Juicing

Today marks the official end of my longest juice cleanse ever – 7 days!

I started juicing intermittently in March to test out the oh-so-miraculous sounding detox and cleansing benefits that we read so much about online. Initially, I bought a Jus by Julie 3-day juice cleanse on Groupon in March- $150 gets you overnight delivery and 3 days worth of juice “designed to rid your body of unwanted toxins that cause your body pain, bloating and discomfort” (Jus by Julie’s Website). I really enjoyed the 3-day cleanses and ended up doing another Jus cleanse in April AND in May! I lost weight (and was able to keep it off, so it wasn’t just water weight that I lost) and felt great at the end of the third day. However, the biggest drawback for me is the price! Dropping $150 a month and figuring out how to time it during the week, since you have to start the day after delivery, was not ideal for my wallet or schedule. Soooo, after hearing about a friend’s great experience with a home juicing cleanse, I decided to try out Jason Vale’s 7 lbs in 7 Days.

Rather than buying the book, I downloaded the app (available for iPhone and Android). Although it’s a hefty $6.99, the app is worth every penny! It very clearly lays out the schedule, recipes and shopping list, and has videos for how to make each of the juices! Jason also includes short audio or video coaching, which I enjoyed as well, since he gives you a ton of nutritional information about what juicing is all about.

All in all, I was really successful with the juicing plan. I ended up losing 10 lbs on the nose and my lactose-intolerant digestive system has never felt so fantastic! My skin cleared up a bit, my nails feel stronger and I never felt truly physically hungry on any day of the plan. And for those that are curious: nope, you won’t poo more than usual. 🙂 Since you’re primarily using a juicer (you do use a blender as well), the vast majority of the fiber is extracted.

So now I’m at the point where I’ll be reintroducing solid and/or cooked foods, meats, dairy and grains back into my diet slowly. I’ll definitely continue juicing; most likely, I’ll do a juice as a meal replacement once a day a few times a week. I’ve experienced nothing but success on the 7 lbs plan and I’d absolutely recommend it!

Ps – Jason Vale, if you want to hook me up with a free juicer or something for the huge plug, that’d be cool. 🙂