Tag: cleansing

What to Expect From Green Drink When Expecting

One of the most common questions we get here at Chef V is from women wondering if it’s alright to be drinking green juice during and after pregnancy. If you’re expecting (or expecting to be expecting), this blog will cover all the basics you need when it comes to pregnancy and green drinks. 

Can a pregnant woman enjoy a green drink?

Let's get right into the main question here. Can you enjoy green detox juice while you’re pregnant? The short answer is, as is so often the case, it depends. So what does it depend on?

First is context. It makes sense that you’d want to avoid a low-sugar juice cleanse while pregnant, for example. During your pregnancy, you’re eating and drinking for two, after all. It’s not a good idea to radically decrease your food intake during pregnancy.

Of course, drinking some of that cleansing juice alongside your regular meals is a different matter. However, this also raises some interesting questions and concerns regarding the kind of juice you are drinking. 

Pasteurized versus unpasteurized

Most juice you can pick up in a grocery store will be heavily processed to make it more suitable for the global food transportation business; it will be pasteurized and filled with various additives. 

This creates something of a conundrum for pregnant women. On the one hand, drinking unpasteurized drinks could be dangerous, as it increases the risk of infection from raw produce. On the other hand, additives and preservatives in food can be potentially very dangerous to pregnant women as well. 

In the end, our best recommendation is to go organic, while also making sure you’re emphasizing freshness. Refrigerate any green drinks you make, and ensure that you drink them as quickly as possible. This keeps you safe from additives, while also reducing the risk from unpasteurized beverages. 

If you buy your green drink instead of making it, ensure you’re getting green juice delivery right to your door. This cuts down on time between when it's made and when it reaches you. You don’t want to be guessing how long unpasteurized juice was sitting on a store shelf!

Why green drink is great for pregnancies

So we’ve discussed a bit about whether you can drink green juice while pregnant. But why is this such a big deal anyways? Why do we get all the questions about it? Part of the reason is that there are a ton of benefits to enjoying some green detox juice while you’re pregnant. These benefits naturally boost interest in green drinks.

Detox juice is perhaps best known for helping people lose weight, get blood sugar under control, and better manage their digestive systems. However, it also offers a lot of other nutritional benefits. The iron, vitamin C, and calcium in a green drink can help keep pregnant women healthy, as do its anti-inflammatory properties. These nutrients also help boost the immune system, which is essential to keeping mother and child healthy. 

Green the best green juice delivery with Chef V

At Chef V, we’re all about staying healthy, at all times of the year. While you might know us for our low-sugar juice cleanses, we also do delivery of our signature green drink right to your front door! This means you can get an incredibly healthy blend of leafy greens, while also getting a guarantee of absolute freshness. You can check right now to see if your green juice delivery covers your area. 

Detoxing for Headaches and Migraines

Headaches, and even worse, migraines, show up unannounced and ruin the day. The throbbing pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and nausea can turn a perfectly good day into a nightmare. It’s like a perfect storm brewing in your brain, with blood vessels constricting and then suddenly dilating, causing that head-splitting pain.

But fear not, for there are ways to avoid them. In this article, we’ll explore the powerful combination of a diet rich in green leafy vegetables and unprocessed foods, plus using a 21 Day Detox or Cleanse to reset your system. Chef V’s Detox plus her healthy eating plan will help you steer clear of migraines and lead a happier, headache-free life.

Before diving into our migraine-fighting strategies, let's understand what causes these painful headaches. Migraines are usually triggered by a combination of factors. Common triggers include stress, hormones, and dehydration. Genetics and even certain foods or drinks can all play a role. Bright lights and loud noises can also contribute to the onset and intensity of migraines.

Now, let's get to the heart of the matter: how to avoid migraines through a diet rich in green leafy vegetables, healthy eating, and by using the Chef V 21 Day Detox Program and Chef V Green Drink.

All of the Chef V products are based on the fact that green leafy vegetables are nutritional powerhouses and can play a significant role in migraine prevention. 

Some of the main nutritional benefits include:

Magnesium: Leafy greens like spinach, kale, and Swiss chard are rich in magnesium, which has been shown to reduce the frequency and severity of migraines. Magnesium helps relax blood vessels and reduces inflammation, two key factors in migraine development.

Vitamin B2: Foods like spinach, collard greens, and broccoli are high in riboflavin, which may help prevent migraines by improving mitochondrial function and reducing oxidative stress.

Folate (Vitamin B9): Leafy greens are also abundant in folate, which supports healthy brain function and helps regulate neurotransmitters, potentially reducing the risk of migraines.

Detoxifying your body by cleansing with a Chef V 21 Day Detox can help prevent migraines.

Chef V’s 21 Day Detox helps you with menu plans and healthy substitutes for processed foods. Using an elimination diet can help you identify the food triggers and sensitivities that might be causing your migraines.

The Chef V Plan’s healthy eating days include recipes with detoxifying foods like beets, ginger, turmeric, and lemon to help your body remove toxins. For the biggest change to your system, stick to the mostly vegan & vegetarian recipes in Chef V’s cookbook “Making Cleansing Easier” and to her healthy eating guides while doing a detox.

A migraine-free life is within reach through a combination of  a healthy diet, a focus on dark green leafy greens, and a body reset with a Chef V 21 Day detox, followed by having a daily Green Drink every morning

By paying attention to your body's signals, avoiding trigger foods, and nourishing it with essential nutrients, you can significantly reduce the frequency and severity of migraines. Remember to consult with a healthcare professional before making significant dietary or lifestyle changes, especially if you have severe or chronic migraines. Here's to a headache-free future filled with vitality and well-being!

How to Tell if You Have Inflammation in Your Body

Inflammation has become something of a scary word these days, but not without reason. Having acute inflammation in your body is often the precursor to a variety of rather serious health concerns. Of course, it's one thing to simply say that inflation is bad. But how do you know if you’re suffering from it? 

Obviously, the first stop for any of your health concerns should be a medical practitioner. But if you’re wondering how to tell if you have inflammation, we’ll discuss some of the best ways to tell here. Often, customers are interested in our 21 day cleanse to deal with inflammation issues, so it makes sense that we’d try and help you ID the condition! 

What is inflammation?

Most of us generally understand what inflammation is as a concept. If we’ve been injured, we’ve often seen injuries become red and aggravated. But that’s just the outside story. Inside our body, we can often suffer from unseen inflammation, affecting important organs and systems.

Technically, inflammation is a good thing—it’s a sign your immune system is reacting to an issue. But as anyone who has had a fever can tell you, your immune system is often prone to overreacting. In some cases, your immune system could even be reacting where there’s no real issue. 

Often inflammation is divided into two types, acute and chronic. This is just a division based on severity. Acute inflammation should clear up within two weeks or so, and is generally linked to a specific injury or illness. Chronic inflammation sticks around longer, and isn’t often linked to a single issue, being more an indicator of poor health and stress.

Detecting inflammation

Identifying inflammation outside the body is easy—you just look for visible swelling and redness. If you have chronic inflammation inside your body, it might be less obvious that inflammation is the source of your problem. This is further complicated by the fact that not all inflammation is the same. 

Chronic inflammation can be caused by a variety of conditions (including some severe medical conditions), and can crop up nearly anywhere in your body. Naturally, you can expect that inflammation in your brain will have a different effect than inflammation in your bowels. Following is a list of some of the more common symptoms of an inflammatory problem. 

Body pain

This is by far one of the most common symptoms of inflammation out there. A whole array of nasty types of pain can come with inflammation. From throbbing to pinching, if you have chronic pain in your body, but can’t link it to a specific injury or illness, it could be a sign of chronic inflammation.

Brain fog

“Brain fog” refers to a condition where you suffer from chronic confusion, memory loss, and lack of focus. We increasingly realize that brain fog, rather than just being a sign of exhaustion or aging, can be linked to a variety of conditions—think about all the concerns over the connections between COVID-19 and brain fog. Turns out that inflammation could be a potential cause of brain fog as well. 

Depression and anxiety

It’s not just general “brain fog” that’s associated with inflammation. There have been studies linking inflammation to more severe mood disorders. Of course, this gets into a bit of a complex topic. If you’re living an unhealthy lifestyle, depression and inflammation might arise independently. That’s all the more reason to stay active and maintain a healthy diet and eating habits!

Dizziness 

While not a common symptom of inflammation, there have been cases recorded where inflammation of nerves or inner ear leads to dizziness. In some cases, this can be so severe it affects balance. 

Fatigue and insomnia

If you have difficulty sleeping, it could potentially be connected to fatigue caused by inflammation. Of course, as with some of the other symptoms, fatigue is a common result from many health issues relating to blood sugar levels or being overweight. It’s likely if you have some of these problems, you could have bodily inflammation as well.

Gastrointestinal issues

When it comes to inflammation in your guts, there’s no good ending here. Acid reflux, constipation, and diarrhea are all the result of chronic inflammation affecting your intestinal systems. This is one of the types of inflammation-related illnesses that we tend to hear about the most at Chef V. There’s a reason our 21-day cleanse is so popular! 

Heart troubles

One of the most frightening symptoms of inflammation is the emergence of heart issues. This could be because of inflammation in important arteries or because of inflammation in the heart itself. This inflammation can manifest in coronary diseases or even heart failure. 

Insulin issues

For many people, getting control of their blood sugar levels is difficult enough as is. And that’s before you throw in the complications of insulin resistance. Our bodies need insulin to help manage blood sugar levels. Inflammation, however, has been connected with triggering insulin production in your body to the point that your systems become resistant. And after that, say goodbye to your ability to manage your blood sugar levels. You’ll need to get the best in a low sugar juice cleanse to give you even a chance. 

Weight gain

Perhaps one of the most currently discussed effects of inflammation in the body is its relation to weight gain. Exactly how this relationship works is still debated. But high levels of inflammation in the body seem to be linked to higher chances of obesity, and vice versa.  

Handling inflammation

If there’s one takeaway from this blog, it’s that inflammation isn’t a simple condition. Very often, it’s tied closely to other issues. If you’re overweight, have blood sugar issues, and inflammation, it might be a moot point as to which came first.

Dealing with inflammation requires a holistic approach. You need to do everything to help your body recover. This means getting more exercise, more sleep, and cutting back on stress. It also means reevaluating your diet. You want to cut out foods that cause inflammation, such as foods high in trans fats. Replace these with anti-inflammatory foods, such as more berries, leafy greens, and spices high in antioxidants—think garlic, ginger, and turmeric

You’ll also want to do your best to bring your blood sugar levels under control. Thankfully, Chef V’s 21 day cleanse is one of the best low sugar juice cleanses out there. Whether you get a short cleanse, or follow the full Chef V 21 day cleanse schedule, you can get your blood sugar under control, and strike back against inflammation. 

Is there a Safe Detox for Diabetics? Diabetes and Juice Cleanses

Diabetes management tools

Maintaining blood sugar levels is important for everyone, but especially pressing for those with diabetes. Blended juice cleanses can help you get your blood sugar levels back under control, and cut sugar cravings as well – this makes them an incredibly useful tool for both preventing diabetes, and alleviating its symptoms.

Individuals with diabetes do need to be very careful with changes in their blood sugar levels, and with what they eat in general. This means that diabetic cleanses need to be approached with a little bit more care and thought. We’ll cover some of these considerations right here.

Juicing to Prevent Diabetes

In an odd twist,  juice is both one of the main causes of diabetes, and one of the main ways to prevent it. How does that work, you might ask?

The risk of Type 2 Diabetes can be increased significantly by the consumption of sugar (overall diet, lifestyle and genetics also play a role). A lot of the juice products you can buy in the grocery store tend to be filled with sugar, often artificially added in order to create a sweeter flavor. Since we tend to think of juice as “healthy”, we might gulp down a lot of sugar without realizing it.

However, there are also a lot of healthier juice options out there. The green drink in our blended juice cleanses, for example, is filled with only the healthiest fruits and vegetables, and has low overall sugar content  – an 8oz serving has 26 calories and 6 g of sugar. 

Blended juice cleanses can be a great way to help regulate the dangerous sugar levels that might lead to the development of diabetes. They’re also a great way to help regular sugar cravings. This doesn’t only promote weight loss, but it helps you better stick to a healthy diet that can be used to manage diabetes risk factors. While reading the labels on blended juice cleanses, check for the amount of sugar – some have up to 100 g of sugar! 

Glucometer surrounded by candy

Juicing and Diabetes Concerns

So, a blended juice cleanse can be a great way to help prevent the high blood glucose levels that can be a risk factor for Type 2 Diabetes. But should people with Type 2 Diabetes be taking part in blended juice cleanses? Can it do anything for diabetes after it has developed?

If you are considering the possibility of a safe detox for diabetics, there are a few things to consider. Blood sugar levels for those with diabetes are much more difficult to control. This means that if you go all out on a hardcore diabetic cleanse to lose weight, you could possibly drop your blood sugar down to levels that are potentially unsafe.

If you have diabetes and aren’t sure about participating in a juice cleanse just yet, it doesn’t mean that you have to abandon the good stuff in a blended juice cleanse entirely – far from it. It does mean that you should try to set more limited and realistic blended juice cleanse goals for healthy living.

Cutting out sugary drinks is still important, as are managing sugar cravings. This is why incorporating green drinks into your regular diet can be a great way to help you achieve weight loss goals, and blood sugar level goals, even if you do have diabetes. By losing weight and cutting sugar cravings, you can help better manage your diabetes overall. With Chef V, you can get a green drink plan developed just for you, delivering the exact amount of the healthiest green drinks out there for your own health needs.

So while undergoing long cleanses may not be the best idea for those with diabetes, blended juice cleanse products can still play an important role in maintaining good health.

Recently Chef V had a clinical research study of its detox and green drink products completed. It shows that a 21 day Chef V detox plus a week of Chef V organic green drink lower A1C blood sugar levels. 

Common Side Effects of Juice Cleanses: If You Should Worry and How To Deal With Them

Participating in a blended juice cleanse is a significant undertaking. You’re doing a hard reset on your body and naturally flushing toxins. Whether you’ve opted for a 3 day cleanse or a 21 day cleanse, you can expect to see and feel dramatic results.

I'm going to explain some common reactions people have to juice cleanses. I will cover which are normal and which are concerning, and why my Chef V cleanse is the safest and more achievable cleanse for you. 

Understanding Different Juice Cleanses

Before discussing the side effects of juice cleanses, you need to understand the different kinds of juice cleanses. So how exactly do you define a juice cleanse? At its most basic, a juice cleanse is a temporary diet that looks to replace, in part or whole, your regular food with juiced fruits and vegetables. The goal of a juice cleanse can be to lose weight, boost the immune system, detox the body, get more nutrients, remove sugar cravings, or just feel great.

Of course, every juice cleanse out there has a different set of ingredients to it. When browsing recipes you might look for maximum nutritional value, or for the taste you prefer. Some juice cleanses are very basic, such as those based around only celery juice. Other juice cleanses are more involved, with many different ingredients.

Many juice cleanses go beyond the juice. It’s not uncommon to see juice cleanses that add in detox smoothies and detox shakes. These allow a juice cleanse to offer you more protein and fiber, meaning that you can stay healthy for longer during your juice cleanse.

Lastly, juice cleanses can differ depending on how long they last. Generally, the shortest kinds of juice cleanse are the 3-day juice cleanses. The longest kind of juice cleanse would be the 21-day juice cleanses.

Common Juice Cleanse Side Effects

Ideally, a juice cleanse should leave you feeling amazing. Yet, many report side effects while taking on a juice cleanse. Here we’ll go over some of the most common, as well as explain what might cause them – and if you should do anything about them.

Headaches

Headaches aren’t uncommon during many juice cleanses. But this doesn’t mean that they are good either. One of the major causes of headaches is from getting a lack of all the nutrients you need. Many juice cleanses don’t provide you with everything you need to get through a juice cleanse. This is particularly true of the very “basic” ones like celery juice cleanses.

Celery juice side effects often include the infamous celery juice headaches. While eating celery is certainly healthy, you can’t just live off of celery stalks! You must research your juice cleanses beforehand and make sure that they have all the proper nutrients you need. In particular, try to make sure you are getting enough protein out of your juice cleanse.

Dizziness

Dizziness during juice cleanses isn’t uncommon either. Dizziness during a juice cleanse normally happens because of a drop in blood sugar levels.

A little bit of dizziness is to be expected then, as your blood sugar levels start to stabilize. If you are experiencing prolonged dizziness, your juice cleanse isn’t providing you with enough carbs and natural sugars. Like the celery juice headache, you may want to look for a more sustainable cleanse, or try a shorter one.

It should also be noted that sometimes dizziness can be caused by a lack of iron, or dehydration. Make sure you are doing a juice cleanse that includes plenty of dark greens for iron, and always drink plenty of water.

Fatigue

If you are experiencing prolonged fatigue during your juice cleanse, it might be that you aren’t getting enough iron or protein. Like with the previous side effects, it’s a good idea to make sure you are getting a nutritionally comprehensive juice cleanse. This is especially important if you are aiming for a long-term weight loss goal like the 21-day juice cleanse.

Fatigue can also be caused during a juice cleanse by getting too much or too little physical activity. Remaining active during a juice cleanse is important, but you will want to try and keep it to mainly light exercise.

Bowel Issues

Getting on a juice cleanse does represent a fairly significant change to your diet, it’s true. So some digestive issues to start aren’t uncommon. If you find yourself running to the toilet, you might want to look into a juice cleanse that contains more fiber. A lack of fiber in your cleanse is often the most common reason for bowel issues. (In particular, celery juice side effects often include bowel trouble). It’s a good idea to go for a blended juice cleanse that comes with detox soups. This way you don’t have to deal with the results of putting too much juice in an empty stomach without fiber.

Get A Sustainable Juice Cleanse

The best kind of blended juice cleanse is the kind that you can finish. Undergoing even a 3-day juice cleanse or 7-day juice cleanse is a big undertaking. If you want to go for a 21-day juice cleanse, you are going to want a cleanse that works with you, not against you.

Thankfully, our 21-day juice cleanse comes with the extra detox smoothies and detox shakes you need to be able to make it all the way through. Our green drink juice recipes are also jam-packed with all the most nutritious fruits and vegetables we can find.

Just as important as our recipes is our support. Chef V wants to help you succeed, and will be with you for every step of your juice cleanse. As long as you listen to your body and take note of side effects, you’ll be able to finish your blended juice cleanse like a champ.

A 21-day juice cleanse should leave you feeling great, not suffering from things like celery juice headaches.

Vegan vs. Vegetarian

Choosing a healthy lifestyle is always the best choice. But it's important to be mindful of the diet you opt for because it needs to be compatible with your lifestyle, sync with your weight goals, and meet nutritional requirements. 

Some of you may think of going meat-free or giving up dairy products, which often motivates people to turn vegan or vegetarian. Please note that these lifestyles are different from each other; both may include giving up meat, but vegetarians consume dairy and other animal products in their diets whereas vegans don’t. 

Curious to know which one's best for you? Should you turn vegan or still enjoy your cheese and take the vegetarian route? At Chef V, you'll get all your answers as we briefly discuss vegan vs. vegetarian with their benefits and downsides. 

Vegan vs. vegetarian – What’s the difference? 

Let's take a look at the difference between vegan and vegetarian.

Choosing a healthy lifestyle is always the best choice. But it's important to be mindful of the diet you opt for because it needs to be compatible with your lifestyle, sync with your weight goals, and meet nutritional requirements. 

Some of you may think of going meat-free or giving up dairy products, which often motivates people to turn vegan or vegetarian. Please note that these lifestyles are different from each other; both may include giving up meat, but vegetarians consume dairy and other animal products in their diets whereas vegans don’t. 

Curious to know which one's best for you? Should you turn vegan or still enjoy your cheese and take the vegetarian route? At Chef V, you'll get all your answers as we briefly discuss vegan vs. vegetarian with their benefits and downsides. 

Vegan vs. vegetarian – What’s the difference? 

Let's take a look at the difference between vegan and vegetarian.

Veganism

Veganism is a lifestyle that encourages you to give up all animal products, ranging from clothes to food items, in an attempt to save the climate and limit the exploitation of animals. It’s a lifestyle that motivates individuals to consume plant-based and dairy-free products, including whole fruits, seeds, nuts, legumes, beans, and vegetables.

More than for social reasons, people are opting for veganism or a vegan diet because of its varied health and wellness benefits. According to a 2022 report, Americans are turning vegan six times faster in 2022 than they did in 2014.  

As more and more people move toward veganism, the market is experiencing a change. Due to the increasing demand for vegan products, the global market for plant-based products is likely to grow by 12.95%. 

There are many vegan food options and alternatives that won't let you miss your usual meat-based diet. There are vegan smoothies and burgers; you can also go for an organic juice cleanse diet and bake with plant-based ingredients, such as coconut milk and vegan meat.

Downsides of a vegan or vegetarian diet 

  • Most people following a vegan or vegetarian diet need to take vitamin B12 supplements to fulfill their daily vitamin B12 needs. The most significant source of B12 is seafood, including fish, sardines, and clams, but since vegetarians and vegans don't consume animal flesh, they take medications or other substitutes to meet health requirements. 
  • The limited option for complete proteins is also a significant downside of a vegetarian diet. Complete proteins contain nine amino acids, which are rare in plant-based diets. You may need to add a variety of different proteins, such as legumes, lentils, and nuts to meet daily protein needs. 
  • Believe it or not, a vegan diet can also result in weight gain because you tend to eat more to meet your daily nutritional requirements, which is why you should always include a juice cleanse diet or intermittent fasting in your lifestyle while turning vegetarian or vegan. 
  • Going vegan is challenging; be aware of whether the food item is vegan or not before putting it on your grocery list. It requires a complete behavioral and consumer change, especially when new to the diet and philosophy. 

What works best for you? 

This mainly depends on your lifestyle, weight goals, and health requirements. The journey will be tough if you eat meat and want to give it up to become vegan or vegetarian. Plan things accordingly to deal with cravings, find substitutes for favorite dishes and how you can accommodate the change in lifestyle. 

Both vegan vs. vegetarian are lifestyle choices, and both do wonders for your health by encouraging you to eat healthily and focus on your overall well-being. You can always move back to your standard diet if things don't go according to plan or expectation. You just need to take that one step toward a healthy lifestyle.

Learn more about this on Chef V, a platform that helps you achieve your body goals. We offer multiple juice cleanses, ranging from one day to 21-day detox challenges to take you a step closer to a healthy lifestyle. 

3 Reasons Why Summer’s The Best Time To Do A Cleanse

summer cleanse

Thinking about doing a cleanse? There’s no better time than now. Here are 3 reasons why summer is the best time to do a cleanse.

Last week, I admitted that I indulged to the max while on my European vacation, and how when I got back home, I decided I needed to be a Chef V customer.

I’m happy to report that I just wrapped up a 7 Day Cleanse.

So far so good.

I don’t feel like I’m missing out at all.

In fact, I feel so good, I might do a 21 Day Detox.

And right now, in the heart of the summer, there’s no better time to do a cleanse or a longer detox.

Let me share with you my top 3 reasons why it’s easy to do a cleanse in summer.

Hack #1: take a walk

A simple way to have your blood sugar return to normal after a meal is by taking a walk. It doesn’t have to be a super vigorous hike, but getting enough exercise is important for managing diabetes and this is especially true if you’re sedentary for most of the day.

Even more important than the advice to exercise is learning when to exercise. And if you only have time (or the motivation) to move your body once per day, research strongly suggests you should do it after dinner.

Most people eat their heaviest meal at night. And the biggest spike in blood sugar occurs after eating a large meal, especially if it contains lots of carbohydrates that have the potential of converting into sugar. (Think: pasta, bread, rice and other starchy carbohydrates.) Walking after a heavy meal is a proven way to improve blood sugar levels.

Consider this study from New Zealand. Two groups of people, most of whom had type II diabetes for 10 years, were compared. One group walked for 30 minutes a day for two weeks. The other group went for a 10-minute walk after each main meal. The results: blood sugar levels were significantly lower when participants walked after meals compared with the group who only went for one walk a day.

Meanwhile a different study compares exercising before a meal and after. The group with the lower blood sugar levels exercised after their meal, not before. This supports the first study that it’s vital to move around after eating a meal.

chef v summer cleanse

Summer is Best Time To Do a Cleanse — Reason #1: You’re not as hungry

Ever watch a nature documentary that shows bears and other animals seemingly eating non-stop during the summer?

The reason bears and other creatures of the forest binge eat in summer is, of course, because they have to fatten up for the winter hibernation.

Sometimes in winter, I feel like hibernating.

But I also feel like eating a lot more in winter than I do in summer. The hot, sticky weather in summer kills the appetite, at least for hearty foods that we usually crave in the winter like stews, meat and starchy carbs such as pasta and bread.

Most people tend to crave fruit in the summer. And unlike meat and starchy carbs, fruit is a safe food to eat while doing a cleanse.

How I start off each morning while I’m doing a cleanse is drink two glasses of water. I like to add some electrolytes to the water to provide the energetic spark plug my cells need (pink sea salt does the trick).

About a half-hour later, I’ll have 16 oz of Organic Green Drink. Shortly after that, I’ll have a handful or so of berries.

This holds me over until it’s time for my vegan protein shake.

Even though I’ve done plenty of cleanses in winter with no problem, I have to admit that summer is my favorite season for detoxing. Simply for the fact that I’m usually not as hungry as I am in the winter.

But be careful to not exercise too much when you’re doing a cleanse in summer. You’re already limiting your calorie intake to begin with. Plus, with the heat, you’re at risk for heat stroke.

So just stick to walks early in the morning and/or evening.

Summer is Best Time To Do a Cleanse — Reason #2: Swimsuit Psychology

It might sound too good to be true. But we’ve had plenty of customer success stories with weight loss of 10 pounds or more within just 7 days.

Reading these success stories that make their way to my email inbox every day is a huge reason why I wake up excited to get to work.

