If you have a sweet tooth, you can definitely relate that giving up sugar is some people’s worst nightmare. And if you’re on a diet, then there likely isn’t a day when you don’t think about indulging in freshly baked donuts or a perfectly stacked plate of pancakes. 

Sugar is an important element that maintains the body’s blood glucose levels, and having too little or too much sugar can affect your body in many ways. Fluctuations in glucose levels are directly related to the brain, which can cause severe headaches. 

In fact, sugar headaches are common among people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes as they suffer from irregular blood sugar levels. Read on to find out how you can regulate your sugar intake and cut back on sugar cravings by signing up for Chef V’s exclusively designed 21 day cleanse challenge.

What causes headaches? 

Consuming excessive sugar, or too little of it, can cause a headache, because the fluctuating amount rapidly changes blood sugar levels, which gives the brain a massive surge of dopamine. Changes in dopamine levels play a crucial role in triggering migraines. 

High blood sugar or glucose levels can result in small swellings in and around blood vessels and nearby brain tissues, which can cause mild to severe headaches. 

Types of sugar headaches

There are two types of sugar headaches you could experience with fluctuating levels of blood glucose levels in your body. Both are outlined below.

Hyperglycemia

When you eat too much sugar, your body fails to break down glucose efficiently and effectively with insulin, and this condition is called hyperglycemia. Though the headaches related to hyperglycemia are mild, they can get worse as your blood sugar reaches a higher level. Some common symptoms related to hyperglycemia include:

• excessive urination 
• frequent thirst
• fatigue or drowsiness
• blurred vision 

Hypoglycemia 

This is the opposite of hyperglycemia, where the blood sugar levels fall below 70 mg/dL. The major causes of hypoglycemia include skipping meals, fasting, or not consuming the suggested amount of sugar. In some cases, you may experience reactive hypoglycemia that rapidly drops body glucose levels within a few hours of taking a meal. In both these cases, you may experience mild to serious headaches. 

In any of the two hypoglycemia conditions, you may have the following symptoms:

• nausea
• weakness
• heart palpitations
• mood swings
• anxiety 
• sleepiness or tiredness 

Cutting back on sugar and sugar cravings 

Giving up sugar completely can be challenging and may affect your health with conditions like hypoglycemia, but it’s not impossible if you choose to consume it in the right proportion and form. You can substitute cane or white sugar with honey or maple syrup to retain sweetness. Add a bowl of fresh fruit to your diet to maintain your body’s blood glucose levels.

If nothing works in your favor, then opt for the results-driven 21 day cleanse challenge by Chef V that is exclusively designed to motivate and encourage individuals to take a step forward to a healthy lifestyle. The organic green drink helps eliminate fat in the bloodstream and helps insulin break down glucose better. 

The 21 day cleanse challenge helps eliminate excess sugar from your diet while offering just the right amount to maintain the balance of your blood glucose levels. Chef V’s green juice is made from healthy green leaves and organic fruits, including green kale, black kale, green leaf lettuce, apple, and green chard to give you the perfect boost of antioxidants and other nutrients that helps cure sugar headaches.  

Sign up today to achieve your health goals! 

Organic means a lot of different things to a lot of different people — healthy, ethical, and tasty. However, it also means “expensive” to quite a few people as well. In many cases, this reputation for being more expensive does ring true for organic food. However, with some clever planning, you can start to cut down on the cost of your organic shopping. Here are a few of our top pieces of advice. 

#1 Embrace “organic triage”

We’d love to get absolutely everything organic. But just like sometimes it’s better to go for a 3 day juice cleanse over a 7 day juice cleanse, sometimes you need to prioritize. And this is okay! Every little bit helps in its own way. 

So, in the case of organic, it’s important to decide what organic foods are more important to you. Are you worried about pesticides? Then maybe focus on getting your fruit organically. Do you care about the effect of farming on the environment? Maybe look for more organically sourced beef and other animal products. Make your organic choices unique to you. 

#2 Go meatless

Speaking of meat… sometimes the best way to go organic is to go all in with the vegan choices. A lot of the time, meat can be one of the more expensive ingredients in a dish. Cutting down on the total amount of meat in your diet can benefit your health and the environment. You could be helping out your wallet as well.

 #3 Embrace farmer’s markets 

If you’re lucky enough to have farmer’s markets opening in your area, it’s worth your time to give them a visit. First off, you’ll be getting the most local of local possible — some real organic gems. Plus, you can often get some amazing deals by buying directly from the supplier. From the field right to you, it doesn’t get much fresher than this.

Farmer’s markets are also a bonus since you’ll eat more seasonally. Not only will organic produce be cheaper when in season, but you’ll get all the great benefits from eating seasonally and locally as well. 

 #4 Search out store brands

Often, we associate organic food with expense because we’re used to seeing some of the high prices that national brands can demand. Seeing the prices on these high-profile brands in the store can often turn many off organic food in general. However, lots of your favorite grocery stores might have store brands of organics that are available at a more reasonable price.

 #5 Seek out sales and coupons 

This is an old and standard piece of advice, but that doesn’t mean it’s not still great. By carefully planning your shopping, you can start to rack up some impressive savings in your organic shopping list. 

Another tip is to look for establishments that have bulk bin options. If you’re buying loads of organic grains, nuts, or dried fruits, these can be a good way to get more bang for your buck when it comes to your final bill. 

Plus, there are tons of grocery store apps you can download. Ask at your local grocery what they recommend to help you save while shopping there.

 #6 Find those great online deals

We assume shopping online is for getting things from far away. But you may be pleasantly surprised at how many local deliveries you can get through online sources. Chef V, of course, is one of these options, bringing the best in organic juice cleanses right to your door.

And if you’re looking for deals, check out our cleanses. You can get 5 day juice cleanses or 3 day juice cleanses, often at great discounts. So visit often, and check for when you can add an organic juice cleanse to your organic grocery list. 

With green drink delivery with Chef V, it’s easier than ever to get organic juice cleanses delivered directly to your area. Whether you’re close to our Chef V West Caldwell headquarters, or on the other side of the country near our origin in San Diego, a huge portion of the United States has delivery coverage to get you blended juice cleanses. 

If you already enjoy our blended juice cleanses, then why not branch out into looking for more options to eat locally? Of course, in the modern world, it might be difficult to get absolutely everything local. But if you need some impetus to try and get more local flavor in your diet, here are some of our top reasons. 

#1 Better for the environment

Let’s start with the bigger picture. And what could be bigger than the entire planet? When you hear people discussing local eating, this is one of the benefits that gets brought up a lot. But how does eating locally help the environment?

There are a lot of little ways that actually start to add up. Most food we buy is designed to be distributed at a national, if not global, level. This means it needs to be heavily packaged in plastic to survive those long trips. More plastic, more waste.

Those long trips aren’t environmentally friendly either. Food doesn’t just magically fly to where it needs to get going. If you’re getting your juice from Chef V Caldwell NJ, and you live in New Jersey, well, it’s a short drive away. If you’re getting your juice from across the country, it’s probably going to burn a lot of gas to get to you. And the cost to get it from overseas via cargo ship… outrageous. 

#2 Helps the local economy

If you’re buying locally, you’re putting your money into the local economy. This is a pretty straightforward benefit, but it’s one we often forget. We’re used to going for the most convenient option these days. But sometimes convenience isn’t the best thing for the place where you live. More money in your local economy means a better local community. And what’s a better feeling than that?

#3 More nutrition 

Fruits and veggies are most nutritious right when they’re pulled out of the ground. Those same processes designed to make them last for long transport across the world slowly start to suck out their nutritional value. Freezing or processing all makes them less nutritious than when they were first picked. Speaking of nutrition…

#4 Less weird stuff

It’s not just all the plastic packaging that makes food suitable for the global world. It’s often filled with preservatives and additives designed to make it last longer. The idea of putting something designed to last forever in your body isn’t an appealing one. Many preservatives, while useful for extending shelf life, also aren’t the best for nutrition. Think of salt, a classic preservative. Are you sure you want food with sodium levels off the charts? If you’re looking to get more organic food in your diet, local delivery and shopping is the way to go. 

#5 Seasonal eating benefits

Once you start to eat locally, you’ll naturally begin to eat more seasonally. After all, when you eat locally, you eat whatever’s being brought to market at the moment. For many, this is a fun little comfort. Who doesn’t love eating fresh fruit in the summer? 

But there are also hidden nutritional benefits as well that we don’t often think of. The leafy greens harvested before winter in many areas have the vitamins and minerals you need to thrive in a time of less sunlight. And then when summer comes, you have plenty of berries and fruit filled with tons of water to help you stay hydrated. 

#6 It tastes better

This one might be more subjective, but it’s certainly one we’re going to stick with. When you’re in the green drink delivery business, you start to notice the freshness of fruits and vegetables. Eating organic doesn’t just have to be about being healthy — it tastes amazing. If you’ve never had the benefit of eating fresh fruit right off the vine, you’re missing out. 

#7 You’ll try new things

You might be surprised at the amount of diversity in your local food. The United States was founded on diversity, after all. If you live in areas with ethnic enclaves producing their own food, then you can sample things you’d never have considered before. You can discover wonderful new foods like urab, and wonderful new drinks like golden milk. 

And, of course, we’d have to toss in our own blended juice cleanses as a wonderful local option for you to discover. The best part is, we’re local in a ton of states across the country! 

But no matter if you’re getting your green drink from Chef V West Caldwell, or Chef V San Diego, you’re always going to be getting the absolute best in organic juice cleanses. If you haven’t checked out our signature green drink yet, then now might be the time to give it a shot! 

If your head hurts, that’s probably the only thing you care about. Dealing with the pain is going to be higher up on your priority list than trying to discern the difference between a headache and a migraine. 

Of course, it’s always a good idea to figure out what’s causing your pain before you try to come up with a solution. The best solutions are always the preventative kind. With the right adjustments in diet, nutrition, and habits, you could potentially ward off your next headache (or migraine) before they show up.

Difference between a headache and a migraine

Alright, first things first, let’s get our terms in order. Plenty of people assume a migraine is just a “big headache.” However, it’s more complex than that. 

In fact, a headache isn’t even simply a headache. There are different kinds of headaches you can get, and all have their own unique causes. 

Cluster headaches: This kind of headache is actually a migraine! So we’ll have to talk about it later. Warned you that this could be complex. 

Injury headaches: If you’ve suffered a serious injury, particularly to the head, there could be damage to your brain or skull that causes headaches. This is the kind of problem a green drink won’t fix. If you have a serious head injury, get yourself to a hospital right away. 

Sinus headaches: Sometimes, the cause of a headache is pressure building up inside your skull. If you’re stuffed up or have a sinus infection, a sinus headache is sure to follow. The pain often feels like it’s behind your cheeks, nose, or eyes. 

Tension headaches: This is the most common kind of headache, with the widest array of causes. Generally, you’ll feel it at the sides of your head. As the name suggests, tension headaches are often caused by the muscles in your head tensing up. 

There are a variety of ways you can get a tension headache. It could be because of stress, anxiety, or lack of sleep. Too much alcohol or not enough hydration are also causes — so keep that green drink handy. Sometimes, it could be because of too much strain on your eyes (looking at computer screens and phones), or because of too much caffeine. 

Often, it can also be because of a lack of nutrition or food. If you aren’t getting enough of your leafy greens and other good stuff in your diet, your body could decide to punish you with a headache. 

“Thunderclap” headaches: These kinds of headaches occur suddenly, and with extreme force. Normally, they are a sign of a much more serious problem. If your headache arrives without warning and is causing serious pain, contact a doctor immediately. 

Migraines 

A migraine is not just a “bad headache.” Rather than being related to tension or pressure in your head, they’re instead more of an actual disease caused by issues with your nerves and brain chemistry. These issues affect the blood flow around your brain, causing a variety of symptoms. 

Migraines can arrive in different forms. Sometimes, they come in a cluster — those cluster headaches we mentioned. They can be long or short in duration. Like headaches, they often involve a lot of pain. However, they also come with some unique symptoms, such as sensitivity to light, fatigue, nausea, and dizziness.

And those are just the common symptoms. Like much of what goes on in our brains, migraines are inherently mysterious. People with migraines often report symptoms that pop up even before the migraine attack, including headache pain, stiffness, food cravings, vision issues, numbness, and difficulty with speech. Migraines can be frightening.

As to what causes migraines, there are a few possible culprits. Notably, women seem to suffer from migraines at a higher rate than men, suggesting a possible hormonal cause. Allergies and genetic predisposition have also been linked to migraines.

Avoiding headaches and migraines

In short, headaches are perfectly normal, but also perfectly manageable. Migraine pain, on the other hand, often is connected to medical issues. You should consider speaking to a doctor if you have a serious migraine and get prescription medication for it. 

However, whether preventing headaches or preventing migraines, a surprising amount of the same tactics work. First and foremost is to make sure you’re cognizant of your diet and schedule. Essentially, this means you should be doing your best to detect if there’s a food or drink that’s causing your headaches. For example, if celery juice causes headaches for you every time you drink it, it’s a good idea to drop it from your diet.

In general, the two keys to avoiding headaches and migraines are going to be sleep and food. More specifically, you’re going to want to develop regular sleeping and eating habits. Skipping meals, or staying up too late on your phone are surefire ways to give yourself headaches. 

Headaches, migraines, and green drink

Of course, it’s not just about eating at regular intervals. Making sure you’re eating the right stuff is also vital. As mentioned, headaches and migraines are often linked to a lack of proper nutrition. If you aren’t getting enough fruits and veggies in your diet, a side effect could be headaches and migraines. In fact, some foods high in ingredients like sodium can even cause headaches!

Sounds like a headache minefield, doesn’t it? Thankfully, you can help fight migraines and headaches by cutting down the sodium and sugar in your diet through juice cleanses. Of course, not all juice cleanses are going to be created equal. Just drinking celery juice could lead to a headache from loss of nutrition, remember? 

Thankfully, Chef V’s green juice recipe is packed full of great nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. Better yet, our cleanses also come with detox smoothies and detox soups (filled with fresh ginger and turmeric!) to help you stay healthy and fit even as you detox out the sodium and sugar. Beating headaches and migraines can be a balancing act, but Chef V has the balance to beat most types of headaches. 

Bloating is a common complaint most people make after overeating, eating too fast, or consuming unhealthy drinks and food items. It’s often accompanied by gassiness and abdominal discomfort that may affect your digestive system and bowel movement. If you often feel bloated and the situation persists for a long, it may result in conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). 

As much as bloating sounds uncomfortable and irritating, it’s not life-threatening and can easily be cured by consuming the right food in the right portion. Moreover, organically crafted detox soup does wonders for conditions like bloating by soothing pain, relieving constipation, and improving digestion. 

If you or someone you know often experiences bloating, read below about the naturally crafted detox soup by Chef V that helps fight bloating. By adding this herbal soup to your diet, you can take a step forward to a healthy lifestyle.

What causes bloating?

Bloating is a common abdomen condition where your belly appears fuller and tight due to gas in your gastrointestinal tract. It can be triggered by a number of things and pre-existing medical conditions, including lactose intolerance, liver disease, or pelvic inflammatory diseases. 

Some of the most common factors that can cause stomach bloating includes:

• swallowing air by eating too fast, smoking or for any other reason 
• constipation
• irregular weight gain 
• parasitic infections
• imbalanced intestinal bacteria
• food intolerances and ulcers

Turmeric and ginger for bloating

Turmeric and ginger are effective in solving half of your gut problems. Ginger has been used for centuries to cure stomach pains, alleviate gas, and help get rid of bloating, as it’s packed with anti-inflammatory and digestive enzymes. Chef V believes ginger is Mother Nature’s most trusted weapon against stomach pain, nausea, and indigestion.  

Turmeric is a magic spice that combats bloating and gas like no other. The earthy spice has excellent anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, which keep your gut strong and healthy to fight and minimize harmful bacteria. Turmeric is also great for easing constipation as it improves your digestion system. It’s a pure spice anyone can add to their daily routine despite worrying about its side effects. There’s only one thing to note: turmeric contains many essential oils that sometimes make you burp or fart, so if any of you ask if turmeric makes you fart, then the answer would be yes. 

Say yes to Chef V detox soups 

When you sign up for Chef V’s organic juice cleanse or detox challenge, you also get fresh and healthy detox soup called SOUPer Detox. This soup is made only from fresh, organic ingredients that cleanse your liver, regulate blood sugar, and improve digestion, eventually soothing conditions like bloating or gassiness. This flavorful detox soup helps detoxify your body and gives you a warm hug from within to leave you satisfied while flushing your vital organs. 

You can also follow Chef V’s exclusive detox soup recipes on our website for maximum health benefits and to keep your gut strong. All these recipes encourage you to use and consume healthy vegetables, herbs, fruits, and spices, including sweet potatoes, leek, basil, dandelion, cinnamon, and carrots, as they’re rich in fiber, anti-inflammatory properties, and antioxidants to help you fight bloating and irritable bowel movement. 

Visit Chef V or write to us at chefv@chefv.com to learn more about our organic green juice and protein shakes that help keep you healthy and rejuvenated throughout your day. 

If you’re on a diet, you’ll relate to the idea that food cravings can be your worst enemy. No matter how hard you try to stop looking at that crispy fried chicken or hot chocolate brownie, you somehow end up gorging on them because of those uncontrollable and intense desires. 

The fact that junk food is available in minutes at low prices is among the few reasons why most people, despite being on a diet, crave it all the time. In fact, the quick-pick or instant delivery options contribute equally to the ever-growing popularity of junk food. 

There are harmful effects to consuming junk foods, but their convenience and taste often overpower the will to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Well, the best way to say goodbye to junk food is by taking a few baby steps to move away from it slowly and gradually; or else you can continue reading to learn about Chef V’s results-driven ways and 21 day cleanse challenge that will help you stop binging on unhealthy and harmful junk food with time. 

Why do we crave junk food?

Explaining this is far more difficult than placing an order for a burrito bowl because there are many psychological, physical, environmental, and sociological factors that make you crave and eat unhealthy fast food. 

Without getting deep into it, here are a few reasons which may lead you to crave something sweet and fried.

Lack of rest or sleep 

Many epidemiological studies suggest that lack of sleep may result in increased hunger. Sleep deprivation causes major hormone shifts, encouraging you to binge on unhealthy snacks and sweets. You may experience a surge in ghrelin, a hunger-control hormone that causes you to eat more. 

Food euphoria 

When you’re stressed, tense, sad, or anxious, your brain releases endorphins, neurotransmitters that help you deal with pain. As soon as the level of endorphins fluctuates in your body, you start to eat more because that’s how you’ll feel better both physically and emotionally. 

Everyday routine

Most people with a busy schedule prefer eating junk food because that’s what’s instantly available and requires minimal time to get on the table. This expediency makes it difficult to give up junk food. It can be time-consuming to prepare meals and overall seems easier to grab what’s more convenient and easier. 

Benefits of dropping junk food 

Though it’s complex and challenging for some, when you choose to drop junk food, you’re instantly moving a step toward meeting your body and health goals. In the beginning, you may not witness the desired results, but as soon as you start the process, you’ll start to notice the following changes: 

• Weight loss: quitting junk foods means cutting unnecessary calories from your diet, which eventually helps you lose weight.

• Rejuvenating skin: most junk food is made from unhealthy or harmful hydrogenated oils and other ingredients that may affect your skin. But when you quit junk food and eat only fresh and wholesome meals, you’ll notice your skin will glow and appear clearer. 

