My 5 day Juice Detox Experience
This entry was posted on January 13, 2014
I make myself a green juice every couple of days in my juicer. I actually like the juices, I like the vitamin hit that I get from them and I also really like the fresh healthy feeling I get from drinking them.
NB: Part of me has always wanted to do a cleanse, not just because it’s good for my body but to see if I actually have the will power to see it through. Rightly or wrongly, this juice cleanse was as much about me testing my dedication. FYI: This isn’t about weight loss and I don’t monitor my weight so there’ll be no ‘I lost 4 lbs’ at the end.
A few friends of mine had been posting on fb about how great they felt having completed their juice cleanses. I was inspired and had been wishing there was a hassle free way for me to do one, then I jumped on an offer from another friend for a premade 5 day juice cleanse that was easy to follow (bottles labelled 1-5) and before I knew it I was doing a juice cleanse. Be careful what you wish for huh!
Day 1: I was really excited about it but after I got an ear full from my Dad about how detoxing is a myth I was significantly deflated. Doing anything out of the ordinary requires support and enthusiasm. Lesson 1: recruit a cheerleader, you’ll need them when others challenge you.
Details: I liked all the juices, except the red berry one, which I drank anyway. I also drank 2 litres of water. I wasn’t hungry at all.
Day 2: I slept great but didn’t have that ‘jump out of bed’ feeling I was hoping for. I spaced my drinks every 2 hours. I felt good on day 2 and it was much easier than I expected. I love the ease of just juicing, I don’t need to think about what to eat or cook or wash up … today I loved juicing!
Details: I liked the red berry one better today but loved the cinnamon, chilli and ginger one! I drank 2 litres of water. I wasn’t hungry once.
Day 3: I slept great again. I definitely felt more alert waking up this morning, which was a pleasant surprise. The strange thing is I usually wake up really hungry but I haven’t since I started juicing. I also haven’t had any ‘detox symptoms’ which I’m very pleased about.
Details: Drank 3 litres. Still not hungry.
Day 4: I could get used to sleeping this well!! My skin is clearer than it has been since I removed sugar from my diet (which I guess is what I’ve done this time as well). I totally messed up my juices today. I forgot to take them out of the freezer last night & had to wait until midday to get started. So water for the morning then I had the juices a bit close together today. However I tested my dedication by making some homemade soups & stuck to the cleanse. I figured the home made soups were a great way to maintain my vitamin hit even when I’m finished with my cleanse. I’m beginning to wonder if I might make 5 juices & freeze them for my post cleanse routine. Feeling very pleased with myself I went to the spa.
Details: Drank 1 litre of water today which isn’t as good as normal but I’m hoping it’s because I over did it yesterday, unlikely I know. Still don’t feel hungry or crave any sugar. I’m beginning to think it’s a bit weird. I’m living in a household where everyone eats fun things but it’s not bothering me this week. Usually I feel a bit left out, but this week I have new conviction and determination that even though it’s great for them, this is great for me. I love it!!
Day 5: Woke up feeling great but for the first time since starting the cleanse I started to really think about quitting, not because I was hungry just because it was so close to the end that I was already impressed with myself. But part of the reason I did this cleanse was to see if I could stick to something and see it through, so I HAD to keep going and I am pleased to say I did complete the cleanse!
Details: Drank 1.5 litres. Skin is so clear that I am completely impressed, I’m not sure that facials are all they’re cracked up to be, I think juicing might be the way forwards! Noticed today that I can see some definition in my tummy, hmm… which means I might have some muscles in there rather than just Xmas cakes!
Now I’m at the end of the cleanse on the morning of the 6th, after having some porridge for breakfast with rice milk (which is my normal breakfast), I can say, I don’t feel like I was deprived at all during the juice fast, I actually feel like I was given incredible gifts, the gift of easy meals, the gift of clear skin, the gift of knowing I can see something through (which is something I always had and thought I’d lost a bit last year) and the gift of remembering how nice it can be to feel satisfied rather than full. Christmas was amazing this year but I definitely got used to feeling full and feeling sugar cravings a lot. Now I feel like I’ve reset that balance back in my favour. Over the next few days I’ll be enjoying porridge, homemade soups, omelettes, roasted vegetables and yes probably some more juices.
Have you ever done a juice cleanse? Did you enjoy it?