Raw Pressery Juice Cleanse

Hi guys!  Like the start of every year, detox diets regain their popularity after a season full of indulgence.  From juice cleanses to elimination diets, many of us are willing to try just about anything to see fast results in terms of weight & overall wellbeing.  In fact, this time last year I was doing the Whole30 program which meant the following foods were off limits for 30 days:

• Sugar of any kind, real or artificial
• Alcohol
• Grains, including pseudo grains like quinoa
• Legumes (e.g. chickpeas, lentils, peanuts, soy sauce, tofu, beans)
• Dairy
• White potatoes
• Additives like carrageenan, MSG or sulfites
• Paleofied baked goods, desserts or junk foods i.e.  desserts or junk food made with “approved” ingredients

You can read about my experience here.  Although I enjoyed the 30 days, it only reminded me that these extreme approaches do not work…at least not for me.  However that doesn’t mean I am not interested in hearing about other people’s experiences.  My good friend Urvashi embarked on the One-Day Raw Pressery Juice Cleanse a few weeks ago and she kindly agreed to share her experience- hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I did:

This year, my Christmas gift to myself was odder than usual and a little masochistic – but enjoyable nonetheless. Before your thoughts wander any further, I’ll let you in on what it was – a one-day Raw Pressery juice cleanse.

I have been interested in health and fitness for about 3 years now and have been hearing about juice cleanses for a while. Given my curious mind and willingness to try anything related to health, it was just a matter of time before I experimented with the juice cleanse myself. Although people go on cleanses for longer durations, I wanted to ease myself into it by starting one day at a time. In retrospect, that was a good call for me personally.

I signed up for Raw Pressery’s one-day juice cleanse, which consists of 6 bottles of 410 ml of different juices – Trim, Run, Flush, Shield, Glow and Build. The first juice starts at 9am with an interval of 2.5 hours between each juice. Here’s a brief recount of the day as it went:

My day started at 6:30 – 7am with a tall glass of water and a brisk 45-minute walk, but I couldn’t have my first juice until 9am. This was a little hard since I usually have breakfast by 8:30 and I had started feeling hungry by 8. The wait ended with Trim (kale, spinach, doodhi, amla, celery, green apple, ginger and lemon). Surprisingly it took me longer than expected to finish the juice – 30 minutes. I didn’t like the taste – don’t like starting my day with sweet – and it was heavier than I thought it would be. After I finished the juice, I was left with the lingering taste of spinach and ginger till my next juice, which was a little unpleasant.

 

One hour after my first juice, I got a little hungry, but nothing I couldn’t handle. One and a half hours later, I was on my second juice – Run (pineapple, pear and chia seeds). This juice was delicious but again, too sweet for my liking.

 

My lunchtime hunger pangs had started by 1pm and they were quite bad. I was really hungry; I could feel my stomach grumble and I was desperate for something savoury. I gave in a little by having a glass of water with lime and a little salt. This helped.

My next juice, Flush (apple, beet, carrot, ginger and lemon) was an hour later and didn’t help my salt cravings at all. The juice had a strong flavour of carrot and ginger and left a lingering sweet taste in my mouth that wouldn’t go away no matter how much water I drank. Although I was really hungry before this juice, I couldn’t finish it and left half, because I didn’t like the taste.

 

My hunger died down a bit after lunchtime and I was feeling a little better. By 4:30pm, it was time for my next juice – Shield (tangerine, carrot and ginger). I didn’t like this juice either, but I managed to finish the whole bottle.

I didn’t feel hungry for the rest of the day, but I was still craving something salty. By 7pm, it was time for Glow (cucumber, coconut water, pineapple, lemongrass, aloe vera and lemon), but it didn’t drink it until 7:30. It still took me 30 minutes to finish it, but it wasn’t as bad as the last 3 juices.

The last bottle of the day was almond milk-based and was my favourite – Build (almonds, honey, cinnamon and water). Although this juice was quite heavy, with a calorie content of over 400 and 33 grams of fat, it wasn’t as sweet as the rest – which was a relief. It took me over an hour to finish the bottle, but by the end of it I was full and ready to end my day. Finally!

 

According to me, if you’re thinking of doing a juice cleanse, there are a few factors to consider that you might not think of otherwise:

• The juices are all sweet, so it tends to get a bit much at times and salt cravings are a very real thing.

• It’s best to do the cleanse on a day when you’re fairly occupied (at least mentally), because you can really do with the distraction.

• Doing the cleanse with a friend makes it a lot easier. Someone to bitch to when the going gets tough.

• Since you’re not chewing food, there tends to be plaque build-up, which isn’t very pleasant. Also, your mouth feels and tastes weird the whole day.

• Be ready to deal with your stomach making loud grumbling noises.

• There are points during the cleanse when you will get really hungry and you will want to eat solid food. STAY STRONG!

• If you’re planning a walk or some light exercise, schedule it for the evening. The earlier you wake up, the harder it gets.

• Make sure you drink plenty of water during the cleanse.

• Take your time drinking the juices.

• It’s natural to get gassy during the cleanse. If that’s something you have a problem with, reconsider doing it.

• You may go to the bathroom a few times during the day. That’s natural too.

• Feeling slightly lightheaded during the cleanse is normal. Herbal tea (without caffeine) with a squeeze of lime will make you feel better.

• You can’t (and probably won’t want to) get back to your usual diet immediately after. It’s best to start the next day with fruit, steamed veggies and light food. Try to avoid caffeine, meat and too much bread as it can get a little heavy on your digestive system

The day after the cleanse, I was more than ready to get back to savoury food. I think I even dreamt of eggs on toast the night before. However, the only thing I could manage to eat was fruit (more sweet – ughh!). The rest of the day I kept my meals light – steamed veggies with lime and salt, nuts, and finally an omelet for dinner.

Moreover, I focused on if I could sense anything different about my body and how it behaved, but it was nothing significant, sadly. I didn’t lose any weight, my appetite decreased a little, but only temporarily, and I didn’t find a difference in the appearance of my skin. However, I did feel like my digestive system got a much-needed break.

Would I do the cleanse again? I don’t know. I may, if I feel like I’ve mustered enough willpower to go through it again, or if a friend manages to convince me to do it with them. It wasn’t super easy for me during, but after I was done I felt it wasn’t so bad. For those who are considering it, I can’t tell you if you should or shouldn’t – but if you’ve considered all points and its something you’ve been curious about, go for it! 

Talk about an amazingly detailed recap!  Thanks SO much for sharing, Urvashi.

Anyone tried a juice cleanse? How was your experience?

Have you tried any detox diets in the past?