• Good overall well-being: by dropping junk food, you tend to create more room for nutrient-rich food items, which eventually helps you to remain healthy. You can add a bowl of fresh fruits, vegetable salads, proteins, and whole grains to give your body a boost of health and wellness 

• Better sleeping cycle: most junk foods come with added sugar that fluctuates blood sugar levels in the body, which largely disrupts sleep. But when you quit junk food and eat only healthy food, you enjoy proper and restful sleep. 

How to curb junk-food cravings 

Nothing is impossible when you’re determined. So, if you want to say goodbye to junk food, you just need to be determined and follow the tips below.

Plan everything ahead

From everyday meals to daily regimes, you need to adjust your whole schedule to create room for new, healthy habits. The best way is to plan and prepare your meals and snacks for each week on weekends. You can also prepare a list of ingredients or food items you need for your meals to avoid last-minute hiccups or, in this case, substituting them with something unhealthy. 

Add more water and protein to your diet 

Water gives you a fuller feeling whenever you feel like munching on something. In fact, drinking water before your meals will help regulate your portion size. Proteins help limit your appetite by keeping you full and satisfied.

Eat less but often 

This helps you avoid getting extremely hungry because when you starve, you tend to look for easy and quick food options, such as a burger or fries. Always carry a few healthy snacks with you, such as nuts, a protein bar, or fruits that can help deal with your instant hunger. 

Try Chef v cleanse green drinks  

The fiber-packed green juices, detox soups, and protein shakes by Chef V can do wonders for you and your body. They’re tasty, healthy, and packed with organic ingredients that help you move a step closer to a healthy lifestyle. These healthy drinks are ready to consume, so if you’ve got a busy schedule and are still finding ways to remain healthy, this is what you need. 

For lifelong results, you can also sign up for the 21 day detox challenge that will successfully eliminate temptations for junk food and sugar without you feeling deprived. In fact, you can customize this 21 day cleanse challenge to fit your budget and body goals. In this three-week time, you’ll indulge in organic green juice made from fresh ingredients, including green kale, dandelions, green chard, and curly parsley. 

For more details on Chef V’s 21 day detox plan, please feel free to write at chefv@chefv.com or contact us to know our delivery locations. 

Did you know that what we eat gets into our skin and appears on our faces? It’s pretty simple — if you eat healthily, you’ll get healthy. Moreover, a wholesome diet significantly gives you rejuvenated and clean skin while helping you achieve your body goals. 

It’s undeniable that healthy skin comes from within; though plenty of skin-care products are available on the market to treat surface-level problems, nothing works best for a glowing complexion than eating the right food that’s also wholesome. 

Chef V also believes in this philosophy, which is why she has radiant and naturally glowing skin. Curious to know how you can get a glowing complexion? Read below to find out some food and drink recommendations by Chef V. 

Nutrients for better skin

The author of the popular book, The Radiant Woman’s Handbook has rightly said that skin care must be good enough to eat. And Chef V couldn’t agree more, which is why she emphasizes including juice cleanses, superfoods, and organic food items in your diet. 

Nutrients are essential for the overall health and wellness of your body. If you miss any of the important nutrients, minerals, or vitamins, it will start to show on your skin and face. Eating for a glowing complexion isn’t as tough as it may sound; all you need to do is say goodbye to unhealthy junk and processed food. In fact, research shows that consuming ultra-processed food items, such as frozen meats, added sugar, packaged cookies, and salty snacks can expedite aging. 

You can fulfill your body’s requirement for nutrients by clean eating. To eat clean means adding whole fruits and vegetables, proteins, fiber, and green drinks to your diet. Look for ingredients or produce rich with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, as these may help boost your metabolism, which eventually helps you have clear and radiant skin. 

Food and drink recommendations

If you’re up for taking a step toward a healthy gut and skin, here are a few foods and drinks that must be included in your diet: 

Fish

Fish are incredible sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which keep your skin plush, moisturized, and supple. You can add salmon, herring, or mackerel to your diet as all these are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and zinc that reduce inflammation and help cure acne and redness. 

Lemon

Squeeze it in a glass of water or rub it on your skin; lemons never fail to bring a natural glow to your face. Lemons are great for detoxifying your body and are also one of the richest sources of vitamin C that helps improve wrinkles. 

Dark chocolate 

Chef V gives you another reason to love chocolate, meaning chocolate can elevate your mood and skin. Eating dark chocolate helps improve your skin’s complexion by keeping it hydrated for longer. It’s a superfood with flavonoids that protect your skin from harmful UV rays.

Green tea

Green tea helps improve metabolism, but how many of you know it also protects against UV-induced damage? Surprisingly, the polyphenol antioxidants found in green tea work exceptionally well against sunburns. 

Olive oil 

The benefits of olive oil are well known, but did you know it’s also a natural exfoliant for your skin? Olive oil is rich in vitamin E, phytosterols, and polyphenols, which help eliminate free radicals from your body to offer you naturally glowing skin. 

Avocados

Avocados are a healthy source of fats that keep your skin springy and supple. They also have antioxidant properties, vitamin E, and polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols, which help protect your skin against aging and, most importantly, UV-induced damage. 

Yogurt 

Another great food to add to your diet as it contains amino acids and a significant quantity of lactic acid, which helps reduce dark circles and heal dead skin. You can eat it directly or apply it to your face for an instant glow and long-lasting skin hydration. 

Sweet potatoes

You may not expect this on this list, but sweet potatoes can do wonders for your body and skin. It’s an incredibly rich source of provitamin A and beta carotene, which prevents wrinkled skin, sunburn, and dryness. 

Green drink for better skin 

Chef V offers an easy, healthy and tasty solution for radiant skin. Along with eating for a glowing complexion, you should also start drinking Chef V’s organic green drink. This green juice is made from seven certified fresh and organic greens, including black kale, dandelion green, collard greens, green kale, green chard, and green leaf lettuce. 

Sign up for our 3 day cleanse or 21 day detox challenge that offers you a mix of thoughtfully crafted drinks, such as a protein shake and detox soup, to keep you healthy from within. These naturally crafted drinks have helped thousands of people achieve their body-weight goals, detox vital organs, and rejuvenate skin and hair. 

You can visit our website or contact us today to learn more about our customizable cleanse plans and detox challenges. Click here to find out all our delivery areas and store locations. 

Whether for climate change, health reasons, or limiting animal cruelty, the vegan population worldwide continues to rise. In fact, more than 620,000 vegans across 220 countries and territories signed up for the 2022 Veganuary Campaign. In the United States, people are turning vegans six times faster in 2022 as compared to previous years.

But going vegan isn’t easy, especially when you don’t know what things to consume and avoid. The vegan market has many plant-based and vegan food options, but finding the right alternatives to your favorite food items can be a little daunting. 

So without overwhelming you with this challenging transition into the vegan lifestyle, here are a few amazing hacks and tips to find the perfect vegan options for your meats, milk, and other go-to grocery items. We’ve tried to keep the nutritional needs of a vegan diet in mind while preparing this list to add high-energy and healthy food alternatives for you. 

1. The perfect meat alternative 

If you’re new to veganism, giving up your usual meaty diets will be challenging, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. You can find the same fibrous texture and nutritional values of chicken, beef, or sausages in their vegan alternatives, including tofu, jackfruit, and soy-based protein.

Lentils make the perfect protein-rich substitute for minced meat. You can use the same spices and a variety of boiled lentils to make vegan patties for your burgers and sandwiches. Moreover, lentils are one of the most affordable meat alternatives for vegans. 

2. Say yes to the right dairy products

Thinking about how you can give up your milky cappuccino while going vegan? Well, you don’t have to. You can ditch your regular cow milk with creamier, thicker, and sweeter vegan options like soy, hazelnut, and almond milk. 

You can use coconut milk as it’s thicker and sweeter, whereas rice milk makes a perfect vegan option to add to your smoothies, shakes, overnight oatmeals, and cereal bowls. Cheese is a food item most vegans miss in their diet, but you can swap your cheese with the nutty hemp seed or vegan kimchi queso alternatives. 

Also, don’t forget to add peanut or almond butter to your cart while grocery shopping, as they make the perfect vegan option. 

3. An ideal vegan option for spreads

Love mayonnaise? Try hummus. The creamy texture of blended chickpeas with herbs and garlic of hummus makes a healthier and tastier vegan option for your regular mayonnaise. You can swap maple syrup with honey to drizzle on your waffles and pancakes as a vegan option. Avocados, apple sauce, and pumpkin puree are among some vegan spreads that complement toast the best. 

4. Vegan options for ice cream

Don’t worry about giving up ice creams while going vegan because you’ve many healthy and vegan substitutes for your regular ice creams. To relish a creamy dessert, try frozen bananas, strawberries, or blueberries blended with your favorite nuts. Add any fruit of your choice and freeze it to prepare vegan sorbets and sundaes. 

5. The perfect vegan option for weight loss

If you’re a vegan and want to lose those extra pounds, you can try my 100% organic green juice. It’s healthy, vegan, and made from seven superfoods, including green kale, black kale, collard greens, dandelion greens, and green chard. All these green ingredients are packed with essential nutrients, minerals, and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties to help you lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

Moreover, this green juice for detox helps you stay energized by making you feel fuller every time you consume it, eliminating the urge to eat non-vegan or unhealthy food items. You can begin your weight loss journey with a 3 day juice cleanse plan and move further with the specially designed 21-day detox challenge. 

Chef V strives to help you achieve your health goals, which also includes debunking myths about what you and can’t eat as a vegan and helping you discover tasty vegan alternatives.

Want to learn more about the available detox and cleanses? Visit the Chef V website.

If you’ve noticed Chef V’s glowing skin, you might be curious as to the reason. Well, some part of the credit goes to the bowl of fresh fruit she eats every day. In fact, the dietary guidelines set out by the United States Department of Health and Human Services suggest consuming fruit and vegetables as part of a healthy diet. 

Fruit is an excellent source of minerals, antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber, which helps you stay healthy and hydrated. Moreover, fruit is a good substitute for unhealthy, sugary, processed snacks, including artificially flavored candies and gummies. 

If you still wonder why adding fruit to your diet is important, read below to learn about some benefits and facts of consuming fruit. We’ve also come up with a list of Chef V’s recommendations for great fruit that we know you’ll love to check out. Take a look!

Why is fruit great?

Eating fruit generally benefits your overall health and prevents common diseases like diabetes and related complications by providing necessary nutrition. They offer an expansive range of antioxidants, such as flavonoids, health-boosting fibers and vitamins. Surprisingly, one banana alone can provide 25% of your average daily fiber intake. 

They help your digestive system, boost metabolism, and keep your body hydrated. Watermelons and strawberries have more than 92% water content, so if you often skip chugging down plain water, you can eat fruit high in water to meet your water requirements.

Most people argue that fruit contains sugar, so are they bad or any better than other sugar alternatives? Yes, fruit contains sugar, but it’s natural sugar, which is a mix of glucose, fructose, and sucrose. Despite the sugar levels, whole fruits still make an ideal choice compared to candies, canned fruit, dried fruit, and soft drinks available on the market. Because whole fruits contain sugar, they give you a fuller feeling, eliminating the need to consume unhealthy snacks and beverages. 

Fruit is also great for individuals on a weight-loss journey. They contain fewer calories, meaning you can swap your regular high-calorie snacks with the fruit of your choice. Fruits like apples, oranges, bananas, and strawberries contain a high amount of fiber, which helps suppress the appetite to prevent overeating. 

Moreover, if you don’t like eating whole fruits, have them as a smoothie, juice, dessert, or salad. You can find hundreds of smoothie recipes for intermittent fasting or go on a cranberry juice detox. Find the best ways to consume fruits and say hello to a healthy lifestyle.

Some of our favorite fruits 

All fruit is fantastic but they vary in nutritional values and health benefits. Here are some of Chef V’s favorite fruits to include in your diet.

1. Lemons 

Lemons are a great source of vitamin C, potassium, carbohydrates, and calcium. They contain antidiabetic and antibacterial properties, which help you deal with indigestion and inflammation.

2. Strawberries 

This juicy, red fruit contains a lot of water, minerals, and vitamins. You can have strawberries in a smoothie, with your cereals, or put some on top of your pancakes for added flavor and a punch of sweetness. 

3. Oranges 

Oranges are the richest source of vitamin C, which fulfill 117% of a person’s daily requirement of vitamin C. They boost your immune system and contain a good amount of iron and fibers to keep you going throughout the day. 

4. Avocados 

Want a low-sugar fruit option? Avocados are a superfood with less sugar content but high potassium and protein. They contain oleic acid, a type of monounsaturated fat, which helps maintain lower cholesterol levels. 

5. Apples 

Eating apples daily can reduce the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers, which is why you say an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Apples contain a high amount of minerals, vitamin C, and antioxidant properties, which are great for people losing weight or monitoring their fat intake. 

The bottom line 

Chef V finds fruit fantastic because of its innumerable health benefits and properties. Adding fruit to your diet motivates you to step forward to a healthy lifestyle. You can begin by consuming fruit in smaller portions or in a form that best suits your taste. You can swap between different fruits for all the necessary nutrition for your diet. 

Check out our Chef V cleanses, specially curated organic green juice and protein shakes, which aim to help you achieve your body and weight goals. Visit our website or contact us today to learn more. 

Eating locally doesn’t mean getting take-out from a nearby Italian restaurant. The most simple definition of eating local is stopping by your local farmer’s market and shopping for fresh produce. In the United States, the average meal travels more than 1,500 miles to get to your plate. Imagine the freshness and taste of the products by the time it lands in your kitchen; they may be gone by then. 

Moreover, the country’s population of locavores or people who choose to eat more locally is rapidly increasing. A consumer survey revealed 96% of people believe that a product must be grown, produced, and handled within 100 miles of its market to retain its freshness, quality, and taste.  

Below, we touch on different points, including the benefits of eating locally to drive you toward a healthy lifestyle. 

What are the benefits of eating locally?

The concept of eating local is primarily based on distance; the basic idea is to cut down the miles your food needs to travel before it gets to your table. The food you get in your local market, such as fruits and vegetables, tends to have a higher nutritional value, mainly because they’re prepared fresh without processing or getting through an artificial harvesting process to outpace the ripeness. 

Here is a list of benefits of eating locally: 

• Eating locally benefits the environment. When you shop in a local market, the food doesn’t have to travel from one corner to another corner, reducing greenhouse emissions and consequently improving the carbon footprints. 
• When you eat locally, you say hello to good health and well-being. Fruits and vegetables, including green beans, broccoli, tomatoes, kale, red peppers, and apricots are prone to nutrient loss when they travel long distances, so it’s always good to shop for these items locally. 
• You’re supporting local farmers and shopkeepers. Take advantage of local green juice delivery to taste fresh, organic, pure juice, which will be far better than what you get at a supermarket. The idea is to support your local communities to help them strive and thrive while they continue to produce quality products.
• It also eliminates the need for intermediaries from the supply chain, which benefits local farmers and business owners. When you purchase directly from farmers at the local farmer’s market, all the profit will go to them. 
• When you buy from local producers, you’re contributing to the local economy. 

Tips for eating more locally

If you’re all set to turn into a locavore, here are a few tips that’ll help you find easy ways to eat locally.

Shop at your local farmer’s market 

Think of the last time you had freshly squeezed juice. With the availability of processed juice and other products, we’ve forgotten what new things taste like. This is precisely why you must go to your nearby farmer’s market. These markets often stock a wide assortment of colorful and vibrant seasonal fruits, freshly baked bread, and free-range meats. Shopping locally not only means getting fresh food at good prices, but it also allows you to meet people within your community. 

Have your own garden 

Trust us, it’s the best thing you can do for yourself. There’s nothing more local than growing your own herbs, fruits, and vegetables. You can choose the kind of plants you want to grow and nurture without artificial fertilizers. Plus, gardening is a healthy habit, which takes you closer to the earth.  

Become part of community-supported agriculture (CSA)

If visiting a farmer’s market looks like a lot, sign up for a CSA program that brings fresh produce to your doorstep weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, depending on the subscription plan. You can choose the food you want, such as dairy, poultry, and fresh produce while opting for the subscription plan. It works the same way as Chef V, which provides organic green drink delivery to your home. 

Grow with the season 

With the availability of cold storage units, you get access to all fruits and vegetables throughout the year, which isn’t a healthy choice for people turning toward a balanced lifestyle. The best idea is to try seasonal produce to enjoy the freshness and unbeatable quality. 

Look for farm-to-table restaurants 

Give up eating at a fast food restaurant that only serves processed or reheated food. Instead, try eating at a local farm-to-table restaurant. At some of these, you can witness how your meals are prepared, using fresh and locally procured ingredients. In fact, the menus are designed to let customers know how the meals are prepared and with what products. 

The bottom line 

Eating locally isn’t just a lifestyle. The philosophy ties you back to your local community through food. With simple steps like shopping at your local market or small businesses, you’re helping farmers, local producers, and their families continue producing the freshest and tastiest food. It also helps contribute to the economy and a healthy environment. 

So, the next time you search for a juice cleanse near me, give it a try at your local juicery, or you can visit Chef V, a platform serving organically produced green juices, plant-based food items, and protein shakes. Our specially curated detox plans help our clients meet their body goals. 

If you’ve made it here, great job! You’re making the right decision for your overall health and well-being. Undoubtedly, weight-loss journeys are challenging, especially when you don’t know how and where to begin the whole process. 

As a newbie who aspires to shed those extra inches, you need to consider many things, including your weight goal, diet plan, calorie count, work-life and health balance and more, to have a less challenging weight-loss process. Moreover, losing weight triggers your biological mechanisms, resulting in constant mood swings, frequent cravings, and most importantly a strong urge to give up. 

As much as the whole process sounds daunting, it can easily be carried away with a bit of hard work, determination, and adding the right things to your diet. To help you make the right choices in your diet, here are some weight-loss basics to keep in mind to achieve your weight goals. 

Let’s take a look at some weight-loss basics 

1. Setting weight goals 

Don’t get over ambitious with weight goals. If you’re aiming to lose two pounds a week, you can do this but be mindful of the nutritional deficiencies and health problems that may come with it. Set achievable goals, get used to the new lifestyle, and then perhaps decide how to follow the process rather than forcing a regime on yourself for instant results. 

2. Dieting isn’t the right solution 

Especially when you’re a beginner, I wouldn’t suggest cutting down everything you eat in a day. Moreover, sticking to a diet is way more challenging when you’re new to a weight-loss journey. Replacing your burger with a salad bowl is a tough call; instead, try intermittent fasting and portion control. That way, you can eat your usual diet at a specific time to avoid overeating. 

3. Introduce daily movement 

If you’re a couch potato and want to lose weight, you must include exercise or some activity in your regime. Find ways to keep your body active; it could be cycling, brisk walking, hiking, yoga, or gardening. Do what you enjoy the most.

Easy activities for weight loss

The following are a few weight-loss activities to include in your day-to-day life to achieve weight-loss goals:

• Walking is an excellent fat-burning exercise that’s effective, low-impact, and easy. If it’s feasible, ditch taking a cab or drive to your work or school and start walking.
• Make your way to a healthy lifestyle by increasing your water intake. Drinking water improves your metabolism and detoxifies your body. Opt for a juice detox diet if you want something tasty yet healthy. 
• Low-intensity workouts or cardio make an excellent way to introduce movement and activity to the body. Start with fifteen minutes of treadmill, at least three sets of squats, jumping jacks, burpees, and running.
• Activities like swimming, cycling, and hiking are perfect for engaging your body and muscles.  

