I was always into making smoothies as a quick on-the-go meal and felt they were more filling compared to juices. I would juice occasionally and really only on weekends or on days I wasn’t working as my previous juicer was such a pain to clean.  So you can say I wasn’t soooo into it as everyone else was and I didn’t see fit to only consume pure liquids for consecutive days.  I’m well aware that a glass of freshly squeezed juice is packed with loads of vitamins and nutrients and I’ll have one in between meals or with my meal…..it’s just that I felt there were other ways you can keep the body healthy, without having to deprive it from solids. Well, I was wrong!

I got offered to try out a couple of different  juice cleanses earlier this year and I thought why not give them a try to see what the whole rage was about. Both of the cleanses were for three days with six bottles of juice for each day (so thats 18 in total!!). Three days worth of fresh, organic juices were delivered to my doorstep the night before I was to start my cleanse with thorough instructions to  ensure the process went smoothly. As I have quite a healthy eating habit, during the cleanse I didn’t have much of a problem with cravings and to my surprise I didn’t suffer too badly with hunger either. It was the act of chewing and the different textures of solid foods that I missed the most. Believe it or not, the three days went by quite smoothly,  although I have to admit I did slip in a salad or two. Shh….dont tell! :p However, at the end of each cleanse I felt great! Refreshed, rejuvenated with an extra bit of energy!

The two different juice cleanses I tried were equally great and each had their perks! The first one I tried was Hic’ Juice. The juices came in 6 large glass bottles, each numbered from 1-6 so you just had to follow the order of the juices as they were numbered each day. You are encouraged to drink plenty of water and herbal tea in between  and ‘chew’ your juice which I thought was a bit weird but apparently this helps in digesting the juices. The bottles were HUGE so there wasn’t an issue of getting hungry…..actually sometimes I felt so filled with liquid I would have to wait awhile to finish the juice. Overall the juices were quite tasty. My favourites were the popeye smoothie and nut milk.

The second one I tried was from Beauty Cleanse. The 6 juices for each day came in plastic bottles that were slightly smaller than those from Hic but the juices were still quite filling and I especially loved the creamy nut milk! These juices weren’t numbered and you are to pick and choose which you wanted to have. Again, you are encouraged to drink plenty of H2O and herbal teas. My 3 day program came with a couple of organic herbal tea sachets and supplements to aid in the cleansing process. They offer a ‘cheat sheet’ in case you suffer from a major case of the munchies which suggest nibbling on celery sticks.

Juice cleansing isn’t just for the unfit or for those trying to lose weight…..even if you live a healthy lifestyle and have healthy eating habits,  we sometimes just need to give our digestive systems a time out from having to constantly break down the food we eat. Whether it be juicing at home or signing up for a program, just like how we need a vacation to get away from our busy work schedule…..our bellies need some chill time once in awhile as well. It could be for five days, three days or even just for a day….give it a try-your insides will thank you and you will be able to see that from the outside! 😉