So yes as some of you might have already heard, Joel and I decided to go on a 2 day juice cleanse! I know a lot of people have been rather curious about this new ‘fad’ including us so we decided to give it a go. I was initially concerned about how I was going to survive through the hunger pangs during work hours but let me assure it, this is very do-able even for a full-time working mum. In fact the tough part was probably figuring out how many bottles I would be needing at work and then lugging the heavy glass bottle filled juices to work and ensuring that I keep them cold on the way to work.
For those wondering how I transported my juices, I used my Fridge-to-Go bag (with ice pack) which could hold 3 bottles as well as one of those cheap/ free little cooler bags to hold another 2. I would leave both bags in the pantry fridge when I got to work. Joel on the other hand used one of the larger cooler bags provided by the juice company to transport them to the office and then putting them in the office fridge thereafter.
So how did we fare on Day 1 and what’s on the menu? J
For info – There was a 7th bottle which contained Coconut water for hydration. I consumed this bottle is small quantities throughout the day and was done with it by the time 6pm came around.
Bottle 1 – Pear, Lemon, Superfood Cayenne Pepper
We started off with our first bottle at about 930am and it wasn’t quite the start we expected but probably the start we needed. Oh the Cayenne Pepper burned my insides for sure! Apparently this will help to jumpstart your system and get you running to the toilet a couple of times for some of that ‘cleansing’. I felt ok after the first bottle, given that my body wasn’t expecting any food in my system till about 1pm.
Bottle 2 – Beetroot, cucumber, apples and Superfood Chia seeds
I started feeling really hungry at 1230pm in fact my tummy started growling during my meeting at 1130am. *Blush* I took the 2nd bottle at 1pm and it was mild compared to the first thoughI loved the Chia Seeds! However the 2nd bottle didn’t fill me up one bit. I lasted through a Parent Teacher Meeting at Jah’s school and I’m glad I had the distraction of an afternoon appointment but I honestly don’t know how I will last through an hour of lunch without lunch otherwise.
Bottle 3 – Black Sesame Nutmylk (Dairy-free, Almond & Cashew, medjool dates with Superfood Black Sesame)
Because of all that hunger pangs and ‘emptiness’, I had to take my 3rd bottle soon after. I attempted the 3rd bottle at 245pm. I say attempted because it was really hard for me to take. Not because I wasn’t hungry, oh I was very hungry! But I didn’t quite like Black Sesame I suppose. Felt like I was chugging down a big bottle of sesame paste. I hope my subsequent nut milks will taste better because apparently these are the ones that can help fill you up.
Bottle 4 – Coconut water, coconut meat with Superfood Goji Berries
I took the 4th Bottle at 430pm and it has got to be one of my favourites. Coconut water is awesome! My colleague commented that it looked like Tabasco Sauce because of the colour while Joel totally expected to taste some carrot-ish. I need to mention the hunger pangs and ‘emptiness’ have not disappeared despite going onto my 4th bottle but it was starting to ease up. In fact I managed to make it all the way till 730pm until I took my 5th bottle at home and by then I was no longer hungry (strangely).
Bottle 5 – Kale, cucumber, seasonal greens, lemon, apple, ginger with Superfood Spirulina
The 5th bottle was quite a tough one for me but not because I couldn’t tolerate the taste. Rather I was feeling very strange by the time I drank the 5th bottle. I was aching and cold (similar to flu symptoms) and drinking a cold bottle was juice was torturous. I took my temperature and realized that I was running a fever! It started to get worse by the time 9pm came around and I was contemplating not taking my last bottle.
Bottle 6 – Seasonal Smoothie with Superfood Raw Honey
After putting Jah to bed at 930pm, I decided to give Bottle 6 a shot. I was encouraged by the fact that it was a smoothie with honey which at least sounded like it was going to be yummy and soothing. I finished the bottle without much issues and it tasted good! Think I would have really enjoyed it a lot more if I wasn’t so cold and tired by then. At that point I wasn’t so sure if I could continue with Day 2.
*Sorry no pic of this juice as I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to take one*
Post Day 1
I headed off to bed and managed to muster some strength to read up on “Healing Crisis” which is apparently the reaction (fever, aches, pains, flu symptoms etc) that some people get during detox. If I had read this on any given day, I would have thought that it was utter nonsense. But there I was, running a fever and feeling absolutely lousy.
I decided to sleep and I didn’t take any fever medication. By 1am, I started cold sweating and my fever was started to subside. By 7am the next day, the fever was gone and I was almost feeling 100% again. I say almost 100% because you know the feeling you get the morning after an intense workout? Yes that’s how I feel now..:) And some might argue that, that’s a good feeling to have.
So yes it was a rather dramatic Day 1, I expected dramatic in the form of hunger pangs and struggling not to eat but that part was surprising quite easy. I will definitely be continuing on Day 2 of my Juice Cleanse so do stay tuned for how Day 2 goes (they say it gets easier :p)
Oh yes and one more thing, while I had experienced quite a bit of ups and downs. Joel had a pretty different experience from me! No fever, no aches and pains, in fact he even managed to play soccer with the boys that evening. So yes, apparently it is true that everyone’s experience can be very different. That being said, if you don’t feel well during or after a juice cleanse, please do see a doctor.
On with Day 2! Wish me luck!
JahBella’s Mummy
JahBella 