The challenge: To give up food for two days (or more) and embark on a juice “feast” with Raw Juice Guru’s home delivery program. For someone that is more or less obsessed with food, that's no small task.
Day 1
6:51 am My package of six all-organic juices and two elixirs from Raw Juice Guru arrives at my door, right on schedule, and packed in a cooler with an ice pack. Eliane, the brains behind the juice and raw food delivery service has been extremely helpful in providing the info I need to get started. I also love the fact that the juices are arriving right at my door every morning, ready to go. And I am ready for this.
After a couple of days of epic eating (including three days of Thanksgiving dessert) I am definitely not hungry yet. But I’m an always-hungry, always-snacking kind of person, so I worry. I tried a liquid cleanse once before and only lasted one day. Mind you, that one was self-directed. Having someone make all the juices for me that is a Holistic Nutritionist, Raw Food Wellness Coach and Personal Trainer certainly makes me feel a little more confident. Eliane has emailed me the list of the juices I’ll be feasting on today. (That’s what they call it instead of a fast or cleanse. Sounds better to me!) I am relieved to see there isn’t too much carrot (I’m not a fan) and there is a lot of kale, cucumber, celery, apple, ginger, beets, and even a little pineapple. Instructions are to shake bottles well and drink every two hours or so.
Normally, it’s best to do a three-day cleanse, according to Raw Juice Guru, but for a variety of scheduling reasons, I’m going to give two days a shot. If you know me, you know this is nearly impossible. I think about food constantly. I eat every few hours. But, my hopes are high for what this might do for me. I’ve been dealing with a month of awful breakouts and feeling a little more sluggish than I should. From my perspective, I look like crap. The psychological result of this is also not good, obviously. So I don’t care if it’s vain, I want to look better…and of course feel better, and I’m hoping this cleanse contributes to that. I’m heading to work out right now, which is going to be strength training focused today. I’m trying not to think of my favourite latte with coconut milk. Trying.
9:00 am I realize, post-workout that I have probably waited way too long to start drinking (eating? feasting?) as I’m starting to feel a bit hungry…and that always makes me panic a bit. It’s the low blood sugar thing. Juice # 1 is good stuff. Cucumber apple, parsley, kale, lemon, celery. Just the kind of thing I would normally order for myself. Unfortunately my boyfriend has just woken up and realized that he has a nasty cold. Which I am hoping I don’t get, though it would mean the lack of solid food for the next few days would be more appealing. The other thing is, when I’m sick, he always takes care of me and makes or buys me congee. Which I love. And so I should reciprocate. But it’s really hard to be in the presence of good comfort food like that when I can’t have any.
3:27 pm I’ve drunk four juices so far and am HUNGRY. Feel slightly euphoric, but shaky, and perhaps a bit emotional. But not too bad, overall. The biggest test so far has been making congee – yes, one of those ultimate comfort foods – for my boyfriend because he is sick today. And I swear I didn’t even have a single taste. Not easy. What has also occurred to me is how much of my thoughts, my daily routine, and habits are concentrated around food and drinks and also the socializing that goes along with them. My favourite foods, my aforementioned favourite coconut milk latte, these things are part of my identity. And I am mourning the loss of them today.
8:19 pm Ok. Truthy truth time: I don’t feel so good. I’m kind of light-headed as I sit here drinking juice #8. And I have work to do…so I’m concerned. I don’t think I make a lot of sense. I am generally a bit quieter and more introspective than normal. I do find myself laughing quite easily though. Cravings? Not chocolate. I want some kind of protein and fat combo. Duck confit would be awesome right now. Or perhaps a handful of cashews or something like that. I’m going to stop typing right about now, because I am not making any sense anymore.
Day 2
6:41 am I woke up this morning earlier than I needed to, feeling exhausted, but surprisingly, not hungry. I felt very hungry when I went to sleep, however. I’m wondering if it even makes sense for me to try and work out today. I’ll at the very least try and go for a long walk. My skin still looks pretty rough, which is disappointing. But I didn’t expect this to be a total miracle, overnight cure.
7:36 am My juices arrive a little later today, at 7:30 as I requested. Eliane was kind enough to ask me how I was feeling, and when I said “pretty weak”, she reassured me that it was normal. That makes me feel better, as so far I’ve been thinking I’m just exceptionally weak compared to other people that have done cleanses before. I drink Juice #1, which is a combo of organic greens and fruits with a hint of lemon, check my email, and head out for a run, despite feeling a little weak.
11:32 am Ok, this is surprising. Hunger is entirely manageable today. I’m a bit dizzy and am having a hard time putting words together. But I really am starting to feel better, and lighter in a way that is hard to describe. Unburdened perhaps? It’s really the mental aspect of this that is tougher than the physical, which is why I’m very happy I’ve got someone as knowledgeable as Eliane to give me info and encouragement.
6:49 pm All right, the verdict is, I’m feeling good! A little space-y mentally, sometimes, but all in all pretty good. I’m very impressed by this. I made it through a day of important meetings plus a 5 K run with little or no difficulty. I expected no solid food to mean not enough, but there is plenty of juice on the Raw Juice Guru cleanse. I’m assuming it’s a testament to just how packed with nutrients the juices are as well. Eliane mentioned that I’m consuming a massive amount of fruit and vegetables of the highest quality, and I believe her. I’m not going to say I didn’t crave food. Believe me, I even stared-down a co-worker’s instant ramen noodles, and that’s definitely not regular fare for me. (Now, proper ramen, that’s a different story…) Never mind the thoughts about pizza, and yes, duck confit again. But the miraculous thing is that my sweet tooth has kind of disappeared, which normally dominates my day. Usually, I can’t make it through the day without chocolate. I haven’t had any for two days, which is remarkably impressive for me.
The Morning After
10:12 am I slept like a baby last night, and I’m not really craving anything like espresso or chocolate. When I do start eating solid food again I’m being more careful and taking my time while eating, instead of wolfing things down mindlessly. I wish I could say my skin looked better, but it doesn’t. But one can only accomplish so much in two days, right? I do feel lighter, physically, though I didn’t weigh myself before or after so I have no idea if I lost weight. But my stomach is remarkably flat, which is a rather nice side effect.
The verdict? I would definitely do this again. It taught me a lot about myself, my personal relationship with food, and what a massive role it plays in our relationships with others. I expected to be hungry, which in the end wasn’t always the case. What I didn’t expect was to gain better insight into myself.
To find out more about Raw Juice Guru, go to www.rawjuiceguru.com
Best company ive ever dealt with ! Its a completely wonderful experience. I also felt lighter, unburdened and honestly, like i had never before! I cant wait to do this again! Eliane is one of a kind, a super healer of the best variety, shes like.. a complete Gem!