I was in the mood for a new year jump start. I had started working out again and was prepping to start a new Beachbody program called Morning Meltdown 100, when my co-worker asked if I’d be interested in doing a juice cleanse. I thought why not! In fact, there is a local company called Mountain Squeeze that offers delicious fresh pressed juice cleanses delivered to your door. We signed up for the three-day cleanse which includes five juices, one nut milk, and one ginger shot per day.
Mountain Squeeze prepares the juices fresh twice per week (Monday and Thursday) and then delivers them to you so you can start your cleanse the following day. Ours were delivered on a Thursday afternoon for us to cleanse over the weekend. I would have preferred to do it during the week when I would have work to distract me most of the day from the fact that I couldn’t eat. (Side note: I love to eat … and snack… and I’m usually a little hungry at all times!) Doing the cleanse over the weekend meant that I’d be at home most of the time and would need to keep myself busy in order to avoid the fridge.
Pre-Cleanse
In the days leading up to your cleanse, Mountain Squeeze recommends you drink plenty of water (at least 8 glasses a day) and that you increase the amount of fresh fruit and veggies you eat, while also reducing the amount of dairy, meat, wheat, protein, processed foods, and caffeine you consume. Most of this already aligns with my daily diet because I’m allergic to gluten and dairy anyway. I do still eat meat and definitely love my morning coffee (or two!), which I drink black. We were told that we could still have one black coffee a day, but that herbal teas were preferred. I was going to have the coffee!
Starting the Cleanse
Included with the cleanse was a helpful brochure which recommended that we start each morning of the cleanse with a glass of warm water mixed with 1tsp of apple cider vinegar and 1tbsp of lemon juice, to get our digestive system warmed up. After that we would drink the juices in order roughly 2-2.5 hours apart, and we would finish the day with the nut milk.
We also had a ginger shot which we could add to any of the juices or take on its own for a boost to our immune system and digestion. Plus, we had a packet of chia seeds that were to be added to any of the juices for some extra fiber and protein. If you haven’t had them before, chia seeds that you eat are just like the seeds to use on a chia pet. When you put them in water (or any liquid) they grow a slimy coating and actually thicken the liquid they’re in. In fact, you can even use chia seeds like this to replace an egg as a binder when you’re cooking, but I digress! Mountain Squeeze suggested that we add the chia seeds to the nut milk as a rich end of day treat.
Each of the fresh pressed juices was different and offered different benefits, with the main focus being reducing inflammation and detoxifying our bodies. As the brochure says, “cleansing should never be about starving, dieting, or self-deprivation – it’s about being aware about what we are putting into our bodies and giving our bodies a break and a chance to recharge and rejuvenate.” I like to think I eat a fairly healthy diet, especially since my food allergies prevent me from eating many processed foods (I would totally eat that fast food cheeseburger if I could!). But, most of us probably still have some room for improvement when it comes to what and how much we’re eating. I still enjoy bacon for breakfast and chips when I’m snacking! So sometimes a whole foods diet or a juice cleanse can help get us back on track, especially after the holidays when I know I ate (and drank!) more than normal.
Day 1
When we started, I honestly thought I would have no problem being on a juice only diet for three days. I quickly realized it was not going to be as easy as I thought! I basically spent the entire day thinking about food … all the food! I started my day with a quick work out and then enjoyed my one cup of black coffee before I started with the juice. Each day of the cleanse I drank five juices spaced about two hours apart and then a nut milk to finish the day. Since all the juices are fresh pressed and unpasteurized, they need to be kept refrigerated, meaning they were very cold. So besides thinking of food all day, I was also cold.
I decided to set up my computer next to the fireplace, where I could be warm and work to keep me distracted from the hunger. I focused on drinking lots of water along with the juice and tried to pace my drinking of each juice in order to stretch out what I had to “eat” and reduce the amount of time between juices, plus it let the juice warm up a little. I was already hungry and missing solid food by juice two, would I even make it through the day without caving?!
I felt quite tired and lethargic in the early evening and ended up taking a nap for an hour! I almost didn’t want to get up, but it was my niece’s birthday and I didn’t want to miss out on family time. Spending time out of the house with people actually helped to distract me from my hunger, even though there was a table full of appies and snacks!
Once I was home, I enjoyed my nut milk with chia seeds before going to bed. I don’t know if it was because I had taken a nap earlier, but now I was wide awake, and I seriously struggled to get to sleep.
After just one day I was questioning myself for agreeing to do the cleanse in the first place. Really, I could have quit then, it wasn’t a competition or anything, but when I sign up to do something I like to finish it.
Read part two of the Juice Cleanse weekend to find out what happens on day two and three, and if I make it!
Do you live in the Squamish area and want to learn more about the juice cleanse I did? Check out www.mountainsqueeze.com