I love hearing from women that a Chef V cleanse helped them look and feel sexier, especially in time for the summer swimsuit season.

Here’s what “Wenderful” says about her experience:

I lost 10lbs!… This was the perfect start to leaning out for summer….Thank you Chef V….What a great experience!!

Now, I know what you might be thinking….

Sure, it’s great she was able to lose 10 pounds. But what’s going to happen once the cleanse is over?

Well, if “Wenderful” follows my cleanse daily schedule and post-cleanse tips, she’ll have no trouble keeping off the excess weight.

In winter, my hubby Brandon likes to joke that my legs need to be shaved with a lawn mower. Because of body consciousness, summer time gives us extra motivation to get leaner and look our best.

Summer is the best time to do a Cleanse
Reason #3: Salads

If you’re doing a cleanse or longer detox, one of the hardest things is going to a restaurant with friends.

However, in summer, it’s easy to join your friends at dinner. Just order a salad. Make sure to order the dressing on the side.

Most restaurants have at least one veggie they can steam or lightly grill for you, such as broccoli or asparagus.

A large spinach salad (no croutons!) with a side of veggies will fill you up. And because of the hot weather, you’re not going to feel like sinking your teeth into a burger like your friends.

If you’re having a hard time losing those last stubborn 10 pounds, there is no better time to do a Chef V cleanse than right now.

Do it now because in the blink of an eye, you’re going to feel like hibernating. And when that happens, you won’t have the luxury of sleeping the winter off like a bear. You’ll be craving high-calorie foods to make it through those long dark nights.

Need A Liver Detox? Here’s The Safest Way

Did you just have a junk food binge-a-thon? Or did you recently celebrate a birthday with bottomless flutes of champagne? Then maybe you need a liver detox. But before you start one, Veronica Wheat, aka Chef V, explains what you need to know…

What Is A Liver Detox?

Did drinking too much red wine make you feel not so fine? Then maybe it’s time for a liver detox. But before I tell you the safest way to do a liver detox, let’s get to know your liver. 

Your liver performs hundreds of functions. If you’ve indulged lately, you can thank your liver for filtering your blood. That means that the liver removes toxins from drugs, alcohol and coffee and synthetic chemicals (like glyphosate) into harmless waste products. These waste products are eliminated when you pee and poo. 

But if your liver is chronically overworked because of what you’re putting in your body—or because of what your body is exposed to—its ability to filter the toxins in your blood becomes compromised. 

Time to reach for the liver detox pills? Well, let’s not jump ahead of ourselves. First let’s find out if you really need to do a liver detox. 

Free Liver Detox Resources

I’m  temporarily making available these incredible free resources:

  • Eat This/Not That chart that prepares you for the pre-cleanse and post-cleanse phase. No more guesswork about what to eat ever again!
  • Healthy Portions Guide – know exactly how much of the good stuff to load on your plate.
  • Breakfast Smoothie Guide – In a rush? No sweat, you don’t have to sacrifice your health thanks to these delicious and luxurious liquid breakfasts.
  • Lunch And Dinner Guide – Knowing what to make is frustrating. Chef V holds your hand with oodles of healthy meal creation ideas. 

You can find these invaluable resources here

Top 7 Signs You Could Use A Liver Detox

Here’s how you can tell if you should consider doing a liver detox

  • Frequently tired—even after getting plenty of sleep
  • Experiencing headaches
  • Constantly constipated 
  • Easily putting on weight—despite exercising
  • Cravings for sugar and starchy carbs
  • Trouble digesting protein or fat
  • Post-meal nausea or bloating

To put it simply, if you just generally feel like crap, it could be because your liver’s detoxification pathways are clogged up like an L.A. freeway at rush hour. 

This is why thousands of people have transformed their health doing a safe and effective Chef V 21 Day Detox. It’s like a metabolic reboot for your liver. 

How Does A Liver Detox Work? 

Liver detoxes work in two phases. The first phase is reducing the toxic burden on the liver. This simply means that you remove all sources of toxic overload: junk food, alcohol (sadly this includes mimosas), tobacco, conventional brands of laundry detergent and dryer sheets (don’t underestimate how much chemicals in your everyday household goods can clog your liver), etc. 

By eliminating these toxic sources, your liver can take a breather. Then, iln the second phase of liver detoxification, you introduce foods that nourish the liver and accelerate its filtering optimization. 

In the Chef V 21 Day Detox, I teach people exactly what to eat and what to avoid in the days leading up to the detox. This is the first phase. 

And in the second phase, I provide you with liver-boosting recipes, Organic Green Drinks, Vegan Protein Shakes and Detox Soups. 

Beyond doing a 21 Day Detox, there’s other things can help you improve liver detoxification like:

  • Doing high intensity interval training (like strenuous hot yoga)
  • Using household cleaners and body/haircare products that are free of synthetic chemicals. (Sorry ladies: no perfume or anything with fragrance.)
  • Getting enough sleep
  • Sweating in an infrared sauna 
  • Eating a low inflammatory diet
  • Taking supplements to support liver function

woman holding painful stomach

What Are The Best Supplements For A Liver Detox? 

Want to improve your liver function? Then you may also want to think about taking some of the following supplements that are backed by research.

But before you start popping supplements to detoxify your liver, let me give you a warning. First of all, not all supplements are created equal. Unless you really understand the nutritional supplement marketplace, you could end up buying a supplement that clogs your liver even more. That’s because many conventional supplement manufacturers add fillers to the products. Soybean oil? That’s nasty! (Read my take on soy here.)

The second problem with relying on supplements is that many people feel like they can continue eating like crap. 

It’s true that there are some people who have low-functioning livers because of environmental contamination. But by and large, it’s a food problem. Most people aren’t flooding their trillions of cells with phytonutrients to support liver health. 

And that’s why I created Organic Green Drink in the first place. It’s a staple of my 21 Day Detox program. (4 servings a day!)

What Are The Risks Of Doing A Liver Detox? 

Not all liver detox programs are safe and effective. In my “industry” juice cleanses are synonymous with liver detoxes. But I’ll tell you a dirty little secret about the juice industry. 

The majority of juice cleanse and detox programs are just glorified fruit juice. I call it “diabetes in a bottle.” How can consuming 25-50 grams or more of sugar a few times a day contribute to liver health? 

But the insane thing is that these big brand juice companies are getting away with it. They’re marketing their juices as healthy for the liver when in fact it’s the opposite. Juice detoxes do not include enough protein. That’s why on the cleanse days within my 21 Day Detox program, you get 2 Vegan Protein Shakes. They are super easy on the liver unlike animal protein. 

In addition, you need a tiny amount of healthy dietary fat while you’re cleansing the liver. That’s why on the Cleanse days within the 21 Day Detox, you get a delicious DETOX SOUP. It contains just a gram of dietary fat. Believe it or not, that’s enough to keep you satisfied and prevent cravings. 

And don’t get me started with detox pills. Any pill that promises to eliminate toxins also has the potential to strip your digestive system of good bacteria and vital nutrients. 

If there’s one thing I want you to take away from this article, don’t take liver detox pills. 

woman woth green chef v protein powder packs

Does Doing A Liver Detox Work? 

A safely designed liver detox program can definitely help you get back on track with your health goals. In fact, in a study published in Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine a 7-day detox program was found to enhance health and prevent the development of disease.

But don’t just let the research do the talking. Let’s give the spotlight to real people who have had huge success after doing a Chef V cleanse/detox. Like Maddi, who says, “When I need to get back on track, I love the Chef V cleanse – the 5 day cleanse for me has been an effective detox and metabolic reset. I love the soups, shakes, and juice and always end up feeling better after I complete one of the cleanses.”

What Is The Safest Way To Do A Detox? 

You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on supplements, fad diets and pills that could end up causing scary side effects. 

If you want the cheapest detox? Then start each day by drinking fresh lemon juice water. But if you need more support, including all the education you’ll ever need for successfully doing a liver detox, check out:

CHEF V 21 DAY DETOX

Want a sneak peek into what a 21 Day Detox is like? Check out Chef V’s 21 Day Detox Directions. This resource is usually kept private until you sign up for the detox. 

To your liver health!

Love, 

Chef V

Chef V eating mac and cheese

Is It Time For A Social Media Detox?

Veronica reading a book

Detoxes aren’t just for resetting your digestive system after having too many In-N-Out burgers and margaritas. If you’re feeling a little insane in the membrane (like me with a pineapple on my head in the photo below), taking a social media break can be just what the mental health doctor ordered. Plus, Veronica Wheat, aka Chef V, has some tips to make social media, well, social and positive again…

salmon, nuts, beef, protein sources

We’ve all experienced it.

Checking our social media feed, we come across one post that for whatever reason stirs up feelings of inadequacy, jealousy, and even loneliness. Which is crazy because it’s called social media. 

Maybe a friend from high school posted pics from an epic family vacation, staying at a 5-star resort. And meanwhile, you’ve been working your butt off and haven’t taken a vacation in years, let alone a glamorous one like your peers. Or maybe you come across a post where a bunch of your friends are out on the town seemingly having a blast but you didn’t get invited. 

Whatever the reason, there’s no denying the fact that social media fuels anxiety and depression. A lot of research has been done over the past few years that concludes that social media can stir up some toxic sh!t in us. And just like we need to do a dietary DETOX from time to time, it’s a good idea for us to take a break from social media every once in a while. And rather than being on social media to keep up with the Kardashians, we can actually use it for good. I’ll share some ideas about how to do just that so keep reading…

Why We Use Social Media 

If much of the news about social media is focusing on its bad effects on our mental health, then why do we continue scrolling? Why do we insist upon making ourselves feel potentially worse when we compare ourselves to other people? The simple answer is that we are social creatures and so social media, perhaps falsely, has led us to believe that connecting with our peer network has positive effects. But the paradox is that for many people, social media is an oxymoron, fueling even more disconnectedness. 

Another reason 7 out of 10 adults and 8 out of 10 teens use social media is that social media is addictive. To our brains, social media is no different than a gambler chasing a jackpot. Or a sad person drowning their sorrows in a pint of ice cream. Or a dope fiend hitting the crack pipe. 

When we scroll through our feeds, it feeds us a hit of dopamine. That’s the feel-good chemical that lights up the synapses in our brain’s reward center. The problem is that some people need more and more and more dopamine to stimulate this reward center. 

Like a casino pumping fresh oxygen into the room and fueling gamblers with free coffee so they never get tired, social media platforms are designed to keep us coming back. 

But why is that? 

If we feel jealous or insecure about seeing certain posts, why do we keep coming back for more punishment? Where is the reward in that? Well, we just never know when the next hilarious cat video will tickle our fancy. The point is that one session of social media scrolling is never the same as the next. Sure, there may always be foodie and vacation pics. 

But the experience is always different. And that’s what keeps us coming back for more.

Do You Like Likes? 

Despite the potential harm to mental health, some people use social media because they want to feel validated. They need people to acknowledge their accomplishments (or vacation and foodie pics). 

Although some platforms have removed likes (Instagram replaced likes with a heart emoji), that action does nothing to prevent comparing yourself to other people. And that includes comparing the number of, if not likes, then heart emojis your post received versus somebody else's. 

It’s all silly, really, the folly and whims of human nature. And the people who design social media platforms are Dr. Evil’s when it comes to exploiting human psychology. 

At the end of the day, we can’t help checking our feed to see if our post got any other likes (or hearts). This is part of the vicious cycle of chasing another hit of dopamine. And the first step to taking a social media detox is to realize you have a problem in the first place. 

Got Social Media FOMO?

Another reason it’s hard for some of us to stop checking our feed—even though we know that it may fuel anxiety or other negative emotions—is because of FOMO. We have a fear of missing out on seeing a photo from high school that half your graduating class has commented on. What if you miss out on that one? It stirs up feelings of being excluded from certain activities when we were kids or being picked last. 

Should You Detox From Social Media?

Look, if you know in your heart of hearts that scrolling is robbing you blind of joy then maybe it’s a good idea to take a break. Just like a Chef V CLEANSE has 1, 3 or 5 days options, you can start by dipping a pinkie toe in the deep end. Go one day without being on social media. See how that feels. 

If you really want to feel lighter mentally, then I recommend going longer. Don’t let FOMO trip you up. You’ll be fine not looking at all your friends’ baby pics. You’ll come out of the experience with greater awareness of what’s really important to you. And, you’ll discover what truly makes you feel connected to spirit. 

almond milk

Make Social Media Social Again

If you decide to stay on social media, set some boundaries. Don’t check your feed an hour before bed or first thing in the morning. Instead, establish a spiritual practice and stick to it. Do 10 minutes of yoga or meditation morning and night instead of scrolling. 

You can make social media social by inviting friends to join you for a yoga session in the park. Instead of following friends from high school that bring up feelings of inadequacy, follow thought leaders in the spiritual movement like Deepak Chopra. Organize a mini-meditation session with your “true friends” on social. Encourage everybody to comment about how they feel after meditating.

The bottom line is that if you’re going to check your feed for posts, it might as well feed your spirit. Follow others who you find to be inspiring, enlightening, and a positive for your mental health. 

Conclusion

The truth is that rates of stress, anxiety and depression are up for reasons other than social media. But numerous studies suggest social media is fanning the flames of mental disharmony. Instead of chasing dopamine rewards by constantly checking your feed, spend more time in nature. Do more yoga. Meditate more. This is what will fuel your spirit. 

Using MCT Oil For Weight Loss? Here’s 5 Reasons To Think Twice.

MCT oil capsule

MCT oil is all the rage in the keto and low-carb community. But if you’re thinking about swallowing spoonfuls of MCT oil, certified nutritional therapist and founder of ChefV.com, Veronica Wheat, has a warning…

Imagine eating all the ice cream you want and never getting fat. (Or at least fatter.)

Sounds like heaven, right? 

Well, MCT oil is that fairytale fat. That’s because it doesn’t get stored as body fat? 

And there’s even more incredible selling points about MCT oil. With promises of fast weight loss, boundless energy, faster exercise recovery, lower inflammation and enhanced cognitive function, it’s no wonder MCT oil has become popular over the last few years. Especially in the keto diet and low-carb community. 

Without doubt, MCT oil may be extremely beneficial for some people. But for others, could it be a ticking time bomb? 

In this article, I’ll cover the basics of MCT oil plus I’ll list some of the surprising reasons it could potentially backfire on your health. I don’t mean to scare you, if you’ve been using MCT oil for some time. Just consider the following info food for thought…

MCT Oil & Coconut Oil

If you’ve been following my recipes over the years, you know I should have started my own coconut oil company. I use a ton of coconut oil and love it so much I even named my dog Coconut. Years ago, long before I was carrying a baby in my belly which I’m blissfully doing now (nausea excluded), I traveled to Bali and Thailand, where I took cooking courses. When I got back one of the first things I did when I got home was hit Costco and fill my trunk up with coconut oil so I could recreate all those scrumptious Southeast Asian dishes.

Coconut oil makes many cardiologists squirm. That’s because it’s made up of about 90% saturated fats. Saturated fat has long been considered the Dr. Evil of nutrition. 

But here’s the thing. Unlike red meat and other animal products, all of which have a ton of saturated fat, coconut oil contains a special kind of fat. Hello, MCT. 

What is MCT Oil?

MCT stands for medium-chain-triglycerides. Over 50% of the fat in coconut oil is MCT fatty acids. (Fatty acids are the building blocks of fat, just like amino acids are the building blocks of protein.)

Now, I hope I don’t put you to sleep with a boring biochemistry lesson. So I’ll keep this simple. Basically, the fat you eat in animal products consists of long-chain fatty acids. (Snoring yet?) Long chain fatty acids get stored as body fat unless you’re running a marathon. 

But the neat thing about MCT fatty acids is that they don’t get digested in your small intestine. Instead, they get processed in the liver. To your body, MCT is like a Starbucks venti latte. It’s a quick burst of fuel for your body, especially your  brain. 

Rather than eating a huge bowl of pasta to fuel up for a workout (that’s the old-school way), you can use MCT oil for sustained energy. That’s why MCT oil has become popular in functional coffee drinks.

Unfortunately, your brain can’t rely on caffeine for fuel. But it can use MCT oil for energy. That’s because MCT oil is an external source of ketone bodies. 

When you keep carbohydrates low, your body and brain can use ketone fatty acids (also called ‘ketones’ or ‘ketone bodies’) for energy. 

Remember: sources of ketones like MCT oil, for the most part, don’t get stored as fat. This is what leads to rapid weight loss and the other possible health benefits of the ketogenic diet such as a reduced risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

(Fun fact: There are four main types of fatty acids in MCT oil: caproic, caprylic, capric and lauric acid. Coconut oil is abundant in lauric acid.)

All great stuff. But before you load up on MCT oil there are some things that may lead you to reconsider. 

Reason #1 MCT Oil Might Be Overrated: It’s Not Natural 

While medium chain fatty acids like lauric acid in coconut oil are 100% natural, MCT oil is not. (In nature, MCTs are also derived from palm kernels.)

MCT oil hasn’t been around for that long, all things considered. In fact, the National Institutes of Health says that MCTs were first extracted in the 1950s. The first MCT oil product wouldn't be introduced to the market until decades later (thanks to the Bulletproof Coffee craze).  

The truth is that MCT oil is an industrial product. It’s not a naturally-expressed oil. Naturally-expressed oils don’t need heat or chemicals to be extracted. But many MCT oils you see on supermarket shelves require harsh chemicals and solvents to extract the oil from the coconuts and palm kernels. 

Chemicals that I don’t want my baby exposed to such as hexane are used in the extraction of MCT oil. Not only that, some manufacturers use corn oil to make MCT oil. Corn is one of the most highly-inflammatory oils. 

The difference between many store-bought MCT oils and expeller-pressed olive oil is like the difference between Chef V Organic Green Drink and name-brand juices. Chef V’s is made fresh without the use of high-heat pasteurization (HHP), which basically kills most of the nutritional value. Big name juices? Yup, they’re making a killing by killing the nutrients via HHP. But I digress. 

Honestly, I don’t know what the long-term effects of MCT oil are. And I don’t think anybody does. Even though it’s been shown to speed up the weight loss process if you ditch most of your carbs, I’d still take it easy on it. 

mct oil and coconut products

MCT Oil Warning #2: Detox Danger

Very few people have problems digesting coconut oil even though it’s loaded with saturated fat. But if you dive in the deep end with MCT oil it could clog up your liver. Remember I said that it’s your liver that mostly processes MCT oil instead of your digestive organs? Well, let’s say your liver is sluggish to begin with. 

—–> Need to DETOX your liver? Start here

If you consume too much MCT oil, your liver may freak out and send the contents back into the digestive system. If this happens you may find yourself running to the bathroom with loose stools. 

And more seriously than diarrhea, anybody with any liver problems should absolutely stay away from MCT oil. 

MCT OIL Warning #3: A Heart Attack In The Making?

Does the high saturated fat content of MCT oil pose a risk for heart disease? Honestly, most studies on MCT oil say it’s not really a big risk. For instance, a review of several studies in the Journal of Nutrition concluded:

“MCT oil does not affect total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, or HDL cholesterol levels, but does cause a small increase in triglycerides.”

Higher triglycerides, which are fats in the blood, is not good. But overall, not a huge problem.

Unless…

…You’re someone who carries a genetic mutation called APOE4. 

The APOE4 gene is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer’s. Roughly 20% of people carry a copy of this gene. And 2% to 5% carry 2 copies. Even if you only have one copy, your risk of developing Alzheimer’s doubles, says research from Stanford University. If you have 2 copies, well, let’s just say you should put down the jar of MCT oil right away!

Again, not to scare the bejeezus out of you. But it’s interesting that one of the biggest supposed health benefits of MCT oil is that it can prevent brain disorders. 

However, it’s possible that for some people with a mutation of the APOE4 gene, consuming MCT oil could contribute to heart disease. Or Alzheimer’s. 

Getting lab work done is the only way to know for sure if you have this genetic mutation. I say that’s worth splurging for if you plan on using MCT oil. 

Having certain variations in the APOE4 gene can mean your body doesn’t do a good job of clearing cholesterol from the blood. MCT oil could potentially lead to a heart attack or stroke 

According to a website dedicated to all things APOE4, if you have this genetic mutation, stick with a high-quality caprylic oil. (Also called C8 oil). This is because it doesn’t impact cholesterol in the blood as much.

Veronica and Brandon kissing, showing sonogram

MCT Oil Warning #4: Avoid When Baby Is On Board

In researching this topic, I stuffed my MCT oil in the back of the pantry. That’s because I read that it might not be safe for expecting or breastfeeding moms. It isn’t advisable for people with essential fatty acid deficiency.

Reason To Avoid MCT Oil #5: Insulin Resistance

I’ll probably get a lot of heat for this one, so let me just say I totally admit that this next warning is controversial. You see, there’s so many non-scientific articles that claim that MCT oil is great for people living with diabetes because it can help regulate blood sugar levels. 

But the thing is there are some studies that suggest that MCT oil can actually induce insulin resistance. This means that the body has to release more insulin to remove sugar from the blood and drive it into the cells. Now, the study I linked to was a tiny one. So take this with a grain of salt. 

The important takeaway is that if you have diabetes you should speak with your doctor before going hardcore Keto and using MCT oil. 

Conclusion

No doubt there are thousands of people who have gotten leaner and feel great thanks to using MCT oil. MCT oil is an external source of ketone fatty acids that your brain and body can burn for energy instead of carbs (sugar). Your body doesn’t process or store MCTs like it does other fatty acids. That’s why it’s a special type of fat that’s become a godsend for low-carb dieters. 

But as the saying goes, one man’s food is another man’s poison. Whether MCT oil is medicine or poison for you largely depends on your genetics. Before you start using lots of MCT oil, get some lab work done to see if your genes (and skinny jeans) will benefit from it. 

Finally, don’t use MCT oil to cook with. It’s got a low smoke point and spoils more easily. Also, if MCT oil causes your belly to rumble, try using MCT powder. 

12 Reasons Why Juice Cleanse Delivery is Amazing

There’s something plain magical about fresh food and drinks. Too many people across the country never get to experience the health benefits of fresh food, let alone the fantastic taste. Buying juice at the grocery store is one thing, but getting it delivered fresh is a whole different story. We got our start with juice cleanse delivery in San Diego, so we figure we know a thing or two about why juice cleanse delivery is amazing. We’ve made a list of some of our top reasons just for you!

#1 Appetite control

If there are any of our readers who haven’t had to deal with junk food cravings, they should count themselves lucky. For the rest of us, we know just how hard it can be to deal with the desire for sweet and fatty foods. 

These cravings are often caused by issues with blood sugar levels. Generally, as blood sugar levels drop from a lack of food, we tend to crave carb-heavy food. However, if we’re eating too many sugary foods daily, our body can stop accurately determining blood sugar level, and we tend to get blood sugar spikes and cravings. 

Getting a low sugar juice cleanse delivered right to your home is a great way to get blood sugar under control. This lets you get a fresh, low-sugar “reset” on your blood sugars, helping break the deadly junk-food cycle. We might not have the willpower to get low sugar options at the grocery store, so green drink delivery makes sure we get what we need. 

#2 Detox

Juice cleanses can be great for your liver health as well. Lowering the amount of sugar, fats, and carbs in your diet benefits the liver overall. A healthy and happy liver is going to do better at its job, which is detoxifying your body and flushing out the bad stuff. A juice cleanse is a great way to give your liver a well-needed break.  

#3 Digestion 

One of the most common reasons we hear people expressing interest in a blended juice cleanse is to help with gut health and digestion. If you have issues with bloating and an upset stomach,  a juice cleanse is just what the doctor ordered—or rather, just what you ordered, to your door. Not only will the juice cleanse plan help fight bloating and gas, but it can help the growth of healthy gut bacteria. 

#4 Energy

Feeling low on energy? So low on energy you can’t even get to the store? Well, if you are starting a 21 day liquid detox diet, you don’t need to go to the store. The fresh juice will come right to you! By getting your blood sugar under control, and developing healthy eating habits, this liquid diet can give you better alertness and consistent energy.

#5 Heart health

A good green juice recipe (such as Chef V’s very own) will be full of antioxidants and other anti-inflammatories. These are great for helping promote better heart health throughout your life, and you can get this long-term health investment in a super convenient method. 

#6 Hydration

We all know we’re supposed to drink plenty of liquids throughout the day. But how many of us actually hold ourselves to that ideal? If you’re getting a regular delivery of green drink filled with delicious fruits and vegetables, you’re more likely to at least get some of your daily hydration. 

#7 Immune-boosting

Green drink delivery means you’re  getting a daily dose of a powerful immune booster. A blended juice cleanse is an easy way to get the fruits and veggies that will help keep your immune system operating in tip-top shape. Chef V’s green drink even includes apples, and you know what they say about apples and doctors… 

#8 Organic 

Organic food is great. But it can often be hard to track down the best organic drinks, especially if you don’t live in a major city. With juice cleanse delivery, you don’t need to worry about hunting down the organics; they’ll come right to you! 

#9 Savings

Sometimes organic juices can be expensive. If you get it delivered, you can often get the juice cleanse plan in bulk. And buying in bulk is always a great way to get some deals and cut down on overall costs.  

#10 Support local businesses 

Buying locally has a ton of benefits all on its own. Just like with the goal of buying organic, however, this is often easier said than done. A delivered juice cleanse means you’re getting your product from relatively nearby, but without the hassle of having to hunt it down yourself. 

#11 Taste

Fresh is better. That’s just the way  it goes, especially when it comes to things like leafy greens. With juice cleanse delivery, you can make sure you’re getting only the freshest, best-tasting juices, right at your doorstep. The fresh difference needs to be tasted to be really understood. 

#12 Weight loss

Using juice cleanse delivery to get your appetite under control will certainly help with weight loss all on its own. But it’s also important to remember that a tasty green drink is a great low-carb snack. By helping you regulate both diet and sleep schedule, and giving you the energy to exercise, a little green drink can go a long way for your weight-loss goals. 

