I did a juice cleanse, and here’s what went down.

So friends, I got my wisdom teeth taken out four days ago. Since all I could eat was essentially baby food, I thought it would be a great time for a juice cleanse! I partnered with Sprout Therapy, a local cold-pressed juice company, to do a 2-day digestive juice cleanse. All of produce used in Sprout Therapy's juices is organic, spray-free, and locally sourced as much as possible. The juices have no added water, sugar, or preservatives, and the sound of all that goodness after having a bunch of stitches in my face was fantastic! This is the story of how my juice cleanse worked out for me.

Day 1 was very chill. I spent most of the time on the couch, resting after my surgery. I felt full of energy, was happy to have a break from cooking, and was so grateful to not be worried about food getting stuck in my incisions. I started my cleanse at noon, drank a juice every 2 hours, and wrapped up at 10 pm. While the day was relaxing, my best friend’s birthday party was that night! I packed up my juice, and sipped on it while all my friends chugged their beers. While I was experiencing some fomo from not being able to cheers on some champagne, let's just say it was a wise choice for the next morning!

Day 2 was WILD. I started my cleanse at 11:15 am and stumbled through the day to end around 9:30 pm. Our whole squad went out for brunch, and I didn’t anticipate how. much. I. wanted. to. eat. I also didn’t expect to be out for so long. I hadn’t carried my third juice with me, and by the end of brunch, I just needed some nutrients. I also wasn’t staying as hydrated as I needed, and that totally messed up my tummy. I was running to the bathroom every 20 minutes, and I ended the night super exhausted from losing so much water. This was a digestive cleanse though, and that’s one of the ways your body detoxes! Despite my second day hiccups, I woke up this morning feeling super lean, clean, and ready to eat!

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/eb2a5c_a86f35e6214540b8b869a88d419a3d0a/480p/mp4/file.mp4

Now let’s break this down into some quick tips.

• You’re not going to be hungry: While you’re only drinking liquids, you’re drinking them every two hours, and PACKED with the nutrients of fruits and vegetables. Don’t worry, you’re not going to be starving!

• Your body temperature is going to fluctuate: Digesting food generates heat, and since you’re not going to be doing that, you’re going to get really cold. Bundle up!

• Keep the water flowing: Stay hydrated! I cannot emphasize this enough. Drink a glass of water immediately after your juice, and another glass or two before your next juice. Juice is a natural laxative, so it’s important to dilute it.

• Plan ahead: Juices are super easy to package and take on the go! Sprout Therapy does bottles but also packages juices in the containers you drop off. If you schedule your days in advance, your juices are a great on-the-go meal!

• Reach out and research for support: Whether it’s the company you buy juices from or others you know who have done a cleanse, reach out and ask questions if you’re curious about what’s happening with your body. You never know who's already experienced what you're going through.

So, would I do this again? Absolutely! It cleared out my system, and the juices were DELICIOUS! However, I’d do it for one day instead of two, and I’d do it on a weekday rather than a weekend. For someone who has as social of a lifestyle as me, it can get quite challenging to manage. It’s definitely not impossible though, and it was a great way to stay away from breaking my bank on the weekend!

If you’re located in Halifax, check out Sprout Therapy in the North End. Happy juicing!