I Tried my First Juice Cleanse and This is What Happened
I am a complete novice when it comes to all things diet related: My biggest diet accomplishment prior to embarking on this three-day juice cleanse was cutting out bagels from my morning routine. Believe it or not, I used to eat a Tim Horton’s bagel almost every morning for breaky, which was wrong on multiple levels: Firstly, I am potentially gluten intolerant (yes, aren’t we all—but seriously). And secondly, Tim Horton’s bagels are bottom of the barrel on my bagel scale. (If you’re going to go that route, why not go for Montreal style?) This was my Achilles heel. I saw some nice changes in my figure since breaking that breakfast habit, and I can safely say I haven’t gone down that dark path since.
All this to say that cutting morning bagels is the closest to “dieting” I have ever come. So why would I attempt a juice cleanse? The simple answer would be out of pure curiosity as well as my love for juice.
So for all of my non-dieting, non-yogi friends out there, here’s what a novice can realistically expect from a juice cleanse.
The Cleanse:
Village Juicery Three-Day Reset Program
This program appealed to me because it starts off with a one-on-one consult with a nutritionist, and it also includes solid foods to complement the juices—a bonus for a newbie like me.
When did I decide do this?
The nutritionist told me that I should start to introduce more raw vegetables into my diet leading up to the cleanse to prepare my body. So, naturally, I started soon after an all-inclusive vacation, where I gained a few pounds from a few too many margaritas and buffet dinners. This was mistake number one.
Day 1 (Prepare):
• 9 a.m.: Feeling nervous and unsure about why I got myself into this
• 10 a.m.: First time eating chia pudding, it’s delicious. The “Probiotic Jar” (made with chia pudding) took an hour to finish because it was so hearty. It included coconut yogurt, chia seeds, sunflower seed milk, strawberries, pumpkin seeds, hemp hearts and vanilla. Yum!
• 11 a.m.: Drank my first juice, “Be Clean”—it’s really tasty. Difficult to get the “E3 Live shot” down…too earthy for my tastes. (Note to self: plug nose next time.)
• 12 p.m.: So far I’ve eaten more than I normally would have at this hour.
***Dreaming about coffee***
• 1:15 p.m.: “Plant Protein Salad” was as good as it’s going to get for someone who doesn’t like raw vegetables (true story). For salad lovers, this would be a delicious vitamin-packed lunch.
• 2 p.m.: One Aloe shot down.
• 3 p.m. onward: Two more juices and another salad
Takeaways:
Though I felt satiated for the entire day and evening, I had what I consider totally normal cravings: I was dying for coffee, chocolate and mac and cheese. I feel like I’ve got this, though.
Day 2 (Eliminate):
• 10 a.m.: Read the words “sandwiched in between” and started dreaming about sandwiches
• 1 p.m.: Juices are taking longer and longer to finish—lots of liquid!
• 2 p.m.: I remind myself that a co-worker did this for 11 days and get a surge of motivation…
• 2:05 p.m.: Struggling
• 3:30 p.m.: I go home to work from my couch because I am now feeling a bit lightheaded
• 6 p.m.: Caved and had two rice cakes, which I must say is better than the alternative that was going on in my mind.
Takeaways:
This was a very difficult day, as I struggled to focus on my work and dealt with headaches (perhaps due to caffeine withdrawal). I advise anyone who follows this plan to work from home on this day if possible, especially if you are susceptible to headaches or migraines.
Day 3 (Reset):
• 10 a.m.: Food again, yippee! I had the Energy Jar, and it was delicious and filling.
• 11 a.m.: Beginning to get bored of juice, but they’re still tasty. My personal favourite has been the Be Clean juice. I am a big fan of green juices with a hint of sweetness.
• 12 p.m.: Would normally love the Kale Tabouli Salad Jar, but I can’t finish it—maybe my body is getting used to having less/no food?
• 3 p.m.: Shot time! Plugged my nose…such a success.
• 7 p.m.: OK, here is where I really went off the rails. I was meant to have my Plant Protein Salad followed by the Be Calm juice. However, while on my walk home, the scent of delicious curry coming from the roti house got the best of me. I only have myself to blame for bailing on the cleanse at the very end—and for something as rich as curry? Who does that?! I suppose the girl whose biggest diet achievement to date is giving up bagels from Tim Hortons.
