So my fellow cleansing, detoxing, juicing, body-rocking Social Gals and Gents, I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of kick-starting a 3-day beginner’s juice cleanse, courtesy of the fine peeps over at Montreal’s own JUS PUR.
Of course, I couldn’t possibly embark upon this meaningful journey without sharing (sharing is caring) and am therefore here to report all the “juicy” deets (cute wordplay intentional) for your body-enhancing, health-optimizing benefit. Today I’ll tackle prep and initiation day (aka DAY 1) with a view to circling back in the next little while with a post-cleanse wrap-up. Ready, set JUICE!
THE PREP
Though co-owner PETE KLEIN was more than clear on the importance of good preparation, advising the elimination of alcohol, refined sugar, caffeine, nicotine, wheat and processed foods for a few days prior to the cleanse, focusing instead on raw produce, organic lean proteins and plenty of water, I admittedly didn’t live up to his well-meaning, scientifically sound suggestions. I know I know, phooey on cop-out me, but it is the height of the social season when all that good bubbly and gourmet food abounds (not to mention a Sunday date situation where a refusal of fine wine and decadent chow would have been plain rude and who am I to offend a prospective Mr. Big?!)
Anyway, suffice to say, Pete knows what he’s talking about, and next go-round (yes, I’m loving the juicing that much), I’ll be sure to follow a stricter pre-program to better capitalize on the cleanse’s many paybacks. And if you’re smart, you’ll do as I say (ahem Pete says) not as I do. 😉
DAY ONE
JUICE 1, 9 A.M.: As suggested, after a morning water and lemon at 7:30 a.m., I initiated the cleanse with an L2 BRAIN FUNCTION + HEART HEALTH MYLK JUICE, boasting impressive raw organic ingredients like almond milk, vanilla, dates, sea salt, cinnamon and cocoa powder. Pete noted that I would feel full and satisfied and enjoy the cinnamon sweet taste. He was right. Even better: the free-radical neutralizing super foods kicked in fast, furnishing a pleasant satiety that fortified the bod and brain solidly for the next two hours (bless their super souls).
JUICE 2, 11 A.M.: Believe it or not, I was still so full mid-morning that I had to literally force myself to down the next juice baby, a V4 MUSCLE REPAIR + IMMUNITY BOOSTER, alive with the benefits of uber greens including spinach, celery, cucumber, romaine and parsley. While truth be told I was expecting a bitter not so palatable taste, this antioxidant superstar actually tasted mild and pleasing, impressive given all the immune system and muscle repairing advantages (especially important with bikini wearing season around the gotta-look-HOT corner).
JUICE 3, 1 P.M.: “Lunch” was served in the form of an R2 LIVER REPAIR + BLOOD BUILDER, where the apple, beets, ginger and lemon delivered a boost to the liver and digestive system that was as positive as the play on my taste-buds (a rather remarkable feat seeing that in real life beets are FAR from my besties). How they made this combo taste so good is a testimony to the team’s juicing prowess. Like wow!
JUICE 4, 3 P.M.: For the 3 p.m. fix, the E4 DETOX ALCALINE H20, was the juice of choice and I’m so glad it was. The taste was lemony and zingy-fresh in a good way, not at all scary, despite the intimidation of charcoal as a main ingredient. Yes, it’s famous for formidable flushing and detoxifying properties but as a tasty treat, I was a tad concerned. Fears allayed. Loved it.
JUICE 5, 5 P.M.: Next up was an R3 INFLAMMATION + IMMUNE BOOST orange-based offering awash in the health-enhancing, anti-inflammatory powers of orange, carrot and current media darling turmeric. It too was filling and surprisingly sweet and delicious, making me wonder why I hadn’t jumped on the juice train years ago. Gone was the après-noon slump and accompanying cravings for chocolate and caffeine. In its place, sat an alert, focused Jennergized moi. Juiced-up Jenn was in the house and raring to go!
JUICE 6, 7 P.M.: “Dinner” saw the return of a replenishing Mylk, this time an L1 BRAIN FUNCTION + HEART HEALTH MYLK JUICE that was highly reminiscent of the first juice of the day and, as Pete promised, a good and satiating way to end the day’s cleansing. Much to my surprise and joy, I felt replenished, happy, energetic and ready for a good night’s sleep.
THE VERDICT
All in all, the day was far easier and less painful than expected. Heck, I feel so good I can’t wait for the next two days! Game on! Note that I did supplement with the recommended minimum of 16 ounces of water between juices to help the detoxification process along and ease any side effects. I also continued to indulge my usual exercise regimen (with surprising energy and clarity) wowing the instructor with a barking good downward dog! 😉
THE SCIENCE
Finally, it’s important to mention that JUS PUR is “the only chef-driven cold-pressed organic juice shop in Montreal.” And for those of you who, like me, were not well-versed in the exact definition of cold-pressed, it refers to a process by which a low RPM grinder grinds fruits and veggies to a pulp with a view to breaking up the fibers, thereby releasing the juice. The pulp, full of juice, then falls into a filtering bag, where a powerful press squeezes out all juices. Because the juice is not subject to heat and air, all nutrients, minerals and enzymes are not destroyed, rendering cold pressing the least wasteful mode to extract juice. And seeing that no added water or preservatives are involved in the process, cold pressed juice is the only juice that can be bottled and stored for 72 hours. Which translates into more fabulous for us juicers …
To order your cleanse, or to learn more, go to JUSPUR.COM. And do tune in to the post-cleanse wrap-up too. 😉
All Photography and branding IMAGEMOTION.COM. AWESOME! 😉