Foods for weight loss

This is a common question that pops up in every newbie’s mind who aspires to lose the extra weight. Proteins, such as chicken, eggs, lentils, seeds, nuts, and fish offer more energy to help you get through your day without consuming anything unhealthy like a burger or soda. The right kind of liquids, such as juice and water, also works best to keep you fuller throughout the day. 

Don’t underestimate the benefits of a juice cleanse as they detoxify the body to boost metabolism and keep you away from toxins known to cause weight gain. Keep an eye on calorie count, as eating the right amount of food is important.

Juice cleanse for weight loss

Make your weight loss journeys easy and yummy with my juice detox diet. I prepare these green juices with 100% organic ingredients, including black kale, green kale, collard greens, and green leaf lettuce, which have high nutritional, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant values. 

When you follow my juice detox diet, you don’t have to take any green powder pills. It’s just pure and fresh handmade juice delivered to your doorstep every day. You’ll have no energy crashes or cravings with these green juices. 

If you’re wondering why I vouch for the juice cleanse for weight loss, read what my clients say. You can also sign up for my holistic 21-day detox plan that helps you lose weight and maintain well-being.  

Water is just water, right? Well, sometimes it actually isn’t. We live in a world where food and drink move on a global scale, rather than the local. That means we live in a shopping environment where everything is designed to be full of preservatives and additives, whether we like it or not. Fresh is often an unattainable dream for many of us. 

Heck, you can’t even be sure your water isn’t free of the weird stuff. And since water is the primary ingredient in juice for detox and green drink, this can be a bit worrying for those wanting to undergo a blended juice cleanse. Hence, the big interest in filtered water. As proud makers of green drink, here’s our perspective.

Importance of hydration

We could pen pages and pages about why it’s essential to get enough water daily. It’s one of the most critical parts of your diet, and yet one that’s often taken for granted. But without water, your organs and joints wouldn’t work properly, and you’d be far more prone to infections.

If you’re interested in a blended juice cleanse, you’re probably interested in the health of your digestive system, and probably in losing weight. Well, proper hydration is also vital for keeping your digestive system working regularly, and can help curb your appetite and maintain your energy for exercise. No matter how you’re getting it, getting enough water is key.

What’s filtered water?

You might get your water from a tap or a bottle. Filtration is always going to be important, however. Why is this? Well, water might look clear and “empty” but it can actually have way more dissolved in it than you realize. Unfiltered water can be host to a wide variety of mineral or chemical contaminants. Some minerals in your water are good for you. But do you really want something like lead from pipes in your water? Bottled water isn’t much better due to the danger of microplastics.

Filtered water is an attempt to strike a balance between keeping the good in water, while removing the bad. Filtration can take many forms. You’re probably familiar with the carbon filters found in many kitchens across the country. Ion exchanges and reverse osmosis are more advanced methods of filtration. In some places, water is even distilled for filtration — turned into steam and then back into water, hopefully leaving all the bad stuff behind. 

Health benefits of filtered water

So what are some of the actual benefits of drinking properly filtered water? We’ll highlight some of the major ones here. 

Fewer toxins

Lead poisoning from water constantly comes up in the news. Microplastics in bottled water can have a less immediately dramatic effect, but can still damage your health over long periods of time. If you’re someone who demands the freshest organic juice for detox, there’s no reason to ruin this by getting water with all sorts of additives. 

Fewer bacteria

Bacteria can pop up in pretty much any water source. By making sure you’re getting filtered water, you’re preventing any unwanted guests from coming along for the ride when you drink. This can be especially important depending on your area, what the water supply is like, and what the water quality is like as well. 

Taste

Ever had water that just sort of tasted funny? Filtered water helps you avoid that. This isn’t so much of a health benefit on its own. However, if your water tastes good, then you’ll want to drink more of it. The same goes for any green drink or juice for detox made out of your filtered water. Little things like this can really make or break a fruit juice. 

Chef V’s promise

At Chef V, we use only the best clean, filtered water for our delicious green drinks. This is only the start of what makes our green drink special, of course. All of our ingredients are entirely organic, and we always blend instead of juice. We’re simply that dedicated to making sure every part of the process is benefiting you in some way when it comes to making our green juice recipe. Make sure to give our green drink recipe a try, and you’ll see why our detox juice recipe has become so famous! 

What’s more wonderful than a picnic in the summer? Not much, that’s what. However, while picnics can be a delight with friends and family, they’re also (unfortunately) a great way to break your diet and healthy eating habits. Buckets of fried chicken don’t exactly scream “healthy vegan option.” So what should  you put into your picnic basket if you’re craving something a little fresher?

You’d be surprised by how many picnic staples can be easily reworked into absolutely amazing vegan counterparts. If you’re despairing at putting together a vegan picnic, then fear not — we’ve got some ideas to get your creative juices flowing. So grab your green drink and juice for detox, and get prepped for summer. Here’s our list of amazing vegan picnic ideas.

#1 Vegan potato salad

Potatoes might not be the first pick for everyone’s diet, but potato salad is a classic. The issue for those going vegan is mayonnaise. However, potato salad ends up being a pretty simple option to turn vegan. 

All you need to do is find some vegan mayo and you’re good to go with your old favorite recipes. You can go store-bought, but you can also fill up some mason jars with your own homemade vegan mayo. You’ll find a ton of tasty examples online, using ingredients such as cashews. 

#2 Vegan sandwiches

Alright, so no good picnic is complete without the sandwiches. However, let’s say you want to go beyond ham and cheese. You have a ton of potential options and it can be hard to pick which vegan, dairy-free sandwiches to choose from. 

We’d like to forward the humble chickpea as a potential contender for a sandwich star. These little legumes are a viable replacement for meat-based proteins and go well with many different ingredients. 

#3 Vegan pinwheels

Talking about sandwiches, there are few more iconic picnic foods than playful pinwheel sandwiches. Making some healthier, vegan options for pinwheels is super easy. The trick to making it healthier is to swap in a whole wheat tortilla for the bread. As for fillings, you can find all sorts of great recipes online. 

#4 Vegan dips

Chips and dips are another staple for picnics. You can quickly come up with tons of vegan picnic ideas for dips that are entirely vegan if you do a little bit of poking around. If you’re willing to use vegan meat substitutes, you could put together something like a vegan taco dip. But if you just want to enjoy some fresh fruits and veggies, then whipping up some dairy-free and oil-free dips just takes a little bit of imagination. 

#5 Vegan pasta salads

It wouldn’t be right to bring up potato salads and not mention that you can just as easily adapt pasta salads into vegan versions. All you need to do is get your favorite fruits and veggies together, some whole wheat pasta, and a light dressing of your choice. This makes a great snack to go along with your green drink or juice for detox, but it’s also fabulous picnic fare. There are plenty of recipes online to get your imagination running. 

#6 Vegan soups

Soups get unfairly forgotten when it comes to the summer season. It’s not everywhere that has a tradition of cool summer soups. However, if you get good at prepping them, chilled soups can be among the best easy vegan recipes in your arsenal. It’s all the good stuff of green drinks or juice for detox but as a filling meal. A great vegan picnic idea as far as soups go has to be our own gazpacho recipe. 

#7 Vegan slaws and salads

Coleslaw can be considered part of the holy trinity of traditional picnic salads, along with the aforementioned pasta and potato variations. Just like those, it tends to often have an uncomfortable amount of mayonnaise in it. But, just like those, it’s also the source of fantastic vegan picnic ideas when you start thinking about how to redo the dressing. If you’re looking to get into easy vegan recipes, coleslaws are a great way to start. 

Coleslaws are  the first step into the larger world of shredded vegetable dishes. Once you get comfy with some easy versions, why not check out the larger world of shredded veggie dishes? We’re a big fan of urab, ourselves — check out our recipe! 

#8 Vegan pies

A thick slice of pie with some ice cream — a summer dream, but one that seems out of reach for anyone looking for vegan options. Yes, we’re into the dessert section of this list. After all that green drink and juice for detox, you deserve a little bit of a treat every now and again.

But is pie going to be an off-limit dessert for vegan picnics? Not necessarily. It’s entirely possible to develop vegan options for all the old classics. And if you get creative with your dairy substitutes, you might not even need to get rid of the ice cream! 

#9 Tropical fruits

Sometimes, you don’t need to get fancy. Some of the most delicious dessert items for a picnic is  your favorite tropical fruits. Not much is needed here in the way of prep work, but you’ll create a memorable spread your guests will be eager to try again and again. If you want some tips on which tropical fruits make the best vegan picnic companions, why not check out our shortlist of some of our favorite examples? 

#10 Chef V green drink

You can’t have a picnic without something to drink. Low sugar lemonade is one nice option. But why not also enjoy some of that wonderful Chef V green drink? If you’re used to our original recipe, you might not know we have a truly amazing tropical version. This is the perfect companion to any picnic in the summer heat. No matter what you decide, just make sure you load up on the fruits, veggies, and plenty of water. And, of course, make sure to have fun! 

It’s a wild thought. We barely want to write it down. But maybe, just maybe, you’d like to try some other delicious vegan beverages after all our wonderful juices for detox. Strange to think you’d ever need something beyond Chef V’s iconic green drink, but it could be that our juices for detox have put you in a real mood for other tasty, healthy, vegan beverages. 

If you’re new to vegan eating (and drinking), you might not know where to start. Moving past basic fruit juice can be a little daunting for some. How do you know what tastes good? How do you avoid things like the dreaded celery juice side effects? 

Ultimately, it’s up to you to explore to find what vegan drinks you (and your family) enjoy. If you’re uncertain which vegetables and fruits to reach for first, we’ll provide some of our favorite ideas for tasty vegan beverages. Hopefully, you’ll find a fun idea here you hadn’t considered before! 

#1 Beet smoothies

We have some pretty great detox smoothie recipes to offer. However, there are a ton of underrated fruits and veggies that can make amazing juices or smoothies. If you’ll let us travel off the beaten path, we have to give beets a shoutout. They’re far too unfairly maligned. But beets can be delicious and are most definitely healthy for you. 

Beets pair up excellently with tasty berries to create fantastic vegan smoothies. If you want to try one out, we have an antioxidant smoothie that we’re sure you’ll love. 

#2 Vegan hot chocolate

It’s not just all juices and smoothies. Sometimes it’s a good idea to expand your notion of what vegan drinks can be beyond just juices for detox and green drinks. Hot chocolate is generally viewed as a sugary and unhealthy treat. But, as we’ve shown, it can be made into healthy vegan versions as well. If you want something with more kick, then you can always look online for the flavorful Mexican varieties. 

#3 Vegan eggnog 

We’d be remiss to bring up vegan hot chocolate and not include a mention of our amazing vegan eggnog recipe. With a fantastic blend of spices and almond milk, it’s just as amazing as the traditional version. If you’re feeling up for some fun (and not on a blended juice cleanse) you can even add some brandy to it. Sounds wild? Then wait until you read the next entry. 

#4 Vegan margaritas

A margarita on this list? Really? It’s not as strange as it sounds. You can find many great recipes for fully vegan margaritas online, generally with coconut or pineapple juice. This means you can enjoy an alcoholic beverage free of pretty much any allergen. Not something we’d recommend that you chug, but you can make your next summer party a little fancier by whipping some of these out. 

#5 Cane sugar lemonade

When life gives you lemons… well, we already made that joke. But lemons and juices for detox just seem to be a great pairing. Of course, most store-bought lemonade is filled with artificial sugars. If you can get your hand on fresh juices, and some natural cane sugar, it shouldn’t be too difficult to make a healthier version. You can even get really creative with some of your fruit choices! 

#6 Chocolate milk

Hey, if we’re putting hot chocolate on this list, we should be allowed to put regular old chocolate milk on here. Chocolate milk being vegan seems too strange to you? It’s more achievable than you might think. There are plenty of great healthy vegan versions of the drink online. 

#7 Golden milk 

Do you know what’s better than chocolate milk? Golden milk. When it comes to benefits for your digestive system and reducing inflammation, this drink really is golden. The secret comes down to the ingredient that gives it that distinctive hue — turmeric. Our version even features some fresh ginger for a truly fantastic detox juice recipe, and an excellent golden alternative to our green drinks. 

#8 Ginger smoothies

Fresh ginger needs a lot more love in the world of healthy juicing. Its health benefits are incredible, and it’s terrific for boosting your immune system and helping calm down digestive issues. It’s not as hard to work into smoothies as you might think. Just check out our apple ginger apple berry smoothie for an example. 

#9 Celery juices

So, we’ve discussed some of the side effects of drinking celery juice in our experiment on the subject. We’re still not convinced celery juice can be a replacement for healthy green smoothies and juices for detox. Celery juice side effects can be pretty pronounced for some people, especially on an empty stomach. 

However, while it might not be a juice cleanse star, fresh celery juice is still a tasty treat for many people who enjoy something light and refreshing. To make it tasty, get creative with the ingredients. Adding in some lime is never a bad move. 

#10 Our Chef V green drink

Is it cheating ending our list like this? Maybe. But too often we only get to talk about our green drink (loaded with vitamins and minerals, of course) in the context of our blended juice cleanses. And in the role of a juice cleanse staple, it certainly does its job. From weight loss to managing blood sugar and high blood pressure, our green drink is always ready to go to bat for your health.

But that’s forgetting the fact that it’s also a delicious and healthy vegan drink option. It goes wonderfully with any meal, or any time of the day, not just for when you’re on your blended juice cleanse. Juices for detox don’t need to be just for detox. And with our Chef V Plan, you don’t even need to do any prep work yourself. Just build your plan, and get it delivered to your door. It’s that easy! 

When you’re tackling something as ambitious as a 21 day juice cleanse for weight loss, it pays to be cautious with how active you are. However, you’re also probably eager to enjoy the great outdoors while the weather allows it. There’s no reason you can’t get out and active while on a juice cleanse diet to lose weight. You’ll just have to look for low-impact options — and we’ll give you some suggestions to get you started.

Exercising on a juice cleanse

A common question we get about juice cleanse diets is whether or not it’s okay to exercise while doing one. Thankfully, this is a question we’ve already answered. If you want the answer spoiled, it’s yes — sort of. 

While you’re on a juice cleanse for weight loss, your caloric intake will be much lower. That’s sort of the point, after all. If you’re mainly drinking juice, you’re simply not going to have the calories to undertake rigorous weightlifting or sprinting. 

However, it’s always vital to keep limber and moving. Hence the need for “low-impact” exercises that keep you active without risking your health while on your 21 day juice cleanse. But what sort of exercises are best when on the green drink? And which ones can you enjoy during the summer? 

Not everyone wants to be stuck inside walking on the treadmill when there’s sunshine and fresh air to enjoy. Outdoor exercises don’t have to mean running, of course. Here are some of our favorite suggestions.

#1 Walking

Why run when you can walk? Getting out for a brisk walk around the neighborhood is a great idea when you’re on a juice cleanse. If you’re taking a quick 3 day juice cleanse over the weekend, it’s a great excuse to relax and browse those local stores you’ve wanted to visit.

#2 Swimming

Swimming is an excellent low-impact exercise, suitable even for people with joint pain. Its low-impact nature also translates well for people on low-calorie juice cleanse diets. But what makes swimming really great is how much more fun it is outside, at an outdoor pool, or even on the beach. 

#3 Kayaking

Rather be cruising over the water than in it? If you live near the water, we recommend kayaking as a wonderfully fun, low-impact exercise for those on a juice cleanse for weight loss. It’s much easier than it looks, and you can do it all while sitting down. Plus, if you’re lucky, you might spot some amazing aquatic wildlife.

#4 Golfing

There’s a perception among many that golf is only for the professionals or the wealthy. However, there may be more accessible clubs in your area than you realize. Even if you don’t want to go out for a full round of golf, driving ranges and minigolf offer a way to enjoy a low-impact activity. Golf is a great way to maintain balance, flexibility, and strength without straining yourself.

#5 Yoga

We couldn’t talk about exercise in a juice cleanse diet blog and not mention yoga. We’re already huge fans of mixing together yoga and green drink. Yoga is a wonderful way to get some low-impact stretching and exercise into your day, without putting too much strain on your body. Even in the midst of a 21 day juice cleanse, yoga is going to be an excellent option for anyone looking to be active. 

Of course, many of us do our yoga indoors, but that’s not a requirement. Anywhere you can take your yoga mat is a great place to enjoy yoga — and a great place to enjoy your green drink as well! Make sure to check out some of our other great blogs on the subject, too! 

Feeling sluggish throughout the day? Finding your focus slipping at work? Can’t be bothered to get to your workout when the day is done? Well, that can of energy drink isn’t the best option to beat the dreaded slump. Sometimes the natural choice is the best one. With certain foods, you can stay energized throughout the day because of how they’re absorbed by your body. This blog will cover all the essentials about food, drink and energy. 

Understand the glycemic index

Before we can get into the listing of food and green drink recommendations, it’s essential you understand the glycemic index. It’s an important index for anyone attempting a twenty-one-day cleanse, or any other adjustment to the number of carbs in their diet.

Let’s get back to basics. Your body is like an engine that needs fuel. We measure the power of this fuel in calories. Every calorie represents a little bit of energy provided to you. So you might think the answer is just to get as many calories as possible, right? Well, there’s a bit more complication here. Foods don’t just contain calories, after all. They also contain nutrients. We can divide nutrients into macronutrients and micronutrients. 

Micronutrients are the things that your body needs in small amounts. You probably know about vitamins and minerals. If the macronutrients are the fuel your body needs, micronutrients are like the oil; they keep everything running that little bit better. 

Macronutrients are what your body needs in bulk, and what you tend to be measuring. Indeed, we often worry about getting too many of these macronutrients. Worries about this is probably why you’re looking into things like twenty-one-day cleanses!

Macronutrients include proteins, fat, and carbohydrates. Even people who don’t know anything about nutrition have a general idea about carbs. You may be surprised to learn not all carbs are equal. Nutritionists often divide carbs into simple carbs and complex carbs. Simple carbs release their energy (calories, remember) faster into the body. This isn’t a benefit, however. Simple carbs release energy in short bursts, followed by the dreaded sugar crash.

Complex carbs take longer to digest. This means they give more sustainable energy over a longer period of time. 

The glycemic index (GI) is used to measure how complex the carbs in food are. If a food has a high GI, it means it’s more likely to cause wild blood sugar fluctuations. Low GI foods are better at giving sustainable energy levels throughout the day.

Foods for energy

Now that we understand the basics of how food gives you energy, we can start to better identify foods that will be fantastic energy boosters. These foods are those with a low GI, as well as a nice blend of macronutrients and micronutrients. For best results, eat a balanced diet to help mix those complex carbs with an excellent selection of different nutrients. 

Avocado

Very often, green is good when it comes to your food choices. People often think of leafy greens such as those found in green drinks. However, avocados are also an excellent food for boosting energy. Not only is it loaded with vitamins, but it also contains healthy fats. These help lower the GI and make them a great power food. 

Beans

Too often we might overlook the humble bean. However, most kinds of beans bring a great one-two punch when it comes to providing long-lasting energy. They give a lot of the important macronutrient protein and the gut digests them at a slow and steady pace, giving you a regular injection of energy throughout the day. 

