EMC Editorial - For several years now, I have witnessed numerous friends and blogging colleagues extol the virtues of juice cleansing. Basically, this entails subsisting on juice alone for several days while your body expels all the unnecessary "toxins" it acquires by way of your regular diet.
I never thought of myself as a person who would be a good candidate for such an endeavour. As a self-diagnosed hypoglycaemic and one who leans more toward living to eat than eating to live, the idea of a juice cleanse always seemed a little far-fetched for my lifestyle.
Last week, however, my curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to take the plunge. It also helped that after nearly a month's worth of too much wine, way too much chocolate and candy, and a downright appalling amount of coffee, I had had about enough of the resulting insomnia and brain fog, and was willing to try just about anything to rid myself of all the badness.
After doing some research online, I decided on a three-day cleanse from a Toronto-based company. I was quite impressed by the efficiency with which the juice was delivered right to my door the day before I began, and was surprised to find myself excited to start cleansing.
Day one on the cleanse crept by at a snail's pace, as I found myself constantly looking at the clock wondering when the first hunger pangs would set in. Strangely enough, they never did. The juice I drank diligently every three hours seemed enough to keep me satiated, and although I did long to have some of the delicious-smelling food my husband made for dinner, I did not desire it for hunger's sake.
It helped that the juice itself was actually quite tasty. That said, I am one of those weird people who regularly enjoy green juices and smoothies, so the cucumber, celery and kale juice you're required to drink at meal times was probably not as much of a chore for me as it might be for some. However, it's hard to imagine anyone not liking the maple syrup-sweetened lemonade with cayenne you have mid-morning and again in the afternoon. Admittedly, the cashew milk they have you drink before bed tastes a bit like chalk, but overall it's not that bad.
Days two and three passed in much the same way, albeit with slightly more delirium and fatigue in the evenings. On the second day, I made the mistake of going for a run after work, which no doubt contributed to these feelings. I tend to get a little antsy if I'm not able to get up and move around every few hours, and it's a difficult task to park myself on the couch all night long.
The most unpleasant part of the three days for me, though, was without question the absence of coffee from the juice cleanse menu. I'm a little embarrassed to fully disclose the tender age at which I began drinking coffee. Let's just say it was well over a decade ago. The first day of the cleanse was the first day in recent memory that I did not have at least two cups of coffee. I'm not going to lie - it was hard. A dull headache began at about noon each day, and lasted until bedtime. It was not so bad, however, that I was wasn't able to function properly. Thankfully, you're permitted to have a small amount of green tea, which supplied at least some caffeine.
Nevertheless, contrary to how days usually go for me, mornings during the juice cleanse were by far the times when I felt my best. I was also tired when it was time to go to bed - a rare and wonderful phenomenon.
Happily, these trends seem to be continuing in the days following my return to solid food, and I really do feel healthier, lighter and more clear-minded. My husband insists it's all in my imagination, but what does he know?
I never thought of myself as a person who would be a good candidate for such an endeavour. As a self-diagnosed hypoglycaemic and one who leans more toward living to eat than eating to live, the idea of a juice cleanse always seemed a little far-fetched for my lifestyle.
Last week, however, my curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to take the plunge. It also helped that after nearly a month's worth of too much wine, way too much chocolate and candy, and a downright appalling amount of coffee, I had had about enough of the resulting insomnia and brain fog, and was willing to try just about anything to rid myself of all the badness.
After doing some research online, I decided on a three-day cleanse from a Toronto-based company. I was quite impressed by the efficiency with which the juice was delivered right to my door the day before I began, and was surprised to find myself excited to start cleansing.
Day one on the cleanse crept by at a snail's pace, as I found myself constantly looking at the clock wondering when the first hunger pangs would set in. Strangely enough, they never did. The juice I drank diligently every three hours seemed enough to keep me satiated, and although I did long to have some of the delicious-smelling food my husband made for dinner, I did not desire it for hunger's sake.
It helped that the juice itself was actually quite tasty. That said, I am one of those weird people who regularly enjoy green juices and smoothies, so the cucumber, celery and kale juice you're required to drink at meal times was probably not as much of a chore for me as it might be for some. However, it's hard to imagine anyone not liking the maple syrup-sweetened lemonade with cayenne you have mid-morning and again in the afternoon. Admittedly, the cashew milk they have you drink before bed tastes a bit like chalk, but overall it's not that bad.
Days two and three passed in much the same way, albeit with slightly more delirium and fatigue in the evenings. On the second day, I made the mistake of going for a run after work, which no doubt contributed to these feelings. I tend to get a little antsy if I'm not able to get up and move around every few hours, and it's a difficult task to park myself on the couch all night long.
The most unpleasant part of the three days for me, though, was without question the absence of coffee from the juice cleanse menu. I'm a little embarrassed to fully disclose the tender age at which I began drinking coffee. Let's just say it was well over a decade ago. The first day of the cleanse was the first day in recent memory that I did not have at least two cups of coffee. I'm not going to lie - it was hard. A dull headache began at about noon each day, and lasted until bedtime. It was not so bad, however, that I was wasn't able to function properly. Thankfully, you're permitted to have a small amount of green tea, which supplied at least some caffeine.
Nevertheless, contrary to how days usually go for me, mornings during the juice cleanse were by far the times when I felt my best. I was also tired when it was time to go to bed - a rare and wonderful phenomenon.
Happily, these trends seem to be continuing in the days following my return to solid food, and I really do feel healthier, lighter and more clear-minded. My husband insists it's all in my imagination, but what does he know?
P.S. I broke the cleanse with a delicious vegan gluten-free cupcake from the new local bakery Nessie Cakes. You can read my feature on Nessie here!
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