Are Juice Cleanses Worth The Hype?
My friend Stephen just completed his first juice cleanse--Pressed Juicery's 3-Day Cleanse #3. Option 1, unlike Options 1 and 2, contains almond milk blends and is aimed at newbies and active people that need the extra protein and calories. Option 2 is the most popular option, and Option 3 is Pressed Juicery's "most intense and lowest calorie cleanse...ideal for those looking for maximum results in the shortest possible time."
The cleanses are offered as 1-, 3-, and 5- day plans. They range from $50 to $264, depending on whether you choose to include aloe and chlorophyll "cleanse waters" to sip on throughout your day. The prices are pretty par for the course as far as pre-bottled, cold-pressed juices go—$6-8 per 16 oz bottle.
Stephen went for Cleanse 3 as is—no substitutions. Here's what he had, repeated each day for three days:
- Greens 1 (celery, cucumber, kale, lemon, parsley, romaine, spinach)
- Citrus 1 (aloe vera, coconut water, cucumber, lemon, pineapple)
- Greens 2 (apple, celery, cucumber, kale, lemon, parsley, romaine, spinach)
- Greens 3 (apple, celery, cucumber, ginger, kale, lemon, parsley, romaine, spinach)
- Greens 1 (celery, cucumber, kale, lemon, parsley, romaine, spinach)
- Vanilla Almond (almonds, dates, sea salt, vanilla, filtered water)
Total calories: 760
Stephen says...
I've always wanted to try a cleanse, and I was fairly confident in my green juice tolerance because I love greens. The juices were surprisingly tasty. Greens 1 is the worst tasting by far, because in the other ones they add stuff that tastes better. I was instructed to drink my first juice around breakfast time and drink each juice about 2 hours after the last juice. It was also suggested I drink at least 8 to 10 cups of water a day while doing the cleanse.
DAY 1 // SUNDAY, 03/18/18—Weight, just after I woke up: 130.4 pounds
I went to Pressed Juicery around 11 AM and picked up my juices. There were so many!! And so heavy. I started the first juice at 11:30am and followed the instructions exactly. I drank so much water!! I peed 11 times that day (it started getting crazy in late afternoon.)
DAY 2 // MONDAY, 03/19/18—Weight, just after I woke up: 127.6 pounds
This day was very hard. I typically don’t eat a lot, but I got moody around 2 PM and had very low energy. I was annoying and whined to a lot of friends.
DAY 3 // TUESDAY, 03/20/18—Weight, just after I woke up: 126.4 pounds
This day was a little easier than the last.
DAY 4 // WEDNESDAY, 03/21/18—Weight, just after I woke up: 125.4 pounds
I tried eating normal foods again. I ate a salad for all 3 meals, with salmon for breakfast and dinner, and with vegan chorizo "meat" for lunch. I noticed that I was more sensitive to salt than before.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I would cleanse again because of the refreshing feeling I felt afterwards (and the way my body felt lighter), but it is definitely challenging. I also think that it's okay to cheat a little (e.g. drink kombucha, eat a few almonds, etc.) to curb the misery and hunger. ALSO I would make my own juices because it's really not very hard!! I learned how to do it and will try almost as soon as I get back home. So I'm looking forward to some weekend cleanses in the near future!!! Homemade juices are of course cheaper and it's nice because you can experiment with what stuff you want to add, but it can be hard to make it as clean-looking as ones you buy (e.g. it can be hard to get all the pulpy stuff out).
WOULD YOU DO IT AGAIN?
I might do another PJ cleanse... but definitely after trying homemade cleanses first. I have lots of ideas on what ingredients I want to add/increase the ratio of/decrease the ratio of/take out. For example, Green 2 and 3 have apple, which makes the juices sweeter. That's something I'd take out.
Pearl's personal note: tbh I believe your liver, kidneys, and colon do all the detoxing that your body needs, but I've been curious about juice cleanses, hence my interview with Stephen. To each their own!
Have you done a juice cleanse or followed a popular diet before? Share your two cents down below.