Brown rice 

Brown rice is going on this list to make a particular point about how small food choices can have significant impacts. While white rice and brown rice may be similar in some respects, brown rice has a much lower glycemic index and is filled with fiber. This makes it great for your digestive system, as well as being great for energy and lowering blood pressure. 

Nuts

There are too many great nuts, seeds, drupes, and legumes to cover in just one blog. Let’s take the walnut as our poster child of this culinary food group. Walnuts are a great example of why it’s essential to understand the difference between calories and carbs. 

Walnuts are considered, for their size, a high-calorie food. But because of their low GI, they provide energy in a sustainable way, without much risk of sugar spikes or weight gain. They’re also great for heart health! 

Spinach

When it comes to the best in fruits and veggies, it’s hard to beat those leafy greens. There’s a reason we put things like kale and collard greens in our green drink after all! Spinach marks a good case study of the power of these leafy greens. The secret power of many of these leafy greens is that they contain a ton of iron, a vital micronutrient. Iron is essential in helping your blood carry oxygen around your body. This helps give you energy even during the most hectic of days. 

Water

Alright, so water isn’t a food. But this list wouldn’t be complete without emphasizing the incredible power of hydration when it comes to maintaining your energy levels. Water can be considered the “final ingredient” that brings the rest of a healthy diet together. Water helps carry all of those vital nutrients around your body. It also helps regulate their intake into your bloodstream, giving you better control of your blood sugar levels. Drinking plenty of water is excellent for managing appetite, as it fills you up, leaving less room for those unhealthy options. 

Keep energized with Chef V

Have you been snacking too much on foods with a high GI? Are you in a constant spiral of blood sugar crashes? Then it might be time to get your blood sugar back in order with our delicious green drinks. 

This detox juice won’t just help you with your weight loss. Our low-sugar green drink can also help you get your blood sugars under control. Whether you’re going for a twenty-one-day cleanse, or just want some tasty green drink, Chef V has you covered.

Picking the right green juice to cleanse with can be exhausting. This blog helps you look for some “green flags” to look out for. From weird preservatives to added sugars, what do you need to steer clear of? Beyond organic leafy greens, what do you need to include? In this blog, we’ll discuss green flags you need to be on the lookout for to find the best juices for detox. 

Organic

When is a juice not a juice? When it’s labeled a “beverage,” “cocktail,” or “drink.” Companies use these euphemisms to cover up the fact that what they sell isn’t pure juice. 

If you’re going for a juice cleanse, it’s always best to make it an organic juice cleanse. There are a few reasons for this. Organic juice cleanses have been less processed. This means it’s more likely that you’re getting the maximum amount of nutrients from all those vegetables and fruits. 

Processed foods found in non-organic green drinks can often have adverse effects on your health. These could include preservatives or added sugars for flavor. Plus, there are all the side benefits you get as well. Organic simply tastes fresher, hands down. It’s also more likely that organic green drinks were created in a sustainable manner, a bonus for the environmentally conscious. 

Leafy Greens

What would a green drink be without the greens? When examining the contents of a green drink, Look for the maximum nutritional value. If it’s just celery and cucumber it might taste fresh, but you won’t be getting the most nutritionally dense vegetables. Worse, “lighter” green drinks like this can often be a bit tough on the digestive system. 

What you’re looking for in the leafy greens are ingredients high in vitamins and minerals. The deeper and darker the green, the better. You want things like kale, collard greens, and chard. 

Low sugar

Often, our customers find us when looking for juices for detox to get their sugar levels under control. By slashing your sugar intake, you can get better control of your weight, your energy levels, and even your mood. Blood sugar can be a temperamental thing, however. Only through maintaining a low sugar intake can you get it to stabilize.

So why would you want to ruin your green drink by adding a lot of extra sugar? You could argue that it’s for the taste. It’s still possible to have a great-tasting green drink without loading up on the sugar. Take our own detox juice recipe. We add in just enough apple juice for an all-natural sweeter taste. 

Unpasteurized

When buying juice in the store, you probably want to go pasteurized. This means it’s more likely to have kept fresh while it was waiting for you on the grocery store shelf. 

However, if you’re getting juice for detox delivered right to your door, then it’s another story. Since the green drink is freshly made, and you’re going to drink it right away, you don’t need to worry as much about pasteurization. In fact, unpasteurized is often the better option. Pasteurization kills off harmful bacteria that can grow while waiting on the shelf. But it can also kill off good bacteria in your digestive system. The pasteurization process also mutes the delicious flavors of the fruits and veggies. 

Cold blended

You want to get the most out of those vegetable juices, don’t you? That’s why it’s vital you go for blended juice cleanse recipes over pressed juice cleanse recipes. Pressed juices might result in a “cleaner” end result, but you’re missing out on all the great stuff, like the pulp and seeds, which contains a lot of the nutritional value.

At Chef V, we’re very proud of the cold blended process that goes into creating every glass of our delicious green drink. We make sure you’re getting the absolute best experience when drinking green juice. That’s our guarantee — all green flags on your green drink, all the way. 

With summer approaching, the likelihood of heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and dehydration increases. Forgetting the suitable precautions can result in severe complications if not looked out for. This blog helps you stay on top of your summer with all the tips you need to prevent heat exhaustion. Make sure summer is time for fun and games, not for dehydration!

Difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke

Before discussing ways to prevent heat exhaustion, it’s vital you understand the difference between this condition and heat stroke. Heat exhaustion is linked not just to the temperature, but to your hydration levels. Heat stroke, meanwhile, is connected to your body’s ability to control its heat.

Heat exhaustion is caused when your body loses too much water and salt. Heat exhaustion is caused by exposure to high temperatures, especially when doing physical activity or not getting enough to drink. In these conditions, your body will sweat out its water and salt content, leaving you deprived. The effects of heat exhaustion are caused by withdrawal from these essential substances. 

Heat stroke is generally considered a much more severe condition. It’s caused by similar conditions to heat exhaustion. However, heat stroke is a more extreme example, where your body temperature rises to over 104F (40C). Under these circumstances, the body can no longer properly regulate its heat. This poses a serious medical risk and can require hospitalization. 

Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion

Just because heat exhaustion is less severe than heat stroke doesn’t mean you shouldn’t worry about it. Heat exhaustion can be dangerous if left unchecked. Symptoms of heat exhaustion can include any or all of the following:

• Dizziness
• Excessive sweating
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Lightheadedness upon standing
• Muscle cramping
• Nausea
• Weak, fast pulse

Tips for preventing heat exhaustion

Want to know the best way to beat heat exhaustion? Avoid the heat! If you stay inside, or in the shade, you’ll be safe. Of course, sometimes this isn’t an option. Water will be your best friend here. Get plenty of hydration, whether through plain water or green drinks. Hydration is one of the major benefits of juicing, after all. 

If you do start to feel the effects of heat exhaustion, that means it’s time to take a break from what you’re doing. Grab some green drink, find some shade, and let yourself cool down. 

Prevent heat exhaustion with these foods

Hydrating with a green drink during a heat wave makes sense. But did you know there are foods that have heat-beating properties as well? Eating these foods is a great way to prevent heat exhaustion symptoms. Of course, make sure you’re getting plenty of water and green juice at the same time!

Banana

One of the main symptoms of heat exhaustion is cramping. If you eat foods high in potassium, you can alleviate this cramping. Potassium also helps regulate fluid inside our cells, helping out the sodium in our body. So, any foods high in potassium are going to be great to eat during a hot day.

Few foods are as famous for their potassium content as bananas. Not only are they great for you, but bananas can easily be turned into a variety of frozen treats for those hotter months. 

Chocolate milk

Really? Chocolate milk? This beverage has been a secret favorite among many athletes. But what made it jump from school lunch boxes to the sports field? 

The secret is that it includes electrolytes, substances your body needs to provide energy in your cells and muscles. Electrolytes as a category include substances such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, and, yes, potassium. Chocolate milk manages to have all of this.

While you shouldn’t be drinking chocolate milk constantly during the day, a little bit after some heavy exercise can help balance your electrolyte levels. 

Coconut water

Not a big chocolate milk fan? Then you might want to check out coconut water as a summer beverage. Like chocolate milk, coconut water is packed with electrolytes. It also has a bunch of natural sugars and easily digestible carbohydrates that help refresh you. It goes great on its own, or as part of a smoothie. 

Kiwi 

Not a big fan of bananas? There’s another potassium champ waiting out there you may not have thought of. Kiwi fruits are a delightful green fruit, are full of water, and, yes, are excellent sources of potassium. They’re also amazingly tasty and go well with tons of summer dishes. 

Pears

If you’re looking for another fruit that’s full of water then you can’t go wrong with pears. What’s especially great about pears is that not only do they have a lot of water in them, but they contain a good amount of fiber. This means they’re great for your digestive system as well as being a way to prevent heat exhaustion. 

Watermelon 

It has “water” right in its name, so what’s not to love? There’s more than just being over 90% water going for watermelons, however. Not only are they high in electrolytes, but they also contain antioxidants which are good for keeping down inflammation and cramping. Best of all, watermelon is flexible. Eat it as is, mix it into your salsa, or toss it on the grill! 

Refresh with Chef V’s organic juice cleanse

Looking for a way to stay hydrated and lose weight this summer without sweating yourself to heat exhaustion? Why not look into one of our great organic juice cleanses? The benefits of juicing let you shed pounds without relying on heavy and potentially dangerous hot-weather exercise. So grab your green drink, enjoy some light workouts, and most of all, stay hydrated!

Seasonal changes often adversely affect people with allergies. Allergy season can be difficult, but there are ways to ease the impacts of hay fever this season. From natural remedies to Chef V’s juices, get ahead of allergy season with this blog. 

What causes allergies?

When we’re talking about allergies, it’s essential to understand our terms. An allergy simply refers to a condition where your body’s immune system goes into overdrive in reaction to a substance. 

However, when we talk about “allergies” we often refer to hay fever. This is the colloquial name for the medical condition known as “allergic rhinitis.” If you’ve had hay fever, you’ll recognize it instantly. The sneezing, the running nose, and the itchy and watery eyes are not a fun time. 

This condition crops up every spring or summer for many people. But why? Well, there are a few things that trigger hay fever. Generally, it’s caused by an allergic reaction to something floating in the air. This could be dust, mold, or the skin particles of animals like cats and dogs. But the major culprit behind hay fever is pollen from trees and flowers. As plants bloom in spring, many of us get a slight whiff of pollen and immediately develop intense hay fever. 

How to deal with hay fever

Many of us scramble to get expensive medication as soon as hay fever kicks in. But are there other ways to mitigate it? One way to cut back on the effects of hay fever while in the home is to be more rigorous in your cleaning. 

Use hypoallergenic bedding that’s washed regularly, and have a well-ventilated living space. If you have pets, clean them and their bedding frequently. However, did you know you can also help fight hay fever through what you eat and drink? Here’s where juices for allergies come into play.

Hay fever-busting foods

So what kinds of foods and drinks can help beat hay fever? You might be surprised to learn that green drinks and raw juice cleanses are great options. But why is this?

Green drinks keep you hydrated. Dehydration tends to make allergic reactions far worse. This is why you often have really bad stuffiness on spring mornings before you get your first drinks. Stay hydrated with green drinks.

Green drinks usually include foods known as alkalines. These include apples and leafy greens, such as parsley and watercress. It’s still being studied, but there seems to be evidence these alkaline foods help reduce the severity of allergies. They’re often high in immune boosters.

But it’s not just the juice! There are a plenty of foods that have allergy-busting properties. These include some of the following.

Garlic: Is there anything garlic can’t do? Garlic is excellent for fighting against all that extra mucus you’re collecting in your sinuses during an allergic reaction. 

Ginger: While garlic helps fight off the mucus, ginger swoops in to help deal with the swelling and irritation caused by allergies.

Onions: Onions contain quercetin, a compound linked to the allergy-busting abilities of apples. Quercetin is believed to mute the severity of allergic reactions from your cells. 

Turmeric: When it comes to spices, little is more terrific than turmeric. Turmeric has powerful anti-inflammatory properties, helping you beat the worst that hay fever throws at you. 

Beat allergy season with Chef V green drink and detox soups

Apart from being delicious, do you know what all the ingredients mentioned above have in common? You can find them in the Chef V raw juice cleanse! Between our green drinks and flavorful detox soups, you get the full power of some of the most effective allergen busters. So don’t dread the arrival of spring and summer. Hit that warm weather in the best health possible. 

Got gut problems? Stomach strains? Good digestive health is good health overall. If your digestive system has issues, it will bring your life to a painful, bowel-clenching halt. However, before you jump into a raw juice cleanse, there are a few steps you can take for overall better digestive health. Here are some of the best ones. 

#1 Schedule

Sometimes it’s not about what you eat, but when you eat it. Carefully scheduling your mean times can have surprising benefits for your overall digestive health. You want to give your meals all the time they need to digest. Try to space out meals and snacks four to three hours apart. If you’re on a raw juice cleanse, try to schedule your juices at the same time each day and interspersed evenly.

#2 Fiber

If there is one secret to good digestive health, it has to be fiber. This really is the magic ingredient that keeps everything else moving along at a reasonable rate. Proper fiber intake lets you keep your bowels healthy, manage cholesterol, and even regulate blood sugar levels. It’s excellent for overall health, not just digestive wellbeing. Make sure to get plenty of fruits and vegetables for their fiber content. 

On a side note, many people are wary about enjoying juice cleanse benefits because they’re worried about the lack of fiber when drinking juices. Remember that with Chef V, we add in delicious detox soups and detox smoothies, so you’ll always get the fiber you need.

#3 Hydration

Fiber is super essential for digestive health, but it can’t do it alone. Getting plenty of water is also key to good digestive health. It’s the counterpart to fiber, working together as a dynamic duo to provide smooth sailing for all your digestive functions. Together, water and fiber help protect you from conditions like constipation. 

#4 Low-Fat 

Cutting the fat isn’t just so that you can lose weight. Too much fat in your diet will tend to slow down your digestion and increase your risks of things such as constipation. It can mess around with your blood sugar levels, affecting your appetite. This creates a spiral where it’s hard to maintain a consistently balanced diet. 

#5 Probiotics

Good gut health is often determined by having a healthy supply of gut flora. Probiotics are a mixture of good bacteria and yeast that boost your overall digestive health. A lot of fermented foods are good probiotics, most famously yogurt. 

#6 Exercise

Exercise is another excellent way to help avoid constipation. Physical activity helps provide blood flow to the muscles that work your digestive system. Whenever you get a workout, your digestive system gets the same benefit! 

#7 Stress Management

Mind over matter is very real. Having high-stress levels can make your body think you’re in a life-or-death situation and send your digestive system into overdrive. Not only can this produce things like stomach aches, but it can also increase your appetite. You might get a craving for high-fat snacks, starting a whole new set of digestive issues.

Sometimes stress is just a part of life. But it doesn’t need to be part of your raw juice cleanse. With Chef V, it’s easy to get your delicious green drink delivered – and get detox soups and detox smoothies as well! So don’t sweat the small stuff, and enjoy your easy and convenient way to cut the fat and improve your digestive health. 

If you’re exploring ways to enhance your mental health, green drinks are the way to go! A study conducted in 2007 discovered that people with depression have lower serotonin levels, which is connected to poor diets. So, it’s no news that gut health goes hand in hand with your mental health. 

Green drinks have antioxidants that remove free radicals and protect against oxidative stress. Swapping junk food with healthier alternatives for better mental health can be daunting. But it’s not impossible! This blog guides you through the best practices for better mental health. Whether you want a mood booster or need a healthy pick-me-up, Chef V’s green drink elevates your serotonin levels! Our green drinks are power-packed with phytonutrients and antioxidants that transform your health.

What is Serotonin?

The ‘happiness hormone,’ serotonin, is a monoamine neurotransmitter. It is formed from the essential amino acid known as tryptophan. Serotonin maintains vital bodily functions such as regulating sleep patterns, body temperature, memory, and mood, making it a significant hormone for a healthy and happy life.

Approximately 90% of serotonin is found in the gastrointestinal tract cells, and only 10% is produced in your brain. Thus, your serotonin levels highly depend on the food you consume, as it can’t be made by your body. To lead a better quality of life, balanced serotonin levels result in overall better mental health. Some other simple steps to improve serotonin levels include better stress management, getting adequate sunlight, and consuming foods and tryptophan-rich juice for detox.

How Eating Affects Your Brain 

When this amino acid enters your body through diet, foods rich in tryptophan increase your serotonin levels. Fast food might provide instant gratification, but the lack of a balanced diet leads to lower serotonin levels. Serotonin deficiency has also been linked to insomnia, depression, anxiety, and mania. 

Incorporating healthy alternatives like seasonal fruit, organic juice cleanse, and vegetables significantly enhance your mental health. Fresh fruit juice for detox has yielded results of boosting energy levels and a life-changing impact on health. With a better diet, including more tryptophan-rich items like green drinks or organic juice cleanse, you can expect to feel:

• Calmer mind.
• Longer attention span.
• Fewer mood swings.
• Lower levels of anxiety.
• Happier State of Mind.

Antioxidants like Vitamin C and Beta-Carotene are also known to reverse the impact of free radicals damage. Honorable mentions of Vitamin E are excellent antioxidants that help signs of depression.

Eating for Mental Health 

Trying to consume foods for Improved mental health doesn’t have to be stress-inducing. Holistic health begins at home or anywhere you go!  Bright, flavourful, and fiber-abundant organic juice cleanses transform how you consume your nutrients. 

We whipped this list of best foods for better mental health, so you don’t have to!

• Eggs: Rich in biotin, protein, and tryptophan, eggs boost your blood plasma levels.
• Pineapples: Pineapples have a bountiful of bromelain and serotonin that enhance any mood!
• Salmon: Contains rich amounts of tryptophan, omega three fatty acids, and Vitamin D. Salmon is beneficial to your bones, heart, and skin.  
• Cheese: Rich in calcium and tryptophan, cheese strengthens bones and teeth while boosting your mental health.
• Nuts and Seeds: If you have a vegetarian or a vegan diet and can’t consume salmon, nuts and seeds are a great replacement and a preferred source of protein and tryptophan. 

Whether you want a serotonin boostin’ smoothie or need a healthy pick-me-up, Chef V’s juice for detox enhances your mental health! Our Green drinks are power-packed with serotonin and fibers for improved holistic health. 

Did you know that juice diets aren’t just limited to hydration, especially- green drinks. They are a great source of electrolytes, nutrients, and fiber. We all know how important water is for carrying out bodily functions, but did you know that 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated? Despite endless options for hydration, we tend to forget our liquids. Chef V is here to remind you of the lasting benefits of hydration.

Whether you prefer juices for detox, green drinks, raw juice diets, or filtered water, this blog aims to remind you that hydration can be fun. And before you go, ‘water is boring,’ well, it doesn’t have to be. A plain tall glass of water might not be the easiest to drink as a prime source of hydration, and we get it! That’s why juice diets that consist of green drinks are the way to go!

This blog goes into the details of everything you need to know about hydration.

Why Hydration Matters

Because human bodies are composed of more than 60% water, it’s the regulating force of life- a literal elixir, if you will. You can stay alive without food for days, perhaps weeks. But, the lack of water can be fatal. Every action your body takes loses water- from perspiring to breathing. Our bodies constantly lose water, and constant fluid intake replenishes the lost nutrients.

