For some reason, 2011 has been all about getting things out of my system, figuratively and literally. The long emails to friends and lovers telling them how I really feel, the admissions to my parents about what I’ve been up to while ‘working from home’…

I’ve run the gamut of what one could do to rid themselves of toxins, anxiety, stress – you name it. I’ve been chanting it out in yoga, sweating it out while spinning, and well, shitting it out while going for a Colon Cleanse. How could I not complete the expelling with a dietary cleanse?

Yes, I know they are controversial. There are a bazillion cleansing methods to choose from, it is truly overwhelming. Recommended to me by a nutritionist, I tried Total Cleanse. Total Cleanse is a 3-day juice cleanse. To pro-cleansers like my friend Allana it’s called “juicing.” I always thought that was another kind of slang, but maybe I’m just hip to the wrong scenes. Yes, it is exactly what you think – 3 days of nuthin’ but juice.

Some people follow their own recipes and make their juices at home, but being without a juicer – that wasn’t an option for me.

The Total Cleanse system was really a no-brainer. In the middle of winter the last thing I wanted to have to do was keep running to the grocery store to complete a list of complicated ingredients of what I could and could not eat. This juice cleanse was more than simplified for me. Juice was delivered to my door. I was to drink juices every 2 – 3 hours, they are labeled from 1 to 6. So the instructional part was simple. “I’m gonna zip right through this!” I thought.

There were three types of juices, daily you would have all of them – but mostly you would be drinking the Green Energy one. It wasn’t too terrible, but it’s a big dose of ‘green’ first thing in the morning. I did, however, like the lemonade-like juice (I always looked forward to it as my treat – it has some cayenne pepper in it).

I must admit I struggled – and one night found myself sneaking some cheese and crackers.

I think cleansing is a great idea once in a while. You always end up hating it at first, but feel refreshed, energized, and accomplished by the end. The Total Cleanse option was easy, and definitely doable. More than anything, I became super conscious of what I was putting into my body after cleansing – I didn’t want to ruin it by jamming my system with sugars, high fats or toxins.

If you do choose to hop on the cleansing or “juicing” train this Spring, remember to do your research, pick something safe and easy, and most of all listen to yourself – and don’t feel so bad about having the cheese and crackers.

For more information go to: www.totalcleanse.ca

~Louisa Cohen