Earlier this month, together with our Local Love Green Press,  we invited Heidi to take on their 3-day juice cleanse and to keep track of every thought and feeling in her personal Cleanse Journal…

I have to admit- I have never thought about doing a detox or cleanse of any sort. I love my food and especially my COFFEE! So when I was given the opportunity to try a juice cleanse from Green Press I initially had my doubts. How will I last without food? How will I last without coffee? What if I faint from malnourishment? Ok, maybe a bit dramatic…

On finding out it was a three-day cleanse, I accepted the proposal. Three days, I can do that! After checking out their website, lovegreenpress.com.au, I was instantly reassured once again on discovering that I can opt for the ‘Apprentice Juice Cleanse’ which includes food. Food! Now I really was believing this was possible.

So what is in the ‘Apprentice Juice Cleanse?’

I arrived home from pilates on Monday morning to find two boxes sitting on my doorstep. They each read ‘Fragile, like Kanye’s ego’ which made me giggle. The cleanse consisted of five juices, a seasonal salad, a chia pudding and homemade soup (per day). A suggested schedule was also inside, to ensure I was provided with the right nutrients at the right time, to keep me going all day.

To kick start the morning, I’d begin with ‘Mint Condition’, a delicious mix of coconut water, cashew nuts, kale, mint and choc vegan protein.

Next was a chia pudding with berries and granola on top. These were absolutely delicious! My favourite meal in the cleanse by a mile, so tasty and satisfying.

The second juice of the day was the ‘Cayenne West’, a healing combination of cayenne pepper, turmeric, ginger, orange and lemon. I loved the zingy taste and felt so healthy while drinking it!

When it hit lunch time, I was able to chow down on a seasonal salad. Two more juices followed. ‘Kaling in the Name of’ was a green juice jam packed with nutrition provided by kale, spinach, celery, silver beet, cucumber, lemon and ginger. ‘Beets don’t kale my vibe’ was made of beetroot, kale, lemon, carrot and parsley and was just as good.

Dinner was a wholesome homemade soup, and what followed, ‘Wholly Cacao’, was like nothing I’d had before! Activated cashew nuts, cacao, dates, vanilla bean, sea salt and filtered water…To die for! Even better when warmed up on the stove!

How I felt…

On the first day, I developed a pretty big headache in the afternoon. I linked this with caffeine withdrawals and did my best to drink plenty of water and keep drinking the juices. Throughout the day I also had two green teas, which were allowed. These helped to keep my mind of coffee and were nice and warming on the cold winter’s day!

I went to bed extremely tired and woke up feeling much the same. Even though I was feeling sluggish, I knew that it was because my body was reacting to the changes and that put my mind at ease a bit. After an hour nap on the couch, I woke up Tuesday afternoon feeling refreshed,

By Wednesday, I could notice that my skin was looking really clear and I had a spring in my step. During the cleanse you enjoy a juice or meal every one and a half to two hours, so I never really felt hungry.

Even though my juice cleanse has finished, I am motivated to keep eating healthy, whole foods. So far, I am not getting any cravings to eat sugar or anything fatty- despite my predictions! One of the things I feel I have learned is to be very conscious when eating. It helps to really think clearly about your food choices and know why you are putting them into your body. I am definitely going to incorporate a lot more ginger into my meals, as well as leafy greens such as kale and spinach.

I would highly recommend doing a Green Press juice cleanse if you want to give yourself a boost of nutrition and give your body a much-needed break from processed foods, sugar and bad fats. It really does encourage you to eat well after the cleanse has finished, because you can start to see positive results quite quickly!

 

If you would like more information please pop in and visit James and the Green Press team or head over to the site to see their delicious press juice & goodies menu!  

 

Article by Heidi Greig.

Heidi Greig is a 25-year-old Melbournian with a passion for all things health and fitness. Coming from a background in modern dance and now enjoying the benefits of Reformer Pilates, Heidi is well –aware of the importance of regular, heart rate rising activity for a balanced and happy life!