Other benefits of staying hydrated include:

* Water is known for carrying out toxins and bacteria from your body.
* Lubricates your joints.
* Regulates body temperature
* Provides nutrients and oxygen to body parts.
* It keeps your skin supple and aids in anti-aging.
* Prevents constipation.
* Aids the health of the bladder, liver, and kidney by removing waste.

We get why it might be challenging to meet your recommended water intake, but you can opt for unsweetened green drinks to stay hydrated and meet your daily quota. Other preventative measures include a solid intake of green drinks- consisting of a juice diet, fresh fruits, and vegetables.

Wondering if the items you’re consuming have enough water content? Here’s a list to help you determine the water content of the most commonly consumed items.
This table lists the water content of commonly consumed food items.

Risks of Dehydration

Dehydration can be due to rigorous exercise, fever, excessive sweating, diarrhea, and vomiting. Any situation where you’re going to lose excessive water puts you in immediate danger of dehydration. Dehydration often occurs when your water intake is less than the water you lose. When the body doesn’t have enough water to carry out bodily functions, you’ll feel these eerie symptoms kicking it.

Here are some signs to look out for:

* Dizziness
* Light Headedness
* Unquenchable thirst
* Little to no urine / infrequent urination
* Dry mouth, lips, and eyes
* Muscle Cramps

Moderate to mild signs of dehydration can be repaired through regular fluid intakes like juice diets, green drinks, water, and fluids packed with electrolytes. Experts suggest that you should consume 10-15 cups of water during the day, depending on age, gender, health conditions, and body weight.

Another great tip is always to be aware of the liquids you’re losing throughout the day, whether from urinating, sweating, or even crying! Tread with caution if you’re going to be in hot weather conditions. Take a rain check on that hot summer afternoon exercise session, and don’t forget to pick up that water bottle before your workout.

Or always carry that delicious bottle of green drink wherever you go!

Reverse Osmosis Filtered Water

Reverse Osmosis is a method for removing inorganic solids from tap water. It is different from most standard filtration methods because of its unique function of forcing water through a membrane. It drains all the pollutants, such as fluoride, lead, pesticides, sulfates, and nitrates. Along with a few more harmful molecules like cyanides, mercury, and arsenic. When these compounds are not removed, it can lead to reproductivity issues, cancer, and organ complications. With reverse Osmosis, you can have great-tasting water in the comfort of your home.

Stay Hydrated With Chef V

Chef V helps you meet your daily hydration needs with juice diets curated just for you!
Dehydration is the least of your worries with fiber-packed green drinks, smoothies, and soups. All the Chef V juices are easily accessible nationwide and can be stored up to 7 days after opening!

If you’re starting to pay more attention to nutrition, the terminology can be one of the biggest initial hurdles. Antioxidants, free radicals, juice detox diets – you sometimes feel like you need to be a chemist just to keep up

However, it’s not all as confusing as it might sound. Today, we’ll go over one of the most important concepts – micronutrients. Don’t let the name fool you. Micronutrients can have a gigantic impact on your overall health and are a big part of why juice diets and 21-day cleanses work. 

Okay, So What’s a Micronutrient Already?

Nutrients are good. We get that. A reason why juice diets are so popular is that people are looking out for those valuable nutrients. A nutrient is, in essence, anything that an organism needs to grow and live. Us humans have a particular set of nutrients that we require. When talking about the nutrients that people need, most nutritionists divide them into two categories. These are macronutrients and micronutrients. 

Macronutrients are the raw fuel that we need for energy. Think of your body as a car. In this metaphor, macronutrients are the gas in your tank. They include things like proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

Micronutrients are things you need in smaller amounts for very specific tasks in your body. Going back to the car analogy, they would be the things like oil, antifreeze, and windshield wiper fluid. Not as immediate a concern as gas. But you wouldn’t want to drive without them! 

Generally, micronutrients are divided into two categories, vitamins, and minerals. If you’re curious, the main difference between the two is that vitamins are purely organic. They can be broken down by acid or heat. Minerals, meanwhile, are inorganic and indivisible. As far as nutrition goes, they work close to the same way. 

Why Micronutrients Matter

Just because your body needs something in a small amount doesn’t mean it’s not essential. Every vitamin and mineral has a particular role in your body. If you’re lacking even just one micronutrient, you’ll start to suffer from serious health consequences. Don’t believe us? Following is a quick list of some of the most vital micronutrients and what happens when you miss out on them. 

Minerals 

Calcium: Calcium is a necessity for healthy bones and teeth. If you’re missing out on calcium, you can develop osteoporosis or cataracts. 

Iodine: This mineral helps with thyroid function. Missing out on it can cause swelling, weight gain, weakness, hair loss, skin conditions, and even memory loss. 

Iron: Your muscles need iron in order to get the oxygen they need. Without it, you’ll be anemic and short of breath. 

Phosphorus: You need Phosphorus for healthy cells. Deficiency in phosphorus results in stiffness, fatigue, and anxiety. 

Potassium: This mineral helps regulate fluid in your cells and your nerves and muscles. Without it, you’ll be cramping, aching, and have blood pressure issues. 

Magnesium: Magnesium helps with managing your blood pressure. Signs you’re lacking include tremors and twitches. 

Sodium: Like Potassium, you need sodium to manage the fluid levels of your cells, plus for handling blood pressure. Without enough sodium, you’ll end up lethargic and confused. 

Zinc: This mineral is vital for proper growth and immune function – super essential for kids! Without it, you can expect a weakened immune system and stunted growth. 

Vitamins 

Vitamin A: You need plenty of Vitamin A for your eyes and organs to work correctly. Night blindness and a weakened immune system follow if you’re lacking it. 

Vitamin B1: Known as thiamine, this vitamin is necessary for turning other nutrients into actual energy. A deficiency in vitamin B1 can lead to nerve damage, anorexia, and even memory loss. 

Vitamin B2: Also known as riboflavin, you need B2 in order to produce energy and for your cells to function. A deficiency in B2 can do some nasty things to your appearance, including giving you skin disorders and hair loss. 

Vitamin B3: Niacin (B3) helps us get energy from our food. Not getting enough B3? Enjoy a nasty combination of dementia and diarrhea. 

Vitamin B5: Pantothenic acid (B5) is used to help your body break down fatty acids. Deficiency is rare but unpleasant, including vomiting, stomach pains, and fatigue.

Vitamin B6: Pyridoxine, or vitamin B6, is needed to help turn carbohydrates into sugar and create new red blood cells. Without enough of it, you’ll suffer from anemia, depression, and a weakened immune system. 

Vitamin B7: Biotin (B7) is needed to metabolize your body’s fatty acids, amino acids, and glucose. Signs you’re missing out include hair loss and rashes. 

Vitamin B9: Folate (B9) is used to help form actual DNA and metabolizes protein. If you lack B9, signs include anemia, fatigue, and hair loss. 

Vitamin B12: Cobalamin (B12) is needed for the proper function of red blood cells, your nervous system, and your brain. A deficiency in it will result in loss of muscle coordination and chronic nausea. 

Vitamin C: Technically known as ascorbic acid, Vitamin C is critical in helping build up the collagen in your skin and boosting your immune system. You’ll find that wounds heal slower without it, and you’ll get nasty issues with your gums. A good juice diet is critical to avoiding getting as scurvy as a pirate! 

Vitamin D: You need Vitamin D for your bones to properly absorb calcium. Without it, your bones will become brittle, and you’ll have issues with insulin levels.

Vitamin E: This Vitamin is necessary for your immune system to work. Without it, you will suffer damage to your nerves and muscle. 

Vitamin K: You need Vitamin K for proper blood clotting and bone growth. Without enough vitamin K, your wounds won’t heal properly. 

Avoiding Micronutrient Deficiencies

That’s a pretty impressive list, isn’t it? As you can see, micronutrients are essential for every part of our lives. And deficiencies in them can be nasty, to say the least. Thankfully, a lot of these deficiencies are pretty rare. By eating a regular balanced diet, you can end up with most of them.

But that’s not always the case. Deficiencies in Vitamins D, B6, and B12, as well as iron and calcium, are more common than you may realize.

Why these ones in particular? Well, these micronutrients can all be found in leafy greens. And that’s something that many of us lack, given our diets are filled with processed foods and animal products. 

This is why a green juice diet can be one of the best short-term steps for your long-term health. By going on a juice detox diet, you can make sure you’re getting all the nutrients you need. 

Of course, some juice diets end up causing as much harm as good because while they add in some micronutrients, they’re lacking in others. 

Not with Chef V. Our 21 day cleanse comes complete not just with green drink but with detox soup and detox smoothies as well. You can lose weight with a juice diet and get all the health benefits of a wide range of nutritious fruits and vegetables. Like micronutrients, a small juice cleanse can have huge health benefits. 

We’re going to guess that most people reading this are from at least a somewhat industrialized country or region. Nothing wrong with that, of course! There are certainly plenty of benefits to living in the 21st century. We enjoy comfort and convenience unthought of in earlier ages – including the ability to order Chef V’s green juice detox entirely online.

However, modern life also comes with downsides. Chief among these is the prevalence of artificial flavors, preservatives, and flat-out toxic stuff in our food. To some extent, this is simply a fact of living in a world where food needs to be preserved for transportation across the entire globe. 

That doesn’t mean that you need to accept that you have no control over what gets put into your body. Detox juices are popular for a reason – people are searching for more and more organic options so that they have the power of choice. 

Of course, you can’t avoid toxins and their effects on your digestive system without knowing what toxins actually are. So Chef V is putting together a quick lineup of some of the worst offenders of what you’ll find in modern food.

What Makes a Toxin?

Before we get into a list of toxins in food, it’s essential to understand what that term means. Talking about toxins in foods can be a surprisingly controversial issue. 

Mostly this is semantics. Scientifically a toxin is a harmful substance created within living cells or organisms. However, in the sense of nutrition, a toxin is used to refer to anything harmful that ends up in your food.

Precisely what “harmful” means depends on who you ask. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is pretty strict about not letting anything life-threatening into food products. But just because something is safe does not mean that it is healthy or good for you. 

Of course, technically, any substance can be harmful to you if you get enough of it. This can even include things that are usually considered beneficial. Still, there are some substances that you can be pretty confident in cutting out of your diet. 

There’s also the consideration that (despite the best work of the FDA) some really dangerous stuff can sneak into your food, depending on how it’s made.

So, in summation, this list will cover some of the worst substances, artificial or otherwise, that might be sneaking into your grocery list. It will also help explain how worried you really need to be about them.

Added Sugar

Sugar, a toxin? Well, under our definition of what a toxin is, there are plenty of times when sugar could be considered a hazard. Consider how many people seek out juice for detox to get blood sugar levels under control.

Essentially, added sugars refer to things like high fructose corn syrup. These cause you to severely overdose on sugar without adding any nutritional value. Excess added sugar is linked to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. That sounds pretty toxic to us. 

Added sugars are especially dangerous because they can play havoc with your sense of appetite and cravings. It’s no wonder that green juice detoxes to get blood sugar back under control are so popular. 

Aflatoxin

Aflatoxins are a nut-living fungus connected to various nasty conditions, particularly those affecting your liver. This even includes liver cancer. Aflatoxin is a major concern for those buying nut products in less developed parts of the world. 

In America, concerns over Aflatoxin are less severe. This doesn’t mean it poses no danger at all. If a nut looks discolored or strange, don’t eat it. And make sure that any nut products like peanut butter you eat aren’t expired. Leaving them in the fridge is often the best practice. 

Bisphenol A

Bisphenol A is an industrial chemical that has been used in a variety of plastics since the 50s. This makes it somewhat unique as a toxin in that it affects the container food is packaged in rather than the food itself. You probably remember hearing about worries of Bisphenol A in canned tomatoes or water bottles. 

While low levels of Bisphenol A might not do you too much harm, higher levels can potentially prove dangerous, particularly to pregnant women. If you want to hedge your bets, simply try to introduce more organic products into your life. Also, make sure not to put plastic containers into the microwave – the heat could cause more significant leaching of Bisphenol A. 

Coumarin

Coumarin is a natural ingredient found in tonka beans and cinnamon. Getting too much coumarin has been linked to damage to kidneys and livers. However, in the United States, tonka beans are often banned. As for cinnamon, you should be fine as long as you aren’t doing daily cinnamon challenges!

Diacetyl

Diacetyl is a food product that affects you in a rather unorthodox way. Rather than messing with your digestive system, breathing in diacetyl can give you lung disease! Thankfully diacetyl has a narrow application in foods. It’s mainly associated with providing a gross fake “buttery” flavor to things like movie theatre popcorn. Just keep an eye out for this ingredient in any popcorn products you buy.

Free Radicals

Free radicals have entered the public consciousness in a big way recently. These harmful atoms can directly damage human cells, leading to conditions such as cancer. While free radicals occur in chemicals (like those in tobacco products), they’ve also been increasingly found in food, particularly in cooked meat products.

Thankfully for those worried about free radicals, research indicates that you can counter them with foods high in antioxidants. If you think you’ve been going too heavy on the cooked meats, a green juice detox is just what the doctor ordered. 

Mercury

Mercury is one of the better-known toxins out there, particularly when associated with seafood. Too much mercury from fish products can lead to some serious neurological health issues. 

How dangerous seafood is depends on the kind. Swordfish and sharks are significant sources of mercury, but those probably aren’t staples of your diet. The most common high-mercury fish purchased in grocery stores is canned tuna. Keep an eye out for organic or mercury-free options!

Trans Fats 

We started this list with the ubiquitous ingredient of added sugar, so it seems fitting we’d end it with the similarly ubiquitous trans fats. Generally, your body does need a little bit of fat in your food. Trans fats, however, are artificially created and added to foods to give them a longer shelf life. They add extra fat content without any real nutritional value. Any artificially preserved foods are going to be heavy on trans fats. They’ll make you put on the pounds, with no nutritional benefit to speak of. 

Don’t Sweat the Toxins – Get Juice for Detox

If trans fats worry you, organic is the way to go. And if you want to lose weight and get the effects of those trans fats out of your system, then juice for detox is the way to go. With Chef V’s green juice detox, you’re guaranteed a weight loss strategy that features only the freshest juice recipes. With Chef V’s fresh juice, you get only the vegetables and fruits you need for a successful green juice detox – nothing more, nothing less. 

Can children enjoy green juice? You may have asked this question if you’re a Chef V customer with a family. After all, being a kid in America is difficult when it comes to healthy eating. 

You’ll be happy to learn that the answer is, of course!

Let’s get one fact established first and foremost, however. It’s certainly not a great idea for a child to undergo a juice cleanse! A child needs constant nutrition for their growing bodies. Juice cleanse nutrition is designed to give adults everything they need, not children. Kids are also less likely to understand how to pace themselves on a juice cleanse. 

However, the need for plenty of vitamins and minerals means that incorporating green drinks into your kid’s diet can work out great. Here are some of the reasons why. 

Green Drinks are Delicious and Nutritious

Getting kids to eat their vegetables has been a battle for parents throughout history. However, with green drinks, you can give your kids a tasty beverage that can go along with any meal, no matter what you’re eating.

Ever felt bad because you had to go for the fast and easy option instead of turning into a vegan supercook for the night? Well, worry no more! Cleansing juicing drinks are a fantastic way to sneak in leafy greens along with any meal.

Green drinks are convenient in their portability as well. This makes them great for school lunches or refreshments at a sporting event. 

Of course, it’s not all about convenience. Nutrition is essential for anyone, regardless of age. The benefits of blended juice are pretty well understood by anyone who takes health seriously. 

However, nutrients and vitamins are even more important for growing children. Brain and body development are constantly ongoing during the early stages of childhood. You need to make sure you give those growing bodies everything they need for success.

Dealing With Picky Drinkers

Naturally, not every kid will take to vegetable juice immediately, especially if they are used to sweeter fruit juices. If your kid is a picky drinker, there are plenty of options you can take to try and entice them into some healthier choices.

Firstly, one of the best things you can do is simply make sure you enjoy green drink yourself. By undertaking cleansing juicing, you’ll give your child something to emulate. Children are the ultimate copycats, after all. 

If your kids see you drinking green juice regularly, they’ll want to give it a try too. Similarly, if they see you enjoying plenty of fresh fruit and avoiding processed foods, they’ll also copy those patterns. 

The younger you start, the better as well. Kids often develop a love of sweet things simply by becoming used to them. If you start them on green juice recipes early, it will merely become a healthy part of their regular routine. 

You can also try to make green drinks more “fun” with a bit of imagination. Crazy straws and special cups are a good start. But you can also turn it into popsicles or other frozen versions. This will get kids curious and engaged with the taste. 

In some cases, kids might just not like the taste of green drink – and that’s okay! Children usually don’t need to worry about losing weight or having eating disorders. If you still want to get them to enjoy the taste, you can add additional apple juice to the green drink to make it more palatable. 

If you want to get some green drink into your family’s diet, then make sure to check out our Chef V plans! 

Some days you’re just not up for it. And you know what? That’s okay. Depression, anxiety, and panic are rampant in America. You’re not alone in feeling like this. 

But life doesn’t have a handbrake. There is a ton of pressure to be your best self from the start of the week until the end. And that’s pure nonsense. It’s okay to feel bad once in a while. Your emotions are your emotions, and they’re healthy to accept.

That said, it’s hard to tackle a week’s worth of work if you’re constantly feeling down and irritable. Everyone is looking for the secrets to improving their mood. Thankfully, little things can have a massive impact on how you feel. 

In fact, some juice for detox could be just the ticket to help you get ready to kick butt. How can green drink help? Glad you asked!

The Power of Green Drink Ritual

Throughout human history, people have developed personal, cultural, and religious rituals. It’s just a part of the human experience. Rituals help calm us down, providing a moment of comforting consistency in our busy lives. Having a routine helps keep us focused and feeling productive. Even simple everyday tasks give us little jolts of confidence. 

A morning ritual of green drink will make you feel like you’re taking an important healthy step. That’s just the sort of positivity you need to start your day with!

Super Ingredients

Suppose you can find a quality organic juice cleanse with delicious ingredients. There’s a good chance many of those ingredients also come with mood-boosting powers.

Take the products that come with our cleanses – our green drinks, detox smoothies, and detox soups. They include tons of great ingredients for mood, including some of these superstars: 

• Ginger: Boosts those serotonin levels, giving you a feel-good buzz. Ginger can also help you cut down on nausea and muscle pain – good feelings all around!

• Kale: Beyond being great at putting the “detox” in juice for detox, kale provides the nutrients your brain needs to work and helps beat excess fatigue. 

• Collard Greens: Beyond boosting your immune system, these healthy greens contain choline, a fantastic mood booster. 

The Keys to Fitness 

A detox juice cleanse is more than just the great ingredients, of course. It’s a way for you to cut down on your blood sugar, lose weight, and cut the toxins and bad stuff right out of your balanced diet. And that’s not even getting into how much better you’ll feel with a healthy digestive system.

Being overweight or having issues with blood sugar are linked to mood issues. In fact, the line between physical health and mood is a thinner one than you might think. If you’re feeling terrible, then your mood probably isn’t going to be great, will it?

Thankfully with Chef V, you can ensure you’re getting your fruits and vegetables and staying in the best mood possible. You’ll also be on track to meet your weight loss goals. The week may seem long, but you’re sure to master it with Chef V and our delicious green drink. 

