No solid food for a solid day sounds crazy right? Well call me crazy because I did it. If you follow along on Instagram you know that I just did the one day cleanse from Juice Press Inc.
Because I drink a lot of fresh juice, and smoothies I opted for the “Intermediate Cleanse” and mostly because I wanted to try the Beet Down juice (I love beets). If you’re thinking of doing a cleanse please first consult and professional, but here’s what I have to say about my experience.
Instead of making all the juice myself and going through all the research of figuring out what I would need for proper nutrition for the day I decided to go with Halifax Juice Press Inc. Halifax’s first dedicated raw juice shop, Juice Press Inc offers fresh juices made to order, as well as full-on pre-packaged cleanses, and even subscriptions and delivery. Whether it is just a drink you’re looking for while you stroll the boardwalk, or a full-on a cleanse, Juice Press Inc makes it pretty easy to be healthy.
The Intermediate cleanse contains 6 juices ($48 for the full day), and this should be consumed in this order:
1 | Skinny Green
2 | Lemon Aid
3 | Beet Down
4 | Lemon Aid
5 | Skinny Green
6 | Silky Cashew
I wasn’t sure how I should space out the drinks, so I decided to take the day as it came and drink them when I was hungry. I started with the Skinny Green at around 7:00 am which is when I get to work, and then I had the Lemon Aid at around 10:00 am which is when I usually take a mid morning break (and when I usually eat cookies), I drank the Beet Down as my lunch around 12:30, then the Lemon Aid after work so around 3:30, I drank the Skinny Green around 5:00, and then finally I had the Silky Cashew at around 7:30 when my boyfriend was eating dinner. I did also have two herbal teas one when I woke up as I walked to work (usually when I would have coffee), and then again when I got home from work (again when I would normally have something before I get into some blogging).
Curious of what’s in these juices? These snippets are provided by Juice Press Inc.
Skinny Green | Cucumber, Kale, Green Apple, Celery, Lemon, Lettuce, Ginger
This juice is designed to kick start your day. Essential nutrients include potassium, – an important mineral that can lower blood pressure- fiber, magnesium and vitamin C. The celery aids lowering cholesterol, while the silica in the cucumber makes your skin glow throughout the day. The ginger naturally fires up the digestive system, while assisting your body’s absorption of all the nutrients. The Skinny Green provides a morning cleanse along with that shot of energy to get you out the door feeling your best.
Lemon-Aid | Lemon, Maple Syrup, Cayenne, Filtered Water
While drinking plenty of water is essential, the lemon infuse in this juice is an immediate boost to your immune system. Along with being an excellent source of potassium – which improves heart and brain function – lemon aids in digestion by stimulating your liver to flush out all the toxins. The pectin fibre, along with the cayenne, helps stimulate the metabolism, promoting healthy weight loss. And I know many of you won’t believe it, but it helps reduce your body’s craving for caffeine. So if you can hold off on the cup of java until after your Lemon Bolt, come mid-afternoon you wont be reaching for the coffee pot.
Beet Down | Beets, Cucumber, Carrots, Apple, Lemon, Ginger
We all know carrots are good for the eyes, but the vitamin A they contain also helps protect the skin against sun damage and the dreaded aging process.
Beets tend to be popping up everywhere now – from your grandmothers kitchen to that twenty dollar salad you just ordered – and it’s no secret why! Not only do they reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure, contain anit-cancer properties, but they also have been proven to boost your stamina. So whether it’s working out at the gym that much harder, a busy day with the kids, or a hot date on Saturday night, who wouldn’t want a little extra help from our friend in red?
Silky Cashew | Cashews, Agave, Filtered Water
Did you know that cashews contain less fat than most other nuts? That’s why we use it for our vegan dairy substitute. Cashews have a high copper content, which is important for energy production, and the promotion of healthy bones, joints and blood cell flexibility. The magnesium, alongside calcium, helps the with bone and muscle strength. It does all this while promoting healthy sleep patterns – which is why we usually promote the Silky Cashew as your last juice of the day.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE CLEANSE
It was easy. Everything was prepared for me, so I didn’t need to think about it too much. And I also didn’t need to cook anything that day, so that was also a major bonus especially for someone with a hectic schedule.