Get juice cleanse delivery with Chef V

From juice cleanse delivery in Orange County, to juice cleanse delivery in New Jersey, Chef V is getting Americans the best in green drink, coast to coast. By signing up with Chef V, you get an amazing green drink, detox soup, and detox smoothies delivered right to your door, hassle free. Just check out what Chef V has done for all these Americans across the country

Are You Eating The Perfect Amount Of Protein?

arms holding weights

Certified Nutritional Therapist, Veronica Wheat, founder of ChefV.com, has  surprising news about the protein intake for the average American. Find out if your protein consumption is supporting your health…

I couldn’t believe it when I came across a study that said that most Americans aren’t eating enough protein. 

Seriously? We’re the land of burgers. Steak. Wings. Chicken fingers. Bacon. Pork chops. Protein powders. And enough dairy products till the cows come home…

So how can most Americans be deficient in protein? Aren’t most Americans getting too much? Never mind that most Americans’ protein intake consists of factory-farmed meat and dairy. I’m not talking about protein quality here … just straight up grams of protein. 

Well, a study from the Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging examined the food intake of nearly 12,000 participants. Based on the data, a third of the people were eating 30 grams of protein LESS than they should be. 

30 grams of protein is roughly half the amount of protein that an average woman should consume every day. That’s a huge amount of protein that the study participants were missing. 

salmon, nuts, beef, protein sources

How Much Protein Should You Eat Every Day?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein is 56 grams per day for men and 46 grams per day for women. This is not a one-size-fits-all recommendation. For example, if you lift weights or are pregnant (like yours truly; I need a minimum of 60 grams per day according to UCSF), you’ll need more. 

It seems really easy to eat 50-60 grams of protein per day. And again, I bet you, like me, think that most Americans are getting way more protein than that. I came across articles that suggest this. Like this one that says “Most Americans eat twice the protein they need.” 

But here’s the shocking truth. According to the CDC’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the average person consumes far less protein than they need. In fact, some estimates suggest that up to 80% of the population may be protein deficient.

What about you? Are you getting enough protein in your diet? Before we try and figure that out, let’s review why getting enough of this macronutrient is so essential for your health. 

Top Benefits of Protein In The Diet

Sinking your teeth into a morsel of protein not only tastes good and curbs hunger. 

(Sorry, I have to interject here that I’m a natural plant-based protein advocate. I recommend limiting animal protein to relatively clean, healthy sources like wild salmon.)

And here’s other reasons why you need to eat enough protein every day. 

  • Contains amino acids that support healthy skin
  • Boosts metabolism 
  • Prevents muscle loss and bone fractures
  • Repairs and builds lean muscle
  • Maintains strong nails and lustrous hair
  • Regulates blood sugar levels
  • Supports the immune system

And last but not least, for women, eating enough protein has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and heart attacks. In fact, a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association says that PLANT-BASED protein lowers risk of premature death, heart disease and dementia. 

But here’s the thing about protein. You have to eat enough of it every day. That’s because our bodies don’t store excess protein to be used for repairing and supporting the body when needed. 

Nope, excess protein, unfortunately, just like carbs, gets stored as body fat. 

Why Are People Not Getting Enough Protein? 

With so many protein sources to choose from, what are the reasons many people are protein deficient? 

For starters, blame it on fast food culture. Most people in the U.S. do not lead a European lifestyle. We rush from one project and appointment to the next. We’re always on the go. We don’t take the time to make well-balanced, nourishing meals. 

Instead, many of us wolf down a sandwich for lunch. Then late at night, to make up for the lack of calories consumed during the day, many people snack on processed foods. But those chips, crackers and pretzels barely have any protein. Plus they’re loaded with cheap, rancid vegetable oils and excess sodium. 

—-> Don’t have time to eat healthy? Then drink healthy every morning. It’s easy and delivered fresh to your front door. Learn more about Chef V Delivery Plan.

Another reason that some people don’t eat enough protein is they simply don’t realize they need more of it. Older people, especially, need more protein to prevent muscle wasting. 

The bottom line is that for many people, it’s feast or famine with protein. One day you’re eating a whole steak for dinner. And then the next, it’s back to toast and coffee for breakfast, a turkey sandwich for lunch and then spaghetti for dinner. That’s not enough protein. 

almond milk

How Can You Tell If You’re Protein Deficient

Here’s how you can tell if you need to up your protein intake:

  • You’re frequently tired and have low energy
  • You have cravings for snacky foods, especially anything with added sugars
  • You feel weak
  • You get sick often
  • You’re moody and irritable

You can easily keep track of your protein intake with apps, many of which are free or low cost. Remember, aim for a minimum of 50 grams a day. I think a little more is actually ideal, so shoot for 60 if you’re a female and 70 for men. The standard formula is 0.8 grams for every 2.2 pounds you weigh. So if you weigh 150 pounds, you should eat 55 grams of protein a day. 

To determine how much of a food you need to eat, try this chart from cancerdietician.com.

Best Protein Sources

Here are my favorite protein sources:

  • Chef V’s Ultra Vegan Protein Shake (which comes with Chef V’s CLEANSE  programs). 
  • Lentils (make sure they are pre-soaked to avoid bloating)
  • Beans (same issue as lentils)
  • Non-processed soy (tempeh, edamame)
  • Nuts
  • Nut milks
  • Eggs (pasture-raised only)
  • Salmon and other sustainable wild-caught fish.

wild salmon in river

How Can You Get Enough Protein?

In our land of abundance, getting enough protein should not be hard. I recommend eating protein three times a day. Every morning, I begin my day with a 16 ounce serving of Organic Green Drink. About half an hour later, I’ll make a smoothie with vegan protein powder like brown rice or pea. I always include protein with lunch and dinner. And if you need some healthy meal creation ideas, check out my recipes here as well as my e-book, Making Cleansing Easier, which is included with all my CLEANSE and DETOX programs.  

Protein is a dish, best served hot or cold every day.

5 Best Homeopathic Remedies For a Cold free, Healthy Spring

Veronica Wheat, aka Chef V, the innovator behind Organic Green Drink and cleanse/detox programs, is all about using all-natural solutions to improve health. This last winter, lots of people were nailed by colds and flu. In this article, Chef V takes a look at homeopathy and the best homeopathic remedies for quickly kicking colds to the curb – in any season.

What a crazy winter it’s been! I feel bad for anybody who has recently moved to San Diego, where I live and home to Chef V’s West Coast headquarters. It has been insanely rainy, blustery and cold. In fact, just the other night, we had a hailstorm that dusted our back yard with strange-looking white stuff. SNOW! In San Diego!

Add to that insanity the fact that I’m now pregnant and, during the last rain storm, our condo got flooded! But hey, enough about my first world problems. Let’s talk about you. How are you handling this bizarre winter? If you’ve been struck down by a cold or flu, what’s the quickest way to get over it and feel like yourself again? Spring is just about here, and now is the time to conquer a cold.

Have you ever heard of homeopathy or homeopathic remedies? If not, let’s dive in. 

homeopathic dried herbs

What is Homeopathy? 

Out of all the alternative and complementary forms of medicine like acupuncture, massage, chiropractic, etc., I think homeopathy is the most fascinating. That’s because it’s the only form of healing to my knowledge that operates on the principle of “like cures like.” 

What “like cures like” means is that one natural substance can cause symptoms in a totally healthy person while the same substance can be used to treat the same symptoms in a healthy person.

Let me give you an example. Take onions for instance. If you’re a chef like me, you’ve probably experienced watery, itchy eyes when chopping onions. So if my eyes are fine to begin with, onions make my eyes water. However, and here’s where homeopathy is so interesting … If I already have watery, itchy eyes because of an allergy, a trace amount of onion in a homeopathic solution can relieve my symptoms. 

How Old Is Homeopathy?

Unlike other modalities like acupuncture that date back thousands of years, homeopathic remedies are the relatively new kid on the block. Invented in the late 1700s by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann, homeopathy, like other forms of holistic medicine, doesn't just treat symptoms. The idea is to treat the whole individual. 

Another example of the “like treats like” principle was discovered serendipitously (by accident) like Viagra by Hahnemann himself. Searching for a treatment for malaria, Hahnemann was turned on to the bark from a South American tree called cinchona. Not sure what dose to take, Hahnemann took a high dose of the tree bark extract and developed malaria-like symptoms.  

It’s fitting that homeopathy was invented in Germany because in modern times, homeopathy remains widely accepted even in the mainstream medical community. This is widely different from the attitude that mainstream medicine has towards homeopathy here in the U.S., which is downright hostility. 

How Does Homeopathy Work? 

It’s easy to see why some people think homeopathy is a snake-oil disguised as medicine. (If you’re curious, the best homeopathic remedy for snake bites: ledum palustre, aka Labrador tea.)

This is because homeopathic remedies are extremely diluted in water or alcohol. You can say that the “trace essence” or the “spirit” of the homeopathic remedy—usually a plant, mineral, or even a virus—is what’s left. The highly-diluted remedies are supposed to kickstart the body’s natural healing processes. In homeopathy, the dilution process is based on the principle of potentization. Basically, the remedy is vigorously shaken each time after it’s diluted. This action is what theoretically increases its potency. 

Again, it’s easy to see why mainstream medicine bashes homeopathy because of these woo-hoo principles. But there are plenty of people who swear by it. I’m not here to take an official position on it. I just want to introduce it to you as an option for when you’ve got a nasty cold or flu. It’s up to you to decide whether homeopathy is right for you. Millions of people around the world have successfully used homeopathy. Whether it’s because of a placebo effect or the remedies actually work, who is to say. 

pasqueflower

pasqueflower – used to make Pulsatilla

Best Homeopathic Remedies for Colds and Allergies

As I mentioned, it’s a nasty cold and flu season, at least out here in the west, where it’s been COLD A.F. (Earmuffs, little one in my belly.)

Here are 5 homeopathic cold, flu and allergy remedies. 

  1. Allium cepa: Remember the onion example? Well, that’s what allium is (garlic, too). Made from red onion, allium is used for symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, and watery eyes.
  2. Oscillococcinum® is a patented homeopathic medicine that is made from a 1% solution of wild duck heart and liver extract. Obviously, you’ll pass on it if you’re a vegetarian. But keep in mind it’s diluted 200 times with water and alcohol. So the true amount of animal parts is like a grain of sand on a beach. 
  3. Arsenicum album – Ingesting arsenic can kill you, but a homeopathic remedy with a trace amount of arsenic may help sneezing, coughing, and  sore throats. 
  4. Nux vomica – Although it sounds way too similar to “vomit” this remedy can help you if you have a stuffy nose, headache, and feel like a whiny bitch (the less politically incorrect term: irritable). And don’t be turned off by the fact that it’s made from strychnine. Hey, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right? 
  5. Pulsatilla – This one’s good for nasty mucus and noses that think they’re running a marathon. Vegetarians will delight that it’s made not from weird animal parts but the pasqueflower. 

For best results, I recommend not self-treating but actually visiting a homeopathic practitioner. Or at the very least, research the bejeezus out of it to make sure you’re taking the right remedy not only for your symptoms but other patterns. 

nux vomica tree

nux vomica evergreen tree used to make nux vomica

Does Research Support Homeopathy?

Like I said, your average mainstream whitecoat probably has a negative opinion about homeopathy. Most of Google’s top listings for the search “is homeopathy effective” links to articles that bashing it. 

Yet for every article that bashes it, you’ll find a study that supports it.

Here’s one study from Brazil that examined the effects of administering homeopathic remedies to 445 children. The conclusion of the study:

“These results suggest that the use of homeopathic medicines minimized the number of flu and acute respiratory infection symptomatic episodes in children, signalizing that the homeopathic prophylactic potential should be investigated in further studies.”

In another peer-reviewed study, the researchers made a bold statement: “There is little evidence that the decongestant, antihistamine, or cough suppressant medications commonly used to treat cold symptoms in preschool children are effective.”

So the researchers set out to see if 154 kids ages 2-5 years old who were diagnosed with an upper respiratory tract infection would get better when given a commercial homeopathic cold syrup versus a placebo. The syrup was given to them for 3 days. The outcome of the study was that the homeopathic syrup “appeared to be effective in reducing the severity of cold symptoms in the first day after beginning treatment.”

In another study, this one published in Global Pediatric Health, the efficacy of a commercial brand of homeopathic medicine called Influcid was examined. The 2016 study recruited 261 kids in Germany and Ukraine. Researchers concluded that the group treated with Influcid used less medication and their symptoms were resolved significantly earlier. Not only that, the kids had higher proportions of fever-free from day 3 onwards. 

remedy used in study

Cleanse Your System To Fine Tune Your Immune System

Maybe you’ve been eating like crap lately? And not exercising. And maybe you’ve had a lot of stress and you’re not managing it …well, if you recently have been sick, doing a CHEF V Cleanse is the best way to reboot your immune system and your digestive system. 

Choose between a 5 DAY, 3 DAY or 1 DAY CLEANSE. 

That’s all the work you have to do. Chef V will take care of the rest. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CHEF V CLEANSE

Chef V eating mac and cheese

A Low FODMAP Diet: Chef V’s Recipe For Conquering IBS

Veronica eating mac and cheese

What the frick are FODMAPS? Veronica Wheat, aka Chef V, explains what they are and how avoiding foods with high levels of them may greatly reduce Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) symptoms. (For more general info on IBS click here.)

“Beans, beans they’re good for your heart … the more you eat the more you FART.”

Anybody with Irritable Bowel Syndrome can tell you that nursery rhyme is all too true. 

For millions of people living with this gastrointestinal disorder, eating foods that are considered healthy—even by dieticians and other so-called experts—can cause severe bloating, abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, constipation, and yes, toots. Really stinky horrible toots. 

While we’re still waiting for science to invent a magical IBS cure—its exact cause is unknown—what we do know is that certain foods like beans and lentils can trigger IBS symptoms. 

Make no mistake about it, there is no 100% successful IBS intervention. However, one thing that really works for people with IBS is eating a low FODMAP diet. This makes it super important to eat most of your meals at home so that you’re in full control of the ingredients. And if you wanna jump ahead and check out my IBS-friendly recipes, I have a few to share with you here.

man gagging at bad smell

What Does FODMAP Stand For? 

Warning: this acronym is a huge mouthful. I don’t blame you if you won’t be able to digest it, no pun intended. Ready? Here goes: Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols. Like I said, what the frick are FODMAPS?

What Are FODMAPS?

OK, so let me explain what that means. The “O” “D” “M” and “P” in the acronym are types of sugars. I’m not talking about simple baking sugar. Rather, these are the carbohydrates (sugar is a carb) that are found in fruits, veggies, grains, lentils and other plant-based foods. 

Some people can digest, say, a can of black beans just fine. But for people living with IBS, the specific type of carbs in the beans (oligosaccharides) don’t digest well in the small intestine. It’s as if the small intestine says, ‘no thanks, I’ll pass on the beans.’ Meanwhile, the beans move mostly undigested into the large intestine where they start fermenting. 

Isn’t Fermentation Good?

Trendy fermented foods like sauerkraut (fermented cabbage) have a reputation of being super gut healthy. But here’s the thing about fermentation: it basically means the same as rotting. This is not to say that certain fermented foods do not contribute to our health. In fact, foods like sauerkraut are probably better for your gut microbiome than a conventional probiotic supplement. 

However, the problem with certain fermented foods like sauerkraut is that they are higher in FODMAP sugars. And when the FODMAP sugars move along into the large intestine, it’s the fermentation that causes the black-bean-baby-belly and other symptoms. 

mold in petri dish

Low FODMAP Diet Chart

Eating a low FODMAP diet, then, is one of the easiest ways to manage IBS symptoms. And that simply means that you eliminate as much as possible the foods that have the highest level of FODMAPS. 

And to make it easy for you, here’s a list of good and bad FODMAP foods you can print out and take with you to the supermarket and restaurants. 

If you really want to take a deep dive into the science behind FODMAPS, I highly encourage you to check out this resource from Australia’s Monash University. The researchers at Monash are IBS experts and pretty much pioneered the low FODMAP diet. 

Another great resource, especially for people who are newly diagnosed with IBS is the IBS Group forum. You’ll never feel like you’re struggling alone with this condition that can make life a living hell at times… 

you got this in white chalk on asphalt

How Long Do You Need To Eat Low FODMAP For? 

The good news is that even if some of your favorite foods are high FODMAP, it doesn’t mean you have to give them up forever. The low FODMAP diet is basically an elimination phase. I recommend giving up all medium and high FODMAP foods for a minimum of four weeks. 

After that first phase, you can reintroduce one medium or high FODMAP food at a time. Don’t start your reintroduction phase by eating, say, a bowl of pasta and dipping Italian bread into the sauce. 

Personally, I think anybody with IBS should be gluten-free as much as possible but that’s for another topic. The important takeaway is that when you reintroduce medium/high FODMAP foods, do so one at a time. 

For best results, eat that one medium/high FODMAP food for 2-3 days. If no IBS symptoms develop, then you can reintroduce your next favorite high FODMAP food that’s considered healthy like GARLIC and ONIONS.

As long as none of the reintroduced foods give you problems, you can continue to eat them. But for the best chances of IBS symptom prevention, you may want to stick to eating a low FODMAP diet for the foreseeable future.

slicing onions

Conclusion

IBS is a bitch. Imagine not knowing if symptoms are going to flare up when you go out to dinner with friends. This is why it’s so important to memorize the list of  low FODMAP foods. Or like I said, print out a list or snap a pic with your phone. 

There is so much that’s unknown about IBS and for that reason, I’ll leave you with this last piece of advice… If you have really good health insurance or can afford to pay out of pocket, work with a functional medicine doctor or naturopathic doctor, one who has tons of experience working with IBS patients. Do your research and get a referral from someone who has successfully learned to control their IBS. 

In the meantime, pass on the beans. 

Love,  Chef V

Chef V eating mac and cheese

Making Lasting Changes: Chef V’s Tips to Build a Healthy Lifestyle in 2023

Everyone, at least once in their life, has dreamed about making lasting health changes in the new year. But there’s no magic formula to reaching a healthy lifestyle. Instead, it’s all about developing healthy habits that will serve you throughout the rest of your life. This blog covers some ways to get started. 

Exercise

Most of us understand the importance of exercise in our daily lives. It helps us get our weight under control, build muscle mass, improve digestion, and just feel all around better about ourselves.

And yet exercise is also often considered one of the hardest healthy habits to get into. This is because it requires an active investment of time, something many of us feel like we have precious little of. 

Healthy eating habits involve swapping out one food choice for another. Exercise involves finding new time in your schedule. It’s essential that you meet at least your minimal exercise goals. A good rule of thumb is that you should be getting at least either 150 minutes of moderate exercise in a week or seventy-five minutes of more intense exercise

To build healthy exercising habits, it’s vital to start with smaller goals. Using lunch breaks for walks is an excellent way to get started, and to enjoy the fresh air if the weather permits. We’re also big fans of yoga at Chef V, as a low-impact way to get more exercise and flexibility. 

Stress management

Making any permanent change in your habits will be difficult unless you manage to get your stress levels under control. Too often, physical health is emphasized so much that our mental health is forgotten. However, chronic stress levels can cause appetite issues, sleeping difficulties, and mood swings. These can further degenerate into diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. 

Getting started with stress reduction can be intimidating. Stressing about stress is counterproductive, not to mention just a little bit silly. Don’t be afraid to reach out to a therapist for assistance. Healthier choices in diet and exercise can also go a long way toward reducing stress levels, thus creating a positive feedback loop, as your positive mood encourages you to make better choices.

If you really don’t know where to get started, we can certainly recommend simple breathing exercises throughout the day. These are good ways to calm yourself quickly and cut down on the worst effects of stress. 

Sleep

Sleep is incredibly easy. Most of us can do it without even thinking about it. All you have to do is lay in bed, that’s it! So it’s strange that for so many people getting enough sleep is an incredibly difficult proposition. 

The hectic modern lives we live, plus the proliferation of screen-based technology, has significantly impacted our ability to get a good night’s sleep. Remember, the average person needs from seven to nine hours of sleep. 

Getting enough sleep depends on maintaining a strict routine for sleep. Your body will get used to regular sleep times—you just need to start enforcing them on yourself. An excellent way to get started is to shut off your phones and other screens an hour before bed, letting your mind relax and your eyes recover. 

Increase water intake

Hydration seems like such a minor detail, but water is incredibly important to us humans. Water flushes the toxins from the body, lubricates joints, improves mood, boosts digestion, and improves organ health. Thankfully, getting more water in your life is easy. Just make sure to have more glasses of H2O during the day. You can also try to mix in more green drinks with your daily habits to get all the important hydration. 

Intermittent fasting

If you’re still worried about weight loss, even after improving your health, sleep, and exercise habits, the new year might be the time to give intermittent fasting a try. Intermittent fasting is the idea that when you eat can be as important as what you eat. The longer you give your body to digest food properly, the better you can manage your weight. 

It might sound like a lot, but it’s easy to get into. For example, all you need to do is try having your dinner an hour earlier, and breakfast an hour later. Maybe you can even replace your morning routine with a healthy green drink! 

Try some juice cleanses

If you have severe issues around bloating, weight gain, digestive system problems, blood sugar levels, and cravings for processed foods, then the new year might be the time to start a juice cleanse. 

The best juice cleanses for weight loss will include things like detox soups and detox smoothies as well. If you’re new to juice cleanses, we recommend starting with a 3 day juice cleanse. Even a short 3 day cleanse can help you fight back against cravings for sugary foods.

Get more green juices in your diet

Still uncertain about where the best place is to start with your new year’s goals for building a healthy lifestyle? One of the easier healthy habits to get into is adding more green juice into your everyday routines. 

Chef V’s green drink is great whether as part of a 3 day juice cleanse, a snack in the morning, or as a refreshing treat throughout the day. Our own green juice recipe mixes plenty of healthy leafy greens with delicious apple juice for some natural sweetness. Best of all, we can deliver all the incredible health benefits of green drink right to your doorstep! 

Sticking to Your Health Goals while Celebrating Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is associated with romance and all things romantic. It’s unfortunately also associated with sugary treats and big dinners. While those will certainly get your heart racing, it’s probably not in the way you want. We ask you, what’s so romantic about bloating and sugar headaches? However, we’re not suggesting your health goals and habits will inevitably be trampled underfoot on Valentine’s day. In this blog, we’ll discuss a few ways to stick to your health goals and not ruin your cleansing juicing or juice detox diets during February. 

Do your own dinner

There’s an expectation around Valentine’s day that one person in the relationship is going to be saddled with organizing a costly dinner out at a fancy restaurant. The meal is probably going to involve a lot of steak, and end up with tons of sugary desserts. 

It’s a nice image, especially for fancy restaurants looking to lure in customers. But maybe it’s time to consider bringing the romance back into the most intimate of settings, the home. This isn’t to say you can’t enjoy some time out. But if you have Valentine’s Day dinner at home, you get total control over the meal.

That means you can control the portions, and how it’s prepared, to make sure it meets the health goals of everyone involved. You can swap the steaks for vegetarian options, or opt for lean proteins like fish. 

Desserts can be prepared with healthier options. And if you do indulge, you can at least head to the fridge to wash it down with some green drinks. The only thing the home experience can’t guarantee you is someone to wash the dishes.

Restaurant responsibility

Maybe that part about washing the dishes got to you. Maybe you simply don’t have the time or inclination to cook. That’s perfectly okay! It’s alright to want to spend the night out on Valentine’s. But if you’re firm on having a restaurant experience, then it’s worth it at least to consider expanding your options. 

You don’t need to go for heavy meals. Compare your dietary goals with everyone involved, and then try to select a restaurant that fits these dietary needs. Remember, sometimes fun and new is better than fancy and expensive. 

Take the focus off the dinner

Valentine’s Day should be about spending time with the ones you love. So why is it so focused on the dinner experience? Maybe it’s time to think outside the box. Have dinner as you usually would that day, and then plan for something else that’s a bit more active and engaging. Of course, given that Valentine’s Day is in February, the best options vary depending on your location. 

If you’re in a colder area, why not try ice skating or other winter sports together? If you’re in a warmer area, why not plan a walk in a botanical garden or a hike in the most beautiful natural settings your region provides? These all let you spend quality time together while still remaining active. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box, either. For some people, the real romance is found in mini-putt or indoor rock climbing. 

Back yourself up with green drinks

Sometimes, we just want to indulge. And you know what? That’s okay. One day a year isn’t going to derail your health goals. And you can take steps to mitigate any side effects you earn from that indulgence. Some detox juice can be the perfect thing to fight both bloating and the sugar headaches

And when it comes to detox juice, there’s little better than Chef V’s green drink. Whether as part of a juice detox diet, or delivered to be enjoyed on its own. So let Chef V backup your health with the green drinks, and focus on having the most romantic Valentine’s possible.

Top 5 Ways to Detox Inside and Out

Detoxing goes beyond green juice recipes and your gut health. Detoxing involves removing all toxic junk from your body, mind, and life. If you’re looking for more ways to detox, inside and out, then we’ll provide a guide to get you started here, including through the use of detox juice.  

What counts as detoxification? 

If there’s a hot term out there in the nutritional community, it’s undoubtedly “detoxification.” The idea is that you’re removing harmful substances from your body, mind, and life. This could include the additives in processed foods, or simply other negative influences in our life. There’s a reason organic detox juice is becoming so popular. 

One of the biggest misconceptions about detoxification, especially for the body, is that it’s not something you can do naturally. Human beings are a lot more resilient than we give ourselves credit for. Even processed foods (which, maybe appropriately, take a long time for our body to process) can eventually be broken down. 

What detoxification should aim to do is instead help the body through these natural processes. The same goes for detoxifying your mind and habits. Trust in your own adaptability and resilience. Sometimes, it takes a few minor tweaks to your daily habits to start making permanent detox changes. 