As juice detox diets have taken over the internet, we know 3 day juice cleanses boost productivity, metabolism, and energy levels. With so many methods to energize, there are endless yet overwhelming options in the market. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to stay energized throughout the day? If you’re confused about energy drinks, coffee, tea, energy shots, and topical patches- and still wondering what is the best way to stay energized? Let us guide you!  As the best juice detox diet company, we know a thing or two about staying energized, especially if you’re constantly exploring innovative ways to stay energized. 

Ask yourself this, do you find yourself chugging down energy drinks and large cups of coffee to keep up with your daily tasks? And find yourself crashing post midday? Well, it’s time to switch to a more sustainable energy source- Juice detox diets!  This blog guides you through some options you need to steer clear of for better energy levels throughout the day. From caffeine to energy drinks- we discuss it all. 

Do you want to get a headstart on your day, but you’re having difficulty feeling energized? Here’s how you can feel unstoppable in the morning.

You Don’t Need Energy Drinks: Here’s Why

The sad truth about energy drinks is that with an influx of consumption there have been increased trips to the ER. Most energy drinks have adverse side effects on your heart, leading to irregular heart beating, palpitations, and increased blood pressure. They’re often loaded with sugar, preservatives, artificial flavoring, and caffeine.

Here’s a perspective: a cup of coffee has about 70-100MG of caffeine, whereas an average energy drink contains about 100-250mg of caffeine. Short-term consumption of multiple energy drinks results in significant drawbacks, such as an increase in cardiac QT intervals- resulting in sudden death. As there isn’t much research on topical energy patches, it can’t be proved that they’re a reliable source of energy, unlike the juice detox diet.

Steer Clear Of Sugar

In the US added sugars account for almost 20% of calories consumed by an adult, when in reality the dietary guidelines suggest about 10% or less per day. Frequently, just consuming one prepacked sweetened drink like artificially flavored juices, energy drinks, or soda can put you above your daily sugar intake. Heart diseases, diabetes, blood pressure levels, and obesity are significant concerns associated with consuming too much sugar.

• Causes weight gain
• Tooth decay
• Linked to acne and other skin conditions
• Puts you at risk of depression
• It can cause skin aging and damage
• Increased kidney and liver risks

A great alternative to sugary drinks is fresh juices, unsweetened juices, or a juice detox diet. At Chef V, our 7-day juice cleanse improves your metabolism, gives you energy, and removes toxins from your body. They are packed with flavors and natural sugars and the added benefits. 

Boost Your Energy, Naturally. 

Here are some of the best practices to sustain your energy levels throughout the day. Keeping a journal and track of all the activities can help you plan your day better, resulting in less fatigue.  

• Light exercise
• Include energy foods
• Meditation
• Include raw and fresh fruits and veggies in your diet
• Take small breaks throughout the day
• Delegate and divide tasks
• Get adequate sleep at night

Lifestyle changes will ensure your energy levels are stable throughout the day. Chef V’s juice detox diet include fiber-packed green drinks, detox soups, and protein shakes. They provide you with consistent energy throughout the day, without any crashes. As our 7-day cleanses are filled with juices packed with phytonutrients and essential amino acids, they improve digestion and mood and increase metabolism.

Why Organic Produce Helps You Lose Weight

There are a lot of apparent benefits to organic food. It’s tasty, for one, and it’s much less likely to have a bunch of weird stuff like preservatives or chemicals in it. But it’s often claimed that organic food can also help you lose weight. Since all our detox juice cleanses are organic cleanses, this is a pretty exciting claim for us. But does this really hold true? Let’s find out!

So What Counts as Organic?

Essentially, organic food is that which has been grown without any artificial ingredients. This means no chemicals, artificial pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, or genetically modified organisms are used during the growing of the food. There’s also generally an overlap between “Organic Foods” and “Whole Foods.” This means that even after the food is ready for packaging, it uses a minimum of preservatives and additives. The closer something is to the natural cycle of growth and consumption, the more organic it is.

In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t actually handle any food labeling as organic or not. Instead, it’s run by the National Organic Program (NOP), part of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). They handle giving out the seals and labels to mark something as organic. So keep your eye out for these certifications when you buy an organic cleanse.

Why is Organic a Big Deal?

Organic cleanses and foods are such a hot topic because of worries about things like preservatives and other additives to food. No one wants to be eating something that could be potentially harmful.

Many chefs and foodies will also swear by the tastiness of organic food. Because organic food is low in things like preservatives, it’s generally prepared more freshly. While this can make getting organic food somewhat more complex, it’s often well worth the taste.

Organic food is also considered to be healthier. This is because processed foods tend to remove a lot of nutrients in the, well, process of making them. Organic food has more of its original goodness in it, so you are more likely to get maximum nutritional value out of it. For example, studies have been linked to higher levels of antioxidants and other immune boosters in organic foods.

What About Weight Loss?

Generally, weight loss is about amounts and types of food. The less you eat, the less weight you gain from any sort of food. However, organic foods do have a lot going for them. Firstly, since they have more nutritional punch, they’re more likely to fill them up, and you’re less likely to overeat.

Secondly, organic foods are less likely to have added artificial fats and sugars. These additions tend to create foods that cause you to put on a lot of weight without giving you many nutritional benefits.

Lastly, the benefits of having food you actually enjoy can’t be underestimated. If you have a lot of tasty organic food on hand, you’ll be more likely to savor it and take your time rather than filling up on empty calories.

Looking For a Great Dose of Organic?

If you’re looking for the best organic cleanse out there, then you’re in luck. From our famous 21 day cleanse to our green drinks, everything at Chef V is 100% organic and delicious. Make sure to check out all our organic cleanse options today!

Are Short Juice Cleanses Worth it?

At Chef V, we offer a variety of juice cleanses to suit your needs. Any juice cleanse is an impressive goal – so feel good about undertaking one! However, some people have an attitude that is very “go big or go home” when it comes to juice cleanses. Essentially, unless it’s a full 21 Day Cleanse, it ain’t worth it. But is this true? Do short juice cleanses have their place? We’ll explain here.

What Happens During a Juice Cleanse?

Firstly, you need to understand that not all juice cleanses are made equal. Your ideal juice cleanse will be low in sugar and calories while still giving you all the nutrients and minerals you need to successfully complete the cleanse.

This means that a good juice cleanse is different from simply fasting. Instead of cutting off all food and drink, you’re merely trying to cut down on targeted kinds of food that are dense in carbs, fats, and sugars.

Cutting down on the number of carbs and fats during a juice cleanse will soon dramatically affect your body in terms of weight loss. Essentially, what happens is that your body will start to transfer into the mode of “intermittent fasting.” This means you stop storing fat and instead begin to consume your fat reserves for energy. And presto, you will start to get some serious weight loss.

Cutting back on sugar will also have other significant effects. Once your blood sugar levels stabilize, you’ll start to notice that your sugar cravings diminish. You’ll also find that you have much more consistent energy throughout the day. Eating a lot of sugar, especially refined sugars, will lead to spikes and crashes. Cutting back on the sugar will give you a more stable energy level throughout the day.

So Is a Short Juice Cleanse Worth It?

So we know that juice cleanses have great benefits. But is doing a short 2 day juice cleanse worth it?

You might be surprised to learn that even a very short juice cleanse can have some significant impacts. The main reason is that our body transfers to the “fasting” mode sooner than expected. After just 12 hours of cutting back on the carbs and fat, you can expect the weight loss to begin. True, 2 days might not show a lot of visible weight loss – but it will be present, and you will be on a definite pause from gaining weight.

Getting your blood sugar levels under control is doable with a short juice cleanse, as long as you follow it up with healthy low sugar eating. A 2 day juice cleanse won’t provide miraculous results for your digestive system. But what it can do, is make you feel better about yourself and be an excellent springboard into healthier habits.

Get the Cleanse that Works For You!

At Chef V, we’re all about empowering you to get the exact weight loss results you need. Even a 3 day juice cleanse from Chef V will leave you feeling fantastic and ready to tackle your future health goals. So go check out all our cleanse options, and find what fits you best – or just grab some green drink for a healthy boost!

Before Juice Cleansing – The History of Diets

It’s hard to imagine a time before dieting. Anywhere you go online, you’ll find tons of information about ways that you can maybe, just maybe, lose a few pounds. However, this isn’t a new age desire. People have wanted to get control of their weight, one way or the other, since ancient times. To the ancient Greeks, “diet” or “diaita” represented an entirely healthy way of life, not just your choices with food. We’ve come a long way before the juice cleanses today’s diets, so let’s see where the concept of dieting comes from!

Old School Dieting

For a lot of human history, the idea of a “diet” as we understand it wasn’t really a consideration. For many people, getting enough food was more of a concern than getting too much food. Indeed, being overweight was seen as fashionable in many places since it was an indicator of wealth.

Some of the wealthiest people in history took the whole “showing off their wealth” a little bit too far. Medieval kings, queens, and other rulers would have been the people most prone to overeating. What’s neat is that these were also the people most likely to have records about their attempts to combat their overeating.

Take Sancho I of Spain, given the rather unflattering title of “Sancho the Fat.” Sancho apparently ate seven meals a day, mainly focused on meat. Naturally, this kind of diet led to the king developing what we would call today “morbid obesity”.

Sancho I lived in 10th Century Medieval Spain, and he didn’t really know much about nutrition or dieting. In fact, his obesity got so bad that he was deposed as king! Thankfully, Sancho managed to run into one of the first nutritionists, Hasdai ibn Shaprut, a Jewish physician.

What’s sort of crazy is that Hasdai ibn Shaprut recommended Sancho take what could be considered the predecessor of an early juice cleanse diet, drinking a mixture of roots, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds. Sancho managed to lose enough weight to retake his throne – which just goes to prove the power of a good juice diet or liquid cleanse.

Of course, not all liquid diet trends were great back in olden times. It was surprisingly popular to adopt a diet of severe calorie restriction… mixed with copious amounts of alcohol. Apparently, it worked for many medieval noblemen, but we wouldn’t recommend swapping your green drink for a martini today!

Modern Diets

What we consider to be the more “modern” style of diet can be said to have emerged in England. During the 18th and 19th centuries, England prospered on the world stage thanks to a global empire – which also meant there was a lot more tasty food being imported to Britain to enjoy. However, this was also a time when science was taking off, and there was a much more rigorous approach to dieting.

One of the first people to prescribe a diet was the 18th century English Physician George Cheyne. As an up-and-coming doctor, Cheyne got the bright idea that to best connect with potential patients in his area, he should spend as much time at local taverns as possible. Too many beers and bar snacks ended up giving Cheyne a bad case of obesity.

Cheyne decided, as a doctor, it was time to prescribe himself a solution. He was mocked at the time for his idea – a diet that dropped meats in favor of more vegetables. Despite the doubters, Cheyne’s diet worked wonders. He even penned a best-selling book about it – making him maybe the first nutritional blogger in history.

The Diet Craze

If we’re going to talk about the real rise of dieting as a craze, then we definitely need to cover William Banting. An undertaker living in Victorian Britain, Banting’s family handled funeral arrangements for the British Royal Family. This was a prestigious duty, but Banting’s comfortable lifestyle resulted in a less than comfortable waistline.

Since there weren’t really juice cleanse diets yet, Banting was on his own as far as coming up with a solution. He eventually found success in the advice of physician William Harvey, who was studying the diabetes management ideas of French doctor Claude Bernand. Banting seemed like the perfect chance to experiment with these ideas.

Banting’s diet focused on cutting the carbohydrates and sugars out of his diet – something that should be familiar to anyone interested in modern juice cleanse diets. The program was a resounding success. Banting would shed his pounds and live into his 80s. Banting was so excited by the change in his body that he shared his experience widely, starting one of the first dieting crazes in Victorian England. The Banting diet is still used by some today and is the precursor to the idea of “low carb diets.”

Counting Calories

Once people had figured out about carbs, the next thing on their list would be calories as a whole. At the turn of the century, Diet and Health: With Key to the Calories was published by Lulu Hunt Peters. This book was possibly the first to popularize the idea of “counting calories,” which is a major dietary trend to this day.

Dieting Today

Today, you’ll see ads or advice for dieting anywhere you look. Among the most popular diets of the post-WWII era are the juice diet and its derivative, the juice cleanse. What’s cool about the juice cleanse diet is how you can see the ideas that started it throughout the history of dieting – the desire to cut back on sugars, carbs, and calories.

Of course, not every juice cleanse diet is made equal. With Chef V, you can make sure you are getting a liquid cleanse that you can complete. Between our green drink and detox soups and smoothies, you’ll get all the nutrients and minerals you need to finish even a 21 day cleanse. Plus, it’s just plain delicious!

When it comes to living in America, we tend to take it for granted that controlling our weight will be a constant, lifelong struggle. But did it always have to be this way? We’re, of course, super proud of our 21 day cleanse. This leaves the question, however, of why there is such a demand for effective weight control methods in America? Before you go looking up how to do a juice cleanse, it’s important to understand just how serious the obesity epidemic is in America – and what causes it. 

What An Obesity Epidemic Means

At first glance, calling obesity an epidemic seems a little off. The word epidemic is designed to refer to virulent diseases, after all. However, when it comes to cold, hard numbers, it’s challenging to find a better word. It’s estimated that approximately two-thirds of Americans have a higher Body Mass Index (BMI) than is healthy. And in America, roughly a third of all people are obese, which means having a BMI over 30. When you factor in that approximately 4 million people a year die directly from being overweight, it puts the severity of those numbers into real perspective.

Why America?

Contrary to what you might have heard, America isn’t the nation with the highest obesity rates in the world – but it consistently manages to score in the top 20. (If you’re curious, countries from Oceania generally top the list, with Arabic countries also hitting high numbers). 

Why does America manage to keep being a top scorer for obesity? It comes down to a few factors. One of the major ones is, of course, the average American diet. Take as an example a country that consistently scores near the bottom of the obesity list – Japan. The traditional Japanese diet focuses on plenty of seafood, vegetables, and minimal sugar or fat. Perhaps even more importantly, serving sizes are kept modest.

In America, on the other hand, for every advertisement you’ll get for something like a 21 day cleanse, you’ll get two or three for high-fat fast food. America has enjoyed decades of incredibly agricultural bounty, which has encouraged us to go big or go home when it comes to portions. More food, more obesity.

However, there are also more subtle reasons for the rise of obesity in America. A lot of how we work and live is designed to make us gain weight, even if by accident. Take American cities. A lot of American cities are designed to be only navigable by car. A lack of daily options for walking can have a creeping effect on weight gain.

Think of the jobs we do these days as well. You’re much less likely to get outside for your job or even move around the office. Everything we need is conveniently all at a single computer – often right inside our homes. There’s no real incentive to get out of our comfy office chairs. 

And part of it must be chalked up to simply complacency. Obesity in America is nothing new. We’ve been living in the obesity epidemic for so long that we’ve simply accepted it as part of the American landscape. 

The Risks of Obesity 

Obesity might have been reduced to the punchline of jokes at America’s expense, but it’s no laughing matter. Higher BMIs lead to various adverse effects on your overall health, such as a greater risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, gallbladder disease, arthritis, sleep apnea, mental illness, and even cancer.

You can get medication and treatment for all these conditions. Still, the best solution is to simply never encounter them at all. That means tackling your high BMI directly to cut back on these severe risks.

Thankfully, just like modern America provides many avenues for weight gain, it also offers many options for weight loss. If you’re looking to quickly lose weight, there’s little more effective than a detox diet. Try out one of our shorter cleanses to get started, or undertake our 21 day cleanse for a guaranteed transformation of your quality of life. 

Doing the Math: Understanding Calories

How many calories should you be consuming in a day? Are there different rules for women vs. men? But how exactly do calories work? Is counting calories a legitimate strategy for losing weight? This blog explains the basics you need to know, including covering intermittent fasting vs. calorie counting.

What is a Calorie?

You may be surprised to learn there isn’t a specific thing known as a calorie. Instead, “calorie” is a term of measurement, just like “mile” or “liter.” Specifically, a calorie is a unit used to measure energy.

Our bodies are pretty amazing machines if you stop and think about it. And just like any machine, we need fuel. Such a complex machine needs a complex set of fuel sources. Your body needs water, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals.

Water doesn’t have a calorie count, nor do vitamins and minerals. However, we can measure how much energy we get from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in calories.

If you’re interested in the math, every gram of carbs and proteins gives you 4 calories of energy. Every gram of fat gives you 9 calories of energy. This information becomes more useful if you start to count calories and build your own custom meal plan.

Calories and Fat

Many people tend to confuse calories and fat with each other when talking about the healthy (or not healthy) properties of food. Fat is often associated with high calories – as the math we showed demonstrated, fat tends to have more calories per gram than protein or carbs. However, while there are plenty of high-fat foods that are also high in calories (like bacon), just cutting fat isn’t a guarantee of cutting calories. You have to be aware of fats and carbs at the same time.

Calories and Weight Gain

So as we’ve established, calories are energy. But the human body isn’t quite like a car. Calories that we don’t use don’t simply stay in our stomachs waiting for us to use them. Our body extracts and stores them. Unfortunately for us, our body will store the calories of energy as fat to use at a later date. If you eat more calories than you consume as energy, you’ll gain weight. (If you’re wondering, it’s estimated that about 3,500 hundred calories translate to about a pound of body weight).

Intermittent Fasting vs. Calorie Counting

It’s easy to oversimplify calories as a concept. If excess calories equal fat, the solution is then to simply drop the number of calories, right? This sort of approach is often known as calorie counting. It seems like a clear winner, but how effective is it?

One problem is that the amount of calories is only one part of the equation when it comes to the food you eat. Imagine if you ate only potato chips every day, but just very few of them. Your calorie count might be low, but is that really healthy eating?

Plus, no human can tell you precisely how many calories they are burning in a single day. Some days we’re more active than others – and some people simply have more active metabolisms than others.

Intermittent Fasting and Detox Juice Cleanses

Reducing calories is important. But it’s also essential to get plenty of exercise, eat food that has plenty of vitamins and minerals, stay hydrated, and not starve yourself to the point that you can’t maintain your calorie counting.

This is why intermittent fasting and detox juice cleanses are so popular. Essentially, these are temporary reductions in calories from most sources. In something like a 7 day juice cleanse, you may restrict yourself to juices and detox soups and smoothies.

In the end, both methods probably are losing the same amount of calories, and it’s hard to judge them using a “math” method. However, something like a detox juice cleanse is good not just for keeping weight off but also for losing weight.

This is because going on just a 7 day juice cleanse can have impressive effects on your body. To go back to the car analogy, not only do our bodies consume fuel, but we actually can shit into different “gears.” When we reduce our calories through a detox juice cleanse, our body shifts over into a mode where it starts consuming those excess calories stored as fat – hence, weight loss.

Since juice cleanses also tend to be low in things like fats, carbs, and sugars, they also help us get better control of our blood sugar level, and our hunger cravings.

A detox juice cleanse works not just because of the calories you’re losing, but because of what it adds. Too often, calorie counting diets, or hard fasts, end because they’re just not feasible. You just end up feeling too hungry and can’t manage to make it through.

However, something like Chef V’s Blended Juice Cleanse is totally feasible. From our 3 day to 7 day juice cleanse, all the way up to our 21 day detox, all our cleanses contain green drink and other products that are filled with vitamins, minerals and even protein – all the stuff your body needs as essential fuel. This lets you start shedding those pounds quickly and with confidence!

