Two weeks ago, I decided to try a 3-day juice cleanse. During a juice cleanse, juice and water are all you consume. So no coffee/tea and definitely no solids. It’s something I’ve been wanting to try for a while because I wanted to see/feel the effect of the detox on my body. I did a lot of research prior to the juice cleanse and learned that most people do the cleanse to improve digestion, decrease cravings for sugar/salt, increase cravings for fruit/vegetable, brighten skin, improve sleep, and elevate energy. Although most people lose about 5 lbs during the cleanse, it’s only temporary so I did not weigh myself before/after the cleanse.
I purchased my juices from Peeled Juice in Evanston. I had to drink 6 juices per day for 3 days. Lets talk about the juices:
- Green Lantern x2 – Multi-vitamin with the combined nutrients of 5 full servings of raw, nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables. It contained kale, romaine lettuce, spinach, parsley, celery, lemon, ginger, cucumber and apple.
- Haute Lemonade – Sweet, sour, and spicy! Lemon sweetened with agave nectar and maple syrup. Also contained cayenne pepper to cleanse the intestinal walls of the digestive tract.
- Maroon Five x2 – Health boosters and nutrient-rich energy provided by beet, carrot, apple, lemon and ginger.
- Cashew Dream – Cashew milk with maple syrup, agave, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Here is a brief summary of the things I ate and day-by-day progress:
Day Before:
Most blogs advised people to start consuming raw food and produce, to drink plenty of water, and to avoid fatty food the day before cleanse. I finally got the chance to get lunch at the Purple Pig, so I went crazy and ordered 5 items to share between my husband and I. For dinner, I had a shrimp lettuce wrap. I also snacked on dried mango and bubbled tea.
Day 1:
Had my first drink at 10:30am, followed by a drink every 1.5-2 hours after. Walked 2 miles to go to Dunkin Donuts with hubby, which was torturous, and I waited outside to avoid smelling the donuts! I did not feel hungry but it was difficult drinking the juices because I did not find the green lantern and maroon five tasty. The entire day I kept thinking about cheeseburger, Chipotle, and chocolate.
Day 2:
Started at 9:30am. I felt energized and full the entire day. Even though I still did not find the drinks tasty, I did not have as much adverse reaction to the drinks. I learned the best method is to drink as fast as possible. I noticed that my stomach was no longer bloated. I kept craving for fried eggs with salt and pepper. The low point of my day was during night class from 6:30-9:30 because students all around me were eating dinner while I sadly drank my Maroon Five.
Day 3:
Started at 10am and again I felt energized and full throughout the day. Again, my stomach looked great as if I’ve been working my abs. I started wondering if I still remember how to chew since I had not used my teeth in days. I was tempted to snack after drinking my last juice, but instead I went straight to bed.
Day After:
Surprisingly I did not immediately go to Chipotle the next day. I had blueberry oatmeal and fried eggs for lunch, and Chinese takeout for dinner.
Overall I am happy that I tried and survived the cleanse, but will definitely NOT be doing it again. The biggest pros: got rid of my bloating and saved a lot of time by not cooking/eating complete meals. The biggest cons: the taste and cost.
Let me know if you’ve done a juice cleanse or have any other questions about it!!
