The Athlete’s Cleanse

If you’re feeling bogged down by a few too many ice cream sundaes and margaritas, a cleanse can be just the thing to steer your nutrition back on a healthy course. But a runner needs more than a cooler full of green juice to get her through the day.

Lisa Odweller, founder of Beaming, a San Diego-based superfood company, says, “Cleanses are a great way to reset your habits—but many of the cleanses out there is they are filled with too much fruit sugar and not enough protein, fiber and nutrients.”

To answer this issue, Odweller, with the help of a team of nutritionists, developed a cleanse that’s tai-ored for athletes and offers roughly 1,400 calories a day with the option of adding extra snacks as needed. While Beaming sells a packaged version on their website, Odweller revealed the secret ingredients for an at-home version of this runner-friendly cleanse!

Runner Tested!

Our editor in chief, Jessie, tried the Beaming cleanse for three days. She loved: getting so many vitamins and nutrients. But she missed: caffeine! “I was able to run all three days and I wasn’t hungry—but visions of iced coffee definitely danced in my head. My favorite part was that the morning after I finished the cleanse—when I could eat whatever I wanted—I still craved a cold green juice, not my normal go-to breakfast of almond butter toast. The cleanse taught me that you can modify your behavior and even your taste buds in a short period of time.”

*If you are training for or just finished a long goal race, now is not the time to cleanse! Save it for after you’ve rewarded yourself for your big race.

Instructions

• Follow this meal plan for one, two or three days—whatever feels most comfortable!
• While you can make the juices, to order, we recommend preparing everything the day before.
• On the day of the cleanse, drink water with lemon upon waking, and continue to hydrate through-out the day.
• Enjoy each beverage/meal every two or three hours. If you need more fuel, snack on melon, berries, bell pepper and avocado.

Your Plan

• Meal 1: Favorite Green Juice
• Meal 2: Cool Cucumber Alkaline Smoothie
• Meal 3: Pineapple Gazpacho Soup
• Meal 4: Electrolyte Elixir
• Meal 5: Favorite Green Juice (again)
• Meal 6: Fiesta Chopped Salad

Meals 1 and 5: Favorite Green Juice
2 servings

2 cucumbers
1/2 head celery
1 head kale
1 one-inch piece of ginger
2 medium-large carrots
2 Fuji apples
1/2 box sunflower sprouts (optional)
2 lemons, juiced

Press all but lemon through juicer. Mix in lemon juice.

Meal 2: Cool Cucumber Alkaline Smoothie
1 serving

1/4 cucumber, diced
1/4 cup grapes
1/4 avocado
1 Tbsp. almonds
1/2 cup kale, chopped
1/2 cup spinach, chopped
2 Tbsp. plant-based protein powder*
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup ice
Pinch salt

Put all ingredients in high-speed blender. Blend until smooth.

*Available at natural food stores and livebeaming.com

Meal 3: Pineapple Gazpacho Soup
2 servings

1 cup pineapple, roughly chopped
1 cup water
1/2 avocado
1 Tbsp. jalapeño seeded, chopped
Pinch salt
1/2 cup cucumber, finely chopped
1/4 cup pineapple, finely chopped

Gently pulse first five ingredients in blender or food processor. Mix in cucumber and additional pineapple to garnish.

Meal 4: Electrolyte Elixir
1 serving

1 cup water
1/2 cup coconut water
1 Tbsp. ginger (juiced or squeezed through garlic press)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch cayenne

Mix together thoroughly.

Meal 6: Fiesta Chopped Salad
1 serving

Salad
1/4 cup jicama, diced
1/2 cucumber, sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 cups romaine, chopped
1 cup baby spinach
1/2 cup tomato, diced
1/4 cup corn
2 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds

Dressing
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp. almond butter
Pinch cayenne

Mix together all salad ingredients—feel free to swap in any raw veggies of your pleasing. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Top salad with dressing. Enjoy.