10 Mins Read
We know we harp on about people’s busy schedules and about how many of us don’t get enough of the right nutrients in our bodies. It’s important to follow a healthy and clean eating regime all year round of course. But, we also know that at some points in the year, it’s hard to be food-disciplined. Come the holiday season, it’s all cocktail parties and big feasts. Prepare yourself, your body and your waistline but taking some time out and doing a juice cleanse.
Famous for their delicious raw vegan foods, nood food also offers cold pressed juice cleanses. In fact, there are three different ones to choose from: the Green Cleanse, Classic Cleanse and Active Cleanse. All three cleanses consists of six perfectly calibrated organic cold-pressed juices and superfood supplements that you mix into the juice bottle. Since we are dedicated to the cause of our dear readers’ health, we made the ultimate sacrifice and tried not one but all three! Below we are share our experience with each. Welcome to the juice diaries!
Before we share the details of how we felt each day, some of you out there might be juicing newbies and wondering why on earth one would subject themselves to three days of no solids? Below are some important facts about the juice cleanse concept. While a juice cleanse is a sacrifice that some might not even consider, just hear us out on the benefits:
- What is a juice cleanse? As nood food themselves explains, “a juice cleanse is a healthy form of routine maintenance providing your system rest to begin repairing itself on a cellular level. You abstain from solid foods and simultaneously flood the system with juice containing living enzymes and nutrients in its most easily assimilated form.”
- To get the most out of the nutrients from a juice cleanse, nood food uses organic produce whenever possible. This means the fruits and vegetables are grown in an environment where no artificial pesticides, fertilizers or genetically engineered materials/organisms are used.
- In order to produce raw, living juices, nood uses a cold-pressed juicing machine: this means the juices are extracted by a hydraulic press that minimizes heat and oxygen exposure. Why is this important? Because the liquefied fruits and vegetables retain their nutrient profiles! Heat kills enzymes, minerals and vitamins.
- Getting the good stuff in liquid form means that the body absorbs the vitamins and minerals more easily, directly in to the bloodstream in fact! This offers your system an instant alkalising effect (combatting acidity), which leads to more energy, improves your immune system and increases longevity.
- Juicing also means your digestive system is given a break- no need for your gut to expend energy digesting. Organs need holidays too!
- If your excessively busy lifestyle means you are skipping meals or making bad choices because you are eating out a lot because you don’t have the time to cook, a juice cleanse is convenient solution to get your nutrients.
It’s always hard to go it alone, which is why when embarking on a juice cleanse, nood food suggests sharing the experience with a buddy. And that’s exactly what we did so read on for how things went for our (somewhat) willing juice cleansers Chloe and Lillian…
Day 1: Green Cleanse – 870 calories; contains mostly vegetable juice to help purge the body of toxic build-up.
Chloe
Morning – Ok, first ever juice cleanse! Woohoo! Let’s see how I go…First drink of the day is warm water with a Zeolite supplement. Feels like drinking clay- not the most pleasant and very hard to swallow. Did light cardio at the gym for 30 minutes, then yoga stretches and some abs work. Followed that by having my first green juice of the day. Probably not everyone’s cup of tea but I think it tastes pretty good. Drank caffeine-free tea as well as lots of water. . Feeling good 🙂
Mid-Afternoon – Drinking juice as a replacement meal feels a little unnatural. I feel like I should be chewing something. I’m not hungry but psychologically, I think it’s just the act of putting something in your mouth and chewing it that I am missing. Trying to work on a blog post but it is not coming along well due to a lack of concentration, minor light-headedness and overall lethargy setting in.
Evening – Feeling bloated from all the liquids I’ve been drinking. Drinks have been great, all juices had a mild sweetness to them but are easy enough to drink. I think I’m celery’d out! Head spins gone and concentration is back to normal. What’s great (and surprising) is that I’m not feeling hungry. Pretty good for a novice juice cleanser!
Lillian
Morning – Zeolite with warm water…tough to swallow this one because it tastes like clay! Moving on to my first green juice- which is taking a bit of getting used to. The Whole Food contains celery, cucumber, apple, kale and Hawaiian Spirulina. It’s taken me the better part of an hour just to down it. It tastes so green!
Mid-Afternoon – Hunger sets in and I’m starting to feel emptiness in my stomach. I’m missing the feeling of chewing on something. At work, I tend to be a grazer, munching on healthy snacks I bring from home all throughout the day. Being in the same environment and following the same routine makes me just want to reach out for a snack and bite on something. I must stay strong though and stay away from snacking! Definitely helps doing this with a buddy – keeping each other motivated and just knowing you can’t let your friend down helps. Late afternoon onset of mild headache and strong emotions coming to surface – the tough day I’m having at work doesn’t help.
Evening – The Salsa Verde juice has an overwhelming coriander flavor- normally it’s one of my favorite herbs but am finding it is pretty hard to drink. Starving by the time evening comes around. Another long day at the office- have no energy left, it’s time to pass out.
Day 2: Classic Cleanse – 1, 390 calories; juices are a balance of fruit and vegetables and seed milk.
Chloe
Morning – Wow, I’m really surprised that I’m not hungry from yesterday. Bonus for today: juices have more calories in them. But ugh, this sandy clay drink is still not going down well! Must wash it down with more tea. Yoga class done, yippee! Just had the Recharge drink, strong flavor of lemongrass give it that refreshing feeling.
