**I want to preface this by saying, I am NOT encouraging a juice cleanse onto anybody. This is simply my experience with a Juice Detox/Cleanse/Fast, whatever you want to call it. If you are offended by this and the content, simply don’t waste you time with negativity. This fast is not for everyone, you should have significant knowledge of nutrition before proceeding. There are many benefits to a juice cleanse, I’m not going to get into the detail of that, you can easily find the information on the web **
I also want to say that everyone’s experience is different and everyone’s body reacts differently as well. I enjoyed the 3 day cleanse, I’ve done it as a reset twice. You will loose weight and tighten up. Personally I wouldn’t mind using this tactic to prep for something like Vegas or a trip full of bathing suits. You will gain the weight back if you are not responsible with your eating after. Also, your skin will glow and feel so bright because of all the nutrients you take in.
After talking with a couple at my part time job, that gave me insight onto this cleanse, I decided to do my research. I watched over 10 youtube videos, read about 10 articles, and read through forums. This is pretty typical of me when I discover something new. I love watching youtube vlogs because I feel they are more raw and show you the daily step by step. Some videos did discourage me, and made me think this was going to be impossible and difficult, however I found this to be quite simple (after conquering your mind). I will say that this process was MUCH easier with my husband by my side doing it as well, and helping with preparation and juicing.
WE JUICED EVERYTHING OURSELVES. Yes this was extremely demanding, and cleaning the juicer is the worst part lol. If you juice everything yourself it is way more economical than buying a cleanse directly. However, I know most people don’t have time or a juicer, I have recommended Pressed Juicery’s cleanses to friends and they have enjoyed that as well. I don’t have a fancy juicer either, it is rather cheap from Amazon but it got the job done.
Here is the Juicer we used!
I found most of my recipes through Pinterest. I aimed for juices that contained mostly vegetables and only one fruit or sometimes two to sweeten it up. It is really easy for someone to use a bunch of fruits because they taste the best, however that would be too much sugar and not beneficial. If anything the excessive sugar would make you extremely thirsty.
Water Consumption: When you are juicing you MUST MUST MUST drink a lot of water. I drink a gallon of water a day on the regular. When I was juicing, I found myself feeling more thirsty than ever, I would listen to my body and drink more than one gallon. I also drank Liquid I.V electrolytes and that curbed my thirst instantly.
Activity Levels: I read many contrasting opinions, some people say not to workout when juicing. Others say to do something like light cardio, walking, or yoga. I messaged a friend who had juiced several times about this. She told me to listen to my body, workout, yet take it easy and make sure to consume a juice an hour before. On my first cleanse I went to spin each of the three days, I avoiding lifting because I didn’t want to feel lightheaded.
Sleep: The most essential part of a cleanse! I got my 8 hours of sleep each night, which only happens for me when I am on breaks from my education job. I will admit I woke-up extremely tired the second and third day of the cleanse. On the 4th day (regular non juicing day), I woke-up feeling like I had gotten hit by a truck, I felt really sluggish and my body felt heavy, I laid in bed for another hour.
I did consume half an avocado each night! I did this to ensure my body was getting some sort of healthy fats. This could also be done with Omega 3’s and fish oil. I enjoyed eating my avocado with some lime and pink himalayan sea salt.
How Much Juice: Pressed Juicery’s cleanse kit gives you 6 juices daily. I tried to model my consumption in a similar manner, except we did about 5 juices daily. At night, instead of a juice, we would do a Banana and Almond Milk as a drink. We also drank coconut water, and sparkling water throughout the day.
Here are pictures of some of the juices we drank. I juiced for two people at a time, that is how much produce we used. I also added coconut water to fill the mason jars to the top!
JUICE 1: My favorite! We sprinkled chia seeds for extra nutrition. The chia seeds get gooeey and taste good in the juice.
JUICE 2: Apple, Carrots, Turmeric, Oranges, Lemon (didn’t end up using the pineapple)
Juice 3: Beets, Carrots, Apple, Lemon, Ginger & Turmeric
this juice is great to take before a workout because beets may help blood flow and exercise ability. Beets are very prone to stain, so drink this one with a straw.
Juice Not Pictured: Carrot, Tomato, Bell Pepper, Lemon Juice… this was more of a savory juice.
Here’s a snapshot of some of the groceries we got for our juices.
Some of my staples for Juicing: Cucumbers, Celery, Carrots, Power Greens Mix, Kale, Ginger, Lemon, Turmeric, Beets, Apple, Pineapple, Oranges, Grapefruits.
The key to survive a juice cleanse, it to ensure you’re getting proper nutrients through the fruits and vegetables you’re consuming, stay hydrated, and consume a juice periodically. Since I am someone who practices intermittent fasting, I did this while juicing and I did not feel starved, if anything practicing IF helped me adhere to the juices even when working at a Mexican food restaurant.
If you have any questions, ask below! or message me on IG @JessMarquezz, I would love to help and answer any questions. & Remember to ALWAYS do your OWN research before implementing something in your life.
Jessica Ochoa 