Anyone who knows me knows that I have as much willpower as Carrot Top has natural face left. This is why I figured that I would be the perfect candidate to try a raw juice cleanse that restricted me from my boyfriends, food and alcohol. Alas, it was a new year and I was determined to have a fresh start—inside and out. I was put in touch with the lovely people at Raw Juice Guru (@RawJuiceGuru) and after completing a questionnaire that outlined my eating and sleeping habits, as well as the current state of health, I was set up on a 3-day cleanse. 

The cleanse itself, actually involves both fruits and vegetables; a wonderful medley of vitamins and nutrients that the body craves. One of the best things about the cleanse are the six bottles of fresh juice (and two bottles of elixirs) that arrive at your door every morning (with an accompanying e-mail that states what is in those bottles). It is definitely something a girl could get used to. Having said that, let me get episode-of-Intervention real for a minute. This was not the easiest thing to get through. Each day had specific pros and cons, but I believe that it was worth it in the end. If you are considering doing a cleanse yourself, here is a rundown of what I experienced over the course of the three days:

Day 1

At 8:00am, I opened my door to a cooler bag filled with jars of cold pressed, fresh juices. The first juice tasted like cucumbers dipped in mild vinegar—certainly not the flavor of blueberry bagel with strawberry jam to which I was accustomed. That was the first thing that my body had to get used to: It had to develop a taste for the fruit and vegetable mixtures that were foreign to me (in a co-mingled and liquefied sense). Since they suggest that you drink a lot of water during the cleanse, you turn into the type of person who could pee on command, because the tank is always full. Think of it as a good party trick and don’t feel guilty about those moments when you debate purchasing Depends. In terms of food cravings, I can honestly say that I did not crave anything in particular, though I did feel hungry. Thankfully, I knew that I was not hungry because my body was being starved, but because my lifestyle up to that point had contained a lot more calories. I went to bed feeling accomplished—I had successfully gotten through the first day. 

Day 2

On the second day, I woke up feeling refreshed. I also noticed that the typical dark circles under my eyes had faded quite a bit. I was feeling good…and then 12:00pm hit. I like to call this the “I will shank your mother for a cheeseburger” phase. Hunger hit. Cravings hit. I needed a hit…of food. Thankfully, it is recommended that you drink a bottle of juice every 90 minutes. This is helpful, because when you feel like you are at your hungriest, it is time to consume another jar of health. While the juice doesn’t satisfy the craving of meat and potatoes, it does cut the actual hunger. Unfortunately, as if cravings weren’t enough, I suffered from headaches too. This was my body‘s way of saying, “Hey, bitch! Where’s the caffeine and sugar at?” I find that distracting yourself with friends, or yoga, or forcing your dog into hour-long cuddle sessions, really takes your mind off of the side effects of the detox. You have to keep in mind that everything your body is going through is because the cleanse is working and you are flushing out your system. I went to bed around 8:00pm that night, fully capable of drifting off into an uninterrupted slumber. That never happens and was a welcomed change.

Day 3

After getting a solid 11 hours of sleep, I felt motivated to tackle my third and final day of the cleanse. This is when a funny thing happened. I realized that I was no longer motivated by the knowledge that I would soon be able to eat solid food again. No, I was now motivated by how rested I felt and by the decrease in the dark circles under my eyes. I was motivated by the disappearance of headaches and by how smooth and supple my skin appeared to be. Ever since I lost my job a few months ago, I had been fighting a losing battle with my skin. It had become a prisoner of my stress. Now, it was clear and glowing, and to me, that was worth every day without food. Although cravings and the slight hunger never completely went away, it was substantially more manageable by the third day. I even stopped telling my dog that if he really loved me, he would put me out of my misery.

 

At the end of the day, if I can get through a 3-day cleanse, anyone can. Visit the good people of Raw Juice Guru for details on cleanse plans, prices and the types of fruits and vegetables that are used, as well as their benefits. The employees at RJG are very knowledgeable and always ready to answer any questions or concerns you may have. If you are interested in feeling good from the inside out, then a cleanse is definitely for you.