Post-Birthday Recovery aka Juice "Cleanse"

I am far from a nutritionist, so please, don't quote me, but --- I am currently on a partial juice fast in an effort to recover from my birthday/prepare for a busy weekend of cavorting with friends (always a welcome problem to have).

Sans juicer or 6-8 fancy juices a day, I'm kind of doing things the makeshift, semi-Slim Fast way: juice for breakfast, juice for lunch, and "a sensible dinner" (greens, lean protein, and healthy fat). Dessert of fruit or light dairy somethin' somethin' is optional.

However, plenty of fruits and vegetables are on the menu, as are 2-3 liters of water, including herbal tea and the occasional cup of coffee.

I did this last week for five days in an attempt to fit into my birthday outfit, losing six pounds of reluctant water weight (and likely fat). Now I'm doing it for four days to help me get to the weekend. One day in and I already feel a bit more streamlined.

Go-to juice brands have been Bolthouse Farms, Naked, and Odwalla, and here's what I have discovered: having a juicer would be so boss, mainly because some pre-made juices are so sweet. Diluting the Naked brand partially has become a regular thing; Bolthouse's Daily Greens and Odwalla's carrot juice, on the other hand, are fine enough on their own.

What are your favorites? I'd really love to try juice smoothies or protein chocolate drinks, too, but they're rather caloric - at anywhere from 290 to 490 calories per 15.2 ounces, you might as well eat a candy bar. So it's "pure" juices for now in an attempt to ease back into being more physically comfortable as the weather warms up.

(Yeah, it's pretty much springtime in West Hollywood. Things really could be worse.)

And as far as exercise: when taking in less energy, putting out a whole lot of extra energy is a relative recipe for disaster. I personally can't not move around, so here's three ways to take it easy in a semi-challenging way:

1. High intensity interval training (or HIIT), with a timer set at 50/10 for anywhere between 20-45 rounds (here's my favorite timer app, free! and available on Google Play);
2. Vinyasa yoga for 30-60 minutes for stretching, strength, and balance (see a favorite video by Yoga by Candace below);
and/or
3. A long walk to clear the head, with or without music.

In the next week or so, I'm going to do a "review" of green juices, at the ready or self prepared, or of the dried variety. There's no escaping it, really - green juice is pretty much an accessory.

What are your favorite "cleanses", "reboots", "resets"? Is there anything special you do to get back on track, as it were? Share your ideas and experiences in the comments! See you tomorrow.....