A Simple, Delicious Juice Cleanse – That Works

Sluggish.  Most of us at one point or another have felt this way.  We trudge through the day, energy levels falling to dangerously low levels.  We consume copious amounts of caffeine to pump ourselves back up again, only to fall back into a state that can only be described by the word “zombie.”

Thankfully, we don’t need to stay that way.  I have heard good things about juice cleanses, so a few weeks ago I decided to try one by Terri, a restaurant in Manhattan’s flatiron district.  The eatery was launched by two vegan chefs, Craig and Mike, who wanted to provide “a respite for those looking for a healthy, organic meal…to find nourishing food quickly.”

I chose the Terri Juice Cleanse for a few reasons, one being that they have an utterly dreamy “Green Power” shake made with kale, pear, banana, almond butter and soymilk.  If the shake was any indication of what I was in store for, my taste buds were sure to be pleased.

During the Terri Juice Cleanse I drank the following sequence of six juices for three days:

Juice #1: carrot, orange, ginger, beet, pineapple

Juice #2: celery, spinach, cucumber, pear

Juice #3: young Thai coconut milk

Juice #4: carrot, beet, apple

Juice#5: spinach, cucumber, lemon, ginger, apple

Juice #6: strawberries, mint leaves, lemon, maple syrup

Now, contrary to my assumption, I was surprised to find that most of the “juices” were made with vegetables! But, ladies and gentleman, this was no V8.  Each juice is light but packed with flavor.  As I sipped, I tasted each ingredient.  For example, I picked out the carrot in #1, the celery in #2 and the cucumber in #5.  Each juice was different enough for my mind to feel as stimulated (and as satisfied) as my stomach, and to be truthful ─ it was a lot of juice! I constantly had a bottle in front of me from 9 a.m. (when I arrived at the office) till about 9 p.m. (when I indulged in the strawberry-mint lemonade juice, which easily rivals any fruit tart in the market).

I never found myself pining at my desk in hunger or in boredom. I never felt low on energy.  On the contrary, I felt alert, awake and, after three days, clean.

Some people might be under the impression that doing a juice cleanse helps you lose weight or this is the reason why one would choose to do one.  While I did shed a few pounds, I actually learned more about how I should eat.  As I reintroduced foods (slowly) into my diet, I took note of what made my stomach grumble and what made it happy. Perhaps most importantly, I had acquired an acute sense of when I was − not stuffed − but pleasantly and appropriately full.  Two weeks after the cleanse, I felt truly tuned in to my body.  I continued to lose weight, and my energy levels were higher than ever.  Not to mention my sleep was infinitely more peaceful.

Interested in a cleanse? Try it out! Here are a few tips that I would recommend:

1. Cleanse during the work week. I chose Monday to Wednesday. During the week, I didn’t have to deal with any “downtime” on the weekends where I might find myself standing in front of the pantry.  Too tempting for me.
2. Don’t overdo it.  Since it was my first cleanse, I wanted to see how my body would handle the day-to-day activity, so I skipped the gym.  I was glad I did; by the end of the third day I felt a bit on the light-headed side.
3. Pick one goal.  What I mean by this is that you aren’t going to completely transform your entire diet in three days.  I chose to zone in on portion control after the cleanse, and I found that the rest of the stuff (what foods to eat, what to avoid, when to eat, etc.) came super easily. I didn’t even realize that I was skipping out on French fries and opting for the apple instead.  Furthermore, when I did indulge, I had no problem leaving half of the fries on my plate.

There are plenty of juice cleanses out there – a quick Google search will help you find one in your area.  Terri’s was absolutely perfect.  The juices themselves were super fresh, and the price tag ($155) is fairly reasonable if you think about it.  Furthermore, the cleanse length is customizable, and if you have an allergy, you can always double one juice and eliminate another. If you’re a Manhattanite, you can pick the juices up at the restaurant or have them delivered to your office or apartment.  Piece of cake.

So, next time you’re feeling a bit of a drag, consider a juice cleanse. When it’s this simple, and tasty, the decision is easy.  Feel better, look better, live better.  Ah, the power of clean.