Top ways to boost detoxification

#1 Massages 

When we think about physically improving the health of our bodies through movement, we often first think of stretching and exercise. However, it’s essential not to forget about all the great things that massages can do for you.

Part of the confusion here probably stems from the fact that there’s no single type of physical therapy that is a “massage.” Instead, this refers to a whole range of different styles, each with its unique health benefits. 

For example, the classic “Swedish massage” is mainly to help promote relaxation, while deeper massages help work out muscle tension and injuries. This means that no matter how active you are in your daily life, you can get something out of a visit to a massage therapist. 

Regardless of the type of massage, they all come with benefits beyond getting the kinks out of your muscles. Massages reduce stress as well as pain, and help promote circulation, manage blood pressure, and boost immune function. The improved circulation means the bad stuff in your body gets flushed out quicker, and the boosted immune system also helps your body regulate itself better.

That’s not to say there are no mental benefits to massages, of course. If you’re mired in stress and tensing up, few things are better at helping you unwind than a massage. If your body is tense, you’re going to feel tense, and the same goes in reverse. Massage is a comprehensive package, which is why it makes this list.

#2 Screen time limitation

You might have heard the term “digital detox” being bounced around, so it’s worth delving into what this means. Today, we take our constant connectivity to the digital space for granted. Always keeping tabs on what is happening in our personal and online lives allows for little bursts of pleasure throughout the day. 

However, people have been getting little bursts of pleasure from things like junk food and cigarettes long before smartphones. The behavior of constant online engagement is an addictive one. Even if you’re dubious about whether you have a screen addiction, you can’t deny the science regarding screen use and sleep. 

Cutting down on your screen time, especially in the evening before bed, is going to help net you some extra shuteye, which is going to help both your mind and body rest and recuperate. Of course, saying that you should “limit screen time” is easier said than done. 

Setting up your phone to reduce the temptation to constantly check it is one way to help get less screen time. Disabling notifications, or even switching the phone to black-and-white mode can all help make it much less enticing. You should also work on setting personal rules for yourself. For example, do a hard cut off of no screen time an hour before bed, or simply make the bedroom a tech-free space altogether.

#3 Spa days

It would be remiss to put massages on this list and not mention the option of going for the full spa day. Sometimes, all you have time for is one of those massages. But if you can carve a day out of your schedule, doing a spa day, or just some solo travel, is a great way to detox the mind and body. 

Not only do you get the benefits of massage and a break from your hectic schedule, most spas also include a variety of skin treatments, helping you look great. Beyond the glow of confidence in your looks, spa days help release positive-feeling chemicals like serotonin and dopamine, and can help you deal with headaches, pain, and sleep loss. 

Just like with massages, they can also help promote blood flow for all the aforementioned benefits. Basically, think of a spa day as a super-charged massage session. 

#4 Eliminating processed foods

In the modern age, plenty of food you’ll find in the grocery store is designed for long-distance travel, not necessarily for health. This is why organic detox juice is an increasingly popular option for those interested in getting their fruits and vegetables in liquid form. The additives used to make food good for travel can cause various health problems, especially for certain people with sensitivities

Beyond the sensitivities, there’s the plain fact that a lot of processed sugar in your food isn’t good for you. In particular, these sugars are linked to health conditions, such as diabetes and weight gain. They can take a long time for your body to process, and throw your blood sugar levels out of whack. 

They can also play hell with your digestive system, leading to bloating and diarrhea. Cutting these foods out of your diet and embracing more organic options is an excellent way to detox from sugar and additive overload. 

#5 Get that green juice

Can’t decide which part of your life needs an emergency detox first? Then our first recommendation is to get yourself an excellent detox juice recipe. Drinks full of leafy greens are great as an anti-inflammatory, are full of vitamins and minerals, and just make you feel great drinking it.

And if you’re looking for the best detox juice around, then look no further. With natural sweetness, but tons of those leafy greens as well, Chef V’s green drink is a significant part of a healthy lifestyle. Best of all, you can get a green drink delivered right to your door! 

Nutrition and Self-Care Tips For Beginners

At Chef V, we love green juice, in case you couldn’t tell. But, as crazy as it might sound, some people are scared of the delicious green stuff. They mainly associated it with long-term juice cleanses. However, you don’t have to be a detox juice cleanse master to enjoy fresh juice, regardless of what’s in it. There are plenty of ways to work some of that green drink into your everyday routine. You might even want to give a juice detox diet a try!

Benefits of green drink

If you’re new around here (if so, welcome!) your first question might not be what the benefits of green drink are. Instead, you’re likely wondering just what green drink is. 

Well… it’s green, for starters. Really, “green drink” isn’t a scientific term. It’s simply used to refer to all kinds of beverages that use leafy greens as their main ingredient. Our own Chef V green drink, for example, includes green kale, black kale, collard greens, curly parsley, and green chard among its ingredients. 

These kinds of leafy greens are packed full of essential vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A, vitamin K, and iron. This means drinking juice filled with these greens is an excellent way to ensure you’re getting all the important nutrients you need. 

Beyond general nutritional goodness, there are a few more specific health benefits to green drinks. The leafy greens in these vegetable juices are great for fighting inflammation, reducing your risk of a whole host of health issues, including heart disease. 

These leafy greens are also great for helping you get your blood sugar under control, improving digestion, and helping you better control your weight. What’s not to love? 

Cleanses versus adding green drink to your diet

It’s important to note here that while green drinks are clearly a fantastic tool for healthy eating, you do have flexibility in how you use them. A lot of people associate green drinks with undertaking detox juice cleanses to lose weight. 

And yeah, green drinks are pretty great for this. The idea behind a juice cleanse is to cut down on the carbs and calories in your diet. Green drinks let you do this while ensuring you still get all the essential nutrients and minerals.

But don’t be afraid to just add some of the green stuff into your daily diet. It doesn’t need to be all about the juice fasts. The anti-inflammatory properties and benefits to your digestive system alone make adding in some leafy greens a worthwhile endeavor. 

Swapping for other drinks

If you don’t want to go for a whole detox juice cleanse, it can be a significantly healthy step to swap some of your other regular drinks for something fresh and green. Just switching out a caffeinated beverage every morning for a glass of green stuff can have a significant effect on your mood and energy. Or you can swap out those sugary drinks for a healthy option that’s got its own sweetness. If you’re going for the Chef V option, that includes apples

Chef V green drink delivery

If you’re interested in getting more fruits and vegetables into your diet, but are afraid of going for a full-on juice detox diet, we at Chef V have got you covered. Our green drink delivery brings the good stuff right to your doorstep. This ensures you’re getting only the freshest green drink, no processed foods or liquids anywhere near your juice. 

Why Zinc Matters Now More Than Ever

Chef V Interview - Cleansing your Body

Do I ever have any fun? 

Do I ever stop practicing what I preach? 

Or am I constantly perched on this virtual altar spouting natural health gospel? 

If you’ve been following my recent articles, you might think that I never stray from the healthy path. 

But that couldn’t be further from the truth. You see, I follow the 80/20 rule: eat healthy and practice other wellness-forming habits 80% of the time and let yourself “cheat” a little the other 20% of the time. (Maybe it’s more like 85/15.)

Want to know my secret indulgences? Here’s a few of my occasional transgressions: French fries, wine, and chicken sandwiches.

I guess because of the pandemic, I haven’t let you, dear reader, see the human, relatable side of me, the side that’s just as prone to stress-eating temptation as you might be. 

(The key to conquering snack food cravings: indulge in kale chips instead of regular chips. Eat almond flour crackers instead of white flour crackers.) 

This blog has focused on different ways to stay healthy during these challenging times. That doesn’t mean, however, I don’t celebrate life by indulging in crap from time to time. 

But I do stick to a healthy routine, including daily yoga/meditation and Organic Green Drink. 

Sorry for the long-winded intro. I just needed to get the fact that I’m only human off my chest. 

Now back to my regularly-scheduled next health spiel…

Why Zinc Is Important

All dietary minerals are important. But in 2020-2021, zinc just might be the most important. It’s received a lot of attention in research studies. That’s because zinc can help prevent viruses from replicating in cells. In order to become infected by a virus, the virus needs to first penetrate your cells and then start making copies of itself. Zinc is like  anti-virus software that prevents your computer (the cells) from getting hacked. 

There’s also one other function of zinc that’s very appropriate for the times. The mineral, which is the fourth-most abundant metal on Earth, is essential for maintaining your sense of smell. 

I’m sure you’ve heard that one of the first tell-tale signs of COVID-19 infection is loss of smell. Could it be that zinc deficiency or suboptimal levels is to blame for infection? I found a research study from September of last year published in the International Journal of Infectious Disease that supports this theory. The researchers write in the conclusion of the study: 

“The data clearly show that a significant number of COVID-19 patients were zinc deficient. These zinc deficient patients developed more complications, and the deficiency was associated with a prolonged hospital stay and increased mortality.”

Does reading that conclusion make you want to open a new browser and order a zinc supplement this instant? I don’t blame you. After all, if you want a balanced immune system, one that won’t go haywire and attack your organs should you God-forbid become infected, then you need to make sure you’re getting enough zinc. 

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high versus low glycemic index

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Best Sources of Zinc

But getting enough zinc is just half the story. Absorbing it is another issue. Most Americans eat stuff with plenty of zinc, especially meat. A serving of ground beef contains about half of the recommended daily value (according to the FDA: men need 11 mg, women require 8 mg). Pork,  seafood and chicken are also rich in zinc. 

Animal protein, especially oysters, which contain the highest zinc content of any food (over 65 mg per 3.5 ounces!), are the best sources of zinc. So what’s a plant-based dieter to do? Fortunately, some of my favorite vegan treats like pumpkin seeds, cashews, and chickpeas are solid sources. 

But both carnivores and vegans face an inconvenient truth about zinc. Because of both natural factors and man-made environmental concerns, we’re not absorbing enough zinc as we should. 

Why We’re Zinc Deficient

What’s to blame for zinc malabsorption? Let’s start with an issue that affects vegetarians and vegans…

In nature, plants have developed ways to protect themselves from insects. Beans and lentils come from plants that have a coating that contains phytates. Phytates are anti-nutrients. That means that they interfere with mineral absorption. 

As the song goes, “Beans, beans they’re good for your heart,” but the more you eat of them, without soaking them, the less zinc your body will absorb. So if you’re buying beans or lentils in a can from the supermarket, soak them overnight in pure water to eliminate some of the phytates. 

Recently, I wrote about glyphosate, the most heavily-sprayed chemical on food crops in the country. Glyphosate prevents plants from uptaking zinc and other minerals from the soil. Unfortunately, just about everything we eat contains glyphosate residue. The best way to minimize your exposure is by eating organic.  

Conclusion

This weekend, I’ll probably kick back and enjoy a glass or two of wine. I might even get some carry out Thai (tastes amazing but lots of carbs) and partake in another as of yet to be determined indulgence. But I’m going to make sure I’m eating a ton of organic plants (and drinking them) to make sure my cells are supplied with enough zinc to keep my immune system balanced.

 I’ll also be taking an ionic zinc supplement (liquid drops that the body absorbs much better than pills or capsules).

Cleansing With Food Chef V Interview

Cleansing with Food
an interview with Chef V, Veronica Wheat

Chef V Interview - Cleansing your Body

Rico Caveglia: Hello, I am Rico Caveglia, and this is your Ageless Body Self-Care Guide, operations manual for your body and for your mind.

The title of today’s interview is about cleansing. This is such an important topic these days. I’m sure you probably know that we live in quite a toxic environment these days. We’re getting toxins from the air, the water, the food, beauty products, building material products. We’re getting bombarded with toxins all the time, so it’s so important to learn about what cleansing is and what it can do for you and how to do it.

We’re very fortunate today to have one of the top experts. Her name is Veronica Wheat, and she is known as Chef V. She is a private chef, a nutritional therapist, and owner of Chef V. It’s a green drink and cleansing program company that actually home delivers. She’s offering quite a great service. Chef V, Veronica Wheat, thanks so much for being here.

Veronica Wheat (Chef V): Thank you for having me, Rico.

Rico: Thanks for coming to share your knowledge and wisdom with us. I really appreciate that. Let’s get right into it. Always the first question is, how do you define what a cleanse is? What is the definition of cleansing the body?

Chef V: Basically, our bodies are designed to naturally cleanse and detoxify themselves. Every night when you go to sleep, your cells start going to work detoxing all the impurities, breaking down foods, getting the nutrients from the food, and really getting rid of the rest of everything. We come in contact with so many toxins.

Our bodies do naturally cleanse; however, in today’s world, like you’re saying, we are loaded with toxins. All the preservatives in the food, all the additives, the colors, the dyes. In beauty products alone, there’s 2,000 chemicals that some companies are banning, and they’re not regulated here in the United States. Air pollution has lots of toxins. While our bodies they do naturally detoxify, there’s a lot of things out there that our body – it’s bombarded. It’s too much. So we really do need to give it a break.

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high versus low glycemic index

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If you’re really a very healthy person and you avoid perfumes, dyes, bad products, lotions, even toothpaste, shampoos – there’s so many chemicals in all these things we’re using. If you eat really clean and avoid toxins in all these areas, you’re a lot better off. But 95% of the population is unaware of all these things. They’re thinking that things are safe from them and putting them in their body or on their body or breathing them in or ingesting them, and it’s just too much. Your body starts breaking down. Autoimmune diseases, diabetes, all these different ailments that people are starting to see.

It’s important to add cleansing things into your diet. Lemon water detoxifies the liver first thing in the morning, if you’re doing that. You’ll notice in the morning when you wake up, your pee might be a little darker. You’ll have bowel movements. That’s really your body cleansing and detoxifying. Your body naturally does cleanse, but there’s also ways to add more cleansing and detoxifying systems into your body.

Rico: I want to add to exactly what you said. Unless you live on top of a mountain somewhere in purified air and have your own organic garden, no matter what we do, even if we eat organic, we’re still getting lots of toxins all the time. So it’s so important.

Talk to us a little bit about – it’s all about our immune system, especially these days with the virus going around and all that. I think an important thing for people to realize is that these toxins are cumulative. You might say “Just because I eat this apple and maybe it’s got preservatives on it, so what?” But the thing is all these things are cumulative, all the different ways we get it. How does that work? When we get too much overload, our immune system breaks down? Is that what happens?

Chef V: Yeah. Everyone’s really different in how they hold on to toxins, especially if you exercise a lot. That really helps detoxify the body. So if you’re exercising and eating well, you are naturally cleansing your body in certain ways.

But a lot of people are not exercising and they’re eating really horribly and they’re using all these lotions and perfumes, dyes, air fresheners. There’s so many chemicals. People think “Oh yeah, I’m going to spray Febreze around my house to make it smell good!” You’re inhaling chemical toxins into your body. There’s just so much out there. I think a lot of people think that things are regulated and things are safe for them just because they’re on a store shelf when that’s completely far from the truth.

We’re not infinite beings. Your body has limits, and when you’re putting so many toxins – cigarette smoke, lots of alcohol. It can only handle so much, and then you might get lung cancer or liver cancer or something like that. By helping to cleanse and take breaks from certain things – not saying you can never have a drink in your life. It’s just if you’re going to drink, make sure the next morning you’re having lemon water, cleansing, something healthy, a smoothie, a nice salad. If you want to eat pizza for dinner, then make sure you’re having something healthy for lunch that’s cleansing and detoxifying.

It’s all about balance. It’s really hard to avoid everything, and it’s not going to be fun if you’re not enjoying your life. But you do have to balance everything out for the wellbeing of your immune system. Otherwise your body will start shutting down.

Rico: Very well said. What are some of the main benefits you’ve seen from doing cleanses?

Chef V: I have developed different sorts of cleanses. I have a whole 3, 5, 7 day cleanse where you’re not having any solid foods. You’re just having green drinks, protein shakes, and soups. I can go more into that later. But also, what I really practice and preach is having a green drink every day first thing in the morning for breakfast. That way it’s the first thing you’re putting in your body. It’s the first thing processing through your liver, through your colon, and helping you cleanse and detox.

Sorry, what was the question again? I got off-track.

Rico: No, that’s a really good point of doing that first thing in the morning so you cleanse your liver so your liver is ready for whatever else it might have to deal with during the day.

Chef V: Oh, what have I seen from the cleansing.

Rico: Yeah, some of the benefits.

Chef V: I’ve had people that have done a 3-day cleanse rid themselves from autoimmune medication in just 3 days. Someone who was on autoimmune medication for 5-10 years. I had a guy that had gout on his leg – huge gout on his leg for 10 years. He did a 3-day cleanse; it completely melted away.

And it’s miraculous because it’s like, wow, if you’re just giving your body this little break – your body is amazing. It does miraculous things. The body can live on Top Ramen, cigarettes, and Coca-Cola. It can survive. It’s not going to be thriving, but that’s how miraculous the body is.

So when people just give it this little reset, this little break – and I’m not saying don’t eat. Don’t do lemon water and cayenne for 3 days. If you give your body nutrients and just take a break from all of the crap, the toxins, the alcohol, the gluten, the dairy, the processed meats, all of these things, your body really can function at its best. So that’s the things I’ve seen just from people doing a 3-day cleanse.

But I’ve had people that do the green drink every day – not just a full cleanse. They have food, they live their normal life, but just by having the green drink every day, I’ve seen people rid themselves of adult acne, rosacea, eczema. I’ve had one person lose 245 pounds, my biggest testimonial. He’s lost 245 pounds in 14 months, and his whole life has been changed.

I had another lady who did the green drink for a year. She had Type 2 diabetes, she had Graves’ disease, and she rid it completely just by implementing a green drink daily, which is just basically cleansing and detoxifying your body and giving your body this influx of nutrients. The most important is empty stomach. That way your body can absorb everything and your cells can get the most benefit from it.

I’ve seen a lot of amazing things. I could go on for hours, and I have tons of testimonials on my website and Facebook and Yelp.

before and after cleansing

Rico: It works. Talk a little bit about some of the plant-based foods or different plants and herbs and things that are cleansing to the body.

Chef V: In my drink, I use seven certified organic greens. I’ve chosen these specific greens because each one has a different function. These are not the only healthy foods that you can use. There’s tons more, and I can go a little bit into that.

But specifically for my drink, I use green and black kale because they are the highest phytonutrient greens on earth. The phytonutrients help fight free radicals in the body, which combats cancer. We also have green chard, which helps control your cholesterol. The collard greens help regulate your blood sugar. Dandelion greens specifically cleanse the liver. Parsley has folic acid and the green leaf lettuce is great for your hair, skin, nails, even your teeth. And then I have a little healthy dose of the apple, which also is healthy to have a little apple in your diet.

Rico: I’m actually a testimony for you as well because as you know, you’re a friend of mine, and you’ve actually contributed some of your green drinks to some of the workshops and things I’ve put on here in San Diego. I’ve had your green drinks quite often, and I have to say they’re the best tasting.

Whenever I try to make my own green drink and I put it in a blender and put all the stuff in, it always comes out like – oh man, I can hardly get it down. But you got the formula down. It actually tastes good and it’s smooth and easy to drink.

Chef V: Thank you. There’s also tons of other foods that are really healthy, cleansing, detoxifying. Anything green is going to be great in your diet. Ginger is great, garlic, onions. Berries are great. They have lots of antioxidants. There’s tons of other foods that are out there.

During COVID, I’ve done an immune boosting workshop that I’ve gone live with and talked about different foods and how to get more of them into your diet and why you should get them in your diet and easy ways to include them. There’s tons of foods that are detoxifying. You can even just google “cleansing foods, detoxifying foods,” and try and get more of those into your diet. Not saying that’s the only thing that you can eat or should eat, but you just eat more of them.

Rico: What would your recommend for someone who’s never done a cleanse at all and says “Maybe I should try something”? What would you recommend? How would they get started?

Chef V: Typically when people come into my store or call or reach out to me through the website or whatever and they want to do a cleanse, they say, “I want to do a 7-day cleanse because I want to get the most benefits.” I say, “Why don’t you start with a 3-day cleanse?” I put you on a 2-day pre-cleanse of elimination diet. No caffeine, alcohol, no red meat, no gluten, no dairy. Not saying you can never have that; again, just giving your body a little break from that. 

Most people lose 5 pounds on the pre-cleanse alone, and they just feel great. Their stomach is flatter, they have more energy, more vitality. Then I have them do a 3-day cleanse. I say anyone can do anything for 3 days. It’s pretty simple. By Day 2 you’re more than halfway through. I do give you everything that you need for the cleanse. You get four 16-ounce green drinks a day, two protein shakes a day, and then a yummy detox soup at night. By the time you get to that soup, it tastes like a steak because you’re so ready for it. [laughs]

I always tell people, it’s your cleanse. Listen to your body. If you need to add something into the day, like if you’re like, “Oh my gosh, I’m not going to make it,” most of the time it’s in your head. We’re so conditioned to have breakfast by this time and lunch by this time and dinner by this time because of society. So I tell people, be easy on yourself. If you need some raw nuts or some fresh vegetables or even just a clean piece of protein at the end of the day, make it your own.

But the purpose of cleansing basically is you don’t want to have as many solid foods because your body is usually always busy breaking down foods and digesting foods and assimilating where the proteins go, the carbohydrates, all these things, and then getting rid of the waste. That takes a lot of work and energy for your body. So at night, your body gets this break, and that’s when the most miraculous things happen in your body – at night, when you’re sleeping. If you’re young, you’re growing in your sleep. Your body is detoxing and doing all these things.

So basically when you’re doing my 3-day cleanse, you’re just extending that process. Everything that we serve is blended, not juiced. You’re getting all of the fiber, but it is blended so that your body doesn’t have to break it down and work so hard to digest it. And when your body is not working so hard to digest things, it can go and use all that energy to do other amazing, miraculous things, like rid that guy of gout that he had for 10 years, or help the immunity build itself back up.

That’s what the purpose of cleansing is, so I tell people if you can, try not to eat anything other than what we’ve provided you. But again, don’t make it miserable. Don’t feel like a failure and then give up because “I had to have a piece of chicken or some nuts” or something. Just keep going. You’re still doing way better than you would if you hadn’t done anything at all.

Rico: I’ve found too that sometimes when you think you’re hungry, you really maybe are thirsty. Just drink some water sometimes or go for a walk or something. Brush your teeth. Then you don’t feel like eating anything. It’s all little things that you can do. But yeah, again, I like what you said: you don’t have to be so strict and think that you lost it all. Anything you do is better than nothing.

Don’t you find, too, that if you want to do a little bit longer one, once you get through about 3 days, it gets a lot easier, doesn’t it? 

Chef V: Yeah. I have so many people that tell me, “Oh my gosh, by Day 3, I could go two more days!” I always tell people, “Cool. If you live around here, if on Day 3 you’re feeling like a million bucks, come back and we’ll give you two more days and you can keep going on the 5-day cleanse.” But a lot of it is mental. If you think “I have to do 5 days,” by Day 3 you’re like, “Oh God, I’m barely halfway done.” It’s mental, and that’s where a lot of people can choke up.

But if you’re listening to your body and really paying attention to what it’s telling you – because your body will tell you what it needs and what it wants. Your body tells you when you’re hungry. Your body tells you when you need to go to the bathroom. A lot of times people don’t listen to their body. And just like you said with the water – I’m a nutritional therapist, and I counsel a lot of my clients in their health journeys, and you’d be surprised. 90% of people do not drink enough water. Not even close.

I had a client that said, “Oh, I definitely drink enough water.” I have this scale that I would bring around if I’m counseling in person – most of the time it’s via Zoom or telephone – and it tells you what your body water percentage is. This woman who thought she was getting enough was way under the percentage. It was supposed to be around 50-60% and she was about 42%. She was really shocked. She said, “That’s so strange.”

Then we got to the bottom of it and she was counting the green drink and her collagen tea that she was drinking as water. I said, “No, as soon as you mix more than one ingredient with water, it’s no longer water. You need to just be drinking water.” It’s an example of why people are so confused. There’s not really this book that you’re handed as a child or even an adult that tells you, “This is how you need to eat. This is what you need to do. You can have this much water.”

There’s so much noise out there about nutrition and what to eat or not to eat, don’t eat gluten, you’ve got to be vegan, you can’t eat after 7:00. There’s just so much noise out there. It’s really not that hard, but the food industry has made it extremely hard and the diet world has made it extremely hard for people to be healthy and be successful in their food journeys.

pregnant lady drinking Green Drink

Rico: Absolutely. That’s what this project is all about. I’m getting experts and people who I know that really have concern for their patients and their customers, and it’s all information you can trust. That’s what this project that you have is all about: giving you the right information so you can get past all the misinformation and the overwhelm and you’ll know exactly the best ways to care for your physical body.

One more question. How often do you recommend people do a cleanse?

Chef V: Again, this is a question that I get all the time, especially when people have great success on the cleanse. For me, I don’t really do a 3-day cleanse that often. Probably the last time I did one was 2 or 3 years ago. You might think, “What? Chef V doesn’t do a 3-day cleanse?”

But that’s because I’m doing something for myself every day, and that’s the most important thing. The reason why I created the cleanse is because, yes, it works and people are successful. But really, the success and lifelong changes come with what you’re doing every day.

I make sure that I have a green drink or something very healthy first thing that I put in my body. If I’m traveling, I either try and find some place to make a smoothie, or if the hotel will make something, or if not, I go into the grocery store and get a piece of fruit or I eat a salad for breakfast. No one’s ever taught us to eat vegetables for breakfast. Have you ever seen a salad on a breakfast menu? No. You have cereal, pancakes, eggs, bacon, toast. Lots of carbohydrates. What that does is puts your body more at a halt. It’s not really helping your metabolism speed up and turn on.