Juices tasted great. For the most part I really liked the flavor of the juices. They were all really fresh, and filling. I think the “Skinny Green” and “Silky Cashew” were my favorite.
I didn’t feel hungry. Because there were so many juices I didn’t feel like I was hungry because there was also something for me to have. When I did start to feel a little hungry it was pretty much time to have my next juice so it was fine.
I was actually able to finish it! I seriously had my doubts that I would be able to do it. I thought for sure I’d be getting into some crackers or something. I figured I would be ready to eat my arm off while only drinking juice for the day, but that just wasn’t the case. The only time that I really ‘struggled” (and it wasn’t really much of a struggle) with this was when my boyfriend was eating his dinner. I seriously think my scent got stronger lol because I felt like I could taste his omelet just by smelling it. I think this was more of a mental struggle than anything else because I think I just enjoy eating dinner with him; there’s something to be said about sharing food.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT THE CLEANSE
It was a little spicy for me. I think if I were to do this cleanse again I would probably not do the intermediate one because I found the juices to be a little hard on my stomach. I have acid reflux, so I think all the raw fruit and veg was a little too much for my little esophagus. I really liked the drinks, but I think there was a bit too much ginger in them, and I would probably request that mine come with less. It wasn’t anything too crazy, but I found when I got to lunch the beet juice was a bit too intense for my tummy; it was delicious, but just too spicy.
Little to no guidance. With all the flack that juice cleanses have been getting over the years (some folks have taken them a little too far, and suffered some serious consequences) I’m surprised there’s nothing on their website on how to carry out the cleanse or how to be smart about it. Any kind of restrictive diet can lead to eating disorders, and it’s important to have balance and to be aware of the dangers. I wasn’t really sure how to space out my cleanse (time wise), and I totally could have emailed the folks at Juice Press Inc if I needed to, but I think it would be a great idea to have this information accessible on their website.
I felt a little loopy (about midway through). This was one of my main concerns with doing a cleanse because I do lean towards having low blood sugar. I’m right on the cusp, so it’s delicate balance with my regular diet, but as long as I have some food in my belly I’m usually good. So while doing this cleanse I was pretty much fine, but I did notice a little bit of blurred vision after juice #2, and then some restless energy after juice #3. I’m not sure if I drank them too close together (about 2.5 hours apart), but I did experience a significant bit of a boost of energy, and it was little bit too much for me. Although it didn’t last long I did experience some nervous energy; I was a little restless, and my hands were a little unsteady.
In the future I think I would drink the “Beet Down” in an isolated insistence for an extra energy boost, but probably not as part of a cleanse. I think for me I would need something to neutralize my blood sugar after having the two juices before, so that I could have the other juices after. Next time I would probably want to swap out the Beet Down for a Pina Concada instead, as I would hope that the Coconut Milk might a little easier on my stomach and better for my temperamental blood sugar levels.
Overall….
I really enjoyed the experience, and I’m so proud of myself for sticking it out for the entire day! Despite feeling a little loopy at lunch, and some rambling with my coworkers I would still do it again. I love the skinny green juice, so much that I could seriously have it for my breakfast everyday! I think a cleanse is a great way to propel a healthy eating pattern, as you learn a lot about your willpower when doing a cleanse, and also for some people it helps to have an all or nothing approach.
Cleanses or even just incorporating fresh juices into your lifestyle is a a great way to slim down (for whatever reason). My scale battery died conveniently around my birthday which is probably was a blessing because I was mainlining cheesecake on a pretty steady basis, so I don’t know if I lost weight or not. I did feel like my stomach felt a little flatter, and my jeans felt pretty good going on the next day, but I did eat a pretty good diet, so I’m not sure I would see a huge difference anyway.
As I mentioned above juice cleanses are not to be taken lightly please be sure to consult a professional before starting one. Juice Press Inc offers 1-5 day cleanses, but they are not for everyone. I’m not sure if I could do five full days, but I think I could for sure do like an 8-4 kind of deal where you drink juices during the day, and have a light dinner of like steam veggies and chicken breast or something because I really didn’t feel like I struggled during the day it was dinner with my boyfriend that I missed.
Hope you found this review helpful, and as always if you have any questions you can comment below or tweet me @shortpresents OH! And get your self some cute straws: it helps! No really.
xx Short Presents
