This week I had the pleasure of not eating any food for three days and just drinking water and juices!
Sound horrendous? Well think again! The mastermind nutritionist behind All about jUice, Glasgow, Natalie Blue kindly invited me to try their 3 day juice detox/cleanse and as someone who is health conscious I jumped at the chance to give it a go.
What was involved?
I was prescribed 3 days of fresh juices (4 per day) made by the staff at All about jUice in their Dumbarton Rd shop, following a consultation with Natalie to ensure I was a candidate for doing the cleanse. Four different juices per day (to be consumed every 3-4 hours) and advice given via an information sheet on how to stay hydrated, what to expect from the process etc.
How did it go?
Day One
I woke up late. Not a good start to the week or the first day of juicing!
Bit of a scunner when you wake up realising you're late AND you can't eat now for 3 days! That being said, I grabbed 3 of the juices from the fridge (brightly coloured and looking appetizing indeed) and set out on my first day as a detoxer. I took Natalie's advice and sipped on hot water (minus the lemon because annoyingly I'd forgotten to buy some!) on the drive to work and unexpectedly appeared to be upbeat despite not getting my morning caffeine fix! On arrival I opened up my first bottle of juice, richly green in colour, and I got the freshest, healthiest aroma instantly. Hints of kale, cucumber and ginger, the juice was tasty, filling and had a real zing to it.
As lunch time arrived I wasn't dreading 'eating' with my colleague as much as I'd feared. My second juice of the day was entirely different in colour and on my first taste was definitely a different combination than the first. Carrot, beetroot and possibly apple, this was another winner and filled me up, so much so, that I did struggle to finish it in our short lunch break.
The last two juices of the day were equally enjoyable, tasty and didn't leave me hungry, though I did however start to feel a little headachy and tired on the drive home (could have been the day's workload though!) and had to catnap on the sofa before hubby got home from work. This was to be expected and was explained in the information notes given, so I bowed down to it and slept it off.
Day Two
A breeze! 4 lovely juices, some different to the previous day, with my favourite being the berry soya breakfast juice which I could have drank lashings of. No sign of headaches (I did try to drink more water than I would normally to avoid getting them) but the fatigue set in on the drive home again and another catnap was in order, this time on the living room floor where hubby found me. I went back out to work that evening, last juice of the day in hand and leisurely sipped it as I worked. I was more perturbed at not getting my cuppa that evening I have to say but food wise, I wasn't left craving anything terribly or seeing people's heads as chicken legs like in the old cartoons.
Day Three
Probably the toughest in terms of wanting food as in the back of my mind I felt like I was nearly done, even though I still had a full day of cleansing to go through. A little grumpier, a bit tired but certainly, I wasn't starving as the yummy juices were again filling. I enjoyed drinking each new flavour and felt a sense of accomplishment that I reached the third and final day.
The Honest Bits
I do admit I was a little more irritable on occasions but nothing that anyone else would have noticed (I hope!). Yes, I did have a few moments of 'Mmmm, I could eat something!' but they weren't long lasting or too tempting to sway me. I never had a terribly rumbly tummy nor did I have the muscle cramps that can be expected from detoxing. if anything, in terms of side effects, all I would say is I was a tad more tired than usual at the end of each day. Nothing 40 winks on the couch or an early night didn't sort out. I didn't threaten to eat anyone and I didn't dislike any of the juices! They were all really tasty! And that really was all I'd been worried about...not liking the juices. No chance of that here, as each All about jUice juice was delicious
How Do I Feel?
Great! Personally I know the extra boost of vitamins will have been an added bonus to my normally healthy week. I usually get around 5-9 portions of fruit and veg a day but getting it in copious amounts through a juicing detox can only serve me well. Ditching any processed foods, caffeine and alike for a spell had been something I'd been wanting to do for a while to restart my system and give it a well-needed break. For all that I am a healthy eater who is mindful of what I put in my body, I do have my 'treats' sporadically throughout the week and my vice, coffee, daily. I don't drink alcohol though.
The last two days I have felt more alert for sure and that sense of accomplishment that started to creep in on the third day has only increased. I'm pretty chuffed that I saw it through and didn't cave when hubby cooked Super Noddles on Wednesday night. There was no real huge struggle in it for me but I appreciate everyone will deal with it in their own way and come up against hurdles.
As I lead a relatively healthy lifestyle some may wonder why I bothered to do the detox in the first place. Are the results dramatic enough to merit the, what some may deem, extreme sacrifice of giving up food for 3 days. Well I'd say, I don't know, as everyone embarking on a juice detox will no doubt have different goals, expectations etc. This is where the expert that is Natalie comes in. The initial consultation prior to any sort of cleanse or detox will determine if it's right for each person and the proper advice, including to consult your doctor beforehand, are set to ensure your experience is a safe and enjoyable one. Natalie will ensure you're supported throughout the 3 days and your specific needs are adhered to (allergies etc) so no need to worry. In terms of weight loss, I lost a substantial amount actually. 6lbs in 3 days but have already put some of that back on from starting, albeit healthily, to eat again. i wasn't doing it to lose weight, although it was a given as you're likely to lose something when you're not eating for 3 days. The objective behind a detox is to rid your body of impurities and give it and your mind that reboot or kick start it's craving. It then should encourage you to start or continue to eat healthily. And sometimes we all need that little kick up the bahookie eh?!
For me a huge plus point was that this juice detox was hassle free. When hubby and I attempted a DIY juicing cleanse a while back, we caved through sheer exhaustion caused by the relentless, monotony of juicing all the fruit and veg ourselves. It's phenomenal how many bloomin' carrots and apples are needed to fill a glass and Rob and I were completely and utterly fed up with the, what felt like, hourly run to Aldi and the bomb site that had in fact become our kitchen by day two. All about jUice takes all that away from you. No fuss, no mess...no trouble! It reminds me of the Father Ted episode where Mrs Doyle 'likes the misery of making tea'......at All about jUice, they'll be your Mrs Doyle!
So in conclusion......
Did they taste good? YES, they sure did!
Did I manage three days relatively easily? YES I did. No biggy really!
Did I feel good afterwards? YES and I still do. In body and mind.
Would I do it again? YES definitely!
A huge thank you to the Team and especially Natalie at All about jUice!! If anyone has questions for Natalie do not hesitate to contact her, she'd be thrilled to hear from you and to help!
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