But when you’re giving your body living nutrients, vegetables, salad – the other day I had a Thai salad leftover in my refrigerator. I’m in a hotel right now in New Jersey, and I didn’t have my green drink, even though my store is not far. I had to do some work in the morning and I was hungry, so I took the Thai salad out and started eating the cucumbers and the carrots and the lettuce out of there. That was my breakfast.

Then I can wait till lunch and I can be a little bit more lax and have a sandwich or a piece of pizza or something. It’s not like you have to eat that way for every single meal. Just try and get more of those nutrients in your body.

And the most important, like I said, is first thing. What are you putting in your body first? That’s the first thing after your body has worked so hard all night to cleanse and detoxify, and then you’re going to shove it down with bacon and sugary orange juice? That’s not really beneficial. It’s really going to make your body have to work harder in order to cleanse and detoxify itself. But if you’re putting something that is healthy and cleansing or detoxifying first thing, again, you’re prolonging that cleansing process that your body is naturally doing, and you’re helping aid that cleanse and detoxification process.

Rico: Such good information. Thank you. I just want to add, I think the point you were making earlier was if you do a clenase and then you go back to eating junk food and don’t change your lifestyle habits, then you’re going to get real toxic again real quick, and you’re going to need to do it again a lot sooner.

But even if you’re trying to have some green drinks every day and be as healthy as you possibly can, a lot of people recommend doing a cleanse with a change of the seasons, maybe four times a year is a good thing to do. But I agree with you; I try and do a daily detox. I exercise and sweat and drink lemon water, drink green things. If you incorporate that into your lifestyle, you don’t have to do a regular full-on cleanse quite so often.

Chef V: Yeah. To further answer your question – sorry, I got a little sidetracked and excited – when people ask me, “How often can I cleanse?”, I say everyone’s different. If I’ve learned anything in the 10 years I’ve been doing this, I know that everybody’s different. Everyone’s different in the way they cleanse, in the way they detox, in the toxins they’ve held on to, in the amount of toxins, the different toxins that they’ve ingested or taken throughout their life.

Some people are way more toxic than others, and they probably do need a nutritional reset more often, and they’re probably not taking care of their bodies in between these 3-day cleanses or whatever. So when people ask me, “Can I do a cleanse every week?”, that’s probably not a healthy option. Your body does need calories. It does need nutrients to survive. The cleanse is low calorie, but it’s very high nutrient.

So I tell people maybe every 3 months, twice a year. At least maybe once a year doing something to nutritional reset. Some people will just take January and do no alcohol for January. That’s a perfect example of a nice little cleanse or reset. There’s different ways. It’s not just one magic potion that works.

But mine has had great success, and I highly recommend people try it if they are feeling toxic. Or maybe they’ve been on medication, in the hospital or something like that. There’s so many things. Everyone has a different journey, and I’m happy to answer anyone’s questions if they do have questions about their specific needs. You can always email chefv@chefv.com. We’re happy to assist you and tailor something that works for you.

Rico: So well said. Really good information, Chef V. Thank you so much. On that same note, I want to remind you that this video training comes with a PDF. You have a transcription, so you can read it, and we definitely always recommend that you go to all of our experts’ websites. They have lots of information there. Often they have free gifts for you, they have special offers. I know Chef V does. And they’re there also to give you some coaching, to give you some training or give you some help. We really recommend that you stay in touch and keep on learning from our experts.

Being healthy and creating wellness is an ongoing process. It’s a lifetime process. Stay connected to all this great information. We’re all learning as we go as well, so as you stay connected with our experts, you’ll be updated with all the latest scientific information and things that can really help you achieve optimal health and wellness. That’s what this whole project is all about.

Chef V, that was so good. Thank you for that great information. I really appreciate it.

Chef V: You’re welcome. Thank you for having me. Again, if anyone needs anything, you can email, reach out. I also have our website, www.blog.blog.chefv.com. We do 50% off your first order on cleanses.

Also our green drink subscription, which is a monthly subscription to our juice, and it comes every week like the modern day milkman. It’s a 100% money back guarantee on our green drink delivery, so you can taste it, try it out. Or if you’re next to one of our stores – we have a store in West Caldwell, New Jersey as well as San Marcos, California. You can come in, taste the drinks, ask questions, and we’re happy to help always.

Rico: You can find all this information in the PDF. Once again, thank you, Chef V. And thank you for being here.

Chef V: Thank you.

How to Beat the Bloat : Chef V Clinical Research

Chef V's Clinical Research Study conducted earlier this year shows that a 21 Day Detox followed by a week of Green drink led to a 42.6% decrease in bloating! 

What causes bloating and how can I fix it?

It’s always been said that you should know your enemy. Before we can go about how to fight back against bloating, it’s essential to understand what foods cause bloating, as well as other factors. 

That tight, full, and painful feeling of bloating is unmistakable. There can potentially be medical conditions that cause a bloated stomach. However, for most of us, a bloated stomach is caused by nutritional or digestive problems. The bloating feeling is often caused by excessive intestinal gas. 

This gas buildup can be because you ate too fast, or you’ve overeaten. It could be because of the type of food you ate. You might even have a specific food intolerance you’re unaware of. Women also may get bloated before their periods due to menstrual changes. 

Overeating can also be a cause of bloating. This is especially true if  you’ve been going through a phase where you’re binging on foods that are high in fats and carbohydrates. 

So what now? 

Hindsight is always 20/20. Rather than bemoan the digestive issues caused by some poor nutrition decisions, it’s time to fight back with some options for reducing bloating and there are a few tactics you can deploy in the fight against bloating. 

Water

Yep, just getting some water can help. This one might seem counterintuitive at first glance. Bloating makes you feel like you’re about to pop, so why fill up on water as well? It can’t be understated how important hydration is for your body and all its functions. When you drink plenty of water, your digestive system can work more effectively at processing what’s in your stomach and returning things to normal. 

Eating foods high in water, like fruits and vegetables, is also a great idea. Apples, melons, and berries are all ideal fruits to get started with. 

Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting is an increasingly popular way to help manage your body’s weight and metabolism. Essentially, intermittent fasting is about understanding that when you eat can be just as important as what you eat. In practice, intermittent fasting often involves eating most of your food during the day in a smaller window. 

This gives your body more time to operate in “high-metabolism” mode, and start digestion faster. This, naturally, also helps out if you’re suffering from bloating, as it will make your digestive tract work faster, and better process the food causing gas. 

Food to fight bloating

We touched on what foods cause bloating, the fatty and carb-heavy sort. But you can pull a reversal on bloating by eating foods great for fighting bloating. An excellent place to start are fruits high in potassium, such as bananas and avocados. High-water fruits like apples are also a great choice.

Potassium in foods like bananas, cantaloupe and apricots helps you manage sodium levels, which helps you manage hydration levels, which, as we learned, helps you manage bloating.

Certain spices are also really good at fighting bloating, turmeric and ginger being some of the best. 

Foods that have a lot of healthy bacteria are also excellent choices. Fermented foods like yogurt, kimchi, kombucha, miso, and tempeh and are becoming increasingly popular for their gut-healing properties.

chef v power salad

Get moving

We get it, if you’re all bloated, you’re probably not super interested in the health benefits of exercise. But getting up and moving about can help stubborn gas be moved through your system. And any kind of exercise that works out your stomach muscles will also improve your digestive process. 

This doesn’t need to be intensive exercise either. Just getting some stretching in can help you fight bloating, while also reducing the stress it causes you. Our recommendation is to give yoga a try. 

Trying out a blended liquid cleanse

As we mentioned before, getting any kind of hydration is great for dealing with bloating. And so is intermittent fasting, and healthy eating. But what if you could combine all of these strategies into one? 

Here’s where a detox juice cleanse comes in. The idea is that you restrict your diet down to low-carb foods filled with nutritious ingredients for a few days. Most notably, this includes a lot of green drink. This way, you can lose weight, while still keeping healthy. The best juice cleanses can last for quite a few days through the intake of detox soups and smoothies. (Make sure to check out our 21 day juice cleanse recipes for examples of what goes into one of these!) 

Beat the bloat with Chef V green juice

Of course, you don’t need a 21 day juice cleanse to beat the bloat. A small 3 day juice cleanse can do wonders for helping you reduce all that bloat, at any time. It can also help you manage your blood sugar and appetite, both great for weight loss! Chef V’s signature green drink is blended to ensure it loses none of that important nutrition. We also provide detox shakes and detox smoothies so you can cleanse in a safe and achievable way. Check out all our great cleanse products today, and fight back against the bloat. 

Beat the Bloat—Which Habits and Foods Cause Bloating?

Bloating and gas are never fun. We know, really dropping the controversial statements here. The fact that bloating sucks is an obvious one. What’s somewhat less obvious is what is causing bloating. Diet choices can be a significant factor in how much bloating and gas you put up with during the day. If you’ve suffered from bloating, we might be able to help you pinpoint the causes in this blog. 

What causes bloating? 

The sensation of bloating can be caused by a few factors, but the most common is simply the accumulation of gas inside the stomach. This is pretty straightforward. If you’re filling your stomach up with air like a balloon, you’re not going to be having a good time. You’re also more likely to be gassy since, well, that air is going to want a way out. There’s no real polite way to put it.

But why the excess gas in your stomach? Generally, your stomach does create some gas during the digestive process as food breaks down. But there are a few reasons why this gas might be getting out of control.

Overeating

Putting too much food in your stomach is probably one of the most surefire ways to end up feeling bloated. If you have to adjust your belt buckle after meals, you likely need to cut back.

Eating too fast

Eating too fast is a path that leads right into overeating. By slowing down, you can let your body signal you are getting full. Eating fast doesn’t just put too much air into your stomach;  it also means you’re swallowing a lot of air into your stomach, which then means gas. 

Carbonated beverages

If you’ve ever drunk a carbonated beverage too quickly, you know exactly what we’re talking about. There’s nothing inherently wrong about carbonation (you should be worrying way more about the sugar content of these drinks), but if you drink too many of these kinds of beverages or guzzle them quickly, you can expect gas.

Smoking

Yeah, here’s another reason smoking is bad for you. It turns out that sucking in air all the time can lead to excess gas in the stomach. But if you care at all about your health, you shouldn’t be smoking anyways. 

Food intolerances

So we’re finally mentioning food as part of the bloating process. This is going to be a somewhat special section. While we’ll discuss foods that could bloat, for many people, the foods that bloat them are linked to specific intolerances. 

The best-known example of this is lactose intolerance, wherein certain people get bloated from consuming dairy products. In this case, dietary changes unique to the individual are recommended. For example, going vegan might be a good option for those who can’t break down lactose.

Fatty foods

Alright, let’s get into the meat of this issue. For many of us, the main culprit in causing bloating is the fat content of food. Why does fat content matter? Well, fat is one of the slowest digesting portions of food. That means food high in fat will be in your stomach longer, producing more gas. 

Foods high in fiber for the fiber un-initiated 

Hold up, fiber is good, right? Fiber is absolutely essential to a healthy digestive system. However, for those who don’t get enough fiber, making the transition to higher-fiber foods can sometimes cause bloating as our digestive systems adjust. 

Certain sugars and carbs 

Various kinds of sugars and carbs are found in the foods we regularly consume. Many of these sugars and carbs end up fermenting when being broken down, creating a release of gas that causes bloating

Examples of foods that cause bloating  

Beans and lentils: These kinds of foods are generally healthy for you. Beans do have a reputation for causing gassiness that we should address. For some, this is because they are a good source of fiber. Other people have difficulty breaking down the sugars and carbs in beans. If you wash and soak your beans, you can reduce the severity of this issue. Also, the more you eat them, the more your body will adapt, causing less bloat over time.

Cruciferous vegetables: Think broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. These foods have much the same nutritional profile as beans—lots of fiber, but also lots of sugars and carbs that ferment in your gut. You can cook them instead of eating them raw, or swap for other greens, such as spinach and swiss chard.

Dairy products: Mainly a concern for the lactose intolerant, some people just have a hard time breaking down dairy products. Trying out some vegan alternatives could help alleviate the issues. 

Whole grains: Think barley and rye. Just like dairy products cause issues for those with lactose intolerance, whole grains can cause problems for those with gluten intolerance and celiac disease. These grains also can give many digestive systems not used to it a fiber overload. 

Fight bloating with Chef V

We’re talking mainly about foods that cause bloating. But there are plenty of foods that can do the opposite. Fruits and vegetables high in water, potassium, or antioxidants tend to be fantastic for gut health. Berries, apples, and bananas are all great for those with gut issues.  

Sometimes the key is in the spice. We get so many questions about if turmeric makes you fart. In truth, both turmeric and ginger are great for combating bloating. Even better, these are two spices found in our signature detox soups. 

In fact, Chef V has plenty to help with bloating. Our detox juice cleanse includes a green drink with plenty of bloat-fighting foods, such as apples and spinach. Unlike other liquid cleanses, we make sure to include plenty of fiber as well, to avoid a gut meltdown. 

If you want to learn more about our 21 day juice cleanse recipes, then check out all the information here, including facts on ingredients and nutrition

Shuteye for Weight Loss: The Link Between Sleep and Metabolism

Are you having difficulty with your health and weight-loss goals? Then sleep on it! No, really.  How and when you sleep can have significant effects on your overall health. In this blog, we’ll go over the surprising connections between sleep and metabolism, and how you can use sleep along with your juice cleanse detox for better digestive health.

A little background: In 2023, ChefV.com products were the focus of an independent clinical trial by Citrus Labs. The 38 participants who completed a 21 DAY DETOX and then continued on a GREEN DRINK plan for 7 days saw vast improvements in all areas of their life. This includes a 34% reduction in inflammation and an average weight loss of nearly 8 pounds, and a 44% improvement in sleep quality.  We take sleep seriously!

The choices of the sleep deprived

There’s a lot of neat science coming up, we promise. But before we get to that, it’s important to understand how being generally sleep deprived can affect your overall relationship with food and health habits.

Generally, there’s a much larger chance that the sleepy version of yourself is going to be the one making the bad decisions. If you’re exhausted from getting too few hours of sleep, you’re probably not going to be getting enough exercise.

The bad news doesn’t stop there, of course. When you don’t get enough sleep, your brain impulse control centers get dulled. Your brain simply knows it needs energy somehow, and you’ll start reaching for the sugary foods. Best case scenario is you develop a caffeine addiction by trying to treat your tiredness with coffee. 

Stressing out your gut bacteria 

One key aspect of how your digestion and metabolism work involves the bacteria found inside your gut. Keeping the good bacteria in your stomach and guts healthy is vital to help them break down the fiber in the food you eat. Not only does this keep you regular, but it also helps you better regulate your appetite and eating schedule.

When you don’t get enough sleep, you start releasing stress hormones. These stress hormones then proceed to mess with the functioning of your gut bacteria, preventing them from working correctly. This in turn can lead to intestinal distress, loss of appetite control, and weight gain. 

Timing, sleep, and metabolism 

As anyone who has ever seen intermittent fasting before and after pics, it’s clear that when you eat is nearly as important as what you eat. Your body is a more sophisticated machine than you give it credit for. It at least understands that when you’re sleeping, it should be burning fat, since you’re not going to be needing that for anything while you’re dozing, right? When you’re awake, your fat-burning rate slows down in case you need to expend energy during the day. 

This means that if you miss out on sleep, you are also missing out on prime-time fat burning. 

A lack of sleep can also mess with how your body reacts to insulin. If your body stops reacting to insulin, it stops properly processing sugar in the bloodstream, which is instead stored as fat. Long story short, if you cut back on sleep, you’re cutting back on one of the best times to lose weight. Even if you want to stay up all night waiting for your green drink delivery, the link between sleep and metabolism means it’s a better idea to get some shuteye. 

Get your best rest with Chef V

At Chef V, we can’t be there every night to steal your phone and force you to get some shuteye. What we can do is provide you the best in green drink delivery to promote better gut health, energy, and weight loss. With all the fruits and vegetables you need, we can help you feel refreshed in the morning, and relaxed enough

The Best Foods to Break Intermittent Fasting

The best weight-loss program is always the one that works best for you. So it’s great news that so many people have succeeded with their intermittent fasting programs. If you’re in the midst of an intermittent fast, or planning one, you have nothing but good vibes from us at Chef V. Plenty of customers have found great success with green juice intermittent fasting using Chef V green drinks. But with any organic cleanse, it’s essential to keep your eye not just on the finish line, but beyond it. 

You can’t just break an intermittent fast by getting right back into the hamburgers and donuts. Not only does that sabotage all your hard work from intermittent fasting, but it can potentially give you serious digestive issues as well. 

If you’re looking for the best foods to break intermittent fasting, then we’ve prepared a list, including some of our favorites here. Of course, remember that there’s also Chef V’s own great products as well. When it comes to the best smoothies to break intermittent fasting, you shouldn’t miss out on our own recipe included in our cleanse

Why finding the best foods to break intermittent fasting matters

We understand. You’re getting to the end of your intermittent fasting period. You’re starting to dream of big, juicy hamburgers, or giant buckets of ice cream. But there are a few things you need to consider.

Firstly, decide to undergo intermittent fasting not only to lose weight, but to control your eating habits better. By indulging in the foods you were trying to cut back on, you risk swinging the pendulum all the way into binge eating. 

But there are also more immediate reasons to be careful what you eat. The best foods to break intermittent fasting will be easy to digest, low on carbs, and low on sugar. Why does this matter? A major diet shift is going to cause some significant changes to your metabolism and digestive system. If you don’t find foods that meet those criteria, you’re likely to end up in serious digestive distress and with uncomfortable bloating. 

Our favorite examples of fast-breaking foods and beverages

Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is a beverage that is finally getting the buzz it deserves. We’ve always enjoyed using it as an ingredient in healthy pick-me-ups. However, apple cider vinegar is great  on its own, cut with water to make it go down easier. Even two tablespoons is going to be amazing for your gut health.

Avocado

Ah, is there anything that avocado can’t do? Some people have argued that the fat content of an avocado disqualifies it from being a good food for breaking fast. However, most of these are healthy fats. When you add on all the antioxidants, vitamins, and potassium, and the low calorie count, avocados start to look like a great food to break fast with. 

Broccoli

Don’t forget cauliflower either! These veggies, when cooked, tend to be easy on the stomach and easy to digest. They’re also full of tons of vitamins and minerals, just like many of the darker, leafy greens, but more on them later. 

Fermented foods

This is a broad category of foods, everything from yogurt to kimchi to sauerkraut. The reason they’re on this list is that they contain a lot of good gut bacteria, as well as compounds that promote the growth of those good gut bacteria. This helps you stay gut healthy even as you start to eat to break your fast with solid foods. 

Nuts

Nuts pack a ton of nutrients into a small package, and are a great way to start boosting vitamin intake after a fast. Some nuts are also high in protein, which will be good for giving you energy. Don’t forget seeds either—chia seeds are popular for fast breaking too. 

Smoothies 

Smoothies give you all the hydration of a drink or juice, but with some extra fiber and nutritional value as well. There’s a reason so many people love smoothies for breakfast. You can put in all the fruits and vegetables you love to make your own smoothie recipes. We certainly recommend a lot of berries and bananas if possible. 

Soups 

Like smoothies, soups are a perfect balance between solid and liquid foods. This makes them an easily digestible and suitable transition from a juice cleanse or fast back into a more solid diet. There’s also a ton of great soup recipes out there for you to try; find one that works best for your taste and nutritional needs. Fill them up with plenty of healthy vegetables. Bone broth is also popular among many non-vegans for breaking fasts. 

Spinach

Spinach is a real hard hitter when it comes to nutrition in food. However, you can put any of the dark leafy greens in this position, including kale and swiss chard. Dark leafy greens are loaded with vitamins A, B2, B6, C, E, and K. They also include plenty of calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium. When it comes to the overall nutritional punch, the dark greens are hard to beat. They’ll also do wonders for your digestion, prevent constipation, and regulate blood sugar. If you cook them, they go down easily as well. 

Break your fast with Chef V

Chef V’s signature cleanse has everything you need to power through your intermittent fasting. Unlike other blended juice cleanses, Chef V provides detox soups and detox smoothies to give you everything nutritionally needed to meet your goals.

However, Chef V’s green drink is great on its own. Packed with vitamins and minerals, it’s a great companion to any fast-breaking food. Even at the end of your intermittent fasting, Chef V is there to back you up! 

Headaches and Other Negative Side Effects of Celery Juice

Chef V is often lauded by supporters as one of the best juice-cleansing products you can buy. Over the past few years, it’s exploded in popularity online as a potential “cure-all” for a variety of ailments. But is celery juice good for migraines and gut health like they say? Is a celery juice diet really going to make you lose weight and feel great? Since we take juice diets seriously, we consider it our duty to get you the celery information you never knew you needed.

What are the benefits of celery juice?

To understand what has people so excited about celery juice, it’s probably best to get right down to the basics. The nutritional basics, that is. According to the US Department of Agriculture,
1 cup of chopped celery includes the following: 

  • 40 mg calcium 
  • 14 calories
  • 2 grams fiber
  • 263 mg potassium 
  • 1 gram protein
  • 80 mg sodium
  • 453 IU of vitamin A
  • 3 mg of vitamin C  
  • 30 mcg of vitamin K 

For most of you, that’s just a bunch of numbers. So let's highlight a few standouts. Most notably, celery has a ton of vitamin K, an essential vitamin for helping us repair our body from injuries. Celery also has decent showing in calcium, potassium, and vitamin C. 

But, overall, celery’s nutritional profile could be best described as “inoffensive.” It’s not packed with any particular vitamin or mineral, but its calorie count is also pretty low. This isn’t to say it isn’t healthy. Celery is undoubtedly a super healthy vegetable, and with its low-calorie count, it’s great for a snack. 

If you were to turn celery into juice, it would be an equally inoffensive juice. In an age with so many sugar-laden drinks, we can respect that. Getting more veggies in your life is never a bad thing, whether it comes from celery stalks or drinking juice. Lots of fruit and vegetable juices, celery included, feature antioxidants that have anti-inflammatory properties. 

Problems with celery juice

What's the main negative side effect of celery juice? Well, it’s got one obvious and dangerous side effect. Hype. Celery juice isn’t magically going to make all of your serious ailments suddenly vanish, no matter what your favorite celebrity tells you. It’s just a juice made from a single vegetable and a fairly innocuous vegetable at that.  

Of course, plenty of people want to focus on that tantalizingly low-calorie count and assume celery drinks are great for juice diets and fasting. Trying to go for a juice fast based on celery juice isn’t a great idea. Firstly, the juicing process tends to strip most of the fiber out of celery juice. This can give you tons of digestive issues if you’re relying on celery juice alone for nutrition. 

There’s also the fact that the low nutritional profile of celery juice means it’s just not sustainable for something as long as a 7 day cleanse, let alone a longer 21 day cleanse. The lack of serious nutritional value can lead to the infamous “celery juice headaches” as your body goes without what it needs. 

Beyond the digestive concerns and celery juice headaches, there are also some adverse side effects of celery juice that are concerning for specific people. If you have a celery allergy, you should obviously stay away from large amounts of the stuff. However, people on blood thinner medication may also want to avoid too much celery due to the abundance of clot-promoting vitamin K.

The verdict

In the end, celery juice is just juice. That’s about it. In reasonable doses, you’re fine drinking it. The negative side effects of celery juice only start to kick in when you try to lean on it for a juice cleanse. If you want a juice cleanse that works, make sure to cleanse with Chef V. Our green drinks, detox soups, and detox smoothies have all the essentials to get you through even the legendary 21 day detox, no problem. 

Why Apple Juice is a Key Part of the Chef V Cleanse

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. This old saying has a lot of truth to it. When we were looking for an ingredient to help add that little bit of sweetness to the Chef V cleanse, we settled on putting a little bit of apple juice in our green drink. But the addition of apples wasn’t just to make our fresh juice taste even better. There are actually a ton of health benefits that come from apples. Here’s a few for you to chew over! 

Blood sugar control

Apples have a reputation of being a fruit that can help stave off diabetes. While this might be an overgeneralization, apples are definitely a great food for helping get blood sugar levels under control. The soluble fiber (more on that in a bit) in apples helps regulate the absorption of sugars into your bloodstream. This helps prevent issues with energy and cravings that come with spiking blood sugar levels. 

There may still be something to the idea that apples can prevent diabetes, however. Studies have linked high levels of soluble fiber with a reduction in the chance that your body starts to build up insulin immunity. So some green drink with apples certainly couldn’t hurt! 

Digestion

Apple is noted for containing a decent amount of fiber, both the soluble and insoluble types. The soluble kind of fiber will regulate the speed of your digestion and help you feel full, while the insoluble fiber helps your intestines keep that food moving along at a regular pace. 

You have to be careful with apples and fiber, though. A lot of store-bought, processed apple juice will just throw away all the good stuff. With an organic blended juice cleanse, you’re getting all the benefits to your digestive system. 

Heart health

Apples are full of antioxidants. There’s a reason you’ve probably heard of these; the health benefits of antioxidants are big news. While there’s some potential connection between antioxidants and cancer prevention, their anti-inflammatory properties can help your heart. Anti-inflammatories can help lower cholesterol and regulate blood pressure, both of which help lower the chance of serious heart complications. 

Immune booster

Not only do apples have plenty of antioxidants, but they contain a lot of vitamin C as well. Vitamin C does a lot in your body, but it most notably serves as an immune booster. Even a 7 day juice cleanse with some apples involved can go a long way toward fighting back against the sniffles and colds that come around this time of year. 

Weight loss

One of the major reasons people look for a juice detox diet is for helping prevent weight gain. The Chef V cleanse is no different, and apples are a key part of helping provide its weight loss benefits. The fiber and sweetness of apples help keep you feeling full, while the low calories of apples mean that you’re not gaining much weight. When it comes to appetite control, apples are some of the best choices out there. 

Get into drinking juice with Chef V

Whether apples or other fruits and veggies, we don’t often get enough of these kinds of foods in our diet. With Chef V, getting the good stuff like apples into your diet is easy. Our green drink comes packed with not just apple juice, but a nutrient-dense blend of leafy greens. It’s nutritious, delicious, and can be delivered right to your doorstep! 

