Can a Juice Cleanse Reset Healthy Habits?

Juice Cleanse: Day One

My friend Karyn had invited me to swim with her in the morning, so I got out of bed early enough to heat up some hot water with lemon and pop it in a travel mug before hitting the pool at 6:30 a.m. I got in about 2,000 yards, but went pretty easy … for me, at least. I get so hungry swimming, and I really didn’t want to sabotage myself. My stomach started growling about 30 minutes in, so by the time I got home around 8 a.m., I was super ready for my first juice.

I sat down and prepared myself to slowly savor my first juice. Green Lemon tasted … well, green, but very pleasant, a lot like a green smoothie. I was able to identify a lot of the flavors, like green apple and cucumber, and I really took my time with it. I figured that, since I wasn’t supposed to have another for a couple of hours, I should make it last as long as possible.

Juice 2 was really tasty (how would orange, pomegranate and coconut water not be?) and Juice 3 was a lot like the first, but with a bite. By the time I’d finished the third one at 2:30 p.m., I’d powered through two big meetings and still had a lot of energy and focus, but my stomach was feeling more empty than usual.

Ritual Wellness takes a line a lot like we do when it comes to cravings, suggesting that, when you want something, you take the time to check in with yourself and see whether you’re truly hungry and need nutrition, or are just experiencing M.C.N. (Must Chew Now). And that’s part of why I got on board with this — their stance was that, girl, if you’re hungry, eat something nutritious!

I was able to hold off until it was time for another juice at 4 p.m., but even after Juice 4 (the Spicy Lemonade, which is really delicious but the least filling of all the juices), I was feeling a bit hungry, so I had a small handful of almonds. I left right after work for a hair appointment and took Juice 5 with me — I was actually pretty glad to have somewhere else I needed to be, because at that point, I wasn’t hungry but I felt snacky anyway. M.C.N. — the struggle is real, yo. I actually wrote a note to myself: “I miss food.” And I’ve gone without chewing for weeks on end due to TMJ, so, yeah. That mental game was not easy.

Juice 6 was a total treat — the cashew, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and raw agave was thick, creamy and fairly satisfying. I wanted to lick the inside of the bottle, it was so good. I followed it up with another mug of hot water with lemon.

Around 9 p.m., I experienced some … gastro stuff. I’m not going to go into detail, but let me just say I was taken by surprise and needed to move quickly, if you catch my drift. I didn’t feel bad in any way other than my stomach was, uhh, rebelling, I guess, for a few minutes. Then, I was back to normal and actually had one of my most peaceful meditation sessions ever (I tracked it with Inner Balance and earned my all-time top score!) before hitting the sack early.

I got up during the night to pee once and I swear to you, I peed like a race horse for five solid minutes. Bliss is an empty bladder and four more hours to sleep.

Juice Cleanse: Day 2

I woke up on the late side but felt fantastic and clear — my usual morning fog was practically nonexistent. I started my day with hot water with lemon and yoga. I realized, as I reached for my first juice of the day, that I was really enjoying the “no worries” aspect of this cleanse. Do you know how much time I spend thinking about what to eat? A lot, as it turns out. Not having to plan it out freed up a lot of time!

By midday, I was still feeling good overall, but felt like my teeth were wearing tiny sweaters. I don’t know if that was a detoxing effect or had more to do with the juices, but I was happy to be working from home with easy access to my toothbrush.

I hit a 45-minute hip hop class after work, and while I didn’t feel weak or anything, I definitely had a little less “oomph” by the end of class than usual, and I was really hungry afterward. I was very excited to get my hands on that last juice, and I ended up snacking on a few cashews an hour later — that hunger was legit.

Juice Cleanse: Day 3

At this point, I fully expected to start feeling off, but I just … didn’t. I started the day with hot water and lemon, and realized that the thing I was struggling with the most wasn’t the juices, but holding back my desire to go around telling everyone about the fact that I was on Day 3 of a juice cleanse and felt really, really good. Actual note to myself: “Holy shit, I feel great! Everyone should know about this! But on the other hand I really don’t want to be a douche canoe. So.” I kept watching this to make sure I didn’t become a parody of myself.

I went through my juices, continuing to drink them slowly, enjoying all the flavors. I was actually sad as I finished each one. Yes, I’m as shocked by that as you are.

My husband called me on his way home that night and congratulated me on finishing. “Do you want me to swing by TCBY and grab you a treat or something?” he asked. And I didn’t. I had zero desire to eat fro-yo or chocolate or anything processed. I felt awesome and strong and healthy and I wanted to feel that way, like, forever. Except with more chewing.