Getting Started with Yoga While Cleansing

November 30, 2021 Chef V

Veronica working from home

Getting Started With Yoga While Cleansing

For many, a juice cleanse is part of a wider move towards improving health. Lots of our clients are interested in other ways to improve their body’s health – and beat stress. Yoga is especially important as a way to do some low impact, high reward workouts while on a juice cleanse. If you aren’t already a guru – don’t worry. This blog will give some beginners tips on how to get into yoga, to get some safe exercise while cleansing.

Should You Work Out on a Juice Cleanse?

It’s common knowledge to many that it isn’t recommended to workout too strenuously while on a juice cleanse. After all, if you aren’t consuming as many calories so you shouldn’t need to be burning as many. From being in a natural calorie deficit you’ll be losing weight naturally.

However, it can be beneficial to exercise lightly during a juice cleanse. Firstly, this will help you gently move into and out of a juice cleanse, rather than upsetting your entire workout routine. Secondly, light exercise can help increase weight loss, increase blood flow, keep you flexible and limber, and make you feel good during your blended juice cleanse.

Of course, the emphasis here is on light exercise. You don’t want to overdo it when your digestive system is going through a cleanse. This is why cleansing and yoga go together so well – yoga is a great way to stay limber and flexible, get some exercise, and feel great while cleansing. But how do you get into yoga if you’re a total newbie?

Getting Started With Yoga

The best way to get into yoga is, of course, to ask for help! If there is a yoga studio or somewhere else to take yoga classes nearby, go find the yoga instructor and ask them to give you the down-low.

You’ll also want to make sure that you have all of the things you need for beginner yoga. First and foremost, you need some comfortable clothes that you can be flexible in. Secondly, you’ll want a yoga mat – though a yoga studio should be able to provide this for you.

While yoga is easily accessible for everyone, you should never push yourself to do anything that is uncomfortable or painful. This sort of self-care is extra important while you are undergoing a juice cleanse. Relax, focus on your breathing and have fun!

Types of Yoga to Avoid

If you find a good yoga instructor to help you out, they should be able to walk you through the best starting positions and kinds of yoga. Generally, you want to be trying regular “hatha yoga” – the kind of yoga that is most often practiced in the west. Vinyasa yoga and flow yoga are also relatively low impact types.

However, you should do your best to avoid Ashtanga yoga, Bikram yoga, and “hot” yoga while you are on a juice cleanse. These types tend to demand yoga poses that require greater strength and endurance and may not be the best idea to tackle while on a juice cleanse.

Double Your Detox

Now that we’ve discussed the general types of yoga, did you know that there are certain kinds of yoga poses that can actually boost detoxification of the body? You can use these to get exercise while on your juice cleanse and increase the rate of detox in your body!

The Cat/Cow pose and Standing Forward Bend are particularly noted for health benefits relating to the digestive system. Both of these let you gently stretch your abdominal organs, letting you relax your body. Nothing goes together quite like relaxing yoga, and delicious juice made from fruits and vegetables.

Still uncertain about your cleansing routine? Why not start small? At Chef V we offer flexible packages for cleanses of a variety of lengths. From 1, to 3 to 5 day cleanses, up to our legendary 21-day detox, we have a blended juice cleanse for everyone.

4 Ideas for Sweet (and Healthy) Halloween Treats

November 30, 2021 Chef V

Veronica working from home

Halloween is filled with all kinds of spooks and terrors. It’s great to eat a few sweet treats on Halloween, but the idea of stocking your shelf with processed store-bought candy – and eating it all! – has a certain terror to it.

Today we’ll go over some ideas for making healthy vegan sweets, as well as a warning on the dangers of overdoing the sugar this season.

The Scary Side of Sugar

Anyone who has had to deal with children on Halloween knows all about the hyperactivity and stomach aches that come with overdosing on sugar. As adults, we like to imagine that we pace ourselves better – but this can often just mean that our sugar overloads silently stalk us like Michael Myers before they strike with a host of nasty side effects.

The side effects of too much sugar can throw your entire healthy routine out of whack. If you’re trying to lose weight throughout the fall, your plans can be gutted by just one careless Halloween week.

This is because too much sugary food can, counterintuitively, make you feel even hungry. Mass-produced Halloween candy is like a “food-specter” – it doesn’t really have a lot of the fiber or protein we need to properly feel full. This means you’ll be putting on sugar pounds, while still feeling the need to binge.

Beyond the phantom threat of weight gain, too much sugar can also lead to fatigue, high blood pressure, bad skin, and general irritability. None of these are things you want to deal with when planning for Halloween fun.

So if you’re throwing a devilish party this weekend, it’s time you considered ditching the cheap candy. The following are some great ideas for healthy Halloween treats to get your creative (green) juices flowing!

green drink

#1 Pick Pumpkins

Pumpkins are synonymous with Halloween – but they don’t need to be synonymous with sugar-filled pumpkin pies. Why not try a recipe for vegan pumpkin cookies instead? There are plenty of ways to make sweet pumpkin treats that are low in sugar and fat.

