Sound the Trumpets! We made it through our 3-day juice cleanse!
I've got a multimedia review for you today, words, pictures and VIDEOS! I know you are dying to get all the deets so let's get right into it!
We got our juice from a local Arden's Garden location. For information about ordering the Love Your Liver cleanse for yourself, check out their website: http://www.ardensgarden.com/. Or if you live in the Atlanta area, just stop in your local store.
Included with the juices were instructions on what to drink when. We also made ourselves a countdown for the fridge for motivation. And of course nothing feels better than crossing things of a list!
How's it Taste??
This is probably the MOST important thing to consider when choosing to do a cleanse. You won't feel any of the benefits if you can't stomach the juice. And how did our juices taste? To find out, watch us try them for the first time:
How Do Ya' Feel??
Hopefully if you're able to stick with the cleanse, you'll be feeling pretty good, but with all detox-y type things there can be some bumps along the way. Some detox symptoms can include: headaches, nausea, or fatigue. All are signs that you body is kicking out the bad stuff, but that can be hard to remember while your in the midst of it. So how were we feeling during the cleanse? Check out our Day 1 & 2 Recaps to find out:
To see how we were feeling at the end of Day 3, check out the video below:
Results??
We are on Day 2 post-cleanse and are feeling pretty good. I'm feeling lighter and have got an extra pep in my step. I've lost my holiday food feasting blah feeling and am energized to make healthy decisions.Though it wasn't our goal, Mike and I are both down a few pounds. Of course, it's probably not anything permanent, as cleanse weight-loss can often be attributed to water weight.
More important than the physical results were the mental. The cleanse acted as a great re-set for us. We realized how much of a role food plays in our daily "entertainment". Instead of thinking "what's for dinner" we are trying to think about "what can we do for fun tonight" and hopefully joining the climbing gym will help with that.
Another exciting result of the cleanse came on Monday morning when Mike and I found ourselves in the kitchen tossing out anything with sugar in it. I've talked about trying to kick my sugar habit for a long time, and I think 3 days without the white stuff was just the kick in the butt I needed. Now before you freak out, know that we still have natural sweeteners in the house like maple syrup, brown rice syrup, dates, and agave.
Tips for First Time Juice Cleansers:
1.) Find a Juice Buddy. It was a million times better having Mike in on this with me. Misery loves company, right?! Anyone you can convince to try this out with you will help, but convincing the person you spend most of your meals with will be best. Think outside the box. Maybe your co-worker would want to try it out too.
2.) Try to Find a Local Juice Bar: To maximize nutrient content and detox effectiveness, juice cleanse juice is not pasteurized and does not contain preservatives. In addition, 17-18 bottles of juice per person can be pretty heavy. All that can add up to some pretty hefty shipping costs. If you can find a local juice bar, you can save some money. Bonus: you might find a cool new alternative to the coffee shop!
3.) Consider Taking Time Off: This one depends on your specific situation. If you have busy days with lots of activity and excitement, you might be better off keeping your normal routine. If you are like me and sit at a desk all day, it might be nice to do the cleanse on non-work/school days so you can go out and do something fun...like rock climbing for example :) We used the MLK holiday to take a 3 day weekend without dipping into my PTO.
4.) Do Some Pre-work: I think my MUCH improved cleanse experience might be due to my cleaned up diet. Dairy, meat, processed food, caffeine, sugar, and alcohol are all contributors to the toxins in your body. Taking a breaking from these foods in the days leading up the cleanse might help to reduce the negative detox-y feelings.
4.) Do Some Pre-work: I think my MUCH improved cleanse experience might be due to my cleaned up diet. Dairy, meat, processed food, caffeine, sugar, and alcohol are all contributors to the toxins in your body. Taking a breaking from these foods in the days leading up the cleanse might help to reduce the negative detox-y feelings.
Would Ya Do it Again??
Totally! I can definitely see this being an annual post-holiday thing for us. I know people who do week-long cleanses every 3 months. After having such a positive experience, I'm definitely open to doing juice cleanses on a more regular basis.
Totally! I can definitely see this being an annual post-holiday thing for us. I know people who do week-long cleanses every 3 months. After having such a positive experience, I'm definitely open to doing juice cleanses on a more regular basis.
