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Last week, I did my very first, 3-day juice cleanse. Three days of drinking nothing but juice, lots of water and few hand fulls of raw nuts, all in hopes that it would leave me feeling refreshed, reset and energized for the new year. Prior to this experience, I had always been very anti juice cleanses but after completing one of my own, I definitely have a different perspective.
If you’ve been following along through the years, then you know that my commitment to health and wellness is something that’s very important to me. Over the years I’ve loved experimenting with all the different trends and sharing my experience with all of you. Ya’ll were along for the ride when I first completed the Whole 30, we’ve done charcoal water detoxes together, Kayla Itsines Original BBG 12 week challenge and ya’ll were even there the time I (temporarily) thought I wanted to switch to an all natural deodorant.
&&& now we’re adding a juice cleanse to the list!
WHY I CHOSE TO DO A JUICE CLEANSE
(Despite Notoriously Hating Them)
As I mentioned above, I’ve never been a fan of juice cleanses, so before we go any further, let me tell you why.
- I really don’t like to support fast/fad dieting because I know that the only real way to actually and sustainably lose weight is done by making a lifestyle change.
- They’re commonly viewed as a “quick fix” when wanting to drop a few pounds in a short amount of time. Which I can understand wanting but the problem with this, is that while one will lose weight during the cleanse (I mean, it’s inevitable when you’re only drinking juice for 3 days straight) the moment you start eating again, you will immediately gain it back.
- There’s so much sugar in the juices and it just kills me. While I get that they’re all natural sugars from the fruits that are pressed, over 100(g)s a day of sugar seems really unnecessary to me.
- Your body knows how to “detox” itself and the best way to actually detox/cleanse your body is by eating clean.
“If you’re soooo against them, then why?”
Bc I’ve been in a major funk. It’s hard for me to admit or even really describe but for the past few months I’ve been in an unmotivated, uninspired funk.
Then over the holidays, I drank and ate way more than I probably needed too and it just left me feeling like absolute crap. I woke up one morning so tired and miserable that I thought my body was revolting against me lol. While I was definitely being dramatic, in the moment I ultimately decided I needed to do a drastic reset. Mentally, Physically and Emotionally. It had nothing to do with weight loss but everything to do with a dire need to want to flush all the negativity out of my system, flood my body with nutrients, devote a few days to practicing self control and start the process of getting me back to me.
So while I knew I was being very hypocritical in regards to the overall negative feelings I’ve always had towards juice cleanses, in the moment I decided to do one. Plus, I knew it would make a good blog post.
CHOOSING A CLEANSE
(& why it’s important so choose organic)
There are literally so many cleanses out there to choose from, so it’s important to do your research.
I started out by polling my audience to get recommendations (all are saved to my highlights on IG) but ultimately went with Clean Juice because (1) they have location right down the street from me and (2) they were the only ones I found in Houston that used usda approved organic fruits and vegetables in their cleanses. This definitely made it more expensive (around $170 for a 3-day cleanse) but unlike the others, they are very upfront and proud about the fact that their juices contain No GMO’s, No harmful Pesticides, No Hidden Additives and No HPP.
Using only organic produce isn’t something I’m normally strict about but in this case, while doing a cleanse and attempting to flush your body of its current toxins… you kind of really want the produce that’s being used to be organic. Especially since that is all you’ll be ingesting.
This is something I honestly never even thought about looking into until a reader brought it up to me. I kind of always just figured that all cleanses would use organic produce for their juices and that it was just a given??? Turns out that’s not the case though. I was shocked to learn this but grateful it was brought to my attentions.
So do your research! If you’re interested in Clean Juice, they have different locations all over the country and offer 1, 2, 3 & 5 days cleanses.
You can learn more about Clean Juice here.
THE FORMAT
I chose to do a 3-day juice cleanse, which included 6 juices a day. I know that every cleanse is different but with Clean Juice, you have a few different options for each daily cleanse. For research purposes, I chose to do a different one each day. I did the “Immunity Cleanse”, the “Original Cleanse” and the Energy Cleanse”.
Plain black coffee was allowed, along with a hand full of raw nuts or even a light salad, topped with a chicken breast for anyone really struggling.
MY EXPECTATIONS
Honestly, I really didn’t have any. I knew this cleanse wasn’t going to be life changing or solve all my problems but I was still hopeful that I would come out of it feeling energized and renewed. I knew I’d probably lose weight but didn’t want to put too much energy into it because I know that whatever I lost, I’d gain back. Plus, that’s not why I was doing it.
I was little nervous about how my body would handle flushing out all the toxins and what not (I’d heard some horror stories) but all around I was excited for the experience.
MY CLEANSE DIARY
PRE-CLEANSE
I ordered my juices Sunday morning (the day before I was supposed to start), picked them up an hour later, read the instructions once I got home, and prepared myself for the next three days.
I was told that leading up to the cleanse, to start prepping my body by eating clean and cutting back on alcohol and that by doing so, it would make the process of flushing out toxins be a little easier. I ended up only half way following this advice. While I did try to make a conscious effort to do those things, I wasn’t a saint about it by any means. Thought about having one big final dinner but just decided to keep things normal and not do anything over the top.
