Juicing is one of the hottest trends right now, and it seems like every week in NYC another juice bar is popping up or another person is toting a cooler full of juice to the office for a day of cleansing. I myself love green juices but I had never tried a juice cleanse and had always been curious about it. After chatting with DASHA’s Sha and Dr. Darren Pollack, the three of us decided to give it a go together for moral support. July 4th had just taken place, and we were all feeling a little unhealthy after barbecues, cocktails, and parties. I was hoping to achieve a few things from the cleanse, many of which other cleanse reviewers noted in their results:
·Give my digestive system a break so that my body could focus on detoxification
·Glowing skin and bright eyes for my upcoming wedding
·Enhanced clarity of mind, as I’d been feeling a bit sluggish
·Note: Weight loss wasn’t really a goal, but I wasn’t against it either
Basically, I wanted to give my entire system a chance to reset itself so that I could spend the next two months before my wedding feeling healthier and purer, both in mind and body.
The day before my cleanse (we selected the Cooler Cleanse 3 Day regimen), I tried to follow the suggested protocol to the best of my ability. I cut back on carb intake for breakfast, opting for some fresh fruit. For lunch, I had a giant chopped kale salad with lots of raw veggies, as recommended. After lunch I went for a nice 5 mile run and did some weight training. At dinner, I had some lean protein and more vegetables.
Day 1: I woke up on Day 1 to a delivery of 3 daunting coolers full of 6 bottles each of cold-pressed juices with names like Sweet Greens, Pineapple Ginger, Essential Red and Almond Nut Milk. And voila- the cleanse had begun! As the day went on, I felt really low energy and hungry. By the afternoon I was jittery and had a bad headache even though I was hydrating. Many of the Cooler Cleanse juices were quite sweet, and I wonder now if the jitteriness was related to the sugar. I finished the evening with the almond milk with dates and vanilla bean, which I loved and made me feel a little better. Overall, the first day was rough (especially when I received a text from Sha letting me know that she had decided to break the cleanse on Day 1 with a bacon cheeseburger)!
Day 2: I slept like a rock and woke up the next morning feeling miraculously better. I had more energy and clarity. I was still a little hungry throughout the day, but overall, the juices satisfied me. I even went for a 40 minute run (light exercise was also recommended by the cleanse to help build a sweat and aid in the detoxification process). I spent a few hours writing and researching during the day at DASHA, and fortunately for me, I was able to take advantage of the infrared sauna built into DASHA’s unique infrared cardio cycling device, the PhysioRED (read more about it here), receive a short detoxifying massage from one of the massage therapists, and get some acupuncture, all of which were recommended by multiple juice cleanse companies to aid in detoxification and all of which DASHA has conveniently under one roof. After a bedtime green tea, I hit the hay.
Day 3: I slept well again and woke up feeling really refreshed and clear-headed. My mental clarity was astounding, really. I was hardly hungry throughout the day and knew that the end was in sight! In the evening I went to sleep early, knowing that solid food would be waiting for me on the other side!
The day after the cleanse, I still felt great. I eased into eating solid food with some oatmeal and ate mainly lean proteins, salads, and vegetables throughout the day. I had dropped 5 pounds (from 111 the day before the cleanse to 106), and although I did feel slightly low-energy after 3 days of only juice, the mental clarity remained. My skin looked really radiant, and my eyes were bright. Also, although I am typically affected with some skin rashes from eczema (what I thought was a result of pollen season and allergies), I noticed that it had cleared up over the last 3 days, and I wonder now if the rashes could be a result of something I typically eat (dairy or gluten?). I plan to visit DASHA Allergy Contributor Dr. Bassett in the upcoming weeks to test this conclusion.
All in all, the experience was a good one. Would I do another cleanse? The short answer is yes, but I might try another company like BluePrint Cleanse or Organic Avenue to compare my results; plus, they have options for cleanses that are mainly chlorophyll-loaded green juice, which I prefer to the sweeter fruit juices. I actually crave green juice and have been incorporating it more into my lunchtime routine.
What about you? Have you tried a juice cleanse? Was your first time similar to mine? I’d love to hear all the “juicy” (I had to do it!) details.
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