The Rose Cleanse - Days 4 & 5: Carrot Cake Juice

Yesterday and today counted as days four and five of my 7-day Rose Cleanse. I call this period the hunker-down phase of a detox, smack dab in the middle. I am noticing that my body feels more energetic in the morning and slower in the afternoons, especially as hunger builds and dinner beckons. That wholesome cleansing dinner makes it possible to detoxify and still be active - went for a one-hour bike ride yesterday and a two-hour walk today. It's great to get my blood and sweat flowing, releasing toxins through my skin. Well worth the need to rest later on and take some quiet time before dinner. Quiet time is what cleansing is all about.

Speaking of dinner, by Day Four I felt ready for a nice protein meal. So yesterday, I purchased two wild salmon steaks - two meals' worth - and pan sautéed them in olive oil with a sprinkle of Himalayan crystal salt and a healthy grind of fresh ground black pepper. Last night's salmon was eaten warm, today's was cold, but both were served with a large green salad topped with chopped heirloom tomatoes, oil-cured black olives, sliced red onion, diced red pepper and a splash of balsamic vinegar and Herbamare herbal salt. Spanish Manchego raw sheep cheese and sungold tomatoes rounded out last night's meal, while tonight I indulged in dessert: a dish of fresh blueberries dusted with raw cacao nibs, bee pollen and a drizzle of maple syrup (bending the Cleanse guidelines just a tad). Two meals fit for a queen, indeed.

In addition to permitting me to exercise, having a tasty dinner to look forward to makes juicing all day a sane proposition and satisfies the little rebel in me who doesn't like to be held down, even when the boundaries I've set are my own idea.

I'm also noticing some emotional cleansing going on - tears and feelings close to the surface as I let go of old clutter in my heart as well as my cells. This is detox: a physical and emotional overhaul. Bring it on.

If you are tempted to try The Rose Cleanse but feel like making all your own juice is a big commitment, consider purchasing at least some of your juices ready made. We have a juice bar/café nearby and yesterday morning I did just this, stopping in at The Siren Cafe on Main Street in Greenfield. The Siren is a fairly new, honestly hip establishment run by a friendly crew of bodacious women. In the raw department, The Siren serves fabulous salads, juices, smoothies and tasty fruit-nut energy bars, along with more standard, high quality café fare (fair trade tea and coffee drinks, baked goods, breakfast bagels and piled high sandwich creations).

Incredibly, The Siren allows you to build your own three-item, 16-ounce juice for only $3.25. Yes, you read that correctly. Three-twenty five! What a deal! That's practically less than it costs to make the juice yourself. It's not organic, but well worth the tradeoff for the occasional treat value.

For my three items, I chose carrot, celery and apple. And because The Siren is a café with a customize-your-coffee station, I had access to cinnamon. I added a generous sprinkle to my glass, stirred with a straw and WOW! My juice tasted just like carrot cake!

Naturally after I got home, I had to try making my own Carrot Cake Juice. It was delicious! I made more again today: 2 pints worth! This stuff is terrific. And so simple. Filling, even. Who needs cream cheese frosting when you can drink dessert for breakfast?


Carrot Cake Juice
Makes two pints.

9 ribs celery
9 medium-large carrots
2 Royal Gala apples
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon

Juice the celery, carrots and apples. Alternate apples with the veggies to facilitate juicing. Pour into one quart jar with the cinnamon and shake well to blend (or use a blending wand or whiz in the blender if you don't mind cleaning another appliance). Heavenly!