New Year, New You: Why You Should Add Green Drinks to Your Diet

At Chef V, we love green juice, in case you couldn’t tell. But, as crazy as it might sound, some people are scared of the delicious green stuff. They mainly associated it with long-term juice cleanses. However, you don’t have to be a detox juice cleanse master to enjoy fresh juice, regardless of what’s in it. There are plenty of ways to work some of that green drink into your everyday routine. You might even want to give a juice detox diet a try!

Benefits of green drink

If you’re new around here (if so, welcome!) your first question might not be what the benefits of green drink are. Instead, you’re likely wondering just what green drink is. 

Well… it’s green, for starters. Really, “green drink” isn’t a scientific term. It’s simply used to refer to all kinds of beverages that use leafy greens as their main ingredient. Our own Chef V green drink, for example, includes green kale, black kale, collard greens, curly parsley, and green chard among its ingredients. 

These kinds of leafy greens are packed full of essential vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A, vitamin K, and iron. This means drinking juice filled with these greens is an excellent way to ensure you’re getting all the important nutrients you need. 

Beyond general nutritional goodness, there are a few more specific health benefits to green drinks. The leafy greens in these vegetable juices are great for fighting inflammation, reducing your risk of a whole host of health issues, including heart disease. 

These leafy greens are also great for helping you get your blood sugar under control, improving digestion, and helping you better control your weight. What’s not to love? 

Cleanses versus adding green drink to your diet

It’s important to note here that while green drinks are clearly a fantastic tool for healthy eating, you do have flexibility in how you use them. A lot of people associate green drinks with undertaking detox juice cleanses to lose weight. 

And yeah, green drinks are pretty great for this. The idea behind a juice cleanse is to cut down on the carbs and calories in your diet. Green drinks let you do this while ensuring you still get all the essential nutrients and minerals.

But don’t be afraid to just add some of the green stuff into your daily diet. It doesn’t need to be all about the juice fasts. The anti-inflammatory properties and benefits to your digestive system alone make adding in some leafy greens a worthwhile endeavor. 

Swapping for other drinks

If you don’t want to go for a whole detox juice cleanse, it can be a significantly healthy step to swap some of your other regular drinks for something fresh and green. Just switching out a caffeinated beverage every morning for a glass of green stuff can have a significant effect on your mood and energy. Or you can swap out those sugary drinks for a healthy option that’s got its own sweetness. If you’re going for the Chef V option, that includes apples

Chef V green drink delivery

If you’re interested in getting more fruits and vegetables into your diet, but are afraid of going for a full-on juice detox diet, we at Chef V have got you covered. Our green drink delivery brings the good stuff right to your doorstep. This ensures you’re getting only the freshest green drink, no processed foods or liquids anywhere near your juice. 

How to Rock Your New Year’s Fitness Resolutions with Chef V Green Drink

Ever made a New Year’s Resolution for fitness that you ended up bailing on quickly? Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. Chef V is happy to see people reach their health goals, whether it be making it to the end of our 21 day cleanse, or hitting the gym more often in the new year. Since we’re all about promoting better health and fitness, we decided to put together a quick list of tips to make your fitness goals stick in the near year. 

Don’t make idle resolutions

Sometimes, the best option is to not make a resolution. Yeah, we know that doesn’t sound like a super piece of advice. But you need to stop and think about these things. You need to first answer the big question, “Why?” Why are you making these fitness goals? 

“Because it’s New Years” isn’t a good enough answer. What is going to motivate you? Is it reaching a healthier weight? Feeling better? Getting more energy? Pick your reason, and it will provide the drive you need to succeed. 

Make concrete goals

“I’m going to be healthier” isn’t a goal. You want to get down into the fitness and health specifics. Are you going to walk every day after work? Are you going to hit the gym a few days a week? Are you going to try a juice diet once a month?

Note that in the example goals above, we also put a time frame on it. Time is a vital component of goal setting. Saying you’ll lose twenty pounds is meaningless without a time frame. No one is going to drop all that overnight. Also, make sure you’re setting reasonable goals. You’re not going to go from being a couch potato to scaling Everest in a year. 

Track goals

Keep good records of when you need to take action on your goals, and if you did so. This isn’t just for holding yourself accountable. Tracking your goals, and checking them off, is great motivation. It’s actual proof you’re getting stuff done!

Work together

Holding yourself accountable by tracking goals works for some people. For others, it can help to get a buddy. Doing a 21 day cleanse with someone else is a lot more fun than doing it on your own. Ditto for taking on long-term fitness goals. A workout buddy is great for giving you that extra reason to keep going.

Have fun! 

Okay, talking about accountability is starting to seem serious. But keeping your goals doesn’t have to be a drag. Try to find fun ways to meet your fitness goals. Take up a sport or activity you’ve always wanted to try. Make it a group event with friends, if possible. If you’re having fun, you won’t view your fitness goals as chores; you’ll turn them into habits. 

Get Chef V green drink

Sometimes, it seems like the energy to complete your resolutions is never going to come. Or maybe it  seems like amid all the processed food options out there, it’s hard to get the vitamins and minerals you need to power through your fitness goals.

We’d be there to spot every one of you in the gym if we could. But we can offer the next best thing—our signature Chef V green drink. It’s great to get you going in the morning, or just whenever you get thirsty. Packed full of leafy greens, it’s a detox juice that has everything you need to smash your fitness goals. 

Green Drink, Vitamin D Lamps, and Other Ways to Live Without the Sun

The sun gets a bad rap these days. As more and more people become aware of the dangers of skin cancer and other threats from sun exposure, we tend to view the sun more as a threat than anything else. And while it’s true that sunscreen is essential, the absence of sunlight can be just as serious a health risk as too much sunlight. Here, we’ll discuss just why sunlight is so essential, and how you can survive winter on a diminished supply. 

Importance of sunlight

Sunlight, while potentially harmful if you get too much of it, is what allows for all life on earth. That warmth and light is responsible for everything. For humans, it has particularly pertinent health benefits. These include some of the following.

Eye health: Too much sun exposure can damage your eyes, yes. But if you aren’t getting enough sunlight either, it can lead to complications with vision. This is especially important for children. 

Mood control: Sunlight is connected to serotonin levels, one of the chemicals that helps regulate mood. Not enough sun, and you can start to feel depressed and miserable. There’s a reason Seasonal Affective Disorder is a thing. 

Sleep control: Our bodies are amazingly complicated biological machines. We’re meant to be in tune with nature, and sunlight acts as a trigger or “reminder” to our bodies to keep in sync with the world. This means if we don’t get enough sunlight (especially in the morning), we can start to have issues with managing our sleep. Worse, a disrupted sleep schedule can affect our weight management

Vitamin D levels: You’ve probably heard before that sunlight is related to vitamin D. But what does this mean? Vitamin D is a hormone our body produces that allows us to absorb other essential minerals, such as calcium and phosphorus. (You can also get vitamin D in your food. More on that later.)

Sunlight on the skin helps promote our body’s natural production of vitamin D. You probably remember calcium is key to healthy bones. If you aren’t getting enough vitamin D production through sunlight, it can lead to brittle and damaged bones. There’s even an indication that other organs in your body need vitamin D to help stave off infection and inflammation. 

How to get vitamin D without the sun

Naturally, you want to get as much sunlight as possible, though with the proper protection from sunscreen and shades. But what do you do during the months when clouds cover the sun, or wind and snow keep you inside? 

One way is to get some artificial help. Vitamin D lamps are a great way to mimic natural sunlight, “tricking” your body into producing more vitamin D. As far as mood control goes, try to stick to a set sleep schedule, even if the light isn’t around. Spend time socializing with family and friends, and eat and exercise well. 

As we mentioned earlier, it’s also possible to get vitamin D from certain foods. As far as animal products go, fish tend to be the highest in this vitamin. Because of its importance, you’ll also often see beverages artificially fortified with vitamin D, such as milk and orange juice. But what about those who skew more organic or vegan?

The best veggies for vitamin D tend to be the darkest and leafiest green. Think of things like collard greens, kale, and spinach. And one of the best ways to get these into your diet is through Chef V’s green drink. Whether a 3 day juice cleanse, or our signature 21 day juice cleanse, our green drink has everything you need to stay healthy all year round. 

Green Drink to Coffee—Best Morning Drinks

Your day is often only as good as your morning. Start your day off kicking butt, and you’ll likely stay in that groove for the rest of the day. Of course, your morning also is only as good as your morning routine. And one of the most essential parts of the morning for many people is the “morning drink.” You know what this is—it's the beverage you always reach for after stumbling your way out of bed. It’s the drink that’s going to help wake you up and give you the energy to get going. 

But what drinks are best for giving you energy? What drinks are the healthiest? Are there any potential health dangers lurking in your choice of morning potage? We’ll review some of the most popular choices of morning drinks and provide all the basics. 

Water

This list is intended to be alphabetical, but we’re going to break that pattern for an emergency broadcast reminder about water. In short, it’s incredibly important to stay hydrated throughout the day. Water is perhaps your best weapon in the battle to remain constantly hydrated. And it's never a bad idea to start your day by drinking plenty of water. By remaining well hydrated, you’ll keep your energy levels up, stave off illnesses and even better manage your weight

Flavored water

Water too plain for you? Then it’s good to note that flavored waters are increasingly popular as morning drinks. You might not think that just adding fruit or spice to water can do much to change their nutrition profile. However, you can get a nice little morning boost, depending on what you add. 

For example, lemon juice is excellent for helping manage your weight and blood sugar levels. Other popular flavor additions for water include mint, cucumber, and spices, such as ginger (more on some of those later.) These all help you stay hydrated, while adding some crucial nutrients to your diet. There’s not too much more to add here—we’re never going to recommend you stop drinking plenty of water! 

Apple cider vinegar

You can’t get more classic than water. So let’s hop next to something a little off the beaten path. Apple cider vinegar has become an increasingly popular beverage due to being high in plenty of healthful substances, such as proteins, enzymes, and good bacteria. 

Most people get apple cider vinegar in their diet by incorporating it into their cooking and dishes. There are some, however, who have even started drinking the stuff straight in the morning to aid them in weight-loss goals, reduction of cholesterol, or getting control of their blood sugar levels. 

So is this a good morning drink? Sure, but only in moderation. Really, apple cider vinegar is more of an accompaniment to your morning routine, rather than what you should base that entire routine around. While it’s excellent for fighting things like inflammation, it’s still vinegar. If you go chugging a bottle a day, you’ll likely end up with intestinal distress. Keep it moderate or, better yet, incorporate it into recipes

Coconut water

Delicious, nutritious, and hydrating in the extreme. What’s not to love about coconut water? It has fiber for your gut, potassium to fight inflammation, calcium for your bones, and electrolytes to help it work as nature’s very own Gatorade

Of course, most coconut water will have some calories and sugar in it, so it’s not a one-to-one replacement for water. But a glass of coconut water can make an excellent morning drink. On an empty stomach, its immune-boosting properties can get working right away, leaving you ready for the worst the day can throw at you. 

Coffee 

Ahh, coffee. For many Americans, there’s absolutely no way  they could get the day started without their morning brew. But just because it’s traditional for many, is coffee really the best choice out there? Is coffee good for detox and otherwise boosting your health? 

Well, there are some coffee benefits. Plenty of people do get a significant energy boost from caffeine, after all. Coffee beans contain antioxidants, and caffeine has been linked to boosting morning workouts.

But there are plenty of other things to watch out for when it comes to coffee. As you’ve probably noticed, keeping hydrated is one of the most essential parts of a morning routine. Coffee tends to dehydrate rather than rehydrate, which is especially bad considering you’re often dehydrated when you wake up in the morning. 

Coffee energy isn’t sustainable either, and you’re likely to end up with crashes throughout the day. And as for the question “is coffee good for detox,” could it really make the cut when coffee beans are some of the most pesticide-sprayed crops on the planet? 

Energy drinks

Take all the energy-regulation issues with coffee, and add on a ton of extra sugar, and that’s pretty much where you end up with most energy drinks. We don’t want to tar the entire industry with the same brush, but we also don’t want to spend too much time on the topic. You might get really hopped up in the morning, but you’ll be crashing by noon.

Fruit juice

There’s a wide world of fruit and vegetable juices out there, but we’re definitely getting closer to some of the better options for morning drinks here. Something fresh and full of vitamin C is going to help give you the immunity boost to get you started. If you need help deciding what the healthiest juice to detox and energize with, we’ve touched on the topic before

Tea

Sometimes on those colder days, you really just want something to warm up with. Tea is an excellent way to start those chilly mornings. As with fruit juice, how good tea works as a morning drink really depends on what is going into it. Anything with ginger or lemon is going to be a real winner, plus green and black teas. If you’re interested in juice to detox, you should check out our information on detox teas as well. 

Green drink

Whether you want a new morning drink, or are looking for a 3 day cleanse weight loss program (or more) Chef V has you covered. Our green drink has all the vitamins and minerals and energy boosters you need to have an amazing day, start to finish. If you’re dependent on caffeine and want to break away from the iced coffees in the morning, then we have the perfect option for you!

Green Drink and Other Vegan Cold Busters

The cold seasons are also cold seasons, the time when the flu, colds, and other bugs spread around. And the things you eat and drink determine the recovery to your old, healthy self.

Are you just as bored by the sight of hot drinks or a healthy vegetable soup when down with a cold? We don’t blame you when you’re already struggling to cheer yourself up with a weak body. 

And with many enticing supplements on the market promising easy recovery, it can become difficult to motivate oneself to have healthy food. While these over-the-counter drugs may get you quick relief from a cold, your immune system works overtime during winter. This calls for boosters like green drinks to keep you energized and protected against infections. In this blog, we’ll cover some vegan foods and drinks that are great cold busters. 

Magical immune boosters

When it comes to prepping your immune system against a common cold or flu, go for immune boosters packed with nutrients. They’re not just good to soothe the effects of colds but also improve your strength to fight against chronic diseases.

Are you wondering if a diet free from animal products can improve your strength? Undoubtedly, healthy vegan options can be your last resort when that annoyingly persistent cold is testing your patience. Scroll down to explore a platter of vegan recipe ideas. We bet they’ll make their way to that sick day’s care package you just can’t do without.

Go for citrus fruits

People who turn to vitamin C at the first signs of trouble get an early head start in fighting off the flu. Vitamin C helps the body by increasing the production of white blood cells, which further fights the infection thriving in your body. Include citrus fruits, such as grapefruits, lemons, and oranges in your diet. Try Chef V recommended Lemon Ginger detox to break the monotony of a conventional sick-care routine and fuel your immune strength.

Don’t miss broccoli

Do you know one cup of broccoli has more vitamin C than an orange? This antioxidant star is packed with all the fiber, vitamins, and minerals you need to revive your body. If you’re looking for a sweet spot between enjoying cravings and maintaining your health, our warm and comforting creamy broccoli soup is a must-try for your sick taste buds. It serves as a light meal without taxing the body.

Turmeric can do wonders

Golden Milk is a magical version of milk that keeps diseases at bay, thanks to many antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties of turmeric that safeguard us from infections. And the best part is it’s really easy to make at home. Check out Chef V’s cleanse-friendly golden milk recipe.

Refuel with coconut water

As we enter the winter season, one of the most common tips we hear is to drink hot drinks to keep warm. When you’re feeling under the weather, you might prefer a cold beverage. Some cold drinks can do wonders too. 

When you’re low on energy with sniffles and body aches, you need to restore your electrolytes. And coconut water can bring that hydration. It also has a little amount of fruit-derived natural sugar, which your body can absorb as a quick and simple source of energy.

Try Chef V’s magical green drink

It’s better to prepare our bodies at the start of winter when the holiday season is right here. Enjoy holiday treats, but say goodbye to artificial flavorings. Don’t miss the seasonal goodness of organic drinks. Add Chef V’s Green Drink Plan to your diet regime today. Its immunity-boosting ingredients should help you navigate sickness like a pro. 

Our famous green drink, juice for detox, and soups are made with seven certified organic leafy greens and delivered to your door fresh weekly. Build your plan today and get started with your green juice detox.

Getting Studying Done On a Detox Juice Cleanse

Juice cleanses are a great way to lose weight and detoxbut for newbies, they can be somewhat overwhelming. It may get a little tough to focus for many people trying to study, because of a few 7-day cleanse side effects. This blog gives some tips for keeping your focus up during a cleanse. 

According to one of the latest reports, 17 percent of those using juice cleansers notice improvements in their emotions, 23 percent experience improved digestive health, and 26 percent tend to lose the desired weight. Despite these promising results, it may take quite a bit to convince yourself to choose a detox journey with all the lip-smacking, eye-grabbing food options out there.

 If you’ve taken the most difficult step of adopting a detox juice cleanse, we only want to make it smoother for you from here on by helping you with some of the tips to manage detox and celery juice side effects and retain your concentration levels.

Things a juice cleanse does to your body

A juice cleanse is a “detox” dietyou’re committing to consuming only fruit and vegetable juices. While the primary benefit of juice cleansing is presumed to be weight loss, that’s just a fraction of the great work green juices do for you. They improve your digestive health and promote the growth of healthy microbiota. They also tighten your tummy bloated by inflammatory foods, such as  gluten, dairy, and alcohol. With your calorie intake reduced, your body doesn’t have to exert the usual amounts to break down food, giving your gut some rest.

A detox plan is a great way to improve your mental health as well. With your meals planned beforehand, a break from meal planning, shopping, and cooking significantly improves your mood and relaxes your brain. Juice cleansing also leads to improved quality of sleep in the absence of toxins, caffeine, and other food items that make it difficult to get good quality rest. 

Amidst all these positive developments during your detox, what remains equally true is that sometimes fasting sucks. You may experience sluggishness, weakness, and light-headedness. With a drop in your calorie intake, both your brain and muscles may want to slow down, leading to celery juice headaches. With emotions like temporary sadness and confusion, you may even struggle to focus on your studies and other important tasks.

Tips for focusing during a juice cleanse

You may experience some challenges along the way of your detox diet, but we’ve got you covered with simple, actionable strategies to boost your stamina and emotional strength. These tactics will help you maintain focus levels during r studies and manage your body and mind better.

1. Give your body a heads-up

While the urge to grab those delicious snacks is natural and understandable before you bid them goodbye for a while, introducing drastic changes in a day won’t be kind to your body. Give your body a transition period of at least three to five days before beginning a detox juice cleanse. Slowly cut out dairy, alcohol, heavy food, and gluten, and replace them with healthier options to stock up some extra energy for later.

  1. Organize and prioritize

Plan your detox juice cleanse at a time when you’re not flooded with a heavy study checklist. Stressing yourself with a lot of rigorous study schedules will only make your diet routine tougher. If you want to stay committed to your cleanse as well as your studies, sync stress-free study days with your juice detox plan to strike a balance.

  1. Do it together

Make this experience more fun and memorable by getting friends onboard. You can help each other stay sane on the days that challenge you too much. This way, you will keep your energy levels up, and navigate through your detox journey with much more enthusiasm.

  1. Stock up on herbal teas

With your belly filled with just juices, hunger is going to knock on your doors often. This is inevitable thanks to a lowered calorie intake, but you can get through it. Explore warm and soothing drinks such as herbal teas to improve your digestive health.

  1. Drink plenty of water

With only juices in your body, we know you’re taking trips to the washroom often. Don’t limit your water intake in response. Hydration is key to keeping your energy levels high throughout the day. It will help you fight sluggishness and keep you focused and active. 

  1. Mind over matter

The way you think of this journey can overpower the side effects. Changing the narrative from “fasting sucks” to “fasting cleanses” can flip things up for the better. Approach it with positivity and enthusiasm and avoid negative self-talk. A positive approach will clear your head and help you focus on your studies better.

Get Chef V’s cleanse package for best results 

Planning a detox journey by yourself can be tricky, and we hear you. Chef V does all the homework and works with nutritional therapists to craft the perfect detox plan for you. Bid prep work goodbye, and say hello to easy-to-follow instructions to enjoy your juices for the best results. 

Our intricately curated, fiber-packed juices are free of green powders, pills, or other gimmicks. Only the best and fresh gets delivered to your doorstep. 

With all these tips and Chef V’s cleanse, you’re all set to achieve your health goals and ace those study goals simultaneously. Go ahead and prep up your mind and body for a refreshing detox experience. Build your cleanse plan today. We’re rooting for you all the way! 

Chef V’s Everyday Ways to Be More Sustainable

Chef V has always been a big fan of sustainability. However, you don’t necessarily need to make huge changes in your life to be socially responsible. You can adopt some simple, everyday ways and go vegan and organic. This blog will cover the essence of sustainability, and how you can achieve the same with some basic lifestyle changes and a little more consideration for Mother Earth. 

What does sustainability mean? 

The term sustainability has become way more important today than it ever was. Around 51 percent of people take it more seriously today than they did last year. In fact, 49 percent of consumers say they’ve paid a premium—an average of 59 percent more—for products branded as sustainable or socially responsible in the last twelve months. 

Sustainable living means being aware of the impact our actions have on the environment around us and finding ways to carefully use the resources  we have today. It’s about preserving, reserving, and bettering for tomorrow. 

Easy ways to be more sustainable

Are you looking to get started with being more socially accountable? Let’s look at some easy, everyday ways to be more sustainable and how you embark on the path of sustainable eating and drinking. These tips are doable as they won’t ask you to change your life drastically or go out of the way to fulfill them.

Drink tap water

Drinking tap water instead of bottled water is probably one of the simplest ways to have a more sustainable lifestyle. Right from processing the plastic, filling the bottles with water, and transporting them, bottled water manufacturing uses a lot of energy. Regular tap water is an immune booster in itself and hence an inevitable element of healthy living.


Consume meat consciously

Raising farm animals requires large amounts of land and water, and causes water, soil, and air pollution. And factory-farmed animal protein has a  high carbon footprint. To minimize the environmental impact, you can try plant-based products and minimize meat consumption as much as possible.

Check seafood sources

Make it a habit to check the source of your seafood. For minimal ocean pollution, your seafood must be sourced from sustainable sources only, i.e., a certified sustainable fishery or certified responsible farm that abides by ocean-friendly practices. 


Go for homemade food

Eating homemade is better than at most restaurants because you save money and can eat organic food. Cooking at home allows you to verify the sources and quality of ingredients. Avoiding restaurant-made food also minimizes waste generated during packaging and delivery. And commercial kitchens typically use more energy than a home kitchen.


Grow or cook local

Starting a little farm at your own place is easier than you may think. Make a home gardening project as your side hobby and enjoy locally grown organic foods. If you can’t have a home farm, consider shopping from local farmer’s markets.

Reuse accessories

Keep an eye out for items you can reuse and optimize kitchen materials for minimum waste. Something as simple as using  reusable straws over plastic ones can be a contribution toward sustainability.  So, you see, sustainability doesn’t have to be complicated. Nor does it have to be big, elaborate, or intimidating.

Sustainable food options to explore

From the resources we consume to the food we eat, there are several ways we can explore being more ecological. Here’s a list of a few super sustainable food options to consider starting your journey toward healthy and environment-friendly eating habits.

This recipe is as vegan as it gets. With healthy ingredients like carrots, onions, and nut milk, this soup is an appetizer you can’t miss. Try this recipe and kick-start your sustainable eating habits today.

This recipe can be your go-to snack while watching football, as an hors d’oeuvre at a party, or with a glass of wine on the deck while the sun goes down. This flavorful dip is easy, gluten-free, and keto.

This recipe is packed with loads of healthy vegetables. The pumpkin, carrots, and quinoa complement each other’s flavors well. It’s made with mellow spices for a flavorful and healthy meal. 

TryChef V’s juice cleanse diet and green drinks

Made with certified seven leafy greens, Chef V’s drinks are the best sustainable partners you can find on your journey to eating and drinking right. Made with organic ingredients, all  Chef V drinks can become your tools for both a sustainability-conscious  lifestyle and a healthier body. Make sure to give our drinks a try, and fall in love with our green drinks and your new sustainable lifestyle.

With our juice cleanse diet, you’ll get juices and smoothies packed with local, organic ingredients that flush your vital organs and leave you satisfied. We bet you don’t want to miss the juice cleanse benefits. You can build and customize the plan as per your needs. Get in touch today to learn more!

Hormones and Detox Juice

Nutrition and health aren’t simple things. If it was a simple process, then there wouldn’t be a need for things like 21 day juice cleanses! Your body is an incredibly complicated machine, with countless chemical processes happening at every moment. You need to take into account terms like nutrients, vitamins, minerals and more. One key component of health that’s often not understood is hormones. However, hormones can have a significant impact on your overall health and well-being. In this blog, we’ll explain what hormones are, and how your diet can affect them, for better or worse. 

What are hormones? 

Hormones are a big topic, so we’re going to condense this down as much as possible so we can get talking about things like the best juice cleanse for weight loss. Hormones are chemicals inside your body that have the specific job of acting as messengers. Hormones are distributed through your bloodstream and trigger reactions and changes in your cells. These changes tend to be things in your body that vary depending on your age and the situation—things like your metabolism, growth, sex drive, and mood. 

What’s unique about hormones is how different they are between the genders. Both genders produce hormones in places called glands. You’ve probably heard of things like the pineal gland or thyroid gland. However, men and women also produce unique hormones in their respective reproductive glands. 

You can kind of think of hormones as your body’s own little supply of drugs, made directly on-site. And like drugs, while they can be incredibly useful for you, they can also cause havoc in the wrong amounts. Imbalanced hormones can have especially chaotic effects in women. Potential symptoms include things like diabetes, irregular menstruation, infertility, skin conditions and difficulty in managing weight. 

How does diet affect hormones?

