The 5 Day Juice Cleanse is COMPLETE--Our Thoughts

We DID it! YAY!

Wanna know what we thought about the experience? Here you go!

PROS:

    +Easy. No meal planning. No grocery shopping. No food prep. No dishes.

    +Yummy. I liked every single juice.

    +The packaging was BRILLIANT! Recyclable and compostable.

    +Less tummy bloat, face/eye puffiness, and feet/leg swelling.

    +Made us hydrate!

    +No hunger. We never said, "I'm starrrrving!"

    +We experienced good energy–when we felt like we needed fuel, we drank a juice and

    felt like we were back in action.

    

    +Slept great.

    +Weight loss (I lost 5 lbs. Hubby lost 11lbs. Is that a healthy amount to “lose” in 5

    days? No. Do I expect that most of it will go right back on after eating healthy food–

    even when watching calories? Yes. I’ll talk more about this in another post!)

    +AND…the biggest boon…it was definitely a mental re-boot. We’re not jonesing for junk

    food nor do we have ANY plans to overstuff ourselves like we had been doing in our

    prior “vacation mode”. We don’t miss THAT feeling at ALL!

CONS:

    -Expensive. (Probably NOT for what you get though…making juice at home is expensive

    AND time consuming!)

    -High sugar content…when the sugary floor came out from underneath us, we turned

    into grouchie-grouchertons.

    -The Wellness Shot was insanely spicy and the Vitality Shot was not for me.

    -OK for a 3-5 day thing, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a long term thing due to lack of     protein, fiber, fat, etc. (Which, of course, is why it’s called a “cleanse” and not a “way of     eating” LOL!)

    -As the 5-day mark approached, some of the juices started looking a little funky and

    didn’t taste nearly as fresh as they did on day one even though most of the “Best   

    By” dates were still 2+ weeks away.

CONCLUSION:

Would I do it again? Sure thing! Though, I would probably stick to 3 days as I don’t feel like I got THAT much more out of the extra two days. I experienced ALL of the Pros listed above by the third day for sure.

Would hubby do it again? He actually said the same thing! “Three days is about right!”

So there you go! Thanks for tuning in and checking out our 5 Day Juice Cleanse Experiment! It was fun having you along for the ride!

Until next time!

HUGS!

My first chewable food in 5 days!  Wahoo!

Day 5: The 5 Day Juice Experiment--Three Questions

As this 5 Day Juice Cleanse Experiment comes to a close, I have 3 questions that I've been asking myself...

Question 1:

How the heck can hubby and I be on a juice cleanse, where we do nothing but drink liquid all day but yet we are still constantly thirsty? My water bottle and I have become besties. I’m drinking more liquid (in the form of juices) and more water than I have in…my whole life maybe? What magic is this?

Question 2:

How were we NOT hungry during this cleanse? We have felt like we needed FUEL (like we were running out of steam), but we didn’t have that ravenous, “I’m hungry” feeling. So weird.

Question 3:

Can it really be day 5 already? I’m not saying I’d like to do more days, but those 5 days went by REALLY fast! (And hubby agrees!)

Things to note…

• When we started this cleanse, we were coming off a lonnnnng period of “vacation eating/drinking”, so both of us were VERY ready to get rid of the “full feeling”.

• We haven’t had any social engagements…which undoubtedly made the cleanse easier.

• We have been suuuuuper busy…so no downtime to think about food.

• Our kitchen is being pulled apart…so we can’t cook anyway.

OK…sooo…tomorrow I will share some details about what we got out of our cleanse and what we thought about the experience as a whole. See ya later, gater!

Day 4: The 5 Day Juice Cleanse Experiment--Energy Levels

"So, how are your energy levels?"

Well, I might be dragging (due to the cold), but this cleanse is giving hubby some energyyyyyyy! He hasn’t had any energy dips AT ALL. This morning he decided to have a little coffee (which you’re technically NOT supposed to do during the cleanse) and as we were walking home from the coffee shop he looked at me with wide, crazy eyes and and said,

“Arrrrrrghhh!!!!!IjustfeellikeIwannarundownthestreetasfastasIcan,andthenjump50feetintheairandintoatreewhiledoingkarateandthenclimbbackdownthetreeandthendocartwheelsandthen…wow. That caffeine really affected me!”