#2 Astonish with Apples

Bobbing for apples is an old-timey Halloween tradition. Apples are also deliciously sweet. So why aren’t we swapping out more candy for apple-based snacks? Apple slices are also a great way to get creative with fun Halloween treats. Or why not a new twist on an old favorite?

#3 Boo! Bananas

While not perhaps a traditional Halloween fruit, people are starting to notice that you can easily transform bananas into spooky ghost-themed frozen treats. Here’s just one example of how to make some of these deliciously spooky treats yourself.

#4 Get Classic With Candy Corn

Are banana ghosts a little too non-traditional for you? Are you really old school when it comes to Halloween? If you just can’t beat your candy corn cravings, why not at least go for a vegan, homemade option?

It’s Not Too Late to Save Yourself – With a Chef V Low Sugar Cleanse

If you feel like it’s too late for you, don’t worry. Not all of us have the same success escaping the sugar monster in October. However, with Chef V, you always have a secret weapon on hand to pull out an overall win. A blended juice cleanse can be the best way to wipe out the gunk of the Halloween season.

If you’re still worried about sugar content during your blended juice detox, don’t! Chef V offers the Chef V low sugar cleanse, perfect for those with an aversion to sugar, or even for those with medical concerns like diabetes. No matter your sugar or weight loss concerns, a blended juice cleanse can keep you safe from the weight gain spooks…. At least until Thanksgiving.

9 Tips To Prepare For A Blended Juice Cleanse

November 30, 2021 Chef V

Veronica working from home

A blended juice cleanse can be a life-changing program—but it does require a degree of preparation. Here are 9 tips to properly prepare for your next blended juice cleanse.

#1 Plan your cleanse period

First things first, you should decide when you’re actually going to cleanse.

During your cleanse you may experience fatigue, headaches, nausea, and in some instances, flu-like symptoms. Cleansing during down time—for example, on a weekend—is highly recommended.

Once you’ve decided on the dates, mark your calendar and stick to the plan.

#2 Consider your pre-cleanse period

To mitigate detox symptoms, we highly recommend doing a two-day pre-cleanse. This pre-cleanse period will help mitigate unwanted-albeit-normal detox symptoms such as bad breath and dizziness.

When considering your cleanse period, try to factor in the pre-cleanse as well.

#3 Eat healthily

An important part of your pre-cleanse is eating healthy. In other words, plan to eat only whole, natural foods that are low in saturated and trans fats, sugar, sodium, caffeine, and carbs for two days leading up to your cleanse. For a complete food guide, see our Cleanse Directions.

The pre-cleanse is especially important for individuals who consume excess coffee, sugar, sodium, fat, and/or processed foods. In fact, these individuals may want to do a pre-cleanse for up to five days in advance.

#4 Chug water

There are so many reasons to stay well hydrated. But in regards to cleansing specifically, drinking plenty of water will help you maintain focus, minimize headaches, maintain energy, prevent cravings, and even help you feel satiated without solid food.

#5 Sleep…A lot.

Another tip to successfully complete a blended juice cleanse is to get plenty of rest before, during, and after your cleanse.

Due to the nature of cleansing and its effect on our body’s primary fuel sources, sleep becomes exponentially more important. Consider aiming for 9+ hours of sleep before and during the cleanse. Bonne nuit!

#6 Stay active

You shouldn’t wear yourself out at the gym before cleansing. But that doesn’t mean you should transition to professional couch potato either.

If possible, participate in low-intensity workouts like yoga or brisk walking to keep your blood pumping, your joints moving, and your mind out of the fridge.

#7 Cut the caffeine…

One of the most common pain points cleansers report are caffeine crashes.

If you’re a heavy coffee, tea, or soda drinker, try easing off of any of these beverages in advance of your cleanse.

For example, try to only drink two cups of coffee per day two weeks out, one cup of coffee per day one week out, and drinking zero cups during your pre-cleanse.

#8 … and other bad stuff (™)

Beyond coffee and caffeinated beverages, it’s also a good idea to ease off of alcohol and cigarettes. The less toxins you consume in advance of your cleanse, the easier the cleanse will be.

#9 Relax!

No need to mess up your mental or physical state by stressing the details. As long as you make sure to follow your Chef V Juice Cleanse instructions, you’re certain to have a great experience.

Happy cleansing!

Terrific Turmeric: Why Nutritionists Are Calling it a ‘Super Spice’

November 30, 2021 Chef V

Veronica working from home

Turmeric has always been identifiable by its golden color and popularity in Indian cuisine. However, the fragrant spice’s health benefits have only recently gained attention. Some nutritionists are now even calling it a ‘super spice’.

Read on to learn more about turmeric’s numerous health benefits and why we heavily feature it in our detox soups.

What is turmeric?

In America, some people may consider turmeric an exotic spice. However, in many parts of the world like India, it’s a staple ingredient.

Turmeric technically refers to the plant turmeric, which is a relative of ginger. The rhizomes, or root stalks of this plant, can be boiled, dried, and then ground down to create the orangey-yellow powder we call turmeric.

