I have a confession to make.

A couple of weeks ago, I kind of kept a big secret from you.

I did an Urban Remedy juice cleanse.  Notice how I didn’t say I “completed” the juice cleanse…

I didn’t want to blog about it while I was doing it, because I really wanted to wait until it was over to think things through and share my thoughts.

I know juice cleanses are a pretty hot topic right now with some people who think they are awesome and do wonderful things for the body and mind and others who think exactly the opposite. Juice cleanses have always interested me, and they still do. Such an interesting idea to reset and refresh your body, mind, and spirit. Juice cleanses interested me, and they still do.  I wanted to know more about them and how they actually work in the body, and I had wanted to try one for quite some time so that I could develop more of an opinion on the topic from first-hand experience.

Many of my friends, group fitness participants and blog readers ask me about cleansing and without first-hand experience, I really had no direction or advice to give.  I understand that some people love cleansing, but at the end of the day I truly believe that being healthy is about consistency, moving your body, and eating to make yourself feel good (mentally and physically).  Whatever that means for you is probably best for your body because we are all different.

I’ve read that completing a juice cleanse can:

• Detox your system
• Increase mental clarity
• Boost energy
• Improve complexion
• Help with any sleep irregularity issues

That all sounded great to me! So, when Urban Remedy reached out to me asking me to try a cleanse I was all in ready to cleanse and refresh my body!!

Urban Remedy was created on the principle that a healthy idea equals vibrant health.  I feel like a couldn’t agree more with that statement!  They use all organic ingredients, sourced directly from farms.  You can read more about the Urban Remedy Story here!

You can purchase various cleanses, or wellness kits that include some food and snacks with the juice so it’s totally up to you to figure out what will work best for you.

My juices arrived cold around 11am on a Tuesday in a box full of ice packs, so I cleared out a space in my fridge and began my cleanse on Wednesday.

The cleanse I chose was the 3 day Signature Cleanse, which is recommended for beginners.  This included 6 juices that were a variety of green juices, a lemony drink, a strawberry chia drink, and cashew milk.  The bottles were all numbered so I knew which order to drink the juices in.

OK, now let’s get to the meat of this…

I ended up cutting the cleanse a day short.  

Now, this was NOT an easy decision for me.  I was SO EXCITED to try this out.  I have had many friends complete cleanses and say wonderful things, and I love experimenting and trying new things but I honestly felt my body made the decision for me.

It wasn’t the thought of only drinking juices that was the problem for me…it was the flavor.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t get many of the juices down, which meant that I wasn’t drinking all of the nutrients that I should have been getting.

The first juice “Brainiac” tasted very cucumbery, which I would have thought to be a good thing because I LOVE cucumber and cucumber flavored things but for some reason the flavor just didn’t jive with me.

The second juice “Time Machine” was much better and very easy for me to drink.  It honestly tasted like lemonade!

The third juice “Flush” really reminded me of the first juice, so I had a hard time finishing it.

I also could not develop the palate for the fourth juice “After Party”.  Not sure what it was, but I just couldn’t finish it.

By the time I got to the fifth juice the “Warrior”, I was anticipating the worst and was pleasantly surprised when I LOVED this juice.  After all, it was strawberries, chia, and stevia…what’s not to love?!

The final juice of the day was actually a nut milk called “Relax” that I could literally drink every day for the rest of my life.  It was so yummy.  I literally couldn’t wait to drink it again.

So, after the first day I honestly felt fine even though I didn’t finish every drink.  I made sure to drink plenty of water and opted to do Pilates that morning rather than a hard boot camp, indoor cycling, or running workout.

I was a little worried since I didn’t care for so many of the juices, and I e-mailed my contact to make sure I wasn’t doing something wrong.  She was very supportive and made sure to let me know that some people just don’t have the palate for green juices…which I can understand but thought it was odd that I DIDN’T have the taste for green juice because I normally have a pretty high tolerance for things that “taste healthy.”

Onto day two and I was hoping that my taste buds magically changed overnight….and they didn’t.

It was even harder to swallow the juices than it was on the first day.  By mid to late after noon, I was actually starting to feel pretty dizzy, light headed, and weak but powered through day number two.

After speaking with my mom and Brian several times about my concerns with the cleanse and the fact I couldn’t drink all of the juices due to my palate not accepting the flavor I decided to call it quits on the juice cleanse.  

Honestly, I was so bummed that I had to end the cleanse a day early.  It is not like me to “quit” something, and I was so excited about the whole process but the run-down, exhausted and dizzy feelings I had spoke volumes to me.  This was not how I should be feeling, and it was having a negative affect on my life so I listened to my body and ate fruits, veggies, nuts and legumes on day 3 with some of the juices instead of sticking with the strict cleanse. I listened to by body and had a gut feeling that it was time to end the cleanse.

Exercise:   I limited my exercise to a Pilates class on day one, no exercise on day two, and a 30 minute workout on day three.  Some people say they exercise normally and feel fine, but on day two I literally had no energy so exercising was out of the question.

Withdrawal Signs:   I don’t think I had any withdrawal symptoms.  When I woke up in the mornings I felt great and didn’t even miss my green tea or cup of coffee!  I honestly think the run-down feeling I had on day two was because I didn’t drink much of the juices I didn’t care for.

Hunger:  I didn’t feel hungry during the cleanse, which was kind of crazy because I feel like I am a very hungry person.  If I felt a little pang in my tummy, I would just gulp water and it would go away.

What Did I Learn:  I really paid attention to my hunger cues, and I think it helped me develop a better feeling for “intuitive” eating.  It helped me understand when I felt satisfied rather than full, and it also made me aware that many times I eat because “it’s time to eat” rather than because I’m actually hungry.

Would I Try it Again?  Honestly, I WOULD try it again.  It wasn’t the process I had an issue with, it was the juice flavors…these just weren’t for me and I’m ok with that.  Hopefully, I can find some that I like 🙂

Do I Recommend Completing a Juice Cleanse?  As I mentioned before, eating a healthy diet consistently is always going to be my number one recommendation but I can understand why so many people gravitate towards these cleanses.  If you do it right (and drink all the juice!) I think it could be a good way to “reset” the system and put some good healthy habits in place.  I DON’T think that a juice cleanse is a quick fix for weight loss or dieting, but I do think it could be part of a long-term healthy, balanced diet. The most important thing is to listen to YOUR body and do what you feel is right for YOU.  Any weight lost during the cleanse is typically water weight and will be gained back once the food is added back into the routine.

Do you have any questions about juice cleansing or my experience?  

Have you ever done a juice cleanse? I would love to hear from you all about your experiences, so please share them in the comments section!