LOL! I guess the cleanse has made him even MORE caffeine sensitive! Good thing he is doing kitchen demo today…he’ll get some of that energy out! I just hope he doesn’t get carried away! Who knows what walls he might knock out?!

PS

On the downside, you know what comes after a caffeine high, right? The "crash and burn". Maybe he'll get lucky and it will pass him by....

PPS

One more dayyyyy!

Day 3: The 5 Day Juice Cleanse Experiment--Habits and Triggers

OK, so remember before I started the cleanse I said I was either having bad allergies or getting a cold? Pretty sure it’s a cold–sore scratchy throat, headache, fatigue, cough, etc.! Gah! So now it’s hard to tell if I’m tired because of cleansing or tired because of the cold! LOL! Hubby seems to be doing OK energy-wise though, so I’m going to attribute the fatigue to the cold!

What else? I’m really NOT hungry. (Again, that might be the cold talking…). It’s super surprising to me! AND I'm still having trouble fitting all the juices in cuz my stomach feels really full all the time. Hubby has no trouble staying on track…he even drinks the spicy shots AND two protein shakes!

Last night we took a walk around town and I asked hubby if we could walk past Salt & Straw (an ice cream place) so I could check out the new flavors. He just raised an eyebrow and laughed…and indulged me. I don’t know about him, but I didn’t even feel like I WANTED an ice cream cone…I really DID just want to see the cool flavors. (And they look fabulous…it’s a berry theme right now).

I have to say, it surprises me how much of my eating is habit-based. Like, when I run an errand, I have to fight the urge to buy that little packet of gummy bears at Trader Joe’s that I always get when I go grocery shopping. And it’s not because I’m hungry or have a craving…it’s totally situational. And I know this happens for hubby too! When he hears music coming from the local brewery it is like a siren’s call to go have a beer and get some tater tots. I wonder how long it takes for the food/situation/habit link to go away? How many times would I have to go to Trader Joes and NOT buy the gummy bears in order to have a time when I go in there and it doesn’t even cross my mind?

Food for thought, I guess! (Pun intended!)

Do you have certain situations where you almost ALWAYS grab a snack or a drink? What are they?

Day 2: The 5 Day Juice Cleanse Experiment--The Hiccup

So it’s Day 2.

Hubby and I got through day one with no problem. Hubby supplemented with 2 protein shakes. I just stuck to the cleanse (with ONE hiccup–I’ll tell you about that in a sec!). Neither of us felt hungry. And honestly, we’ve both been really busy, so it was nice not having to think about what to make for dinner! LOL!

The juices are pretty delicious–very sweet. They contain a LOT more sugar than I had expected…especially since some of the juices are green juices. I’m pretty sugar sensitive, so hopefully I can tolerate it over time.

Wanna know the flavors? There’s a Greens with Ginger, an Orange Turmeric, Roots with Ginger, Sweet Citrus, and Avocado Greens. They are all juices, but the Avocado Greens is creamy so it feels a bit more substantial than the other juices. I have a feeling that when I’m done with this cleanse, I’ll crave them. I kinda feel like I could pour one into a fancy glass with ice and a tiny umbrella and feel like I’m on a mini vacation!

So…my hiccup came with the shots. Holy Crap. Their Wellness Shot is a spicy little bugger! Wow. I tried to shoot half of it and it literally gave me heart palpitations! Pressed apparently gets feedback about its spiciness quite often so under the FAQ’s on their website, I followed their suggestion and diluted it with water (which meant I had an EXTRA juice to drink!). Even diluted, it was still spicy! AND…drinking the “extra” juice put me behind on my drinking schedule so I didn’t have enough time to drink the second shot (“Vitality”). It’s ok though. I didn’t really need it! (Though I AM curious to see how it tastes…hubby says it’s powerful, but not as powerful as the Wellness Shot.) We’ll see…

OK. That’s it for now! Any questions?

