If you have been over-indulging during the holidays and need to detox or simply want to jump-start a life-long path to health, I want to recommend experiencing the magic of raw, unpasteurized juice cleanses. My clients who are juicing have seen their energy increase, their skin starting to glow, weight being released and signs of aging being reversed.

Luckily in Boca we have great juice companies that can make your detox easy and delicious. I have personally tried juices at all of the companies this blog, so you can rest assured, these are truly couture-style, creative drinks. 

The hardest part of juicing with these pros was figuring out which one I liked better! Truth  be told, I loved these four the best and want to share my Z-tips on juicing with you! Do not that I am not ranking them - they are simply the best juice companies that I found and enjoyed. They all have something different to offer, creating perfect fits for different clients. 

First of all, why try a juice cleanse to begin with? Even though we are watching what we eat and make the right food choices, toxins still lurk into our bodies. For example, if you go out to eat, then you have pesticides and toxins in your system from non-organic foods that are found in most restaurants. The unpleasant side effect of having them in our systems can be seen in weight gain, low energy, unclear skin and many illnesses.

By doing a simple detox, you will give your digestive system a vacation so your body can get rid of harmful toxins, boost its energy, release extra weight, promote deeper sleep and reduce stress. Think of the detox as you think of dry cleaning your clothes – a necessary part of life that helps you look and feel great!

CLEANSE DO’s:

·      Take advantage of nutritional consultations prior to the cleanse

·      Eat light, vegan foods before and after your cleanse to ease in and out of the cleanse

·      Only choose organic juices, otherwise you will be putting toxins and pesticides right back into your body

·      Choose cold-pressed juices (like the ones in this blog) that retain most benefits from fruits and vegetables

CLEANSE DONTs

·      Don’t eat heavy foods such as bread and animal proteins right before and right after the cleanse

·      Don’t use the cleanse as quick fix – it is a reboot for the system and not a crash diet

·      Don’t pressure yourself into doing a long cleanse if you are not ready.

MY ORGANIC JUICE

Even the raw food guru David “Avocado” Wolfe is a big fan of My Organic Juice and he has a great reason for it. This company was started by a husband and wife team to help her heal and their passion for juicing is now helping many others get healthy. What I love about this company:



·      Easy personal delivery system - you don’t even have to leave your house or office

·      All glass-bottled

·      Local produce

·      Order by noon and have your juice personally delivered to you next day (weekday deliveries only)

·      Cleanse bottles are labeled 1 through 6, so it is easy to follow

·      If you want a delicious treat, try the Strawberry Dream smoothie

·      Get a FREE cooler bag with a cleanse

·      Complimentary nutritional counseling with a health coach is available

Z-Tip: Sign up for their convenient auto-renewal delivery program and make juice a daily habit - you will look and feel fabulous all year long. As Chelsea Silverman say: “Don’t Think, Just Drink!” Your body will thank you!

To order call 561.809.5925 or email at Chelsea@myorganicjuice.com http://myorganicjuice.com

SWAMI JUICE

This all-juice company is dedicated to making great-tasting juices in an eco-friendly and convenient way. What I love about them is:




·      All glass-bottled

·      Free delivery on juice cleanses

·      Has many pick-up locations

·      Infra-red sauna is available for use at their Fort Lauderdale location to help you detox and release toxins

·      1-day Cleanse has 6 juices and 3 energy shots

·      Get a FREE cooler bag with a 3-day cleanse

·      Pick up some raw vegan snacks to help you ease in and ease out of the cleanse

·      Nutritional counseling is available

Z-Tip: Return 10 of their bottles to them and get 1 free juice!

3100 NW Boca Raton Blvd., #408
Boca Raton, FL 33431 855-Go-Swami http://www.swamijuiceco.com

RAW JUCE

Raw Juce is a juice-aholic’s paradise that offers 14 different juices, 9 smoothies, 4 shots and 8 dessert drinks that can satisfy your thirst and hunger. What I love about this store:





·      They offer walk-in cleanses

·      Samples of every juice are available before purchase

·      Big selection of green juices

·      Free consultation with a certified health coach

·      Raw vegan foods, acai bowls and smoothies are available for purchase to ease in and out of the cleanse

·      Convenient location off Glades rd and I-95

·      Juice till dinner cleanses are great for beginners

Z-tip: Jarrod Levy, a store manager has been on a juice cleanse for 72 days (he loved it so much, he didn’t want to stop!) and he lost 60 pounds. Stop by and ask him for his tips on how to do a cleanse and still enjoy life.

2200 Glades Rd Ste. 403, Boca Raton, Florida 33431. 561.424.JUCE  www.RawJuce.com

CHRISTOPHER’S KITCHEN

Christopher’s Kitchen has been one of my favorite places to eat at for years and now they are also offering juice cleanses. What I love about Christopher’s Kitchen is: 




·      More than 20 juices are available

·      Great selection of to-go Raw Vegan meals at their Market area

·      They offer walk-in cleanses

·      Inspiring names such as Glow, Abundance, Youthful, Clarity, Illuminate add great energy to the cleanses

·      Their Brazilnut milk is out of this world amazing and helps support thyroid health

·      Samples of juices are available before you purchase

·      Their to-go smoothies are a perfect addition to a cleanse for beginners 

Z-tip: Enjoy Christopher’s kitchen meals in the dining room to ease into the cleanse and you will transform your world. Save room for dessert - their lemon vanilla cheesecake is to live for!