With summer coming up, it’s time to travel, get out of the house, and visit some great restaurants. We know a lot of our subscribers are interested in vegetarianism and veganism. So we thought we’d put together a list of some of the most fabulous vegan restaurants worldwide, from the fancy to the fanciful. So we’ll provide your juice cleanse from San Diego or New Jersey this summer while you go looking for some prime spots to eat around the world! Whether you’re a urab-snob or just looking for something funky to enjoy after your juice cleanse diet is over, this list will provide some (vegan) food for thought.

Eleven Madison Park

This one is really fancy – a three-star Michelin Restaurant! Of course, just being fancy isn’t enough to make this list. So what makes Eleven Madison Park so unique? Well, the restaurant wasn’t originally vegan when it was earning its Michelin chops. Just in June of 2021, the restaurant abandoned many of the staples it had based its reputation on to go entirely vegan. The restaurant also operates a sister food truck designed to help New Yorkers suffering from food insecurity.

Haus Hiltl

Haus Hiltl is located in lovely Zurich, Switzerland. Generally, this Alpine country is a place that loves its meat dishes, making Haus Hiltl’s dedication to vegan cuisine all the more impressive. The Haus has grown into its all small chain of restaurants and bars. Its cuisine is known to be home-cooked delights, with a surprising focus on Indian cuisine. But what really puts it on this list is that the original Haus Hiltl is in the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world!

Kaijitsu

It’s hard to find a list of the best vegan restaurants online that doesn’t include a mention of Kaijitsu (Japanese for “Fine Day”). What makes this New York restaurant unique is its approach to food. Kaijitsu specializes in Shojin cuisine, a kind of vegetarian cooking with roots in Zen Buddhism. Kaijitsu is as much an experience as a restaurant. Only the freshest in-season ingredients are served on pottery made by master Japanese potters – some of which are centuries old!

LOV

Let’s say you’re north of the border in Canada and can’t get your delicious Chef V Liquid Cleanses delivered. What can you do to cheer yourself up? It’s well known that brunch is a big deal in Canada, and if you’re looking for vegan brunch in Montreal or Toronto, no one makes it better than LOV. This beloved Montreal icon is expanding, making it even easier to get their fantastic vegan brunch dishes.

Meta Burger

Did you know that you can get our Chef V cleanse as far off from the coast as Colorado? Did you also know that you can still get a great burger while remaining vegan? Did you guess that all this was leading up to an introduction to Meta Burger? If you want American staples while still remaining vegan, then look no further.

Mildreds

Let’s pop over to the United Kingdom to give them some love, shall we? And what’s more lovely than the famous set of Mildreds restaurants? Established back in the 80s, Mildreds is a staple of London’s vegan restaurant options. Mildreds are all cozy homes away from home, and offer a wide array of global vegan food.

ONA

ONA stands for Origine Non-Animale. This restaurant, found in Arès, France, has historical importance as the first vegan restaurant in France to be awarded a Michelin Star. The restaurant was partially crowd-funded in its creation and founded by a former archaeologist. ONA is unique because of its on-site garden, with over 140 types of plants! Combined with a rotating, seasonal menu, there’s always something new to be found here.

Phatties

Who said that great Mexican food can’t also be vegan? Located near our San Marcos headquarters over in Escondido, Phatties is a great way to indulge yourself after your juice cleanse in San Diego is finished. Vegan quesadillas, vegan taquitos – you name it, they got it.

The Pitted Date

Not many people know it, but you can get a ton of authentic Mexican food, in Mexico, that is also totally vegan. If you’re a tourist, you might need to dig around a little. Unless you’re heading for the sunny beaches of Playa del Carmen. Then you just need to head right on over to the Pitted Date. It’s the only 100% vegan bakery on the Playa, the food is excellent, and all the menus are English. You have no excuse to not give it a look.

Rollin Roots

Since we created our first juice cleanse in San Diego, we want to give the city some love. One of the greatest places for vegan food in San Diego is also one of the most surprising – a food truck! Rollin Roots is dedicated to putting out the most delicious staples of African American comfort food, including Po’ Boys – but all with totally vegan ingredients! After you’re done a liquid cleanse, this is a great way to treat yourself for your accomplishment.

Veganized

If you’re closer to our New Jersey side of operations, then make sure to check out Veganized in New Brunswick. They make all sorts of amazing vegan dishes but are perhaps most famous for their mastery of vegan pizza.

Yellow

If you had to ask a vegan foodie to quickly name a vegan restaurant in Australia, they’d probably shoot back with Yellow. This cozy bistro evokes the golden styling its name suggests. This is absolutely the place to go if you want to commit to your vegan adventure, with full five or seven-course vegan meals!

We really want to keep this list going, but we’re starting to run out of steam! To make sure you don’t run out of steam, check and see if wherever you are in America can get our juice cleanse diet products delivered!

How to Make Grocery Shopping a Healthier Experience

They always say never to go grocery shopping while hungry. For many of us, fulfilling our weekly shopping trip is one of our most annoying chores. Making sure we get enough to stock the pantry is stressful enough, let alone trying to navigate healthy eating options! This piece will cover some ways that you can help bring healthy habits into your grocery shopping.

Planning For Health

If you are just looking to visit a grocery store and hope that you’ll come out with the right stuff to make a healthy meal, you’re going to be disappointed. Everyone has different health needs, and going into what makes for healthy eating in the modern day would be an article on its own.

Everyone can do a meal plan to help make sure they are building a healthy diet. This means deciding what you will eat a week in advance and creating a menu. It’s much easier to make the most nutritional decisions at this stage rather than trying to make them in the grocery store. Planning a head based on your dietary needs and restrictions will keep you on track and make you less overwhelmed on your weekly shopping trip.

Another great way to get ahead on being healthy is to organize grocery deliveries. In a lot of situations, this can be much more convenient for you than getting to a grocery store. You can plan the perfect healthy shopping list from the comfort of your own home. (Remember, if you’re looking for a juice cleanse in San Diego, we deliver our green drink and other products across California!)

Building a Healthy Grocery List

As mentioned, everyone’s health requirements will be a little bit different. Everyone can follow some general guidelines for a healthier grocery list, no matter if you’re shopping in-store or getting it delivered.

First and foremost, you can never have enough fruits and veggies. Learn to love your green veggies, leafy greens, and juice smoothies. The health benefits of fruits and veggies are infinite, and they’ll generally provide you with tons of nutrients, including valuable antioxidants and immune boosters. All this while managing to be low carb, low sugar, and low fat! Fruits and vegetables are simply win-win kinds of foods. Also, look for seasonal fruits and veggies. The winter time is great for asparagus while the summer is prime time for strawberries and oranges. This will ensure you’re getting the best quality produce and hopefully help with your budget.

Secondly, do your best to resist processed foods and high sugar snacks. We understand; it can be hard to drop some of your favorite cookies or chocolates. But these kinds of foods tend to be high in fats and sugars and low in the types of things your body actually needs. Quick tip: try to stay on the perimeter of your grocery store. It’s generally the inner isles that contain all of the processed foods, while the outer area features the fruits, vegetables, dairy and unprocessed grains.

Speaking of getting what your body needs, when possible, it’s always a good idea to get organic or whole food. This means less lost nutrients, and less weird stuff in your body.

Shopping Smart

So let’s say you do find yourself in a grocery store. Maybe you have your planned list in hand. Or perhaps you just found yourself with time and an opportunity. How should you go about shopping in the most sensible way possible?

First things first, have lunch if you haven’t already. It’s a cliche, but shopping on an empty stomach is rarely a good idea. You’re much more likely to buy things you don’t need if you suffer from hunger or sugar cravings.

It’s also vital that you learn how to read nutrition labels and take your time to understand what they mean. Getting the hang of modern nutrition fact labels is an art all its own. Generally, you should be suspicious of anything that seems exceptionally high in saturated fats, sodium, or added sugars. Also any label that has 20+ ingredients probably isn’t the healthiest option.

Make sure to check out the produce section carefully. The fruits and veggies here are going to be some of the best things for your health. Aim for the freshest choices, and always get organic if you can.

Lastly, be careful when comparing all your options. Is there a lower-fat or low sodium version of what you’re buying? Is there a whole grain or multigrain option? Make sure that you know all of your healthy options beforehand, and shop accordingly.

Beat Cravings With Chef V!

Even a 3 day juice cleanse from Chef V can help you beat those grocery store cravings, letting you shop in healthy confidence.

Of course, Chef V also offers plenty of choices beyond the grocery store with our delivery options. With Chef V, you can get a fresh juice cleanse in San Diego just as easily as you can get our green drink in New York! Check out our cleanse options and order today.

There are plenty of reasons to undergo a 21 day cleanse. Getting a handle on your weight or blood sugar levels are widespread reasons people decide to give a 21 day detox a try. However, an increasing number of people are worried about high blood pressure. In this blog, we’ll dive into the causes of high blood pressure, and what you can do to better manage it.

Understanding Blood Pressure

Our bodies are pretty amazing machines. We have mechanisms to take in air, complex joints and muscles, and an entire hydraulic system to move blood around our body. And just like any hydraulic system, pressure is always going to be a concern.

We don’t really want to get into all the physics of moving liquid here. We’re here to bring you the best in 21 day cleanses, and to help you to understand the major mechanics. But the basics are pretty simple to understand and essential to grasp so your body and mind can connect.

Essentially, the less room that a liquid such as blood has to move through, the higher pressure will be. That makes sense, of course. For example, water would need to squeeze at a higher pressure through a straw than a pipe.

For humans, those pipes are our arteries. If your arteries become narrowed or clogged, your blood pressure will rise. This also means that the higher force of blood can actually start to damage the walls and lining of your arteries.

Having high blood pressure (a condition also known as hypertension) puts extra stress on your circulatory system. It increases the risk for various circulatory-related health issues, such as heart attack and stroke. What’s worse is that the signs of high blood pressure are often fairly subtle, and you may not recognize these risks sneaking up on you.

Why is My Blood Pressure High?

There are a few factors that can lead to high blood pressure. More often than not, the main culprit to examine certainly has to be cholesterol. For those not in the know, cholesterol is a substance your body produces to help it make things like cell membranes. While useful as a construction material, you don’t want too much of it sitting in your bloodstream. Imagine a bunch of concrete blocks dumped in the middle of a busy highway causing a huge obstruction – you get the idea.

So eating foods that are too high in cholesterol will make your blood pressure rise, as will getting a diet that is too high in salt and fat. If you have issues with your kidneys or hormones, you could be at risk for higher blood pressure – ditto for people with diabetes. Being overweight is also a significant risk factor for higher blood pressure.

Okay, So What Can I Do About This?

The most straightforward answer is obviously to simply cut back on that cholesterol. That means you’re going to want to try to eat a diet that is full of low fat, low sodium content. You should also cut back on your vices – that means to scale back on the alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine. Exercise gets your blood pumping and circulation working correctly. It’s also a great way to reduce stress, which (you guessed it) drops blood pressure.

It’s also vital to get started on your weight loss goals. The faster you can shed some pounds, the sooner you can start letting your arteries recover. Of course, not all weight loss methods are created equal. If you want a reliable and sustainable weight loss program without things like celery juice side effects, Chef V is here to help. Whether a quick 3 day juice cleanse or a longer 21 day cleanse, we’re here to help you with your weight loss goals.

Chlorophyll – Not Just For Plants

You may have heard rumors about the health benefits of chlorophyll. You probably also know that it’s what makes plants green. But why exactly are people talking about it? Is it something you should care about? Or is chlorophyll just for plants? Let’s find out.

What is Chlorophyll?

Chlorophyll is a substance found naturally in plants, noted for giving them their green color – chlorophyll translates literally from Greek as “green leaf.” Plants use chlorophyll to help them get energy from sunlight. (Fun Fact – Chlorophyll absorbs blue and red light but reflects green, which is why so many plants look green to our eyes).

Why Does Chlorophyll Matter For People?

Since we eat plants, that means we’re also ingesting all of that chlorophyll… and that’s a good thing. Chlorophyll is best known for its antioxidant properties, which is one reason green veggies are so good for you. Studies also indicate that it might be linked to anti-cancer properties as well, particularly those cancers related to the stomach and colon. This is because chlorophyll seems to block the absorption of cancer-causing chemicals.

There are ongoing studies being done on what chlorophyll is good for, but it’s been linked to aiding in better digestive health, providing energy, aiding in weight loss, boosting the immune system, and even leading to healthier-looking skin. No wonder people are all over green drinks! (Speaking of green drinks, chlorophyll is sometimes used in culinary situations to dye food a more vivid green).

It’s essential, however, to distinguish chlorophyll (found naturally in any green plant) from chlorophyllin, which is a water-soluble extract.

Is Chlorophyllin Worth It?

Regularly, chlorophyll is fat-soluble. The idea behind chlorophyllin extract is that it is water-soluble and contains copper and sodium. This combo is intended to help make it easier for your body to absorb compared to chlorophyll. Many chlorophyllin substances also come in liquid forms to make the absorption even easier.

However, there’s no real indication that taking chlorophyllin is any better than getting your chlorophyll the old-fashioned way in a green drink or other plant-based product. Plus, many users report that liquid chlorophyllin can cause diarrhea or other stomach issues.

Where Can I Get Chlorophyll Naturally?

Any leafy green is going to be full of chlorophyll. This means that things like spinach, collard greens, broccoli, asparagus, and peas are all great sources. Matcha green tea is also a green drink noted for a solid chlorophyll count.

If you’re looking for a product that is chock full of all the best leafy greens, then look no further than our own Chef V’s green drink. Packed full of greens like kale, collard greens, and chards, our green drink is a great way to get the good stuff without the need for artificial supplements. Whether as part of a 3 day cleanse, 7 day juice cleanse or an impressive 21 day cleanse, our green drinks can help you lose weight and fight sugar cravings.

Of course, you can also just get the green drinks delivered on their own. They make an excellent companion to any meal and will ensure you are getting all the stuff you need for good health. You might not be able to survive on sunlight from a plant, but you can still benefit from the green stuff!

At Chef V, we’re proud to offer an organic juice product that is 100% GMO-free. But what exactly does GMO-free mean? You might also wonder – why should I care about this at all? Does it matter if my detox juice cleanse is GMO-free? For those of you unsure about what GMO’s really mean to your diet or Chef V cleanse, this quick blog will explain it all.

What’s a GMO?

GMO stands for “Genetically Modified Organism.” This sounds like superhero stuff, but GMOs generally refer specifically to genetically modified plants, including many plants you eat daily. Indeed, in some crops in the United States, the use of GMOs is pervasive. Good examples would be corn and soy. In fact, the vast majority of foods you eat are probably genetically modified in some way or another.

Why is this? Technically, genetic modification of food is nothing new or futuristic. Ever since there has been agriculture, farmers have been trying to breed better plants. They might mix plant strains to create produce that is more nutritious, faster-growing, or more resistant to pests. Genetically modifying plants is essentially taking a shortcut to this system. Rather than letting breeding do the work, genetic modification lets agricultural scientists speed up the process.

Why GMOs?

The wide adoption of GMOs worldwide makes sense when you consider the number of people we need to feed. GMO crops tend to be more resistant to pests, droughts, or illness. This means more crops total and less money spent on pesticides or extra water.

However, not all GMOs are about increasing crop yields. Sometimes a fruit or vegetable will be modified for appearance, taste, or increased shelf life.

Why Worry About GMOs?

So it seems like GMOs are mostly a good thing, right? Well, there are some things you should be aware of. Picking apart issues with GMOs can be difficult. Firstly, GMOs encompass a wide range of processes and techniques. Secondly, confusion over the science had muddied the water with some pretty out-there claims about GMOs. Most of us don’t really understand genetics or DNA. When we hear that the genes of plants are being changed, we assume that could affect our own DNA. But that’s just science fiction. It’s unlikely a GMO is going to give you cancer. Nada on getting superpowers from them either, we’re sorry to say.

However, there are some legitimate concerns regarding GMOs. One of the major ones is allergies. When genetically modifying fruits and vegetables, traits from one vegetable can be transferred to another. If that trait causes allergies for you, unfortunately, you’ll have to add another food to the list of your allergens.

There’s also no guarantee that because the food was modified to grow faster or live longer on the shelf, the new version will have as much of a focus on its nutritional content and value. In many cases, convenience for grocery stores takes precedence.

Plus, many have environmental concerns about GMOs. Despite being designed to be pest resistant, not every farm appropriately cuts back on the use of pesticides. In fact, since GMO foods are also resistant to pesticides, this can encourage some farmers to go overboard in using weedkillers, poisoning the soil in their area.

More concerning are the ethical issues. GMOs mean that there is less need for a diversity in the kinds of seeds used to grow various crops. It’s inefficient to have variety when you have a “super-version” of food that can survive everywhere. However, since these seeds are artificially created, large corporations can copyright and monopolize them, leading to an unfair advantage for larger organizations.

The Upshot

So what’s the upshot? GMOs aren’t radioactive and won’t turn you into a mutant if you eat them. At the same time, if you are getting GMO food, you don’t really have much control over nutritional volume or specific allergens. Plus – it often won’t just taste the same way as purely organic food. Many of us may have never even tasted organic food in our entire life.

Thankfully, Chef V’s detox juice cleanse is 100% GMO-free. So at least for this part of your health routine, you can simply forget worrying about the nutritional and ethical concerns – and just enjoy feeling great.

Worst Pieces of Weight Loss Advice

The desire for weight loss is hardly an uncommon goal. However, with so many people looking to shed pounds, there is plenty of plain terrible advice out there. This piece will cover some of the most common myths about weight loss to help you identify diets and plans that don’t work. We’ll also explore the viability of a 21 day juice fast for weight loss and the benefits of a 21 day cleanse in general.

Why Do We Gain Weight?

Any weight loss is going to be complicated, whether thats 10 or 50 pounds. Even the best 21 day green juice fast isn’t going to change how your body works on a fundamental level. However, some basics of weight gain are relatively simple to pick up.

Most of us understand that our body gets energy through calories. The calories that we use for energy are consumed in the process. Our body will store the excess calories on your body – as fat. We all need a physical fat reserve as it represents our enegy reserves. Too much fat reserves is what weighs us down, makes us sluggish and pivots our eating habits in the wrong direction.

Weight gain is a little bit more complicated than simply burning calories or turning them into fat. Everyone has their own unique metabolism, which will affect the rate at which energy is converted.

Basics of Weight Loss

So the basics of weight loss should be pretty straightforward. Get exercising, and don’t consume too many calories, right?

In theory, yes. But there’s a lot more to it. The key to weight loss is ensuring that it is healthy and sustainable. You still need to be getting enough of the vital minerals and vitamins you need from food. Otherwise, you’ll have more health problems to worry about than weight.

Also, if you just try to aim for the lowest calories foods, you could give yourself severe hunger cravings later on. Sugar intake is also something to watch. Too much sugar can lead to a wildly fluctuating blood sugar level, which can significantly affect weight gain, energy levels, and perceived hunger.

In short, there are a lot of different factors at play when it comes to weight loss. This is one reason why something like a 21 day juice fast for weight loss is so effective. It’s a wonderful way to cut down on calories and sugar simultaneously while still giving you the nutrients you need to remain healthy.

(Of course, there are some nutrients even 21 day green juice fast might have difficulty getting you. That’s why Chef V provides you with delicious detox soups and detox smoothies as well!)

So now that we understand the basics, hopefully, you can spot the weight loss fads you might see online that just won’t plain work. If you need a starter, here are some of the worst that we’ve seen.