Day 1 (Continued): The 5 Day Juice Cleanse Experiment--What are we doing about exercise?

Wednesday July 10, 2024 (Evening)

More details about Day 1…

So…let’s talk about exercise for a sec.

Typically during a juice cleanse, proponents of cleansing say to lighten your exercise load because when you cleanse, you’re not giving yourself enough fuel for intense workouts. As such, MY plan is to stick with yoga and SKIP my normal 40-50 minute workouts (which I typically do every other day) and replace them with 10-15 minute, less intense mini-workouts. I might also do light walks outside on my “off” days. And though this is my plan, I’m going to give myself some grace. If I feel exhausted, I’ll take something out. It’s about listening to your body when you try something new, right?

What’s hubby doing? He’s keeping his current exercise routine–which is pretty intense. His plan right now is to supplement the cleanse with protein–either in the form of protein shakes OR meat (chewable, not liquid! LOL!). And again, he says his plan is to listen to his body and see if he’ll need additional fuel as he goes along.

OK…so that’s what I’ve got for you on Day 1 so you know what our plans are!

Do you have any other questions about how we’re approaching this journey?

Ask below!

Day 1: The 5 Day Juice Cleanse Experiment!

Wed. July 10, 2024

So the Juice Cleanse Experiment Begins!

Here are the details!

We ordered the 5 Day Pressed Juice Cleanse from Costco on July 3. It arrived on July 9 (one day earlier than expected). Yay!

The Pressed Juice Cleanse arrived in 2 BIG boxes…one for me and one for hubby.

Wow! What an expert packing system! The 5 Day Pressed Juice Cleanse comes with thirty 12 oz juices and ten juice “shots”. The boxes were lined with cotton-filled recyclable liners and had a whole bunch of large ice packs to keep the juices cold and fresh. The ice packs are no ordinary ice packs though–they can be repurposed as plant food! What??? Great idea, Pressed Juice! You get lots of points just for THAT!

AND…to my surprise, in the midst of a heat wave, everything arrived cold! Yahoo! Expiration dates were good. Most of the juices looked fresh (separation is normal, and the lighter “floating” juice looked mostly bright except for a few of the Greens with Ginger which were a little dark and stormy–read, “oxidation”.) We’ll see if they still taste fresh!

Hubby and I are both planning to do the cleanse for 5 days. I have never done a juice cleanse before, so I’m a little scared! LOL! The plan is to drink six 12 oz juices every two hours from the time we wake up until 2 hours before bed. Plus, we can drink one Wellness Shot and one Vitality Shot at any point of the day.

It is a juice-only cleanse. That being said, we are going to pay attention to how we feel and supplement as needed. Hubby likes to workout (harrrrd), so he might have to add in some protein to encourage muscle gain AND to have a normal amount of calories for a guy of his size. As for me, yesterday I felt like I might be developing a cold (or maybe it’s allergies–EVERYTHING is blooming here!) so I’m actually dealing with a scratchy throat and a headache. Same thing this morning. Kind of glad it started yesterday, or else I might be blaming the crappy feeling on the cleanse. It should be an interesting journey!

Stay tuned!

To Cleanse or Not to Cleanse...THAT is the Question! (Just kidding. We decided to Cleanse.)

So hubby and I have decided to do a juice cleanse. We’ve never done one before, but we were looking for a way to get back on track after a few weeks of junk food indulgences and it seemed like a cool way to rekindle our interest!

There are a LOT of folks who swear by juice cleanses, saying that cleansing makes them feel lighter and more hydrated. They also claim to sleep better, have better digestion, and have less aches and pains due to reduced inflammation. And the biggest claims about juice cleanses? They remove toxins from your body, boost your body’s ability to extract nutrients from food, AND heal your gut! A miracle in a bottle, right?