Mid-Afternoon – Great energy levels albeit feeling a bit full from all the liquids I’ve been having. Once in a while, my focus wanes and I have to snap myself out of it. Had a minor headache that quickly dissipated. Emotions feel a bit volatile. Oooh, Turn Me On is by far my favorite from all the juices I’ve had until now. Probably because it’s thicker and has a rich creamy flavor of sweet potato, YUM! Spoke to Lillian and was glad to find out that she’s feeling better today and more alert, unlike yesterday. Though sadly it seems I’m having her yesterday experience today.
Evening – The juices have been quite filling today and I seriously have had no hunger pangs. The nood food cleanse booklet suggests going to the sauna to release all the toxins from my body. I did exactly that as I thought it would ease my feelings of restlessness and allay my emotions. Loved the sauna but now I feel very sleepy and slightly nauseated, like I might vomit. It must be part of the healing crisis- totally depleted by the end of the day.
Lillian
Morning – Hunger and headache have passed when I wake up, thankfully. I don’t think I could handle another day of that! I start the day with a bright orange Recharge juice. I like the addition of lemongrass – nice refreshing way to begin!
Mid-Afternoon – Turn Me On is definitely the best juice of the day! It feels like there is a lot more variety in terms of flavors in this cleanse and the juices are heavier so I’m not feeling the hunger pangs that I experienced yesterday. This is my second foray into the liquid world of juice cleansing and I’m finding that my first experience at a retreat away from regular life routines was much easier. Perhaps it’s due to the commitment I made to take time out to truly heal and detox my mind, body and spirit? Not to mention all of the complementary activities we were doing to keep our minds busy. Being at work and cleansing is totally different and I am not sure it is the right fit for me.
Evening – I really enjoyed the Miracle Milk – a combination of celery, cucumber, apple, hemp seeds and sesame. It does have a strange light bluish/greenish glow to it but taste-wise it’s a winner- new favorite. Notice how none of my favorites are green! Feeling pretty low-energy despite the increased caloric intake so it’s early to bed for me.
Day 3: Active Cleanse – 1, 490 calories; four juices plus two bottles to assist in your workout and recovery; one has raw coconut juice with chia seeds and the other a dairy free smoothie.
Chloe
Morning – Finally, had the last of these clay drinks! Going out for a hike today so I’m packing my juices in a cooler bag. It’s only a moderate two-hour affair so I should be able to make it unscathed! My mood and energy levels are back on track. It’s crazy how energetic I’m feeling.
Mid-Afternoon – It’s the perfect weather for a hike, not too hot or sunny. The EnerChi juice full of refreshing coconut water was hydrating and gave me a bit of a boost in my steps. However, I did briefly feel extremely nauseated, similar to how I felt at bedtime last night. I had to slow my pace. Fortunately, we were nearing the top of the mountain and I was able to rest as I felt my body was shutting down. Feeling recharged, I hiked back down the mountain and then I happily slurped through the deliciously nutty and cinnamon flavored Power Mylk smoothie. I think I have a new favorite drink. Touched base with Lillian and neither of us are feeling hungry today. We chatted about our first meal back on solids, LOL!
Evening – I had a little napsky on the ferry ride back to Hong Kong island. Then I went for another sauna session. Returning home, my stomach started rumbling even though I wasn’t hungry. A stew was being cooked in my apartment and I think it was the scent that had my belly fooled. Still one of the hardest moments for me during the three day cleanse. What will I have for breakfast tomorrow I wonder? Hmmm, last juice then I’m putting myself to sleep, hopefully dream of eating something totally delicious…I think a dim sum feast is on the cards 😉
Lillian
Morning – Zeolite followed by warm lemon water. I’ve kept up my practice of warm lemon water first thing in the morning through this cleanse which is meant to have a host of health benefits including being alkalising and cleansing. Green juices to start the day – the first one is decidely yummy.
Mid-Afternoon – Drinking lots of herbal tea and water in between the scheduled juices helps keep the boredom away but boy am I going to the loo a lot! Try sitting through a two-hour meeting when all you’ve had are liquids and more liquids! I bust out of that meeting and make a beeline for the toilet the second the meeting wraps!
Evening – Made it! Detox done- woohoo! Time to celebrate with a nice healthy meal. Can’t stop thinking about what my first chew-tastic meal is going to be….the naughty side of me is dreaming of burgers and ribs but really I’m craving that soba noodle salad at Grassroots Pantry.
In Summary
The hard-core Green Cleanse was definitely harder to stomach than the other two cleanses- the caloric difference is definitely felt and the juices taste very green (read: bitter). The other two keep you far more full and are a little more enjoyable taste-wise. Irrespective of whether it’s your first time or whether you’re a veteran at juicing, it definitely requires a bit of dedication and mental preparation. Surrounded by foodie temptation, dealing with work stress and being exposed to your day-to-day environment, it can be difficult to maintain your resolve. The results are hard to argue with. We lost a kilo each, our stomachs were visibly flatter and our minds felt clearer! We were sleeping better and our digestive systems felt ‘cleansed.’ Overall, we both felt it was a great way to take a healthy time out every few months.
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