1. It’s Just About Counting Calories

You’ll hear many people suggest that losing weight is as easy as measuring the number of calories you’re eating, then cutting it down and making sure your physical output is more than your caloric intake. This is where the obsession with counting calories comes from. However, considering this in concert with what you’ve learned already, this approach has some glaring problems.

If something is low calorie, it’s not necessarily low in fat or sugar. It also doesn’t mean that it’s going to be nutritious. You could try to exist solely on “negative calorie” foods such as celery and watermelon but all that’s going to do is leave you feeling hungry and more likely to break your diet.

2. It’s Just About Moderation and Diets

Promoting moderation – eating less – is a nice thought and generally a good idea. There are also plenty of diets that may or may not be able to help you temporarily lose weight. But what happens when you’re finally sick of your diet and fall off the wagon? Temporary diets are only a pause on your weight gain, not a permanent solution. Permanent weight loss will involve lifestyle choices.

3. Just Fast

It’s tempting. Food makes you gain weight. So why not just cut yourself off from food entirely for a while? Fasting has a long and successful history, after all. The problem here is that fasting just isn’t sustainable. At best, you’re just going to get hungry and start to binge once your fast is done. At worst, you’re going to potentially seriously hurt yourself through starvation or dehydration.

4. It’s Just About My Magic Food!

There’s no silver bullet for weight loss. No matter how nutritious a food is, it’s not going to be a good idea only to eat that one food. No matter how great a “superfood” is, it’s not magic. That’s why the best diets and 21 day cleanses offer a mixture of different foods to give you everything you need.

Get Sustainable Weight Loss With Chef V

In the end, losing weight is one thing, and making lifestyle changes to keep it off is another. This is why a 21 day juice fast for weight loss can be so powerful. It can help you lose weight quickly, giving you the confidence that you control your own weight. It will also help you get control of sugar cravings, helping you be prepared for a set of healthier choices to come. Still need proof? Then check out our success stories.

At Chef V, we’re proud to make a purely organic juice cleanse. Our customers are also pretty crazy about it. We’ve noticed that there’s often an intersection between the desire to eat organically and a desire to be sustainable. This makes perfect sense upfront. The processes by which you grow food organically often overlap with how you grow food sustainably. But is that the whole picture? Are there other ways to eat sustainably beyond hunting down organic fare? We’ll discuss it all in this blog.

What is Sustainability?

You’ve probably heard the word sustainability tossed around a lot in the sense of being “good for the environment”. Sustainability is a little bit more specific than that. Sustainability in this case refers to farming practices that ensure that the land can be used continuously for generations to come. Essentially it means getting food in a way that doesn’t harm the ability of future generations to get their food. This can involve the passive selection of land and farming practices. It could also mean actively avoiding things that poison the environment, such as toxic pesticides.

How Do I Eat Sustainably?

When it comes to eating sustainably, there’s no one magical way to affect your impact on the planet. Just picking organic juice cleanses doesn’t mean you’re a fully sustainable person. Indeed, it’s hard to live in the modern world and be fully sustainable. Even if you only ate food you grew yourself, you’d still impact the planet through your regular energy consumption.

It’s better to think of eating sustainably as a menu of options you can take to lower your environmental impact. Here are some ways to get started!

Embrace Regenerative Agriculture

Regenerative Agriculture is a massive movement in modern farming. It would take an enormous essay to explain all the intricacies. To understand regenerative agriculture, we’re going to have to get dirty. That’s right – soil. When it comes to farming, the soil is one of the most critical factors in what you can grow, how fast, and how healthy that plant will be. Good healthy soil is going to be full of tons of microorganisms. Many farming practices tend to kill off these microorganisms to maximize a single harvest through processes like deep tillage and monocultures (only growing a single crop in an area). This essentially leads to less fertile soil, which is soil that is less suitable for growth over time. Attempting to move back to more traditional farming practices can help promote overall soil fertility.

You’ll want to buy from producers who only use regenerative farming practices if possible. Obviously, that can sometimes be difficult to figure out. When feasible, try to go for organic products.

Buy Organic

Trying to find out exactly how an individual farm operates is tricky. However, certified organic labels are pretty standard on many modern products. They are a great way to help you identify products grown more sustainably. Generally, organic means that a product is made without harmful artificial accessories, such as toxic pesticides or fertilizers. This means that there is a significant overlap between organic products and ones grown with regenerative agriculture.

(Here’s a great bonus for you – all the veggies in our organic juice cleanses are not only totally organic but guaranteed to be grown with regenerative agriculture. That means that Chef V has a 21 day cleanse that you can order with complete confidence as far as sustainability goes!)

Adopt a Sustainable Diet

Where you get your food is the most critical choice in being sustainable. But you can also gear yourself towards sustainable eating in the choices that you make in your diet. Essentially, different foods are going to have a different environmental impact. Also, suppose you lean too heavily on one kind of food. In that case, you’ll be contributing to the creation of mono farming – bad for the soil, remember?

Most experts recommend a balanced diet that is heavy on fruits and vegetables. Generally, plant products require less from our planet than poultry and fish, which themselves require less than red meats. Including more fruits and veggies in your diet can help be more sustainable – but don’t consider this a cureall. Try to do your research on standard farming practices for specific products. For example, many people want to move to plant-based milk to be more sustainable – but almonds specifically take up a massive amount of water to grow.

Avoid Food Waste

When it comes to being more sustainable, your head may be spinning at all the research you need to do. Want an easy way to be sustainable? Avoid food waste. Whether you eat it or not, wasted food is food that needed energy and soil to create, but for no benefit.

Making sure to carefully consider and manage your portion choices isn’t just a great way to be more sustainable. It can also help with your weight loss goals. Other ways to avoid weight loss are pretty simple. Try to repurpose leftovers whenever possible. Do your best to meal plan to prevent food from going bad. All minor changes, but all easy ways to be a more sustainable human being.

Eat Local

When we think about sustainability, we often laser focus on farming practices. And that makes sense, of course. You can’t be sustainable without sustainable farming. But what about the rest of the agricultural process? Food doesn’t magically teleport from the farm to your plate. It needs to be packaged, processed in at least some way, and then delivered to you.

Moving food around can cause a lot of energy waste and pollution, especially if it’s traveling long distances. Your 21 day detox can be filled with totally organic products, but is it sustainable if it needs to be frozen and then transported across the country?

Thankfully, Chef V’s organic juice cleanse is made fresh and delivered quickly to you, with distribution centers depending on which part of the country you’re in. This makes our organic juice cleanses fresher and more nutritious, but it also cuts down on your environmental impact. Since you’ll be mostly cutting back on solid foods, your organic juice cleanse isn’t just great for you; it’s great for the planet too!

Popular Juices, Judged

A glass of juice is often seen as a healthy companion to any meal. But are all juices really that good for you? Which juices come out victorious on the health front when you measure them up against each other? We’ll go over some of the most popular juices in this blog and see which come out on top. Whether you’re looking for detox juices or green drink ingredients, you’ll see that not all juices are rated equally!

The Whole Story

Of course, ranking juices will involve a good deal of subjectivity. The reason is that the specific brand of juice will have a lot more to do with its overall healthiness. You could take the healthiest fruits and veggies in the world, make a juice out of them, but still ruin it by adding way too much refined sugar, additives and preservatives.

It’s tricky to judge cocktails of different fruits and veggies mixed together (like in our green drink). With these, you’ll have to study the nutritional info provided carefully.

In general, your best bet when looking for healthy juices is to try and find examples that are low in sugar, 100% organic, and are filled with ingredients that give you plenty of nutrients and minerals. That said, let’s rank some of your favorite juices.

Orange Juice

Orange juice is a breakfast staple, so it makes sense that we’d start here. Despite being at many a breakfast table, you don’t always see orange juice in a leading role in many detox juices. Orange juice does have a lot going for it – it’s a great source of vitamin C, naturally sweet and comes in many different varieties. However, it does tend to be lower on many other essential nutrients. For example, you won’t find much in the way of antioxidants in a glass of OJ. Also, orange juice often gets overrated on health benefits because it usually has other nutrients added to it such as fiber or vitamin D – but this can also mean extra preservatives added. Fresh orange juice makes a refreshing treat, but don’t rely on it as a staple for a healthy diet.

Tomato Juice

Tomato juice is one of the most underrated juices out there – likely because people tend to value the sweetness of fruit juice. However, if you’re looking for a low-sugar juice, tomato juice is absolutely the way to go. It’s also lovely as a vegetable juice that comes with lots of the good stuff, from lycopene to potassium. Being so nutritious, you won’t suffer from the side effects of more “empty juices,” such as the infamous celery juice headaches.

Cranberry Juice

When it comes to the fruit side of the juice scale, cranberry juice is definitely overlooked. Cranberry juice is full of antioxidants and vitamin C and is also low in sugar. Ironically, the one problem you might find while enjoying a serving of cranberry juice is the lack of sugar. Some people find unrefined cranberry juice to be a little sour, which leads many brands to add in a sweetener additive. This ends up ruining what made cranberry juice so great in the first place. Try to find low-sugar versions and look away from the cranberry cocktails, and you won’t be disappointed.

Pomegranate Juice

Pomegranate juice could maybe be even more underrated than cranberry juice. This is a shame since it’s filled with great antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, as well as excellent immune system support. Pomegranate juice is a popular option in most health food stores but can end up being on the more expensive side. Pomegranate kernels each have a small edible seed within them, making them very fibrous and yielding less juice.

Carrot Juice

If it’s good enough for Bugs Bunny, good enough for you, right? Carrot juice marries the low sugar content of tomato juice with a ton of vitamin A and beta-carotene, which are great for helping combat the signs of aging.

Celery Juice

Celery juice has become pretty popular as a modern “cure-all” among some people. It’s certainly got some anti-inflammatory properties, but so do a lot of the juices we’ve talked about. Drinking a lot of celery juice is also good for hydration – but then so is water. So does celery juice really work as a good detox juice? It’s not necessarily bad, but there are a lot of celery juice side effects that you’re going to have to deal with, from digestive issues to the infamous celery juice headaches. These mostly come from the fact that there’s not a lot of anything in celery. It’s not unhealthy, but it’s not a miracle cure.

Apple Juice

When it comes to taste, apple juice can’t be beaten. If you’re looking for a healthy sweetener for another juice, there’s not much better. That’s why apple juice is such a key component in our own green drink! However, a lot of apple juice you find on its own may be high in sugar. Also, juiced apples are sometimes missing the vital ingredients that are found in the peels of apples. This makes apple juice often a better ingredient than a juice to enjoy on its own.

Grape Juice

Grape juice is another staple on many tables across the country. Grapes are a popular fruit for a reason, since they’re perfect for your heart health. That’s why a glass of wine once in a while is considered a healthy habit. However, it must be warned that a lot of grape juice comes in versions that are very high in added sugar and from concentrate.

Mango Juice

We have time to squeeze in one last underrated fruit juice. Mango is known as the “king of fruits” by many, and for good reason. Mango is great for helping you boost your immunity and manage your blood pressure. Low sugar versions of mango juice are a delicious addition to any meal.

Chef V’s Green Drink

Chef V’s Green Drink is a powerfully potent detox juice in its own right. Mixing the best of greens with delicious apple juice is a recipe for delicious success. You get all the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients you need in a great-tasting package.

Better yet, if you live in the Chef V delivery zone, you can get our green drink right at your doorstep. What’s not to love?

Our Top Tips for a Healthy Morning Routine

Any day is only as good as its start. Developing a healthy morning routine is the best way to make sure that you kick butt every single day. A healthy morning routine is essential if you’re taking part in a juice diet or a detox juice cleanse. Count this doubly if you’re going for a 7 day juice cleanse or even longer.

Of course, there’s more to healthy morning routines than just green juice. This blog covers some tips to get that little extra boost of health and energy in your mornings – of course, with a bit of help from Chef V’s green drink! We’ll be running this blog as a list – make sure to read more of our content for continuous great health tips.

Prepare the Night Before

Before you even actually start your day, you can still get ready for a great morning. No one wants to scramble to find the things they need while the clock is ticking or when they’re still a little sleepy. By prepping all you need for work or school the night before, you can simply grab and go when getting ready for work. This means prepping your lunch bag with your juices for the day and filling up your water bottle. Or even setting out your clothing to minimize morning indecision.

Cold Showers

Let’s start off with a shock, shall we? Some people prefer cold showers to give them the quick burst of energy that comes with being doused in chilly water. Getting energy without any food or drink needed is always a plus. However, there’s also an indication that a burst of cold water in the morning can boost your endorphin levels, circulation, and metabolism. Pretty good for such an easy wake-up step, isn’t it?

Cut the Coffee

We know, coffee is an essential part of so many morning routines. And you need that energy, right? But is coffee really worth it? The energy it gives is only temporary and can lead to caffeine addiction and withdrawal. And that’s before we take into account the fat and sugar that many of us dump into our brews to make them more palatable.

Plenty of Water

After you wake up, it will probably have been eight hours or so before your last drink of water. Good hydration is vital to consistent health and energy. Make sure that you get enough to drink in the morning, and you’ll feel great for the rest of the day.

Morning Exercises

What? Exercise when you’re at your most tired?

No, we’re not crazy. Just a little bit of exercise will get your blood pumping and your energy levels rising. Just 10 minutes of yoga can go a long way toward giving you a burst of energy for the day and a healthy amount of blood circulation and muscle activity. A quick walk is also a great way to get that blood pumping and some fresh air.

Mental Preparation

If you’re already in the mindset that you’re going to have a bad day, well, spoilers – you’re probably going to have a bad day. Starting off with a positive attitude is vital. If you’re into it, a quick morning meditation session can be a fantastic way to center yourself and get ready to kick the day’s butt. Meditation is also a great way to reduce stress and lower your blood pressure.

Give Yourself Time

You don’t need to go for full meditation to have a mentally healthy morning. Sometimes the best way to cut back on stress is to give yourself plenty of time. Don’t just rush to the shower and out the door. Give yourself time to sit down, maybe enjoy a podcast or some music. This also gives you the chance to do things like write to-do lists for the day or write in a journal.

This lets you prep things for when you come home tired at the end of the day. If the dishes are already done or the garbage already taken out, that’s one more thing you don’t have to worry about. Getting chores done in the morning can be much more effective than doing them in the evening when you’re all tuckered out from a day at work.

A Low Carb Start

We’re always told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Debatably true, but why do we have this hammered into us? Is it maybe so we’ll buy tons of oatmeal, cereal, and juices? A hearty breakfast sounds like a decent idea – if you’re in a field involving a lot of manual labor. For everyone else, this is a massive carb overload. This will lead to a blood sugar spike and then the inevitable blood sugar crash. Not all the coffee in the world will give you your energy back.

Despite what the breakfast pundits will tell you, you don’t need to load up on carbs to have a productive day. Keeping it light is often the best way to go. And the best way to go light, of course, is just enjoying a simple green drink or green smoothie. This way, you get all the nutrition and hydration you need without all the carbs weighing you down.

And if you’re looking for the best green drinks out there, look no further. With Chef V’s green drink delivery, you can make sure you’re getting a ton of great green drinks, ready for every single morning!

Walking: Your Secret Fitness Weapon

Everyone has their favorite methods to get their body moving and blood pumping. And with the weather getting a little warmer in most places, there’s an even greater chance to get outside. We’re sure you’re all planning out how to get some serious cardio and jogging into your schedules. However, lower impact exercises shouldn’t be forgotten – especially for those currently on a Chef V cleanse.

As far as low-impact exercises go, few are as underrated as walking. Not to say that active people hate walking – it just tends to be something that we take for granted. However, there are many more benefits to walking than you might realize. We’ll cover just a few of them here.

Health Benefits of Walking

Is a longer or a shorter workout better or more effective? Should you workout very hard in quick bursts or stretch out your activity? Everyone has a different opinion. Really, the best workout is the one that you, personally, will actually stick with and not drop a few weeks after your New Year’s resolutions.

In this case of incorporating movement when juice cleansing, we’re going to hone in on a “long” workout here – the benefit of lengthy walks. Getting your body moving outdoors can have some surprising benefits, including the following.

Weight Loss

Even people who love walking as their preferred means of exercise don’t often think of it as a real calorie burner. Indeed, short walks may not produce significant weight loss – though they could help keep away weight gain.

There’s a lot of “secret” weight loss power waiting to be unlocked in walking. If you increase your walk times to just an hour or more, move faster, or stick to rugged terrain (think hills and steep inclines), the calorie-burning power of walking starts to get much more noticeable.

Of course, how effective walking is for weight loss depends on the person. If you have a higher BMI, it’s more effort to carry your weight around. This means that walking will actually cause you to burn more calories. Walking also gets your metabolism going, so it’s perfect for people who tend to put on weight quickly.

Heart Health

Walking isn’t just about burning calories. It also helps to pick up your heart rate and boost your blood circulation. A little walking around 30-40 minutes every day can go a long way toward improving your heart health and help get your blood pressure under control. If you’re getting detox juices and green drinks to target your blood pressure, why not throw a small but mighty walk into the mix?

Lung Health

It’s not just about the fresh air – but that’s a nice bonus. Just like walking gets your heart working that little bit harder, it gives your lungs some much-needed oxygen and exercise. In fact, many doctors recommend light walks to deal with inflammatory lung diseases.

Joint Health

Walking’s benefit on blood flow isn’t just good for the heart. More blood flow around your body means that more blood flow is going to the areas of your body that are heavy in cartilage. This connective tissue helps cushion the joints between your bones. Better support for your cartilage helps keep your joints healthy and stave off arthritis later in life. The movement of your muscles is also great for helping protect your joints from health issues. And just like getting hydrated with detox juice and green drink, walking helps make sure your joints are consistently receiving enough lubrication.

Immune Boosting

Boosting your blood flow also helps the cells that make up your immune system travel around your body more efficiently. This helps to ensure that your immune system is performing effectively. Exercise has an anti-inflammatory effect, which takes some of the hard work off of your immune system and lets it focus on fighting diseases. Plus, your immune system does better when you’re low on stress. And speaking of…

Brain Health

During a brisk walk, your body releases endorphins. These help reduce the stress-causing hormones in your body and can even help combat mild depression. Walking has been linked to improvements in mood and self-esteem. And that’s before we count the benefits of taking a break from work to enjoy the outdoors and fresh air. (If you walk with friends, the stress-busting benefits are even more fantastic!)

However, the benefit to your brain from walking could go beyond just reducing stress. Walking has been linked to improved cognitive function and memory as well.

The Importance of a Low Impact Workout

So, I think we’ve now established that walking is great. But this has a special meaning for anything interested in doing a juice cleanse. While you’re on a detox juice cleanse to lose weight, many exercises are a little too hardcore. After all, the point of exercise is burning calories – and when you’re on a detox juice cleanse, you’re going to be shedding those calories quickly.

Of course, exercise isn’t just about weight loss. You need to stay active to get your blood pumping and muscles moving, even if just a little. Walking is a great “low impact” exercise while tackling a detox juice cleanse, from the 3 day cleanse to the 7 day cleanse. While you could try something more ambitious, it’s always the best idea to listen to your body and only take on exercises that you feel comfortable with. Upping your walking pace is also a great way to segway into more extensive activities post-cleanse.

Of course, we’ll give more guidance on proper cleanse care with our cleanse instructions – so go pick the cleanse that seems right for you, and get started today!