BUT…there’s always another side! Anti-juice cleansers say there isn’t any scientific proof that juice cleanses clear out toxins or detox the body. In fact, they say that juice cleansing can be harmful because of the lack of fiber (minimal fiber plus high fruit sugar equals rapid blood sugar spikes). Plus the lack of protein and calories in a juice cleanse can leave some folks feeling weak and undernourished. In addition to those negatives, anti-juice cleansers warn that SOME juices have high concentrations of oxalates, and for those with kidney issues, this can be a big problem. Other folks who shouldn’t cleanse? Folks who are dealing with deficiencies or wasting diseases (diseases that cause weight/muscle loss) like anemia, thyroid disease, osteopenia, osteoporosis, adrenal fatigue, IBS, colitis, Crohns, and others.

I actually tried to do some research to check out the science behind juice cleanses, but to be honest, I couldn’t find any randomized controlled trials (the gold standard of scientific research) that systematically assessed the effectiveness of commercial detox diets in humans! So, do I have definitive proof that cleansing detoxes the body, reduces inflammation, and helps with nutrient levels? No. Do I have definitive proof that it doesn’t? Also no.

So that leaves me with a body experiment. It’s 5 days. We won’t be doing any sciency stuff (ex. bloodwork), so we’re going to have to tune into our bodies and document how we feel.

If we feel crappy on day 2 will we keep going? No. If things don’t feel right, we’ll can the full fledged experiment and supplement with healthy whole foods.

So there you go. If you want to see how the Juice Cleanse Journey goes for us, feel free to tune in. Ask questions. Make comments. Express opinions. Be kind.

See you soon!

HUGS!

PS

Old pic, but we could TOTALLY be contemplating....

"To Cleanse, or Not to Cleanse? THAT is the question!"

Recipe: Watermelon Agua Fresca

Whew! It's been a HOT July here so far (109 the other day!) and we have been searching for ways to cool off and stay hydrated! It's so tempting to have a cold brew or a frozen margarita, but those choices are not as hydrating (or as good for you) as other choices!

So, in an attempt to keep the fun, make healthier choices, and ditch the alcohol, I've been trying out some Mocktails and other fruit-based drinks! On the Fourth, some friends and I sampled a Watermelon Agua Fresca and we found it to be pretty darn yummy!

The bonus of a watermelon-based summer treat? Watermelon is a hydration superstar (it's 92% water!), a nutrient powerhouse (it's loaded with vitamins A, B6, and C), and it's rich in antioxidants like lycopene to support heart health and reduce oxidative damage. Plus, the amino acid citrulline in watermelon helps soothe sore muscles and improve exercise performance, making it the perfect post-workout treat!

Interested? Recipe as follows:

WATERMELON AGUA FRESCA

-Approx. 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 6 c. seedless watermelon chunks (about ½ small watermelon)
• 1/3 c. fresh lime juice
• 1/3 c. water
• Fresh mint sprigs for garnish

1. Put the watermelon, lime juice, and water into a blender and blend for 20-30 seconds or until smooth.

2. Pour into glasses with ice and top each drink with a sprig of mint. Enjoy!

PS

Some people take the time to strain after blending (because the watermelon WILL separate over time) but if you're drinking immediately, you should be fine to skip the strain!

March 2024 Check-In: How are those mini-challenges going?

