Just started reading? Check out my first 3 Day DIY Juice Cleanse post and Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 recaps.
Overall, I would say that my homemade juice cleanse was a good learning experience and one I’m glad I took on, if only to satisfy my own curiosity. I felt really good on the first day – happy, energized, and I slept well that night. Day two, on the other hand? Kind of awful. It’s hard to say whether this was entirely my own fault because I pushed back my lunchtime green juice by nearly two hours when my work schedule got crazy. But I did wake up with a slight headache that morning, so maybe a more intense headache had been brewing anyway. There’s no doubt that I made it a million times worse by not juicing every two hours, and I very quickly learned that my body wouldn’t stand for that. My headache and subsequent nausea demanded that I take a break.
After re-fueling and momentarily breaking the juice fast with a piece of brown rice bread and an ibuprofen, I felt better (not great, but better), and opted to complete the rest of days two and three. I’m glad I did, because I woke up on day three feeling much more like my normal self. It felt like my body was physically adjusting to the juicing and my energy levels were more consistent throughout the day. Emotionally, I was also more stable and felt less on the verge of a breakdown when my stress levels were up. However, I got really sick of the juice flavors and even the smell of some of the produce. Like beets. I will be taking a break from those indefinitely.
It wasn’t the most pleasant three days between the temporary headaches, nausea, emotional roller coaster, and general lack of energy to do anything more strenuous than walking Honey and Barley. The juice cleanse also interrupted my day every two hours so I could make the next drink – something that could obviously be avoided if you paid for a more pricey delivery service. I also thought about food nearly all the time, which is sort of a necessity when you have to juice so often just to keep your body functioning. I love food – and as a blogger, I probably think about it much more than the average person – but this was overkill. Combined with the sort of empty/hollow stomach sensation that a juice cleanse creates, I think this aspect could be very triggering for some people.
All of that said, there were good takeaways too. I felt absolutely no cravings for sugar or empty carbs during the cleanse. If anything, it made me want more raw fruits and vegetables, just not in juice form. I think for this reason, the cleanse could be beneficial if you’re looking to make a mental shift towards more whole, plant-based foods. I also became more aware of my snacking habits when I went to reach for a handful of nuts, dried fruit, or a bite of avocado on several occasions. Most of the time, I am actually hungry when I do this, but there are definitely times when my snacking is more mindless and emotional. Totally normal, but it’s good for me to be more conscious of these habits.
So looking forward to my summer staple: Vegan Caprese Salad
The big question…would I do another juice cleanse? Maybe, but probably not, at least not with this format. The most positive takeaway for me was that this experience brought me closer to what I think is my ideal style of eating. And that’s pretty much exactly in line with the Crazy Sexy Diet I did a year or so ago: big green juices and smoothies, giant salads with lots of flavors and textures, ample healthy fats (in the form of avocados, nuts, and seeds), brown rice bowls, and small, daily indulgences. It’s a process figuring this stuff out, and the juice cleanse was a great reminder of the not only physical, but emotional aspects of what I choose to eat (and choose not to eat).
And with that, have a very happy (hopefully long) weekend!
xo
Amanda
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