

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