(1)        If there are no fresh options available are frozen or canned ones allowed?

Yes, sometimes the frozen vegetables are fresher than the fresh, believe it or not.  They are often picked at the farm and snap frozen, so I’m good with frozen.  Also, it is sometimes easier to find organic frozen than fresh. 

(2)        How do I store the fruits and vegetables to keep them fresh?

I use bees wax vegetables storage bags.  You can use zip lock bags, or containers that take the air out.  Helps enormously.  To keep lettuce fresh, wrap in a damp tea towel.

(3)        I am too full and cannot finish the dish. Is it okay to skip and save the rest?

Yes, eat what you can, just until your stomach feels full.  If in a hour or so after dinner you are still hungry, have the leftovers.  Always listen to your body and don’t stuff yourself. 

(4)        I am new to the cleanse. Is it normal to have a headache and be hungry in the mornings?

Yes, it is normal as your body is still adjusting to the new conditions. Keep yourself hydrated.

(5)        Can I juice at night, and save it for the next morning?

No, because it will oxidize overnight, and this will negatively affect the nutritional benefits.

(6)        Can I mix the blends in the recipes?

Only if the recipe asks for it.

(7)        Can I strain the juice to get rid of the flesh or pulps?
Yes you can, but keeping a little bit of pulp in your juice is a great source of fibre and I would encourage you to do this. 

(8)        Is there any other food supplement that I need to take during the cleanse?

No.  The selection of fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds in the program have been selected to ensure that there is a proper balance of macro and micro-nutrients available to your body.

(9)        I am behind on my meals. Do I still need to consume everything scheduled for today?

No, you do not.  Just eat what you can, and catch up when you are able to, or want to.  Sometime people find that during the cleanse they don’t feel as hungry as they did in week 1, and this is great. It means that your body is repairing and the hormones associated with hunger are functioning optimally. It’s a good sign. So eat when you are hungry, whenever you are hungry.

(10)      I like the recipes from last week and have a few ingredients left. Can I repeat some of the recipes from the previous week?

Yes, the recipes in the plan are interchangeable and can be modified to what suits your needs.

(11)      I don’t like the taste of celery juice, can I use something else?

            Celery juice is a major component to this cleanse, it set’s your day up for your liver and gut.  So if you can tolerate it, that is preferred.  If however, you just can’t stomach it, or you have an intolerance then you can replace with either grapefruit juice, or lemon juice if eating grapefruit.  ½ glass of lemon juice with water. 

(12)      Serving sizes are very large.

            Some of the serving sizes may seem large, but this is to encourage you to eat.  To feed your furnace.  We eat a lot in our house, and are constantly fueling our furnance.  The more you eat, the stronger your metabolism.  The foods you are eating are low in calorie, so we want to make sure you are not going hungry and are eating enough.  We don’t want your body going into starvation mode and your metabolism slowing down.  But ultimately eat till you are full, and store or freeze the rest for later.    

(13)      What happens if I have an intolerance to one of the foods in the recipes?

Replace it with something you know you tolerate, or just leave it out.  It will not make a difference. Over the course of the cleanse, it will be interesting to see if your ‘intolerance’ changes. Make a note of this as this means your gut has changed and repaired so your natural gut tolerance is back.

(14)      What happens if we can’t tolerate the gritty bits in the anti-inflammatory blends?

These are what they are.  We have not made them for a flavour outcome, they have been made for a therapeutic outcome.  You can mix them with soda water, juice, or put it in a smoothie, as this seems to get rid of the grittiness. You will get used to it over time.

You can mix all the blends together in the same glass if you keep forgetting to take them during the day.  If you forget at night, take in the morning.  Ultimately we don’t mind when you have them just take them. 

(15)      Leftovers

            Freeze these for another time. 

(16)      My spinach or greens have wilted, can I still use them in my smoothie?

            Yes.  As the spinach dehydrates in the fridge, it will begin to wilt.  This is still fine to use in your smoothie, the nutrients are still there. You can rehydrate, just by placing into a sink full of cold water for a couple of hours. It will come up just like new.

(17)      I have left over produce from week 1, can I still use this in week 2 or 3.

            Absolutely, if you have any left-over produce in any week, just use it up in the coming week. But it will freeze beautifully and then you have it for the weeks following the cleanse. Or if you do a rinse and repeat.

(18)      My bowel movements have changed, is this normal?

            Some people find that their bowel movements change, this is just the gut microbiome finding its new normal.  If you find you are experiencing a little extra wind, this will all settle down over the course of the cleanse. If your bowel movements are more frequent, this is also normal, and should settle over the course of the cleanse. 1-3 bowel movements per day is considered perfect.

(19)      I have stopped losing weight, is this normal?

            The way people lose weight varies enormously.  And weight loss is never a straight line.  Our livers cannot process all the toxins at once, so it needs time to process and catch up to what is happening in your body.  Be patient, it may not happen over night, but it will happen.

(20)     Can I make the broccolini (A/W) or asparagus (S/S) soups prior to the day it is needed, or do I need to make it fresh every day?

Fresh every day is best. We are looking for specific nutrients which build a strong antioxidant system. If you prepare this in advance, then you will lose these nutrients. Please bear with this, make it fresh every day and reap the reward. Once in the habit, it really does not take very long.

(21)     The time it takes to prep the food is way longer than I expected.

Once you get into the groove, the prep time should do down considerably.  Prior to this cleanse, you have probably had a routine going which was very familiar, so cooking prep and cleaning time, is a very known thing.  Now things are different, it will take time to familiarise yourself with all the different recipes
and find your groove.  Hang in there, it will eat easier.

(22)     Headaches, what to do about them?

Headaches in week 1 are relatively normal. Lots of people report this.  It is just your body adjusting and detoxing. Please take the necessary pain medication that helps you, drink lots of
water and make sure you get plenty of rest. They will go away by day 7.

(23)     Going to the bathroom to urinate more frequently?

Totally normal.  In week 1, most people report that they seem to be urinating way more frequently than
normal.  Whilst this can be frustrating, it is a great sign.  It’s telling us that you are detoxing, and your liver and kidneys are working extremely efficiently.  This will settle down over the course of the program.   

(24)     Produce that is just unavailable in your area, what to do?

If you find that you just can’t find a particular fruit, vegetable, spice or condiment in your local supermarket, or area, then just do your best.  For example, if pickled vegetables are not available,
but you have access to say a pickled onion, or pickled beetroot, then go with those.  Or make some yourself, using vinegar, sugar and salt.  Heat vinegar in saucepan, add sugar and salt, pour over vegetables and soak for an hour or so. Voila.