Monday, May 17, 2010

Health - Urban Remedy Cleanse

So the last post I did was about me starting the Urban Remedy Cleanse. I didn't die, I didn't fall off the face of the Earth. It's just the last day of the cleanse was one of my best friend's birthdays, so since then I've been a bit busy. As Roxy has just finished her cleanse I thought I better jump in quick and write up my cleanse experience so she can get her two cents in now.

So... What were the juices like?
The first thing that attracted me to the cleanse was not that I wanted to cleanse my insides and feel new again, it was that I wanted to spend three days drinking juice! I'm a bit of a juice nut, and I'm always on the look out for new tasty juices to try. Juice #1 was perhaps a little strong for me, but I still enjoyed it. It was probably the celery but it was a bit of a vegetable overload. But at the same time I felt so clean and healthy drinking it that it always managed to make me smile inside and out. Juice #2 was my absolute favourite. Pineapple, mint and apple. I wish I could find this one on my supermarket shelves, but instead I think I'm going to have to invent my own substitute. I didn't have too many opinions about juice #3 and juice#4, their main components were carrot and beetroot respectively.  I love beetroot, but at times it could become a bit too sweet, and the carrot one just reminded me of normal V8 juice so that was tasty enough. Juice #5 scared me a bit. Lemon, water and cayenne pepper. I loved it. I was worried it would be too watered down, but the amount of lemon was just right and the cayenne pepper added a bonus oomph to it that gave it a bit more of a kick but also helped warm you up a bit (which was something I desperately needed!). Lastly finishing off with juice #6 was a great way to end the day. It was thicker than the other juices, with blended cashews and coconut it was almost like eating a meal! It was delicious and I would happily sip away at it while my housemate munched away at her dinner.

So... Were you ready to eat your own hand by the end of it?
NOT AT ALL! Surprisingly I wasn't hungry at all throughout the cleanse! The juices are all fairly thick and you almost feel like you're eating when you gulp them down. Obviously there isn't any chewing involved but you swish it around and it's a bit like having a meal. I was satisfied the whole time, but that's not to say I wasn't craving things! Suddenly food felt like this holy grail, I didn't need it but I wanted it. If I can give one tip for anyone doing the cleanse, don't watch Masterchef! I didn't miss any other restrictions like no coffee or no alcohol. I recently cut back the amount of alcohol I drink by a lot, and so I can't say I was reaching for the bottle by the end of it, and I also don't drink coffee so I had no problems with that. I felt satisfied the whole time, but I can tell you having a picnic with friends while they pass around birthday cake and you sip on your juice is a real test of willpower.

So... How did you feel?
Even before I started the cleanse I was pumped full of energy! I made sure I got a good nights' sleep the night before and I jumped out of bed full of excitement to crack open my first juice. I was feeling pretty flash through the whole day, buzzing with energy. By about 8:00 I was always a bit sleepy so I made sure I got to bed early and always woke up with a buzz. I also felt empty, not in that horrible soul wrenching longing way, but like if I jumped into the air I would float down like a feather. I felt like I could do anything because I was just so clean and healthy! It was a great feeling! I loved being on the cleanse and I love giving it a try. At the end of it the hardest thing wasn't the not eating or trying to get to bed early, it was dealing with other people's reactions. By the end of it I was sick of people giving me that look saying "oh you know this is just one of those fad diets?"

It isn't a fad diet. It's not a diet. I probably got more nutrients through those juices than I would get on any normal day even if I tried to eat super healthily. I felt great and I wasn't just starving myself for three days. Roxy asked me if I would do the cleanse again and my answer was: maybe.

If you've seen my other blog at all you'd know that I'm planning a massive trip in 2012, and a smaller one in 2011. As I am shocking at saving money I really need to put all of my efforts into that so forking out almost $200 for three days of not eating heavinly juice drinking, is very unlikely. I'm glad I gave it a go though because it made me feel fantastic and it made me feel like finally I was giving my body a much deserved break.


Over to you Roxy!

0 letter(s) to the editor: