After a week of prepping, I woke up on the first morning excited to start my 5 days of juicing! I decided to do Living juice's cleanse with a slight modification. Each day of my cleanse I was scheduled to have:
Breakfast – Green Vitality
Mid-Morning Snack- Fresh Start
Lunch – Red Radiance
Mid-Afternoon Snack – Green Vitality
Dinner – Fresh Start
Dessert – Carrot Kick
These 6 juices (combined with water, meditation, a colonic, and rest) were all I needed to get through the next 5 days and come out on the other side hopefully feeling rejuvenated, fresh, and healthy.
Day 1
I began the first day of my cleanse with my very first colonic. I had read about how colonics are helpful
when cleansing and should be done before, during and after a juice cleanse. So, at 9 am on the first day of my cleanse I scheduled a colonic at SanaVita near Union Square in NYC. I was nervous and jittery (and a little hungry as you can’t eat or drink over an hour before the procedure so I hadn’t started my juices yet), but when I got inside SanaVita I was immediately relaxed by calm and tranquil ambience. My colon hydrotherapist was extremely helpful and guided me throughout the entire process, explaining what was happening and how I should be feeling. At the end of the hour, I was surprised by how cleansed and light I felt. No part of the process was painful – there was some occasional cramping – but overall, I felt fresh and ready to begin my juice cleanse. Below, you can see a picture of the colon hydrotherapy table and equipment at SanaVita.
I left my colonic and started gulping down my first Green Vitality. I took about an hour to drink my first juice – mostly because I was walking and working and it was filling! After my third juice around 2, I noticed I got very sleepy. This isn’t too odd for me as I usually have a spike in blood sugar after lunch and then crash (at which time I would generally have my second or third cup of coffee), but today I couldn’t have coffee and used my next Green Vitality and Fresh Start to keep me perky. At the end of day 1, I was feeling good but a little tired. I had been full throughout the day and was only slightly worried by the fact that my daily caloric intake had been halved.
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Day 2
On day 2 of my juice cleanse, my friend started a 3-day o2living juice cleanse. I was THRILLED! Not only did I have someone to talk to throughout the day about cleansing (which honestly is very fun to talk about when both parties are interested), but I had support. While the second day of my cleanse started off differently than the first, I felt pretty much exactly the same. I had another sleepiness-spell after “lunch,” but saw a surge in my energy by 4. I relaxed a lot on the second night of my juice cleanse and went to bed about 2 hours earlier than usual, sleeping throughout the night without any interruptions.
Day 3
I had read previous diaries of juice cleansing, and from what I had seen day 3 was the hump that was the hardest to get over. This was no different for me. The morning started off great, but by noon I was HUNGRY. I’m not sure if this was due to the fact that I hadn’t had anything but fruit and vegetable juices for the past two and a half days or that my work caused me to be in a grocery store with the smells of meatloaf and broccoli and cheddar soup wafting through the air. Most likely it was the combination of the two. For the duration of my stay in the store, I texted my friend who was also cleansing and drank a lot of water. I was able to realize that I wasn’t actually hungry – I was just being lured and attracted by the sights and smells of food. It made me realize that in an everyday context, I may not be reaching for food for the appropriate reason – actual hunger. I am probably reaching for food when I see something that looks or smells good or I’m bored. This is something I will continue to be conscious of in my everyday life.
On day 3, like days 1 and 2, I got very exhausted around 3 (still not very strange for me – but something I would combat with coffee). Like day 2, I got a huge surge of energy around 5. I had just finished my second Green Vitality of the day and was pumped. I was focused and energetic. It felt great! I left work shortly after and started to notice that my mind was clear. I try to stay mindful in my everyday life (helped by yoga and meditation), but I was very aware and mindful of my surroundings this evening. It was a great feeling. I could start to tell that my body was reacting to a clean diet, without harsh chemicals and drugs from processed foods, alcohol, caffeine, etc that I may regularly feed it. (FYI: the juice cleanses come in these cute and useful cooler tote bags!)
Day 4
By day 4 of the cleanse, I was on a high. I felt healthy and clear. Mentally, I felt as sharp as I have ever felt. Physically, I knew I wasn’t at my strongest, but I definitely didn’t feel weak. This was the first day that I didn’t get that “2:30 feeling” after my Red Radiance for lunch. I was full and sated after each juice and had plenty of energy. My friend had finished her 3-day cleanse, and I only had one more day. It felt great!
Day 5
The final day of my juice cleanse had arrived, and I was feeling amazing. Not only did I feel healthy and light, but I had no digestive issues, no bloating, nothing. My mind was sharp and clear, and I wanted to continue this feeling. Although I hadn’t been keeping track closely, I realized by the end of the 5th day of my cleanse, I had lost at least 8 lbs. Weight loss wasn’t a goal for me in this cleanse, but it did help me feel healthier. At the end of these 5 days of juice, I slept soundly and was excited to wake up and break my cleanse – but I knew this process would need to be done delicately in order to continue the feeling of the cleanse. Check back next week to see how I broke my fast and how I returned to normalcy after 5 days of juice!
My last and final Green Vitality breakfast in the office!