From time to time, FEMSHEP invites guest authors to write interesting posts that will discuss new and interesting things. FEMSHEP herself has not tried the things mentioned in these guest posts, or otherwise is nowhere near as knowledgeable as the guest authors. These posts are featured on FEMSHEP in order to diversify the content provided to you, our dear reader. Neither FEMSHEP nor any guest author is compensated for these guest posts, and they are provided for your enjoyment and contemplation.
I don't know what I was expecting, you guys. I drank all of these incredible juices on day 1, I had a good amount of energy, and I felt great. But nothing... happened. You know what I mean? I don't know what I was expecting, exactly, but it seems like something should have happened. Lightheadedness? Lethargy? Poop explosions? I found that I mainly felt like myself, just a little bit better. Kinda boring, right?
Day 2 might have been even less exciting than Day 1. I woke up 4 pounds lighter, but I'm convinced that's not actual weight loss, just probably fluid fluctuations and what's been flushing out of me (but HAS anything been flushing out?). I was determined to pay more attention to myself and my body, and see if I could identify any changes I was experiencing on this juice cleanse. I want to be able to share everything with you guys, because I know deep down almost every single one of you has seen a juice cleanse advertised and wondered if you should try it, just like me.
The major thing I noticed was that I was SO cold. On day 1, I assumed it was due to the Buffalo winter weather, which wasn't even that bad. On Day 2, I felt like I had a full body chill that wouldn't go away. My very thin friend who is on a cool carb-cycling/blood type diet her trainer put her on, indicated to me that this is what happens "when there's no carbs." Ha! Maybe, I thought. Fruits and vegetables are carbs, though! I knew what she meant.
There are three types of carbohydrates: sugar, starch and fiber. Sugars, or simple carbohydrates, contain just one or two molecules of sugar. The complex carbohydrates --starch and fiber-- consist of many molecules of sugar. When digested, sugars and starches are broken down by enzymes until only a single molecule of sugar exists, otherwise known as a monosaccharide. Monosaccharides are the only form of sugar that can enter your bloodstream and subsequently, your cells, which convert them into energy. In other words, fruits and vegetables are the types of carbs you want. Breads, white potatoes, baked goods, ice cream...not so much.
So was it the temperature of the juice, then? Or was it the fact that I was operating on a lot less calories than normal? Regardless, I don't like being cold, so I was wearing outfits made of blankets around the house. So haute right now.
There are three types of carbohydrates: sugar, starch and fiber. Sugars, or simple carbohydrates, contain just one or two molecules of sugar. The complex carbohydrates --starch and fiber-- consist of many molecules of sugar. When digested, sugars and starches are broken down by enzymes until only a single molecule of sugar exists, otherwise known as a monosaccharide. Monosaccharides are the only form of sugar that can enter your bloodstream and subsequently, your cells, which convert them into energy. In other words, fruits and vegetables are the types of carbs you want. Breads, white potatoes, baked goods, ice cream...not so much.
So was it the temperature of the juice, then? Or was it the fact that I was operating on a lot less calories than normal? Regardless, I don't like being cold, so I was wearing outfits made of blankets around the house. So haute right now.
The calorie thing got me thinking, though. If I can survive on this juice cleanse with so few calories*, how many calories of the right foods could I really survive on? I didn't feel weak. I had a good amount of energy. One thing I know I did wrong during this juice cleanse was that I didn't drink enough water. I was just drinking, drinking, drinking SO MUCH that I didn't really find time to drink water on top of it. That's a lot of liquid, you know? I should have, though, because I think that probably would have sped up elimination. I noticed that when I peed, it wasn't just a quick pee. It was long and drawn out. I had more bowel movements on Days 2 and 3. I think I definitely experienced some sort of cleansing effect, but how much? I don't know if I will ever truly know.
Day 2 the juices did not taste as delicious as Day 1. I found some of them much harder to get down, but I powered through. I noticed Day 2 that my normal sinus drain I experience when waking up was no longer present. I felt... healthy. Day 3, the juices tasted delicious again, so I don't know if maybe the juice recipes fluctuate slightly, or maybe it's part of the detoxifying effect that you taste things differently? In any event, I didn't need the Superfood bar to chew on Day 2 or Day 3. I started to get used to not chewing. I missed food, but not because I was hungry, just because I really like food. Especially a freshly cooked, hot meal, and even more especially in the winter. I wasn't craving foods that were bad for me, though. The foods that flashed through my mind (judge away) included sushi, a big fresh salad (was not pictured in my mind with bacon), fresh grilled fish tacos. I took not thinking of ice cream, bread, cheese, and other assorted deliciousness, as a positive sign.
I had a very strong migraine that had started the day before the cleanse, It lasted through most of Day 1, but was gone by Day 2 and didn't really come back. I didn't really do any exercise other than brisk walking through my errands, cleaning my house, that kind of thing. I wanted to do yoga and/or barre but happened to have an extremely busy three days. I just picked up the pace of everything I was doing, and figured it would give me a similar effect.