4783 PGA Blvd, 
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418
 (561) 318-6191 http://christopherskitchenfl.com

When dining with a group of friends or family, sometimes we don’t have a choice of the restaurant and creativity is key. Being mostly vegan, I prefer to eat plant-based meals when going out and with experience I learned how to order a healthy meal even at a steakhouse.

In this blog I will share my top “green goddess- approved” meals that you can find around Boca. Use these guidelines to create your own healthy meal at any other steakhouse around the country. You will be surprised how easy it can be to eat at the meat-eaters paradise!

Z-TIP: If you would like to eat 100% Raw Vegan at any restaurant, including the ones below, print out this card and take with you whenever you go out. Give it to the waiter and ask the chef to create you a raw meal using some of these ingredients or any other fruits/veggies they may have. The add some olive oil and lemon juice to dress up the meal.

NEW YORK PRIME and MORTON’S

When eating here, I would begin with either the New York Prime's Chopped Italian Salad without anchovies and blue cheese or at Morton’s you can get their chopped salad without the cheese or bacon. For the entrée you can create your own main course of steamed garlic spinach, asparagus (sans the hollandaise) and a plain baked potato, drizzled with olive oil and a little bit of salt. The salad will provide you with a plethora of vitamins and enzymes to boost your energy and your immune system. Spinach will love your body with a good doze of iron, asparagus will help detoxify your system and baked potato will keep you full as it is high in fiber. New York Prime: 2350 NW Executive Center Dr, Boca Raton, FL ‎(561) 998-3881 ‎ Morton’s: 5050 Town Center Cir  Boca Raton, FL 33486   (561) 392-7724

ABE AND LOUIE’S

Here I would recommend the Abe & Louie’s Salad that features bibb lettuce, apples and pistachio nuts and I usually ask to hold the cheese and place the dressing on the side. This is one of the most interesting salads I have seen at steakhouse and it is pretty nutritious as lettuce is high in blood-purifying chlorophyll, apples are rich in fat-reducing pectin and pistachios are known to be the highest-protein and lowest-calorie nut. For my entrée, I would go with a Cauliflower Steak, Jumbo Baked Sweet Potato (without the brown sugar_ and Brussels sprouts. Cauliflower is a great low-calorie vegetable that is high in fiber and low in starch. Sweet potatoes are rich in bloat-reducing potassium and Brussels sprouts are a part of cruciferous family of vegetables that help detoxify your liver. 2200 West Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431 (561) 447-0024


PRIME in DELRAY

Prime happens to have one of my favorite vegetarian menus. Here I like to begin with the Roasted Beets salad (without the feta) that comes with golden Frisse lettuce, micro basil and toasted walnuts for extra Omega 3’s and protein. For my main course I would recommend a plate of Wild Steak House Mushrooms, Baby Broccoli Rabe and an order of Roasted Sage Fingerlings. While mushrooms are full of protein and low in calories, they have a great meaty texture. Baby Broccoli Rabe is rich in blood-purifying chlorophyll and Fingerlings are rich in fiber. They also balance off the meal as they happen to be the only high-calorie part of the dinner. Another alternative here is a vegetarian sushi roll – a great dinner for those who are in the mood for a lighter fare. 110 E Atlantic Ave  Delray Beach, FL 33444 (561) 865-5845

When life gets busy and you find yourself with a very short window for a meal, fast food can be the only option to grab. To help you navigate Boca's fast food options, I would like to introduce you to three of my favorite places where food is not only quick,  it is also good-for-you. Why settle for less?




Maoz

If you are working or living near the Boca Town center, then stop by Maoz in the food court. It is a vegetarian Mediterranean fast food company that specializes in crispy falafels - small fried chickpea balls that resemble the look of meatballs. You can get them served either in a pita bread or on top of a salad with a choice of several complementary side dishes and sauces. These falafels boast only 50 calories per piece as they are loaded with protein and fiber.To make the deal even sweeter, Maoz also serves a variety of green juices, so you can get an extra nutritional punch. www.maozusa.com


4th generation market

One of my all-time favorite places in Boca is the 4th Generation Organic Market off Federal highway. Here you will find a wide selection of prepared foods in their deli section that range from raw vegan pizzas to hot organic chicken lasagna and gooey gluten-free brownies. Best of all, everything here is organic and non-gmo, so order guilt-free. If you are on a time crunch and can't even sit down for a meal,  try one of the green superfood smoothies. Z-Tip: Ask one of the associates to give you samples of the dishes so you know exactly what you will be indulging in. My favorite picks here are mushroom veggie burgers, raw salad and coconut/chocolate squares. www.4thgenerationmarket.com



Chipotle

For those craving healthy Mexican food, I suggest Chipotle on Glades road. It is the only fast food chain that offers humanely-raised animal protein and a few organically-grown vegetables. When I am in the mood for Mexican, I usually order a salad with black beans, brown rice, salsa, non-gmo chili corn and guacamole. This plant-based combination makes a delicious and satisfying meal and because it is packed with good carbs, healthy fats, protein, potassium and vitamins, it can help you avoid that 3pm energy slump.  www.chipotle.com

If you are looking for healthy AND delicious food in South Florida, then check out one of my new favorite restaurants -Green Kitchen & Bar. 

The co-owner, Elena Pezzo, has a fascinating and inspiring story and it is such a joy to eat in her new place where you can feel her ZENenergy. 
 
Here you will find great plant-based cuisine that will satisfy your taste buds and will make you feel fabulous after your meal. Try my favorite Firecracker Salad and the GKB Veggie Burger.