Detox Diary: My 3-Day Juice Cleanse and Why I’ll Never Do One Again
By Lee DeGraw February 9, 2017 Published on BayArea.com
So you want to try a juice cleanse, huh? I've just completed my first three-day cleanse and I decided to keep a daily detox diary so that I could share my experience with all of you. I opted to order juice that I was able to pick up daily from a local juice bar rather than make my own at home. I consumed eight bottles of juice a day about 1-2 hours apart along with 64oz of water. I give you, my cleanse chronicles… Pre-cleanse:
Feeling hyped about this cleanse (starts tomorrow)! I know I’m going to completely rock at it and then I’ll be able to give loads of people advice on how to power through hard stuff and be healthy AF.
Just finished a bowl of pasta for dinner and wow am I full, and that was just on empty carbs! Just imagine how full I’ll be once this cleanse gets going and I’m feasting on straight liquid superfoods.
Having a glass of wine ‘cause I won’t get any for three days.
Three glasses of wine…
Cleanse Day 1: MORNING Nice, not that bad of a hangover except that I did sleep in a bit meaning I missed my first morning juice. It was supposed to be consumed at 7 a.m., but oh well, 8 a.m. is just as good. MID-MORNING So far, so good! Drinking juice and water like a champ. LUNCHTIME I’m so hungry. Why do I have to work for a food and beverage publication? Looking at the latest article we published on the best Indian food restaurants is torture! DINNERTIME Boyfriend is home from work. Don’t want to rip his face off despite the fact that I’m famished (aw, ‘cause love). LATE EVENING My mood and hunger pains are starting to level out a bit and I’m actually feeling pretty energized. I did fantasize about secretly hitting up Taco Bell for a tiny bean and cheese burrito that no one but me would ever need to know about, but I decided to chill and drink my last juice instead. Headed to bed for what I’ve heard from other juice weirdos will be an amazing night’s sleep.
Cleanse Day 2:
MORNING Slept very well, but woke up feeling like I have the flu. I don’t even want to look at another bottle of juice. I hate juice. MID-MORNING Feeling a little less like death, but still not great. Also, juicing in rainy, winter weather is making me feel like a cold, slimy piece of seaweed. LUNCHTIME My energy levels are still low, but my mood is high. No longer having caffeine headaches or cravings. My skin is looking pretty fly, clearer and brighter. DINNERTIME Irritable as hell, yelled at a stranger in a fit of rage. Currently feeling ready to throw this all away for some Panda Express. LATE EVENING Feeling good that I didn’t cheat. Headed to bed, the closer I get to tomorrow the closer I get to being done with this thing.
Cleanse Day 3:
MORNING Felt stoked about getting out of bed this morning, probably because it’s my last day of this juice cleanse! MID-MORNING Went for a walk to test how sharp my senses are now since I’ve been living on nothing but liquid gold. Senses don’t seem to be at all heightened, am the same as before. LUNCHTIME Finally beginning to feel some of that joy juicers talk about, but I think it may just be because I’m that much closer to some garlic fries. Also, I have a stuffy nose, wtf juice?! DINNERTIME Feeling more ill with each passing hour. My sinuses are quite congested and I’m still hungry AF. Glad to be a free woman again tomorrow.
Post-Cleanse The cleanse was not at all what I’d hoped it would be. Actually it was pretty lame. I never got that euphoric feeling everyone talks about and it was hard as hell to keep going. I guess I’m kind of proud of myself for not giving up, but I can’t say I feel any “better” for having done it. In fact, I feel like I may be coming down with something … damn you, juice!