All in all, the juice cleanse was a lot easier to handle than I expected. I asked myself toward the end of Day 3 if I could have done this for 5 days, and I think I could have, so long as I was not more active than I was these three days. It was so easy to pack up the juices and my straws in a cooler bag and go about my day. Whenever I got hungry, I had a juice. I could see it becoming cumbersome in restaurant meetings with my clients, though.
What we didn't discuss in the beginning of this series of posts, was what you're supposed to eat after a juice cleanse. Since I didn't receive an instruction booklet with this cleanse, I scoured Google for days to research how to come off of a juice cleanse. Advice varied, however I came up with the following consistencies: Eat foods that are easy to digest; Continue drinking juice once or twice a day for at least a day or two after; Continue consuming the same types of fruits and vegetables which made up your juices, and re-introduce animal proteins gradually. I also deduced from my research that the more days you cleanse, the more days you have to devote to easing back into your regular diet. Seemed pretty reasonable. As I was only on a 3 day cleanse, I figured it would be pretty easy to get back to regular life. I do travel for a living, and I can choose broth soups and salads for my meals as well as from time to time, be able to pick up fresh juices or smoothies, but options are definitely more limited on the road than at home.
I ended Day 3 happy that I was done with the juice cleanse, even though I was not as cold most of Day 3 as I had been the previous two days. I didn't exactly want food, but I didn't exactly want juice, either. For breakfast my first day not cleansing, I had plain oatmeal cooked in water on the stovetop with a tablespoon of unsweetened applesauce (apples were featured prominently in the juices I drank on the cleanse) and a quarter chopped apple stirred in. I added a few shakes of cinnamon. It went down well and tasted wonderful (probably because it was warm). For lunch, I had a Blue Apron meal of Chicken Udon Soup to prepare. The recipe had very few ingredients, all of them easy to digest. My only worry was the chicken, so I only had a few pieces. Although udon noodles are lighter calorie and fairly easy to digest as they are just wheat flour and water, I worried about digesting them slightly. Went down just fine! I am having some seared cod and quinoa for dinner, so I assume much of the same results. I'm making sure to drink water now, as I actually feel thirsty now.
So did I achieve what I set out to when beginning this cleanse? I think so. I feel and look lighter, I'm down five pounds (added bonus), and I look with fear in the general direction of chips and sweets (mainly I'm worried they will not digest properly and I'll be in a world of hurt) which is a definite improvement from where I was. I have been craving fresh, light foods and water. Mission accomplished! And I am confident I will continue to make healthy choices as I like the way I feel.
Would I do it again? Probably not. The cost of this juice cleanse shipped is way more than I spend for a week's worth of groceries for the two of us in the house. Plus, I really like cooking and chewing food. I would definitely put these vegetable and fruit combinations in my Vitamix to drink instead of meals, though. So many of the juice recipes were unexpectedly delicious and I could tell by the way they made me feel that they were crazy healthy. Next time I'm in LA, I will make it a point to stop in to Juice Served Here and grab a juice, as they were quite tasty. I might re-order the Charcoal Lemonade just to keep around. One of the main ingredients is activated charcoal, which has been used in detoxification as far back as Ancient Egypt. In researching its benefits, I found that activated charcoal can whiten teeth; cleanse the mouth and digestive tract to improve digestion; soothe diarrhea and upset stomach; improve moodiness or tiredness; relieve jet lag; adsorb alcohol or poisons, and much more. It's important to note that I wrote "adsorb" there rather than "absorb." Adsorption, the binding of molecules or particles to a surface, is different from absorption, which is the filling of pores in a solid. Activated charcoal is supposed to only bind to chemicals, pesticides, heavy metals and other negative influences in your body, and assist them in passing through your system. I have a few friends that take activated charcoal capsules if they eat a rich dinner at a restaurant or have too much to drink, and now I think I better understand why. Charcoal Lemonade also has Montmorillonite clay in it, so I totes felt like Shailene Woodley. It's fun to try new things!
Thank you all for going on this juice journey with me. It's been a pleasure popping into FEMSHEP. I'll be back with more excitement sometime soon. In the meantime, let us know about your own juice cleanse experiences. Take care!
-MG
*Author's note: I counted the calories on the juices and the soup to be 690 on Day 2 of the cleanse. However, I noticed on the last juice I drank, Charcoal Lemonade on Day 3, the serving size on the label stated "2." By the time I realized this, all of my other juice bottles had already been taken out to recycling. So, assuming every juice was 2 servings, that would make this plan 1380 calories, which is more than enough for a person.
Day 2 the juices did not taste as delicious as Day 1. I found some of them much harder to get down, but I powered through. I noticed Day 2 that my normal sinus drain I experience when waking up was no longer present. I felt... healthy. Day 3, the juices tasted delicious again, so I don't know if maybe the juice recipes fluctuate slightly, or maybe it's part of the detoxifying effect that you taste things differently? In any event, I didn't need the Superfood bar to chew on Day 2 or Day 3. I started to get used to not chewing. I missed food, but not because I was hungry, just because I really like food. Especially a freshly cooked, hot meal, and even more especially in the winter. I wasn't craving foods that were bad for me, though. The foods that flashed through my mind (judge away) included sushi, a big fresh salad (was not pictured in my mind with bacon), fresh grilled fish tacos. I took not thinking of ice cream, bread, cheese, and other assorted deliciousness, as a positive sign.