Takeaways:
I have to say, despite the lack of energy on day two and some interesting energy shots, I’m glad I did it. It was great to know that I was consuming things that were doing good for my body. And after all, it was a learning experience. I now know what not to do if I ever decide to do a cleanse again! And I can finally put my curiosity to rest.
. And secondly, Tim Horton’s bagels are bottom of the barrel on my bagel scale. (If you're going to go that route, why not go for Montreal style?) This was my Achilles heel. I saw some nice changes in my figure since breaking that breakfast habit, and I can safely say I haven’t gone down that dark path since.
All this to say that cutting morning bagels is the closest to “dieting” I have ever come. So why would I attempt a juice cleanse? The simple answer would be out of pure curiosity as well as my love for juice.
So for all of my non-dieting, non-yogi friends out there, here's what a novice can realistically expect from a juice cleanse.
The Cleanse:
Village Juicery Three-Day Reset Program
This program appealed to me because it starts off with a one-on-one consult with a nutritionist, and it also includes solid foods to complement the juices—a bonus for a newbie like me.
When did I decide do this?
The nutritionist told me that I should start to introduce more raw vegetables into my diet leading up to the cleanse to prepare my body. So, naturally, I started soon after an all-inclusive vacation, where I gained a few pounds from a few too many margaritas and buffet dinners. This was mistake number one.
Day 1 (Prepare):
• 9 a.m.: Feeling nervous and unsure about why I got myself into this
• 10 a.m.: First time eating chia pudding, it’s delicious. The “Probiotic Jar” (made with chia pudding) took an hour to finish because it was so hearty. It included coconut yogurt, chia seeds, sunflower seed milk, strawberries, pumpkin seeds, hemp hearts and vanilla. Yum!
• 11 a.m.: Drank my first juice, “Be Clean”—it's really tasty. Difficult to get the “E3 Live shot” down...too earthy for my tastes. (Note to self: plug nose next time.)
• 12 p.m.: So far I’ve eaten more than I normally would have at this hour.
***Dreaming about coffee***
• 1:15 p.m.: “Plant Protein Salad” was as good as it’s going to get for someone who doesn’t like raw vegetables (true story). For salad lovers, this would be a delicious vitamin-packed lunch.
• 2 p.m.: One Aloe shot down.
• 3 p.m. onward: Two more juices and another salad
Takeaways:
Though I felt satiated for the entire day and evening, I had what I consider totally normal cravings: I was dying for coffee, chocolate and mac and cheese. I feel like I've got this, though.
Day 2 (Eliminate):
• 10 a.m.: Read the words “sandwiched in between” and started dreaming about sandwiches
• 1 p.m.: Juices are taking longer and longer to finish—lots of liquid!
• 2 p.m.: I remind myself that a co-worker did this for 11 days and get a surge of motivation...
• 2:05 p.m.: Struggling
• 3:30 p.m.: I go home to work from my couch because I am now feeling a bit lightheaded
• 6 p.m.: Caved and had two rice cakes, which I must say is better than the alternative that was going on in my mind.
Takeaways:
This was a very difficult day, as I struggled to focus on my work and dealt with headaches (perhaps due to caffeine withdrawal). I advise anyone who follows this plan to work from home on this day if possible, especially if you are susceptible to headaches or migraines.
Day 3 (Reset):
• 10 a.m.: Food again, yippee! I had the Energy Jar, and it was delicious and filling.
• 11 a.m.: Beginning to get bored of juice, but they're still tasty. My personal favourite has been the Be Clean juice. I am a big fan of green juices with a hint of sweetness.
• 12 p.m.: Would normally love the Kale Tabouli Salad Jar, but I can’t finish it—maybe my body is getting used to having less/no food?
• 3 p.m.: Shot time! Plugged my nose...such a success.
• 7 p.m.: OK, here is where I really went off the rails. I was meant to have my Plant Protein Salad followed by the Be Calm juice. However, while on my walk home, the scent of delicious curry coming from the roti house got the best of me. I only have myself to blame for bailing on the cleanse at the very end—and for something as rich as curry? Who does that?! I suppose the girl whose biggest diet achievement to date is giving up bagels from Tim Hortons.
Takeaways:
I have to say, despite the lack of energy on day two and some interesting energy shots, I'm glad I did it. It was great to know that I was consuming things that were doing good for my body. And after all, it was a learning experience. I now know what not to do if I ever decide to do a cleanse again! And I can finally put my curiosity to rest.
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