When we think of the chemistry of losing weight and staying healthy, we tend to worry about things such as fat, carbs, and our blood sugar levels. However, your diet can have just as much effect on your hormones as any other part of your body. Hormones are the messengers of your body. Those messengers can easily get confused or imbalanced by food that is processed or overly high in fat or sugars. 

However, there are a lot of positive diet changes you can make that can help bring your hormones back to balanced levels. The most important of these is also one of the simplest—just get enough water! Whether you’re drinking straight H2O, or getting it in your detox juice, it’s essential you always stay hydrated.

The number two diet and hormone rule is to get tons of fruits and vegetables, especially the leafy green stuff. However, get organic products, to avoid taking in chemicals that could affect your hormone levels. 

You also want to get plenty of proteins, regardless of the source. There are plenty of great sources of plant-based proteins out there, from those dark leafy greens we mentioned, to certain nuts and grains. Healthy fats (the kind you’d get from avocado, for example) are also key ingredients in helping manage hormone levels.

Hormones and juice cleanses

The best way to get hormones under control is to get plenty of hydration while getting as many essential fruits and veggies as possible. It’s no wonder many women have found a 21 day juice cleanse is one of the most effective hormone managers out there. Green juice keeps you hydrated and gives you all the nutrients your body needs to manage hormone production. This, in turn, helps you get a handle on everything from skin cleanliness to weight loss.

Of course, not all detox cleanses are created equal. With Chef V, you can get a juice cleanse that includes protein shakes and detox soups, which ensures you aren’t losing out on other important nutrients like protein. This means it’s a juice cleanse you can actually hope to finish, and so get real results for your hormone control or weight loss goals. Just check out some of our great success stories

 

Protein-Power: What’s the Function of Proteins?

It’d be impossible to navigate the internet in this day and age and not hear someone trying to talk to you about protein. Heck, we’re guilty as charged at Chef V, with plenty of articles about topics like what is pea protein good for

There’s a good reason for this—protein is one of the fundamental building blocks to good nutrition. Despite being so important, your average customer probably doesn’t know what it is, or that they should care about things like protein shakes. No matter if you’re a nutrition junkie, or just looking for a juice cleanse near you, here’s your basic guide to protein.

Okay, so what’s protein?

We’re not chemists or biologists, and we don’t expect you to be either. So we’ll try to cover the basics here. At the same time, it’s important to note that protein is a bit more complex and essential than just “something in your meat.”

First things first, there’s no singular thing called a protein. Rather it’s a class of types of molecules found inside your body. Proteins are made up of chemicals called amino acids. (For the few people interested in chemistry here, amino acids are themselves made up of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. Yep, you don’t get any more basic than this). Proteins themselves are the building blocks of much of your body, particularly your muscles. 

From the nutritionist’s point of view, proteins are considered a macronutrient. This means that along with fat and carbohydrates, they’re one of the kinds of nutrients humans need in relatively large amounts. 

What is the function of proteins? 

What do proteins do? It’d be easier to ask what they can’t do! Proteins combine the role of both a key building block of your body, as well as a key component of your body’s daily operations. Essentially, proteins help your body create new cells, and move them around your body to where they’re most needed in your body. In particular, you need protein to build and maintain your muscles. 

This is only scratching the surface. Proteins also help you produce hormones, which are worth a discussion entirely on their own. Having enough protein is also key to making sure that you have enough antibodies to stave off disease.

From a diet perspective, it’s important to note that proteins are often what help you feel full after a meal. This means that if you’re getting enough protein, you can better manage your appetite and cut back on cravings. 

How to get more protein in your diet 

We tend to associate protein mainly with meat products. However, that’s not the only place you can get protein in your diet. In fact, there are plenty of plant-based proteins out there, especially in nuts and the really dark leafy greens. Recently, there has been a growing  interest in protein that comes in powdered form so it can be mixed in with other products, often drinks.

You’ll often hear about the term “complete proteins.” What this is referring to is that fact we dropped earlier, that proteins are themselves made up of different amino acids. You do need all of these amino acids for the best health. A complete protein would be one that contains all the amino acids. 

There are a few misconceptions about complete proteins. The first is that if you aren’t eating complete proteins, you need to try and “match” proteins to eat together to get all your amino acids at the same time. Trust us, it’s not that complicated. Just treat your amino acids like any other important nutrient and mix them up in your diet. 

Another common misconception is that complete proteins are only found in animal products. There are quite a few plant-based complete proteins, such as quinoa and soybeans. 

You know what also has complete protein in it? Our signature detox shakes! We achieve this through the use of pea protein. This means that our juice cleanses deliver a comprehensive package in nutrition. Try them with confidence.

Making the Most of Juice Detox Diet Leftovers — Fun Pulp Recipes

If you’re into a juice cleanse diet, it’s very likely you make your own juice and probably end up with a ton of leftover pulp. There is a lot of goodness in the pulp, including most of the fiber. If you’re just throwing your pulp out, hold up — there are a lot of fun recipes you can make with it!

In this post, we’ll cover how to reuse juice leftover into good use with clever hacks, and you’ll never need to throw the pulp ever again.

Fun recipes with pulp

With a juice detox diet, you may be finding yourself with a lot of leftover fruit and vegetable pulp that you’re not quite sure what to do with. Here are some creative ways to recycle your leftover juice pulp.

Give your smoothies a kick of fiber 

Do you like having fun and experimenting with different ingredients while making smoothies? Add some fruit pulp to the blender when making your next breakfast smoothie. This will be a great way to add consistency, not to mention extra nutrients. It will also add plenty of fiber, so you’ll feel fuller for longer.

Go for a healthy and fuller veggie broth

If you’re left with vegetable pulp, including celery, carrots, onion, or garlic, you can easily transform it into a flavorful vegetable broth. Cook the pulp in a large pot with some olive oil and add a few cups of water, salt, pepper, herbs, and your favorite spices. You can enjoy this homemade broth on its own. Or even use it for any of your favorite soups and stews. We’d recommend adding your veggie broth to Chef V’s recipe of Creamy Carrot Soup and enjoy the magical version.

Make your baked goods with a healthy twist

Wondering what to do with pulp from carrots, apples, melons, or beets after you’ve made a healthy glass of juice? Spoil yourself with some baking! Try adding these leftovers while baking bread, cookies, muffins, or cakes for a burst of fruity flavor and some added texture. And enjoy a perfect nutrient-filled sweet treat. 

Try green eggs and pancakes with pulp coloring 

If you want to woo people with colorful yet yummy pancakes or eggs for breakfast, use these Chef V recommended alternatives to food coloring:

  • red coloring extracted from beet juice pulp
  • purple coloring extracted from juice pulp of the red cabbage
  • lighter purple coloring extracted from blueberries pulp
  • green coloring extracted from spinach or Chef V Green Drink

Make healthy variant popsicles

Do you have a sweet tooth and want tasty yet healthy popsicles? Are you wondering what to do with your remaining fruit juice? Pour your juice into popsicle molds or ice trays and sprinkle in some of the pulp. Freeze and enjoy! We bet you would love Chef V’s frozen Red White and Blue Popsicle treats by adding pulp of blueberries and raspberries.

Add a slew of nutrients to patties or fritters

Pulp from juicing beet, spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes, and beets can be used as fillers and make your own delicious vegetarian burger patties or fritters. These pulps add an earthy flavor and help the burgers keep their shape. 

Keep healthy and vegan with Chef V

Are you into a juice detox diet but not ready to put in the time and effort of at-home juicing and reusing the leftover pulp? We heard that call and answered it with our Chef V cleanse package. With our juice cleanse diet, you’ll get juices and smoothies packed with local, organic ingredients that flush your vital organs and leave you satisfied. We take care of the pulps in the most creative and recycle-friendly ways. 

And what could be more convenient than having organic juice cleanse delivered fresh right to your door?  You can build and customize the plan as per your needs. Get in touch today to learn more!

Green Drink and Other Beverages to Beat Cold Season

Winter is around the corner, and you may be gearing up for the festive season. This is often a time when many of us indulge in winter outings and savor foods such as sweets and fried dishes that may lower our body’s natural defense system. With winter comes not just the cold, but colds as well. If you want to avoid the sniffles, sneezes, and coughs, here are some ideas for cold and hot beverages that you can sip, with a nutritious and low-calorie twist.

Reset your immunity with magical ingredients

When it comes to prepping your immunity against a common cold or flu, there are a few magical ingredients and immunity-boosting nutrients that can do wonders and help you recover faster.

Ginger, with its antibacterial properties, stimulates the immune system and helps protect against cold viruses. The spicy, pungent herb is one of the best cold relief spices with anti-inflammatory properties. It soothes your throat ache and speeds up recovery time. Ginger can be a great addition to teas, soups, and recipes. Garlic is also effective protection against colds due to its powerful anti-viral and anti-catarrhal properties. 

Higher vitamin D intake during winter is associated with a lower risk of getting colds. With a daily serving of eggs — in food recipes or eggnog — you’re less likely to catch a cold or any other upper respiratory tract infection.

Vitamin C is also a good option to consume when you’re feeling under the weather. It can help lower the duration and severity of a cold. It’s found naturally in oranges, lemons, and other citrus fruits, but broccoli, kiwi, and red bell peppers have even more vitamin C. Did you know that tomatoes too are a great vitamin-C-rich food and are a proven fuel for your body’s immune system?

Beat colds with these hot drinks 

With the cold days ahead, you crave all things warm and nourishing. If you’re looking for flavorful and healthy drinks that’ll put you under a magically warm spell, we’ve got you covered. Here are Chef V’s recommendations to help you tune-up your immune system to tip-top shape for the flu and cold season.

Water, water, and more water!

Don’t panic if you get a runny nose or an itchy throat and rush to the pharmacy for OTC medicines. You’ll be back on track in no time if you rest and hydrate properly. And this tip should be no surprise to anyone — try drinking at least the recommended eight glasses of water a day. Water on its own is good enough, but for a touch of flavor, add a dash of fresh-squeezed lemon juice, ginger, or honey (or all three) for a tasty way to double up on immune support.

Get cozy with detox soups

Soups can be the most soothing for flu season! With nutrient-rich veggies and ingredients, they can serve as a light meal without taxing the body. Here’s a list of warm and comforting Chef V detox soups that put their feel-good magic to work when you sip on and cozy up with your loved ones:

Sip on chicken bone broth

Sipping on super beverage bone broth can be a relaxing evening snack or a light morning breakfast. It’s a flavorful, collagen-rich drink packed with a whole host of nutrients that help you heal and loosen congestion in your chest and nasal passages. Turmeric, cinnamon, and a dash of fresh ginger and garlic can be added that’ll help speed up your metabolism. 

Go for golden milk

We realize the thought of eating or drinking nearly anything can be off-putting when unwell, but that’s where simple, soothing drinks come into play. Golden milk is a health elixir that helps you get back on your feet during a bout with the flu. And the great part is, it’s really easy to make! 

All you need are some readily available basic ingredients: turmeric, milk, cardamon, cinnamon, and ground ginger. Some nutritionists recommend adding a dash of black pepper as well to increase the bioavailability of turmeric. The drink will warm the hearts of your family and friends, and keep everyone healthy. Homemade and delicious, how can it not? Check out Chef V’s cleanse-friendly golden milk recipe.

Some cold drinks can do wonders

Winter is soon here, and the most common tip you usually get for staying warm is sipping hot beverages throughout the day. If you feel more inclined to drink something cold while under the weather, that’s OK too.

Drink your greens 

Enjoy some holiday treats, but say goodbye to artificial flavorings. Don’t miss the seasonal goodness of organic drinks. Make a refreshing blended juice with green veggies, such as kale, chard, curly parsley, and dandelion greens. Elevate the richness of your blended juice by adding chia seeds, jalapeno, nutmeg, or cinnamon. Check out Chef V’s famous Green Drink made with seven certified organic leafy greens delivered fresh to your door.

Try eggnog 

What better way to kickstart the holidays than with some rich, comforting eggnog. The merriest drink is made with eggs, cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla bean (the real deal). Spread holiday cheer with Chef V’s vegan version of this traditional favorite.

What not to drink 

While choosing the right drink can help you feel better during flu season, avoid these drinks (or at least limit their consumption) to maintain a healthy and strong immune system in winter:

  • Artificial juices and carbonated beverages with high sugar content
  • Dairy products, such as milk and buttermilk 
  • Milkshakes and smoothies as they can be mucus-generating
  • Drinks such as coffee, energy drinks, and sports drinks that contain caffeine

If you’re short on time or hate the cleanup involved in cooking, try our Green Drink Plan. We’ll ship you the freshest, most nutrient-dense Chef V detox soups and green drinks for a strong immune system and revitalizing cleanse. 

All of our products are made from fresh, organic ingredients and have been praised for their great flavors. Make the greatest investment in your health for as little as six dollars per day! So, don’t wait and build your plan now.

Vegan Halloween Candy to Enjoy With Your Green Drink

Is everyone ready for a real scare? Because the holiday season is about to get started in North America. This means that any health-conscious reader, or just those looking to lose weight, is going to be met with a host of delicious temptations between here and the new year. 

For those vegan readers out there, this time of year presents an entirely different issue from the threat of an expanding waistline. Even if they did want to perhaps indulge once in a while, the staples of this time of year rarely are vegan-friendly. 

This is most apparent at Halloween, where a good deal of candy includes dairy-based chocolate. And the stuff that doesn’t is so full of preservatives and additives that anyone who knows even the slightest bit about nutrition is going to want to scream and head for the exit.

However, there’s no reason the chillier autumn and winter months need to leave you out in the cold. We’ve discussed some general ideas on how to handle Halloween while staying healthy. We’ve also given some great ideas for Halloween-themed treats. But we know some of you have a sweet tooth and won’t be happy until you get some real Halloween candy. 

With that in mind, we’ve put together some tasty vegan Halloween candy ideas. While they might not all be great foods to eat while juicing, they’re a delightful way to celebrate the end of your juice cleanse diet, or simply to enjoy with your green drink as an autumn treat. 

Thankfully, DIY vegan Halloween candy isn’t as complex as it sounds. With a little bit of creativity, you can ditch the processed foods in autumn, so you don’t end up ruining all the hard work from your juice-cleanse diet. We’ll treat you to a few examples of vegan alternatives to some of your favorites.

Vegan Halloween Candy Ideas

“Almond Joy”

Health nuts often go nuts for nuts. So it’s no surprise we’re going to be starting this list with a little almond-y joy. It seems a shame to take a nut as jam-packed with good stuff and then cover it up with all sorts of high sugar, processed chocolate. 

Thankfully, since the concept behind the Almond Joy is fairly simple, it’s not hard to whip up vegan versions at home. All it takes is some almonds (naturally), organic shredded coconut, and vegan chocolate, and you’re good to go! You can find plenty of great example recipes online.  

Candy corn

For many, candy corn is inextricably linked with the “feeling” of the autumn season. However, it’s not a candy often seen after Halloween. There’s no reason to let a good classic languish, so take it upon yourself to resurrect it. Of course, in the interest of vegan Halloween candy, you’ll want to make sure you’re making a vegan-friendly version. Plenty of recipes for candy corn don’t require too much in the way of complex ingredients either. 

Coconut balls

We touched on coconuts when talking about Almond Joy. But it’s also worth pointing out how flexible and versatile an ingredient shredded coconut can be when it comes to whipping up some tasty vegan Halloween candy. As long as you can get your hands on some organic shredded coconut and dark chocolate, you can go nuts with your own vegan candy ideas or take inspiration from the many recipes online

Peanut Butter Cup 

Is there a more classic junk food combination than peanut butter and chocolate? Peanut Butter Cups have long been a guilty pleasure for many of us. There’s a reason, then, that you’ll see plenty of low-sugar or vegan alternative versions of this snack in grocery stores. However, don’t think you need to spend a lot of money buying premium versions. You can easily find plenty of recipes detailing how to make these treats on your own. They’ll be a great reward year-round for finishing a juice cleanse diet or just a great companion to green drinks. 

Peppermint patties

Are you the sort of person who prefers a peppermint flavor to your candy? Just because you’re a picky candy eater doesn’t mean you need to feel left out of all the vegan Halloween candy fun. Peppermint patties can be replicated in a much healthier vegan format by relying on sweet nuts. Many of the examples you’ll find will include cashews for the creamiest fillings

“Snickers”

It’s not a mystery why certain types of chocolate bars become so popular as Halloween candy. When you throw in salty and sweet staples like peanuts, caramel, and nougat, it’s no wonder many find these kinds of candy so tasty—and why they tend to be bad for your waistline and blood sugar. Thankfully, there are healthier vegan alternatives to nearly anything these days. If you don’t mind taking on a more complicated challenge, you could try recreating these kinds of chocolate bars using online recipes

Stay healthy all year long with Chef V

At Chef V, we believe that healthy eating habits are something to be enjoyed all year long. We’re always excited to share ideas for foods to eat while juicing (like our detox soups), or fruits and vegetables that are just generally amazing. If you’re looking to stay healthy all year long, then check out our green drinks, perfect with snacks or as part of our juice cleanse diet.

Vegan Soup Recipes for Winter

Winter is around the corner, and with it comes chills. Nothing compares with the warmth of a hot bowl of soup on a cold winter day.

To help maintain your daily nutritional intake, Chef V has come up with some delicious vegan soup ideas that are healthy, easy to make, and packed with wholesome ingredients. These vegan soup recipes are as tasty and comforting as your regular chicken soup or hot ramen noodle soup and loaded with numerous immunity boosters, weight management, and digestion-improvement ingredients. 

Whether you’re a rookie or a professional soup maker, be ready to add these vegan soup recipes by Chef V to your favorite soup recipe collection. So, let’s get started and welcome the upcoming season with a bowl full of healthy soup. 

Is soup healthy for winter?

Yes! If we specifically talk about vegan soups, they’re often made with veggie broth or contain fruits and vegetables, which provide necessary minerals, fiber, vitamins, and nutrients, such as collagen. Additionally, consuming soup is a delicious way to increase your vegetable and fruit intake, which helps reduce weight and achieve your health goals.

Furthermore, because soups are often rich in fiber and protein, they make you feel fuller, so you’re less likely to  oncomfort food, such as French fries, baked pasta, and hot chocolate. During the winter, water intake gradually decreases because you’re not overly sweaty or hot; in that case, soup helps with extra hydration to maintain your body’s water levels.

Great vegan soup ideas

Below are some of Chef V’s favorite vegan soup recipes that you must try this winter. All these recipes taste delectable, uncomplicated, and satisfying

1. Creamy curry pumpkin soup

This vegan soup recipe offers the perfect way to bid goodbye to fall and welcome winter as it contains fresh pumpkin puree with coconut milk and some other very subtle ingredients, such as nutmeg, black pepper, sea salt, and organic vegetable broth. The creamy texture and thick consistency are very satisfying and filling to keep you going throughout the day.

2. Creamy sweet potato and leek soup

Sweet potatoes are a great source of antioxidants, fiber, and blood sugar-regulating nutrients, which means using them along with leek in a winter soup makes it even more nutritious and healthy. This creamy sweet potato and leek soup has simple ingredients — white carrot, coconut oil, and raw cashews to make it rich and wholesome. 

3. Little leprechaun soup

Follow this simple vegan soup recipe to transform  regular and boring broccoli into a tasty winter comforting meal. Paired with some fresh thyme leaves, coconut oil, shallots, and unsalted cashews, this little leprechaun soup is the perfect winter soup to enjoy with your friends and family.

4. Black bean soup

Say hello to the healthy and vegan way of having protein with this delicious and rich black bean soup by Chef V. The subtle ingredients white onion, vegetable broth, garlic and cayenne pepper — give this vegan soup a pungent taste that’s perfect to beat the chilly winter vibes.

5. Creamy broccoli soup

Takes only twenty minutes to cook, this absolutely delicious creamy broccoli soup contains both coconut milk and oil that give it a rich and thick consistency. The use of raw cashews, thyme leaves, and minced and peeled garlic elevate its taste to make your winter days more comfortable.

Chef V’s detox soups

If you don’t want to get into the hassle of cooking all these vegan soup recipes, sign up with Chef V to get her organic detox soup delivered to your doorstep. Chef V detox soup is made from fresh and plant-based ingredients, which detoxify your body to remove toxins and harmful substances.

 This detox soup is known as SOUPer detox, and is included in Chef V’s cleanse plans to finish your day with a warm meal that flushes your vital organs and satisfies your appetite. Chef V’s detox soup is crafted with the help of a nutritional therapist to ensure it improves your digestion, improves bowel movements, and regulates blood sugar levels.

You can opt for the seven-or 21 day cleanse challenge to get this detox soup with two other types of drinks, organic green juice and protein shake, in your plan to achieve your weight goals. These liquid cleanse plans are customizable to each of you to help you move forward to a healthy lifestyle.

Visit Chef V today to learn more about the different detox cleanse plans. You can also explore some more healthy vegan soup recipes to try on this winter season. Do check out our delivery areas and store locations to find out where and how you can get our healthy products. 

Celebrities Who Love Detox Juice Cleanse

Juice detox cleanses are becoming more and more well-known in the mainstream. If you need any more proof, this piece covers examples of celebrities who swear by juice cleanses. We’ll look at how blended juice cleanses helped them lose weight and detox their bodies.

What is a juice cleanse?

A juice cleanse involves drinking only fruit or vegetable juices for a certain amount of time, usually ranging from one to five days, depending on the goal. Juices are usually pressed, which means the pulp is separated from the juice. Most importantly, while juice cleansing, you eliminate sugar, caffeine, refined foods, and other substances from your diet.

Are you looking to melt fat quickly for an upcoming occasion? Detox juice cleanses are good for hitting the reset button on your health if you’ve been overindulging. With it,you’re able to boost your metabolism and flush out toxins gently. With all the nutritional content, they provide steady energy throughout the day. You’ll also curb cravings for unhealthy food.

In recent years, cleanses have become the quick fix for dropping pounds for celebrities from Beyonce to Anne Hathaway. Ever wondered what’s the secret behind their toned bodies? Let’s spill the beans for four superstars who enjoy cold-pressed veggies and fruits for radiant skin and a fit body.

Beyonce

Beyonce popularized the granddaddy of the cleanse trend the Master Cleanse diet — shedding twenty pounds in two weeks for her role in Dreamgirls. The diet that has particularly taken Hollywood by storm since 2006 as a popular way of losing quick weight was developed by Stanley Burroughs in 1941 as a diet regimen to flush out  toxins in the body.

Also known as Maple Syrup or Lemon Cleanse diet, it involves subsisting on nothing but a liquid diet of hot water, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper for ten days. You also drink laxative tea and do a salt-water flush to eliminate body toxins through bowel movements.

Salma Hayek

Salma has used juice cleanses as a regular part of her health and beauty maintenance program for fifteen years. Ever-radiating, she’s known for endorsing the cooler cleanse diet that’s a big hit with thousands of her fans worldwide.

In 2008, Salma approached New York City juicing expert Eric Helms to co-create a line of fresh, raw juices and nut milk that worked well for her body. The idea was to help everyone look and feel their best, no matter how busy or stressful their lives.

Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway swears by celebrity trainer David Kirsch’s forty-eight-hour detox where you drink his patented lemonade mixture four times a day for two days. Hirsch’s mixture comes ready-made in a concentrated liquid you add to water and can consume at mealtimes. The delicious pink lemonade blend gives you the supercharged nutrients, minerals, and antioxidants needed to achieve healthy results. 

Jennifer Aniston

The secret to Jennifer Aniston’s svelte body lies in her Wonder Saturday Smoothie, jam-packed with spinach, garlic, beetroot, organic vegetables, cucumbers, kale, and celery. For the best taste, add some cayenne pepper or parsley. 

Get convenient cleanse delivery with Chef V

You can use these liquid diets as celebs do  to jump-start your journey of eating better and get your metabolism revved up. Please note we aren’t giving medical advice here and that if you try these diet regimes, do so at your own risk. We can help you answer your query though: Are juice cleanses worth it? You might be surprised to learn that even a very short juice cleanse can have some significant impacts.  

At Chef V, even our 3-Day Juice Cleanse Plan will give you the desired results. We mix our nutrient-packed green drinks with detox soups and smoothies. You can easily customize your blended juice cleanse. Choose one, three, or five days and the number of people consuming it. 

So, what are you waiting for? Reach out to us and let’s get started with your cleanse plan that’ll leave you feeling great, all the way through.

Chef V’s Vegan Thanksgiving Plan

With Thanksgiving around the corner, we’re excited about spending time with friends and family. While we also love a bountiful feast, we beg to differ if you say turkey should steal the spotlight. And when you realize you’re ingesting thousands of extra calories, you’ll definitely want to check out healthier options. This piece discusses some delicious vegan Thanksgiving recipes to enjoy along with green drink and juice detox options to burn your extra calories this holiday season.

Healthy holidays = happy holidays

One-third of Americans prefer hosting a meat-free Thanksgiving dinner. Your friends may be making healthier choices this year, and you want to host them well. Opt for vegan recipes that typically incorporate whole foods, an abundance of healthy plants, and antioxidant-rich, nutrient-dense foods. Plant-based, plant-loaded meals can be your starting point to kick-start healthy beginnings and seal the deal for healthy New Year’s resolutions.

Traditional side dishes can be easily veganized. And with multiple ideas for creative vegan options, you don’t have to sacrifice taste for a healthy meal or stress out trying to create it. 

Planning a vegan Thanksgiving meal

If you’re up for a vegan Thanksgiving dinner this year, you must be wondering how to organize everything and what dishes to choose for a whole vegan meal. We’ve got the answer for youslow down, and scroll down.

First things first, decide on the number of courses. Do meals with less than four courses feel incomplete to you? Or does a three-course meal swell up your belly just about enough? 

Next, zero in on the delicious vegan recipes that’ll look absolutely delicious on your Thanksgiving table this year, and then move on to arranging the ingredients. You can easily get natural sweeteners, dairy alternatives, vegan condiments, and other pantry essentials from any grocery store. Or you may want to prepare all dishes at home from scratch. Depending on how much time you want to spend in the kitchen, sort out what raw materials can be store-bought and what you’re willing to make at home.