I had a very strong migraine that had started the day before the cleanse, It lasted through most of Day 1, but was gone by Day 2 and didn't really come back. I didn't really do any exercise other than brisk walking through my errands, cleaning my house, that kind of thing. I wanted to do yoga and/or barre but happened to have an extremely busy three days. I just picked up the pace of everything I was doing, and figured it would give me a similar effect.
All in all, the juice cleanse was a lot easier to handle than I expected. I asked myself toward the end of Day 3 if I could have done this for 5 days, and I think I could have, so long as I was not more active than I was these three days. It was so easy to pack up the juices and my straws in a cooler bag and go about my day. Whenever I got hungry, I had a juice. I could see it becoming cumbersome in restaurant meetings with my clients, though.
What we didn't discuss in the beginning of this series of posts, was what you're supposed to eat after a juice cleanse. Since I didn't receive an instruction booklet with this cleanse, I scoured Google for days to research how to come off of a juice cleanse. Advice varied, however I came up with the following consistencies: Eat foods that are easy to digest; Continue drinking juice once or twice a day for at least a day or two after; Continue consuming the same types of fruits and vegetables which made up your juices, and re-introduce animal proteins gradually. I also deduced from my research that the more days you cleanse, the more days you have to devote to easing back into your regular diet. Seemed pretty reasonable. As I was only on a 3 day cleanse, I figured it would be pretty easy to get back to regular life. I do travel for a living, and I can choose broth soups and salads for my meals as well as from time to time, be able to pick up fresh juices or smoothies, but options are definitely more limited on the road than at home.
I ended Day 3 happy that I was done with the juice cleanse, even though I was not as cold most of Day 3 as I had been the previous two days. I didn't exactly want food, but I didn't exactly want juice, either. For breakfast my first day not cleansing, I had plain oatmeal cooked in water on the stovetop with a tablespoon of unsweetened applesauce (apples were featured prominently in the juices I drank on the cleanse) and a quarter chopped apple stirred in. I added a few shakes of cinnamon. It went down well and tasted wonderful (probably because it was warm). For lunch, I had a Blue Apron meal of Chicken Udon Soup to prepare. The recipe had very few ingredients, all of them easy to digest. My only worry was the chicken, so I only had a few pieces. Although udon noodles are lighter calorie and fairly easy to digest as they are just wheat flour and water, I worried about digesting them slightly. Went down just fine! I am having some seared cod and quinoa for dinner, so I assume much of the same results. I'm making sure to drink water now, as I actually feel thirsty now.
So did I achieve what I set out to when beginning this cleanse? I think so. I feel and look lighter, I'm down five pounds (added bonus), and I look with fear in the general direction of chips and sweets (mainly I'm worried they will not digest properly and I'll be in a world of hurt) which is a definite improvement from where I was. I have been craving fresh, light foods and water. Mission accomplished! And I am confident I will continue to make healthy choices as I like the way I feel.
Would I do it again? Probably not. The cost of this juice cleanse shipped is way more than I spend for a week's worth of groceries for the two of us in the house. Plus, I really like cooking and chewing food. I would definitely put these vegetable and fruit combinations in my Vitamix to drink instead of meals, though. So many of the juice recipes were unexpectedly delicious and I could tell by the way they made me feel that they were crazy healthy. Next time I'm in LA, I will make it a point to stop in to Juice Served Here and grab a juice, as they were quite tasty. I might re-order the Charcoal Lemonade just to keep around. One of the main ingredients is activated charcoal, which has been used in detoxification as far back as Ancient Egypt. In researching its benefits, I found that activated charcoal can whiten teeth; cleanse the mouth and digestive tract to improve digestion; soothe diarrhea and upset stomach; improve moodiness or tiredness; relieve jet lag; adsorb alcohol or poisons, and much more. It's important to note that I wrote "adsorb" there rather than "absorb." Adsorption, the binding of molecules or particles to a surface, is different from absorption, which is the filling of pores in a solid. Activated charcoal is supposed to only bind to chemicals, pesticides, heavy metals and other negative influences in your body, and assist them in passing through your system. I have a few friends that take activated charcoal capsules if they eat a rich dinner at a restaurant or have too much to drink, and now I think I better understand why. Charcoal Lemonade also has Montmorillonite clay in it, so I totes felt like Shailene Woodley. It's fun to try new things!
Thank you all for going on this juice journey with me. It's been a pleasure popping into FEMSHEP. I'll be back with more excitement sometime soon. In the meantime, let us know about your own juice cleanse experiences. Take care!
-MG
*Author's note: I counted the calories on the juices and the soup to be 690 on Day 2 of the cleanse. However, I noticed on the last juice I drank, Charcoal Lemonade on Day 3, the serving size on the label stated "2." By the time I realized this, all of my other juice bottles had already been taken out to recycling. So, assuming every juice was 2 servings, that would make this plan 1380 calories, which is more than enough for a person.
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