I am presently on day 3 of a 3-day juice cleanse. What? I know.
It was one of these things I’ve always wanted to try, in the weird way that someone could lust after the experience of only consuming liquid for 3 days.
I am also extremely susceptible to anything that comes as a Groupon (or Gilt City, whatever). And so I got a super sweet deal on the Cooler Cleanse. It took me awhile to schedule it because based on my typical life of shoving too much alcohol and delicious food down my throat, it was hard to find 3 days where I could actually commit to not consuming anything else. This means no happy hour plans, no kickball games (beer after), no book club (wine!), no “let’s catch up with each other’s lives” dinners, and no weekends, period.
In theory I was going to write a post about this before it started, but…well, too late. So now that it’s winding down, here’s how it all went.
Pretty much, they send you 3 sets of 6 juices. All bottles are numbered. Each day, you drink the juices in order, about 2 hours apart.
Juice 1: Essential Green. Sort of tastes like a really refreshing liquid salad. Which is pretty much what it is. Lots of veggies.
Juice 2: Grapefruit Mint. I didn’t taste the mint at all. It tasted like grapefruit juice.
Juice 3: Essential Green…again. By the 3rd day and 6th bottle, it no longer seems refreshing or even good. You sort of just want to vomit green juice everywhere. Okay, it wasn’t nearly that bad. The juice does separate, though, which looks disgusting. But you shake it and all is well again.
Juice 4: Coconut Water. I love coconuts, but coconut water isn’t my favorite. Not bad though.
Juice 5: Essential Red. Some blend of beets, carrots, and apples, I think. Pretty good, especially considering I hate beets.
Juice 6: Almond Nut Milk. With vanilla. Super tasty.
Overall verdict: I’m surprised at how NOT hungry I am. I mean I definitely get the occasional pang of hunger but no more than I would on a regular day when it’s lunch time. Also, this is just a ton of liquid to consume in one day.
As for whether I feel healthier – I’m waiting until tomorrow when I start eating real food again to see. My friend Lauren who did the Cooler Cleanse last month and thus gave me her words of wisdom said she felt more energized in the days following. So we shall see.
Also – on day 1 I went to my first Bikram class in a month. I thought the detoxing effect of sweating balls would add to the experience. I’m not sure if it was from not having eaten all day or no longer being used to the temperature of the room, but I almost barfed. But then I sat down and 3 minutes later I was fine, which is about standard for what happens during a normal Bikram class.
Anyway, I would definitely do this again, but I might just invest in a juicer and do it myself (odds of this happening: slim to none). I don't think I'll pay full price for the CC since it's not exactly cheap, but I'm glad I did it. But I can't wait to wake up tomorrow and have something normal for breakfast.