Hey Friends! Time for a little check in! Remember waaaay back in January when I vowed to set mini-challenges for myself throughout the year so that I would take ACTION and LIVE BETTER? Remember when I said I was "going to try new health programs, set some fitness goals that I've always wanted to achieve, learn new skills, exercise my creativity, and of course, have a little fun in the process"? Well...I'm doing it! LOL! So far I've... ...COMPLETED a short term “New Year’s” detox that focused on hormonal balance. ("Shedding Your Menopausal Middle in 10 Days w/Jacqui Justice" on DailyOm.com) ...FINISHED Betty Rocker’s FREE 30 Day Make Fat Cry Challenge AND... ...READ (well, actually listened to...) "Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life" by Gary John Bishop to help motivate myself to get things done. What mini-challenges am I CURRENTLY engaged in? Right now I am... ...DOING Betty Rocker’s Home Workout Domination Program using her 3 day split calendar. (This means I'm taking 3 exercise classes per week in addition to doing yoga 4X week!) ....READING "Miracle Morning" by Hal Elrod ....PLANNING ON ATTENDING Andrea Beaman's "Healthy Detoxification Workshop" which airs next week. ...RESEARCHING how to set up a YouTube Channel. Side note...I actually STARTED setting one up (and though I THOUGHT I wanted to take my biz in that direction, now I'm not so sure! LOL! More to come on THAT!) ...ROCKIN' a Spring Health Kick program that I created. I plan on sticking to it for 1 month+. Parameters include a morning detox, an increase in nutrient dense foods, and a decrease in alcohol, sugar, and junk food. The goal is strengthening liver function, hydrating properly, boosting nutrition, and making it all super easy to turn this routine into a lifelong habit! Now, why am I telling you all this? Am I bragging about all the stuff I've done? Ha ha! No.... I'm telling you this because I thought it might help some of you. Because maybe you've been feeling how I was feeling at the end of 2023... I was feeling like I was in a total rut and I was overwhelmed because I wasn't sure how to get out of it. Turns out, mini-challenges are working out really well for me! For me, change needs to be manageable. It needs to be low risk (inexpensive, not too time consuming, no major downsides if it doesn't work the way I think it's going to work!). I need to be held accountable (another reason why I'm telling you about this!). And I need to see results. So far, so good! Have you got any mini-challenges YOU'D like to achieve? Things you want to learn? Books you want to read? Skills you want to foster? Relationships you want to boost? Creative projects you want to complete? Areas of your health you want to improve? What mini-challenges would shake up YOUR world and help YOU to LIVE BETTER? Feel free to share below! PS My Spring Health Kick allows for indulgences each week--like a drink or two per week. Why? Cuz sometimes if we completely restrict the foods/drinks we like, we go a little cray cray if we happen to slip up....and that is NOT good for the liver! PPS Speaking of drinking....What do you call a drunk dinosaur? A staggersaurus.

Happy New Year 2024!

Happy New Year, Friends!

I know I've been MIA, but it was a little combo of dealing with a crappy cold, traveling, and spending quality time with friends and family! I've had a great holiday (despite the cold) and now I'm rejuvenated and ready to hit the new year running!

My resolution this year is to take ACTION and LIVE BETTER! I'm going to set mini challenges for myself throughout the year. I'm going to try new health programs, set some fitness goals that I've always wanted to achieve, learn new skills, exercise my creativity, and of course, have a little fun in the process. Are you with me?

I'm going to start my first mini challenge on January 8th. Here's the story behind it....

About two years ago I came across an online course called "Shedding Your Menopausal Middle in 10 Days" by Jaqui Justice. I bought it, read through it a bit, got excited to do it, but NEVER actually DID it! Duh! Now what good is THAT? Programs don't work unless you DO them, right? So, I've set a goal for myself to actually start it on January 8th. It's an easy to follow, 10 day detox that would be PERFECT for breaking the holiday junk food cycle and balancing hormones. We'll have a week to get familiar with the program and stock up on the essentials!

I just LOVE trying new programs, don't you?! Maybe YOU have a 10 day program you'd like to try out? Or maybe you wanna try the one I'm doing? If you wanna play along, you can check it out right here: https://www.dailyom.com/.../shedding-your-menopausal.../

BTW, this program happens to be offered by DailyOm.com. If you're not familiar with DailyOM, they offer some great wellness courses within a price range rather than a set price. "Shedding Your Menopausal Middle in 10 Days" has a price range of $19-$55. You get the same course no matter which price you pay. Interesting, right?

Sooooo...if you have a health program you've been wanting to try or if you'd like to check out the one on Daily Om and do it with me...I would LOVE the company!

NO EXCUSES! This is the year I'm taking action, trying new things and LIVING BETTER!

What are YOU going to do this year?