This weekend I'm finishing up a three day juice cleanse from Blue Print Cleanse. I did my first one back in March, so this is the second time I've committed to three days of liquid nutrition. I wanted to do the cleanse because I just wasn't feeling my best lately. With two children and a full-time work schedule, my eating habits can take a turn for the worst if I don’t make meal-planning a priority. Failing to plan healthy meals has thrown my Starbucks-to-salad ratio completely out of whack. When I stepped on the scale and noticed an extra few pounds, I was ready to get back on track and I thought Blue Print would be a great way to get a kick-start.
The Highs:
· Convenience. The bottled juices, numbered 1-6 for each day, couldn’t be easier.
· No coffee cravings! Instead of my usual morning coffee, I had black tea with agave each morning. I normally crave coffee even after drinking tea, but I haven’t been missing it at all and no headaches either!
· Weight loss. I said goodbye to about 4 pounds of water weight this time, last time, when I followed the plan more strictly I lost about 7 pounds. (Some of this comes back within about a week after resuming regular eating, depending on diet and water consumption post-cleanse.)
· Feeling cleaner and lighter. No congestion, easier breathing, and no sugar or caffeine crashes, are just a few of the ways I feel better.
· Nutrition. BPC is a nutrient-rich product with a fairly reasonable number of calories per day.
· Taste. The cashew milk is my favorite.
The Lows:
· Hunger. Throughout the day, I felt surprisingly satisfied, but towards the end of each day, I did get hungry. I did the BPC Renovation Cleanse, which offers 1,070 calories daily. This is a lot better than some other popular cleanses, but I still found that was not quite enough for me, and I supplemented with a little more food.
· Socializing? It is nearly impossible to socialize without eating and drinking. Food is one of the most fundamental ways people connect and celebrate with each other, which is one of the first things you notice when you stop eating normally!
· Taste. I'm not a big fan of ginger, or beets, so the beet juice was a little tough for me to take, and although the green juice has grown on me, I struggled with it during my first cleanse.
To deal with these issues, I didn’t freak out about sticking to the system perfectly. I wanted to feel better, not more stressed! I allowed myself a glass of champagne at a holiday party, a salad with hummus and avocado, or even a few marshmallows that were calling to me at one point. I’m glad I did the cleanse, and I’m reminded of a few important things that make me feel great, which I plan to start doing again right away, like:
· Drinking lots of water
· Eating a big salad every day
· Indulging in delicious sweets and fancy coffees occasionally, not daily
Blue Print Cleanse is available online, and at select pickup locations, including exhale Battery Wharf and exhale Back Bay, where you can buy single juices and see how you like them before committing to a full cleanse.
