Preface: While eating an absurd amount of froyo at Red Mango, venting about the stresses of school and my internship to my friend, I somehow came to the spontaneous conclusion that I should do a juice cleanse. And so, I pulled out my phone and Favor-ed a five day cleanse from Snap Kitchen. Little did I know what I was getting into. I knew it would be expensive, but when the $220 bill appeared on my phone, I flipped. “$*&%. this means I actually have to do it.” I wasn’t going to waste the money by not going all-in on this cleanse. It was official. I had no way out.
Here’s my day-to-day account of how it went.
Photo by Alexia Phipps
Day 1: Before the hunger hits me, I decide I should probably work out. After all, who knows when the next time I will have energy to do that will be. I take a class at Fight Club and then drink the thickest of the juices after- a cinnamon cashew blend that had more calories, fat, and protein than any of the other juices. Suprisingly, I am not phased by the cleanse just yet. As the day continues, I drink three more of the 16-ounce juices, and more water than I have ever drank in one day in my life. Strangely enough, I am still doing okay. I even find it to be too much juice to drink. I know… crazy.
Day 2: No exercise. Four juices. I take a nap and go to sleep early.
Day 3: I have more energy than yesterday! I do not exercise again, but do not feel sluggish at all. I’m starting to feel pretty damn rejuvenated. And pretty damn light. People in my classes start asking me what the yellow stuff I’m drinking is. I respond, “pineapple-tumeric root juice.” Totally normal.
Days 4 and 5: I have a lot of energy and wake up for a 7am spinning class at Cyc. Drink tons of water. Super used to the healthy-tasting juices now. They go down easy and I actually like ‘em!
Photo by Alexia Phipps
Day 6: This thing is a piece. of. cake. And all I can think about is the Hopoddy burger I am going to devour for dinner to celebrate being done… and to prepare my body to drink. It is a Thursday, after all.
Day 6 (post-dinner): My stomach hurts but man, was it worth it! Can’t finish the entire burger. In fact, the meat and fried egg and cheese definitely are causing some stomach pains. Wait, I don’t know if it was worth it anymore.
Conclusion: After bringing meat, eggs and cheese back into my diet like normal, I realized how heavy some foods are on our stomachs and how my portions have been out of wack. We don’t need all of those things every day! Initially after the cleanse I was eight pounds lighter and I expected to gain it back right away, but did not. I attribute this to the fact that I was left with a better understanding of my body and its needs for nourishment. So, if you REALLY feel like you need a “reset,” then I recommend doing a cleanse for a few days. I did it at a time where I was incredibly busy, so grabbing a juice on the go was convenient. Choose the time of your cleanse wisely, and prepare for a complete flush!
Photo by Alexia Phipps