Chef V’s recommendations: Vegan Thanksgiving recipes 

Are you struggling with choosing your Thanksgiving menu? We have some healthy, lip-smacking vegan recipes to share with you below.

Vegan appetizers

This delicious fall treat is a hit at Thanksgiving dinner. It’s  filling and makes you feel warm inside even though it’s a salad.

This vegan soup will suit everyone’s taste buds. The spicy vegetable soup with jalapeno, quinoa, zucchini, black beans, and lots of spice will leave your guests wanting more.

The only thing more comforting than a bowl of soup is a bowl of homemade soup that’s both vegan and gluten-free. This recipe is easily one of the most healthy ways to pop a pumpkin on your Thanksgiving table.

Vegan roasts

With only seven ingredients, this recipe is super easy to make. Filled with generous amounts of flavor and filling, you can’t miss this roast for your Thanksgiving toast.

Vegan main course

This gluten-free, dairy-free version of macaroni and cheese will become a favorite at your Thanksgiving dinner table! A recipe so fulfilling, you might just switch to this vegan version altogether. 

This delicacy incorporates pumpkin into the ricotta cheese mixture. Made with gluten-free noodles, it is sure to become a family favorite, for even the pickiest eater. This lasagna is an entree you’ll be proud of.

  • Vegan Green Bean Casserole
    A perfect combination of crunchy and creamy in a vegetable dish, this one is definitely a crowd-pleaser. Beans worthy of attention, you need this addition to your dinner.

Vegan desserts

This healthy take on tiramisu is a must. Once you discover baking with healthy ingredients, there’s a good chance you’ll want to continue!

A dessert you can’t do vegan Thanksgiving without. If you love ice cream, all things pumpkin and fall, and exquisite vegan desserts, you’ll love this recipe.

A dessert you’ll have a ton of fun making. Pair this poached pear recipe with scooped vegan ice cream for a delicious and healthy dessert. 

Vegan drinks

While these vegan Thanksgiving recipes should add some exciting and healthy new flavors to your meals, don’t temper your love for the meal by worrying about holiday weight. Gulp on! Just make sure you take care of your body with just as much enthusiasm.

With Chef V’s juice detox and green drinks, you can bid your worries goodbye and set a detox in motion. Chef V’s nutrient-dense drinks are freshly made and help you detox your liver, fight inflammation, reduce cholesterol, and much more. 

And these healthy green drinks are delivered with a hint of sweetness, kicking the boring out of the green.  Order your 7-day juice cleanse today to celebrate Thanksgiving with a healthy body and a thankful heart. Have a happy, healthy Thanksgiving!

Why a Fresh Organic Juice Cleanse is Good for You

The benefits and importance of fresh fruits and vegetables lie in their high density of nutritional values. They’re rich in antioxidant properties, minerals, vitamins, enzymes, and many other nutrients that help the body remove toxins and maintain good health.

But due to greater convenience and minimal wastage, many people prefer consuming and using frozen fruits and vegetables. Though some produce retains nutritional values, they often lose their natural taste and may contain harmful preservatives to maintain longer shelf life. 

And because of this, many start wondering whether frozen fruit can be used in a juice cleanse and why fresh organic juice cleanse is better for you. Follow along to learn what Chef V has to say about this and the valuable benefits of consuming fresh produce. 

What freezing veggies and fruits do

The purpose of freezing vegetables and fruits is to preserve the nutritional content for longer, but some nutrients start to break down if you keep the produce frozen for longer than a year. Moreover, before freezing, fresh fruits and vegetables undergo a process called blanching, which involves keeping the produce in boiling water for a few minutes. 

The purpose of blanching is to kill harmful bacteria and prevent the natural texture and color of the produce. But it also results in the loss of some important water-soluble or heat-sensitive nutrients like vitamin C and B vitamins. 

Furthermore, freezing also reduces the antioxidant content in some fruits and vegetables. According to the Journal of Science of Food and Agriculture, up to 30 percent of the phenolic compounds, an antioxidant type, get lost in some vegetables due to freezing. 

Benefits of fresh fruit and veggies

Below are some top benefits of consuming fresh veggies and fruits:

  • It’s hard for frozen fruits and vegetables to compete with the visual appeal, juiciness, and natural taste of fresh ones. The crunch of fresh green beans and the creamy texture of avocado is hard to find in a supermarket freezer. 
  • Fresh produce is a great source of dietary fiber that keeps your gut strong and improves bowel movements. Moreover, it gives you a fuller feeling when on an organic juice cleanse, intermittent fasting, or dieting. 
  • Seedless watermelon, pineapple, red leaf lettuce, sprouts, kale, luscious cherries —it’d be hard to get bored of fresh fruits and vegetables as hundreds of varieties and options are available on the market. And variety is something you can’t find in the frozen foods section of the grocery store. 

Fresh juice delivery with Chef V 

If you’re planning on going for a juice cleanse, try Chef V’s multiple juice cleanse plans, specially designed for people who want to move to a healthy lifestyle and achieve certain weight goals.

You can opt for a single or multi-day juice cleanse, where you get three different drinks: the famous green juice, protein shake, and detox soup. All these fluids are made from the freshest, purest, organic ingredients, such as pea powder, green kale, dandelion greens, curly parsley, and collard greens, to help you get rid of toxins from your body. 

Moreover, the team at Chef V provides green juice delivery to your doorstep, meaning you can achieve your health goals in the comfort of your home while enjoying the nutritional and tasty drinks crafted by nutritional therapist Chef V. You can also request a pickup from the listed store locations by giving twenty-four-hour notice. 

If you’re looking for a fresh and organic juice cleanse plan, visit Chef V today. Browse our store locations and delivery areas to learn where and how you find plant-based foods and raw blended juices by Chef V. 

Green Drink and Other Post-Workout Options for Vegan Athletes

If you’re an athlete, or just enjoy being athletic, getting energy and protein post-workout can be a major concern. Some people assume it’s hard to find good energy sources that are also vegan — but is this really the case? This post will examine snacks and drinks that will complete your plant-based nutrition, and how Chef V’s green drink can be your next go-to post-workout drink.

What makes a good post-workout snack?

You probably put a lot of thought into your pre-workout intake. How about the post-workout snacks? Do you pay as much attention to it as you do to what you’re eating before starting high-intensity activities? 

Whether training for a competition, doing a casual workout, or high-intensity and resistance training activities, eating something within two hours will help muscles recover and replace glycogen stores. Along with carbs, protein should be an integral component of the diet as it aids muscle recovery and new muscle growth.

Your body loses water and electrolytes when you sweat during exercise. It’s even more important to replenish these with healthy drinks rather than eating right away after a tough workout. A general rule of thumb is to drink three cups of fluid for each pound lost during competition or training. 

Overall, what and how often you should eat and drink will ultimately depend on your activity level and intensity. And since each body is different, follow your instincts in deciding which pre- and post-exercise eating habits work best for you. 

Vegan post-workout snacks and drinks 

The idea that protein needs to come from animal products is a misconception. Eating a wide variety of foods high in vegan protein can ensure an adequate intake of nutrients. Vegan athletes are increasingly finding that a diet free from animal products can actually improve their strength and performance. On that note, let’s look at some good examples of vegan snacks and drinks to boost your energy.

Power-packed smoothies

If you make them right, smoothies can provide all the nutrients you need after your workout in just one glass. Pour in your preferred protein in a mixing jar — milk, yogurt, or soy-based products. Fill in with the fruits or vegetables of your choice. Add some healthy dose of unsaturated fats, such as avocados or nut butter, that not just strengthens your bones, but also enhances the consistency of smoothies. Add some good fiber, such aslike chia seeds or ground flaxseed and enhance the flavor without adding calories. Blend until smooth. Your refreshing and filling smoothie is ready.

You’ve probably heard the buzz when it comes to green juices but what about a post-workout green smoothie? We recommend trying Chef V’s Creamy Green Smoothie. It’s a great option as a nutritional powerhouse and it’s super easy to make and digest.

Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is one of the most popular post-workout snacks due to its high protein content – just what you need after a strenuous workout. Boost your food’s nutritional value and add extra taste and texture by adding some fruits or whole grain cereals. Add on hemp seeds, chia seeds, or granola for your delicious recovery fuel.

Salads on the go

A hearty salad can be your perfect post-workout/gym session snack. Use dark, leafy greens, such as kale or spinach, that are high in nutritional value for the base of your salad, and then top with superfoods of your choice — kale, carrot, blueberries, squash, grapes, pumpkin, dried cherries, quinoa, sunflower seeds, or walnuts. Opt for a light olive oil for the dressing, which contains healthy fats your body needs. Here are some of our recommended superfood salad recipes with a protein kick that are great for the cold days ahead — Warm Pumpkin Salad, Warm Butternut Squash Salad, and Carrot Ginger Salad.

Chia seed pudding

Tiny superfood heroes as they are, chia seeds are a complete protein. They come in either white or dark brown/black and have a huge nutritional profile. They contain calcium, manganese, and phosphorus, and are packed with fiber, protein, and healthy omega-3 fats. Having chia after a workout can provide tissue repairing protein and amp up your energy levels. They’re easy to digest, especially when soaked in almond or coconut milk overnight to make chia pudding. Don’t miss to check out our version of Chia seed pudding.

Warm and comforting soups

Don’t feel like refueling with something cold? Soups are a great post-workout snack option this time of year. They can warm you up after a chilly practice, with benefits extending far beyond that. They’re easier to eat after a workout than solid food and will fill you up with all the balanced nutrients.

Perfect for fall and winter weather, this delicious Black Bean soup recipe by Chef V is a must-try. It’s warm, filling, and protein-packed. Always try to use organic dried or canned black beans and organic vegetable stock, preferably homemade. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and drizzle with healthy fats, such as avocado slices, and you’re as good as full.

Looking for a sweet spot between enjoying cravings and maintaining your fitness? There’s something special about cooking comforting soups like Creamy Curry Pumpkin Soup that’ll warm you up, replenish all the lost energy, and make you feel festive.

Pita dipped with hummus 

Hummus and pita are another great post-workout combo. With its revitalizing dose of slow-release energy, whole wheat pita keeps you fueled for hours, while hummus provides both carbs and protein. Bring out the Green Goddess in your post-workout with Chef V’s Green Goddess Hummus. Or try this delicious version of Red Beet Hummus.

Add Chef V green drink to your routine 

With the spread of plant-based lifestyles, many people are now promoting veganism as a means of maximizing performance and recovery. If you’re a vegan and looking for a power-packed juice detox diet

to add to your post-workout routine, you can try our 100% organic green drink

It’s made from seven superfoods, including green kale, black kale, collard greens, dandelion greens, and green chard. These green ingredients are packed with essential nutrients, minerals, and anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.  

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! You can start with our 3-day juice cleanse and see how that works for you.

Common Juice Cleanse Detox Mistakes

A juice cleanse is the perfect way to get all the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. It helps improve digestion and maintain healthy blood sugar levels while eliminating toxins and harmful substances from your body, such as synthetic chemicals, preservatives, and artificial ingredients via fresh vegetables and fruit juice. 

Juice cleanse detox is popular among people who want to achieve certain weight goals, have unhealthy eating habits, or experience indigestion, bloating, and irregular bowel movements. Because a liquid cleanse helps reboot your body while offering enough minerals, enzymes, vitamins, carbohydrates, and other nutrients to keep you going with a fuller feeling. 

Many people follow this diet type after getting inspired by someone to maybe get a certain physique or attain a healthy lifestyle. But most rookie cleansers make common mistakes, making the whole cleanse process less effective and intimidating. So, if it’s your first time going on a juice cleanse, here are a few mistakes to avoid to enjoy a smooth journey to a healthier life. 

Juice cleanse mistakes to avoid 

1. You skip pre-cleanse 

Pre-cleanse is like preparing your body for what’s coming next. You should take at least two weeks to eliminate processed and junk food, excessive salt and sugar, packaged meat, and artificial ingredients from your diet, as it helps you get in the right mindset before you jump into a full-on juice fast. 

2. Starting with a long cleanse diet 

If it’s your first time going on a juice cleanse, don’t do it for more than one to three days. And if you’re planning on a seven-day challenge or a 21 day juice fast, you should include high-fiber fruits and vegetables, nuts such as almonds and walnuts, and antioxidant-rich berries in your diet to keep your energy levels stable. 

3. Consuming random ingredients 

You should stop putting random fruits and vegetables in your juice just because you think it’s healthy. The purpose of this diet is to give your body a balance of the nutrients it needs. So, pick the ones best for you or leave it to Chef V because she knows exactly what you need to achieve your health goals. 

4. Drinking it when it’s no longer fresh 

To get the complete health benefits of a juice, consume it fresh because once it gets opened and exposed to air, it will no longer be as healthy and beneficial as it should be. The enzymes in that juice will start to degrade and lose their nutritional value. 

5. Getting too many calories 

Fruits like litchis, mangoes, and grapes are high in sugar, and if you only have fruit juices, it can make your cleanse counterproductive by offering you way more calories than needed. More than fruits, you need vegetables in your juice to maintain the required calorie limit and ensure it’s well-balanced.

Why Chef V is an easy cleanse

Chef V understands your body’s needs. She’s come up with different cleanse plans for beginners, frequent detoxifiers, and experienced cleansers. The organic green drink by Chef V has all the natural and fresh ingredients, including seven green veggies, that help you achieve your health goals without compromising your lifestyle. 

The organic juice preparation without any green powders and pills makes her juice cleanse plans more successful while remaining safe and effective for your body. The specially crafted green juice cranks your metabolism and gently removes toxins without any energy crashes and cravings.

Chef V’s juice cleanse plans are effortless and accessible as you can get the green juice delivery to your footsteps. You can choose the delivery day that works best for you or schedule a pickup from the store with twenty-four -hour notice. 

If you also want to start a juice cleanse, sign up with Chef V today! 

Can I Take Vitamins During a Liquid Cleanse?

A liquid cleanse is a diet type that encourages you to only consume juices from fresh fruits and vegetables. This diet does wonders for those who often feel bloated, experience irregular bowel movements, or indigestion by removing non-organic waste substances and toxins, such as pollutants and synthetic chemicals, from the body. 

Detox juice cleanse gives your body the necessary punch of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, and nutrients essential for your overall health and well-being. Furthermore, a liquid cleanse helps your body heal, rest, and reboot while improving your digestion and kidney function

Many of you who want to go on a detox juice cleanse, especially to achieve your weight goals, ask Chef V whether it’s okay to take vitamins while doing it. Follow along to find the perfect answer to that and learn how supplementing your supplements with Chef V’s organic green drink can help maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

Why take supplements?

Vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients help the body  grow and function properly. While some people get all the necessary nutrients from their diet and daily regimen, some fail to meet their body’s needs so take vitamin or mineral supplements for that extra nutritional boost.  

Moreover, if you have a specific health condition or deficiency, your general practitioner may recommend you take vitamin and/or mineral tablets, such as echinacea and ginger or probiotics to ensure you remain healthy. Taking supplements is also important for regular
junk-food eaters or if you have erratic eating habits to heal and prevent your body from all the damage due to poor eating habits. 

Is it okay to take vitamins during a liquid cleanse?

You can if a doctor or health-care provider recommends it, but you shouldn’t because a liquid cleanse already provides abundant minerals, enzymes, vitamins, and other nutrients. A detox juice diet offers the perfect opportunity to take a break from your supplements and let your body absorb all the natural ingredients to heal from within, especially if you’re used to consuming processed food and artificial substances. 

Please note that taking too many vitamins or minerals can also harm your body. Getting an overload of vitamin C or zinc can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, and/or nausea, while excessive vitamin A or D can cause irritability and numbness, which is a significant reason you should avoid taking supplements on a liquid cleanse. 

Supplement your supplements with Chef V’s green drink

Chef V uses organic vegetables, fruits, and other ingredients to deliver the fresh green drink to your doorstep, making your liquid cleanse healthier, tasty, and packed with necessary nutrients. The use of seven certified organic green veggies, including collard greens, dandelion greens, green leaf lettuce, green kale, black kale, green chard, and curly parsley, boosts your metabolism and provides natural energy to help you keep going throughout the day. 

In Chef V’s cleanse program, you can opt for a multi-day detox juice cleanse, which offers you three drinks to fulfill your daily dose of nutrients:

  • Detox soup or SOUPer detox: a warm drink that improves digestion and maintains your blood sugar levels
  • Green drink: a cold-blended addition to different cleanse plans that increase your metabolism and preserve your body’s nutrient density
  • Protein shake: made from organic pea protein powder, making you feel full longer

Sign up for Chef V’s cleanse plan today to fuel your body with 100 percent vitamins, minerals, fibers, and other nutrients without any preservatives, additives, and artificial flavors. 

How Often in a Year Can You Do a Detox Juice Cleanse?

Have you ever felt bloated or uneasy after overeating junk food or a weekend-long party? It’s possibly because you consumed something your body doesn’t like. This consequently causes indigestion, fatigue, exhaustion, weight issues, and sometimes allergies. In such situations, a juice cleanse helps you reset your digestive system. 

Juice cleanses detoxify your body to remove unhealthy substances while providing necessary nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. It offers the perfect opportunity for your body to rest and recuperate while pushing away artificial ingredients, excessive salt, sugar, and processed food. 

Moreover, once you sign up for a detox juice cleanse, there’s no going back. It keeps you healthy and helps you achieve your body and wellness goals, which is why many health enthusiasts prefer to juice cleanse often. But if you’re a beginner and wonder how many juice cleanses you can do in a year, read below to see what Chef V says about it. Continue reading to find out how different detox juice cleanses work for different people. 

How does juice cleanse your body?

Juice cleanse is a popular diet that involves consuming only freshly squeezed juices from fruits and vegetables. It helps remove toxins, such as synthetic chemicals and pollutants, from your body while maintaining a balanced diet. Because most detox juice cleanse diets are low in calories, they also help achieve short-term weight goals

Moreover, a juice cleanse increases the number of Bacteroidetes in the body, which helps with weight loss. In fact, it decreases Firmicutes, bacteria that cause weight gain. Consuming liquid-based diets, such as a detox juice cleanse, also helps improve the functionality of your kidneys. Juice cleanse efficiently removes non-organic waste substances from your body. 

Different juice cleanse schedules for different people

Chef V suggests that before signing up for a detox juice cleanse, consult your general practitioner to learn whether it will suit your daily health regime. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you should skip going on a juice cleanse diet because our drinks aren’t pasteurized, and the bacteria that may pass down to your baby can be harmful. 

Chef V recommends following the pre-cleanse instruction to prepare your body two days before the cleanse. You should listen to your body and work accordingly rather than exhausting it with intense workouts or exercise. 

If you’re a beginner or new to the juice cleanse diet, you should start with a one-day cleanse that helps you lose up to five pounds. As you get familiar with the diet and its process, you can opt for a 3 day juice cleanse. It works best after a chaotic weekend or vacation to reset your body and give it a punch of necessary nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. 

For more stringent body goals, you can choose the 7 day juice cleanse or a 21 day cleanse challenge by Chef V.  Both these challenges or cleanse routines help you adopt a healthy lifestyle that offers lifelong results. In fact, you can enjoy your favorite meals and snacks without sabotaging your diet by just following Chef V’s instructions. 

Delivery with Chef V

Chef V makes going on a juice cleanse diet easy and smooth by delivering freshly squeezed juice of organic fruits and leafy vegetables to your doorstep. This means you don’t have to go anywhere to be healthy. 

All you need to do is decide which juice cleanse plan you want. You can customize it as per your weight goals and health requirements. The next step is to choose a delivery day, and that’s it; your fresh and organic juice is ready to drink. If you want to pick up the juice on your own, you can schedule a pickup by giving us twenty-four hours’ notice. 

If you’ve opted for a multi-day juice cleanse, you’ll receive a mix of different drinks, including:

    • green juices: made of seven certified green vegetables: organic green kale, collard, black kale, green chard, curly parsley, dandelion greens, and green leaf lettuce
    • protein shakes: made with organic pea protein powder
    • detox soup: also known as SOUPer Detox, a warm drink that helps regulate your blood glucose levels and improve digestion 

Visit our website to learn more about our delivery locations or to find a Chef V store near you.

The Importance of Prebiotic Fiber

You’ve probably heard plenty about probiotics. But do you know about prebiotic fiber and the foods that contain it? And do you know why it’s so important?

Globally, 84 percent of consumers are aware of probiotics as an ingredient that’s reigned strong as the top choice for gut health. But 57 percent also say they’re aware of prebiotics. Are you confusing prebiotics with probiotics? We’ve got you covered. This post will examine what these fibers are, what different roles they play for your gut health, and how prebiotic-rich foods can help you enjoy a healthy life.

Probiotic versus prebiotic

What you eat determines who you are. Subsequently, we are what we feed the trillions of organisms that live on and within us — mostly in a mutually beneficial relationship.

Do you know our lower digestive tract or colon is home to billions of bacteria, both good and bad? These organisms create a micro-ecosystem called the microbiome — and that’s where the magic happens. Not surprisingly, what you feed your microbiome — probiotics or prebiotics — have the biggest impact on its health. And the healthier it is, the healthier you are!

Probiotics are live yeasts and good bacteria that live in our body. They help rebalance our gut flora and support healthy gastrointestinal and immune function. While probiotics are beneficial bacteria, prebiotics are food for them. Think of it this way: if we don’t feed the good bacteria what they need to grow, they won’t survive!

Prebiotics are special plant fibers that help good bacteria grow in the gut and improve the variety of good gut bugs. They’re essentially carbs the body can’t digest. So, they travel to the colon to feed the good bacteria. These healthy bacteria then produce short-chain fatty acids that nourish the cells of the gut barrier, offering better digestive health, fewer antibiotic-related health problems, and other benefits.

Should you take them together?

Prebiotics and probiotics collectively support the body in building and maintaining a healthy colony of bacteria and other microorganisms, which supports gut health. Together, they help treat many digestive problems, including antibiotics-related diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Why care about prebiotics

Nutritionists and health experts are going gaga over prebiotics. Does this make you wonder about the health benefits of these dietary fibers? We’ve got all the answers!

Prebiotics stimulate the growth of good bacteria and help balance harmful bacteria and toxins living in the digestive tract. Consuming prebiotics are linked to numerous health implications, including:

  • better gut health and improved digestion;
  • increased calcium absorption, decreasing risk of osteoporosis;
  • cancer prevention;
  • lower inflammation and autoimmune reactions;
  • enhanced hormonal balance;
  • lower risk of cardiovascular disease;
  • faster food fermentation so they spend less time in your digestive system, thereby avoiding constipation;
  • lower risk for obesity and weight gain;
  • improved immune system defense;
  • higher production of beneficial metabolites;
  • lower allergy risk.

With the antifungal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties of this prebiotic fiber, don’t forget to add them to your diet. Munch on prebiotic foods and change your gut composition and the function of your gut microbiota for the best.

How to consume foods high in prebiotic fiber

Prebiotics are emerging as the darlings of the weight-loss world and are filling up supplement shelves. But perhaps the best way to get them is through naturally available high-fiber foods. Studies suggest eating three to five grams of prebiotics a day can benefit the health of your gut. Start with small amounts so your gut can get used to them. Here’s the rundown for you to grab these foods and boost your gut health.

  • Fruits: bananas, berries, apples, grapefruit
  • Vegetables: legumes, garlic, leeks, onions, snow peas, green peas, shallots, beans, broccoli
  • Whole grains: oats, barley, wheat, rye crackers
  • Legumes: chickpeas, lentils, soybeans, red kidney beans
  • Nuts: cashews, pistachios

Then there are several products on the market to which manufacturers have added prebiotics — cereals, protein supplements, energy bars, yogurt, and cookies, to name a few. Interestingly, babies get prebiotics through the sugars in breast milk, and some infant formulas also contain prebiotics.

Improve your gut health with prebiotic soups

If you want to up your prebiotic consumption, perhaps the safest way to start is by eating more prebiotic-rich foods. Chances are you’re already including these superfoods in your daily diet, which is great! You don’t necessarily need those pricey prebiotic supplements required.

In case you’re looking for easy ways to prepare prebiotic food recipes, then soups can be your go-to option. In fact, they’re one of the easiest ways to consume more than one prebiotic in a single meal.  Whether you’re looking to cleanse, lose weight, or boost your gut health, soups can be a lifesaver. And with colder weather coming, it can be a delicious way to warm you up.

One bowl of soup a day is all it takes to improve your gut metabolism and reduce those extra pounds. These healthy detox soups would support your body’s microbiome in an effective (and undeniably delicious) way. 

To begin with, you can try some of our detox soup recommendations. Go for warm and comforting black bean soup that will brighten your mood on a crisp fall evening. Or cozy up with someone you love and enjoy delicious pumpkin soup. You can also double down on the prebiotic benefits by topping these soups with a seasoned seed blend for an added crunch.

Get the Chef V package with prebiotic detox soups

According to IFIC’s latest released survey on Consumer Insights, 29 percent of Americans are familiar with prebiotics but do not try to consume them.

Who has time to prepare healthy prebiotic-rich recipes? If you’re working the whole day and don’t prefer to make ahead and freeze these healthy options, we’ve heard that call and answered it with our Chef V cleanse package. You can build and customize the plan as per your needs. 

With our Organic Juice Cleanse diet, you’ll get warm and flavorful Chef V detox soup packed with local, organic ingredients that flush your vital organs and leaves you satisfied. And that’s not all! We’ll also provide you with green juices and protein shakes for an easy and revitalizing cleanse. And what could be more convenient than having them delivered fresh right to your door? Get in touch today to learn more.

Can Too Much Sugar Cause Headaches?

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 on a Budget — Organic Juice Cleanses and More

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. 

Beyond Green Drink Delivery — The Benefits of Eating Locally

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

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