Turmeric is native to India. In India, turmeric isn’t just a flavorful ingredient – it is also an important part of traditional medicine as well as a dye for Hindi and Buddhist monk robes. In fact, due to its color, Europeans originally nicknamed it Indian Saffron.

Thanks to its bright color, mild flavor, and medicinal benefits, it didn’t take long for turmeric to become popular throughout Asia as well as internationally.

Why is turmeric so healthy?

Turmeric is packed with health benefits, largely thanks to a bioactive substance called curcumin.

Curcumin is a well-known anti-inflammatory and polyphenol. It promotes good heart health, boosts liver function, and aids in digestion. The latter benefit is particularly important during detoxes when you’re trying to rid your body of harmful toxins.

Of course, we can’t miss out on one of the most important turmeric benefits. It tastes delicious! If you’re making your own soups or healthy curries, turmeric is always a great ingredient to include.

blueberries

Does turmeric have side effects?

There is no concrete evidence of any side effects to eating or drinking turmeric.

Anecdotally speaking, some people new to turmeric have reported small amounts of indigestion after consuming large amounts of the ingredient. However, this is often a reported side effect of many new spices and ingredients and may just be a sign of your body getting used to it.

Perhaps the most preposterous myth about turmeric is that it causes pregnant women to go into labor early. There is zero evidence of this. In fact, pregnant women may very well benefit from including more turmeric in their diet.

The Super Ingredients

By design, a lot of ingredients are found in both of our healthy detox soups. These detox vegetable soups have been designed specifically for getting the most out of a juice cleanse, and pair perfectly with our other products. Our healthy detox soups will fuel you to roll right through our 21-day cleanse.

Cooking with turmeric

At Chef V, we’ve included turmeric and curcumin in both of our delicious detox soups. Not only does the ingredient taste delicious, but it also aids in helping your body detox harmful chemicals. Not to mention, its natural pigment makes every soup look beautiful and inviting!

10 Tips For Making Healthy Detox Soups

October 20, 2021 Chef V

When you’re looking to cleanse, lose weight, and keep up a nutritional diet all at once, soup can be a lifesaver. And with colder weather coming, it can be a delicious way to warm up as well.

Here are our top tips on making the most nutritional detox soups at home, as well as making soups suitable for weight loss.

#1 Veggies, Veggies, Veggies

This tip should be no surprise to anyone. Vegetable-based soups are always going to be the healthiest. They’re also excellent for weight loss since they’re naturally low in fat content and high in nutrition.

#2 Use All of the Vegetable

Did you know that the stalks of vegetables like leeks hold amazing nutritional value? Too often we just take all that extra nutrition and throw it right in the trash. Do some research on the ingredients you are using to see how much of it you can include to maximize nutrition and minimize food waste.

#3 Avoid the Fat

If you’re making your own detox soup recipes at home, make sure to avoid stocks and bases that are fat-heavy. This means no cream bases or additions either – you’ll sabotage your entire weight loss plan right then and there.

#4 Embrace Superfoods…

Of course, not all veggies are created equal. For detox soup recipes, you want as much bang for your buck as possible. Aim to include plenty of “superfoods” – vegetables and fruits bursting with vitamins, minerals, and other healthy nutrients like antibacterials. For example, we base one of our Chef V Detox soup recipes around sweet potatoes, which pack a mean nutritious punch.

#5 … and Super Spices

It’s not just the main ingredients that need to be maximized. Additional flavors like garlic, ginger and turmeric add flavor and contribute to the soup’s nutritional value.

#6 Cut the sodium

The dangers of too much sodium are well documented, and you should take this into account when plotting out a detox soup diet plan. Use reduced sodium stocks and try to avoid adding too much table salt.

#7 Boost the fiber

While you should cut sodium, you should add in extra fiber. You can increase fiber in soup by blending in hardy vegetables and fruits like sweet potatoes. This serves two purposes. First, the fiber will help with your digestion and the detox process as a whole. Second, fiber will help you feel satiated and minimize pesky cravings.

#8 Go for organic

Detox soup recipes for weight loss are designed to help you, well, lose weight. But a good detox soup diet should also be helping you flush out toxins as well. Why sabotage this by putting more processed junk back into your system?

#9 Puree

Pureed soups minimize the strain on your digestive system. Keep your soups silky smooth to ensure proper digestion.

#10 Make it delicious!

Detox soups should be delicious, plain and simple. Use high-quality, organic fruits and vegetables as the base of your soups. Then build out the flavor profile with nutritional aromatics and spices like onions, garlic, ginger, and turmeric. You stand the best chance of succeeding in your cleanse if you actually enjoy the food you're eating slurping.

Don’t want to make your own detox soups?

If you’re short on time or hate the cleanup involved in cooking, why not try our pre-planned detoxes and cleanses. We’ll ship you the exact juices, shakes, and soups you need for a healthy and revitalizing cleanse. All of our products are made from fresh, organic ingredients and have been praised for their great flavors. Get in touch today to learn more!