DAY ONE: The Immunity Cleanse
Not going to lie, I woke up that Monday morning immediately regretting my decision to do this whole thing lol. The night before I was so excited but when I woke up subconsciously thinking about breakfast, I definitely had an fml moment. All in all though, Day 1 wasn’t that bad. It as my first “real” day back to work after the holidays, so I was super busy and I think that really helped keep my mind off of it. I never really got hungry (even tho I did have a handful of nuts around 3pm), literally loved every juice I had and drank a lot of water throughout the day. That night though, I definitely felt a little light headed/jittery and oddly bloated? All around just a weird feeling
DAY TWO: The Original Cleanse
Woke up feeling much better and had way more energy than I expected. For it being day two of straight liquids, I felt pretty good – which was actually kind of shocking. Overall I was having a pretty positive experience, but definitely already ready for it to be lol.
My first juice of the day was shockingly sweet. It looked just like my first green juice from the day before (which was cucumber, celery, spinach, kale, lemon and ginger) but it definitely wasn’t. It was the Sweet Green which consisted of cucumber, kale, spinach and apples. It wasn’t crazy sweet or anything, but it still had 32(g)s of sugar in it which was just too sweet for me first thing in the morning, so I switched it the two and had the Sweet Green later on.
I oddly never felt over the top hungry or “deprived” but I did notice that I kept walking in the kitchen and starring at the fridge – making it very obvious that I wasn’t actually hungry and instead just bored.
Then I had my first “red” juice of the cleanse but could barely get through one sip. I was beet based and I obviously must not be a beet juice person bc I literally couldn’t get myself to drink it, so I ended up having two handfuls of raw nuts instead.
DAY THREE: The Energy Cleanse
This was definitely the hardest day of them all, for many of reasons. Once again, I felt oddly fine and had great energy but was so freaking bored and just tired of drinking only juice.
To make matters worse, in this specific cleanse (the energy cleanse) two of the six juices were of course the same beet juice I hated so much the day before. I tried to give it another shot but literally couldn’t do it. Even the thought of it now makes me feel sick… which is crazy because I don’t hate beets…it’s just beet juice that I can’t do?? Idk. Anyways, I ended up just doing four juices that day, dropping the two beet juices and then having a light arugula salad, topped with a chicken breast for dinner. While it was fine that I did this, I was still bummed knowing I didn’t perfectly complete the cleanse as I had wanted to. At the same time though, this was also the day the capitol was raided…so if we’re being honest, I should be proud that I didn’t throw in the towel and drink a whole bottle of wine lol.
MY RESULTS & FINAL THOUGHTS
I didn’t hate, nor love the experience but I am proud of myself for doing it. For giving it my all and for not giving up. I felt great and had a lot of energy afterwards but I still definitely didn’t feel like the completely new and improved person that I low key hoped I would be lol.
At the end of the day I got what I wanted out of it. It was exactly what I was looking for and was a step in the right direction. Since the cleanse, I’ve noticed a positive change in that I’ve been making a conscious effort to eat more nutrient dense foods (not just quick/easy ones) and to be active. It’s like it gave me a hint of motivation and put a little pep in my step. Which like I said, is exactly what I wanted. So for me, that’s a win!
Would I do it again?
Yes, but differently! I think that if I were to do one again, I would just do a 1-day cleanse (probably the immunity one bc it was by far my favorite of the three) and then follow it up with a 1/2 day cleanse the next day where I drink four juices in the morning but end the day with a light/clean meal.
Q&A
What are the most common benefits of doing a Juice Cleanse?
Some of the marketed benefits include: Rest for major organs; Boost in energy; Glowing skin, hair and nails; Reduced bloating; Intense hydrations.
Juice Cleanses are mainly used as an opportunity to give your body some much needed rest from regular daily exposure to toxins and nutrient-deprived foods.
Did you end up losing any weight? I know that’s now why you did this but was curious.
Yes I did. I’m not sure how much bc I somehow forgot to weigh myself at the beginning but based on the rest of my weigh-ins starting day 2, I’d guess that I lost around 5-6 lbs total. I haven’t stepped on the scale since but I’m sure I’ve gained at least half of it back.
Did you ever end up having any detox side effects?
Another yes and no answer. While I never experienced anything as horrible as I was told I would, everyone is different. For some it really rough and happens through out the cleanse, others it happens to afterwards. Maybe it’s because I actually don’t eat that horribly. I really don’t eat fast food, I don’t drink soft drinks and I at least try to make the right choices. Funk or not. I’d say the closest thing I experienced to “detoxing” was the Friday, two days after the cleanse was over. I wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever experience but lets just say I really wish we wouldn’t have been in the car on our way to Austin lol.
Were you happy with your choice to use Clean Juice?
I was! Besides finding out that I am not a beet juice person, I really enjoyed all the juices and was happy with my experience. I’d definitely use them again.
How much did it cost and was it worth the price?
It ended up costing around $160 for 18 juices. This price is on the higher end when compared to others but that’s because you’re paying for organic usda certified organic juices. Most other cleanses do not use organic produce, therefore making them less expensive.
Would you recommend doing a juice cleanse to others?
It depends on why you’re doing it and what you’re expecting to get out of it. If your going into it with an open mind and aren’t looking for long term weight loss results, then sure – why not.
If you’re just starting your health/wellness journey though and currently have a pretty poor diet…then probably not. Something like this would be way too drastic and might end up being really discouraging in the long run but if you’re looking for a place to start and need some advice, check out this blog post.
I know that this was long but I hope that it was informational and answered all of your questions!
Until next time!
xo,
Lauren
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