By Naomi Shapiro of SuperDumbSuperVillain.com
Juice cleanses are all the rage these days, with celebrities endorsing the detoxification benefits for beauty, health and, yes, even weight loss. The BluePrint Cleanse is one of the most popular and offers mail-order delivery, as well as a line of freshly made juices available at many retailers nationwide. Essentially, the idea is that you consume only raw, whole foods in liquid form for anywhere from three to ten days. The enzymes in these organic fruit and vegetable juices work to clean your body from the inside out, reducing intestinal bloat and inflammation by restoring your natural alkaline levels and metabolism.
I was curious about trying the BluePrint Cleanse because even though I try to eat healthy and exercise, I have been feeling lethargic this new year. I felt like the three-day juice cleanse might be a way to restart my system. And I was right.
What really surprised me the most about the BluePrint Cleanse was how I never felt hungry or deprived. Between drinking the juices and water, I was totally sated. The flavors were different enough to keep things interesting, too.
The Green Juice was subtle and refreshing. It tasted a bit like my grandpa’s Cel-Ray tonic but sweeter and leafier.
PAM (pineapple-apple-mint) is so incredibly delicious that my kids kept trying to steal it. (side note: It would make an amazing mojito, if you weren’t on a cleanse.)
Spicy Lemonade is sweetened with agave nectar and kicked up a notch with a blend of peppers.
CAB (carrot-apple-beet) is a gorgeous ruby red color and tastes like a gingery smooth borscht.
Cashew Milk is almost like a dessert at the end of your day, with a cinnamon-vanilla rice pudding flavor similar to horchata.
Three days isn’t a long time. It wasn’t hard for me to stick to the juice-only diet for such a short period, although it was kind of strange to sit through family meals with a glass of juice in front of me instead of a plate. If you’re a very social eater, that could be problematic. It also takes up a substantial amount of refrigerator space, so if you have roommates or plan to do more than three days, that could be an issue. The biggest problem for me is the cost. Three days of juice over-nighted to me in Wichita, Kansas cost $240, which certainly doesn’t fit into my everyday budget.
Still, the benefits are impressive. I lost seven pounds during the three day cleanse, which I assumed was all water weight, but has stayed off since then. My skin looks much more radiant and even my puffy dark eye circles look less noticeable. Better still, the BluePrint Cleanse encouraged me to increase my water intake and stop drinking diet soda altogether.
Overall, if you’re looking for a way to kick start a healthier diet, I would definitely recommend this plan – especially if you’re in a metropolitan area where the juices are available at retail. Otherwise, you might want to invest in a copy of The 3-Day Cleanse, by the founders of the BluePrint Cleanse, Zoë Sakoutis and Erica Huss. The book provides insight into the whys and hows of juice cleanses, including detailed recipes for healthy, body-nurturing foods AND their famous juices.
Also Read:
The Dos and Don’ts of a Healthy Way to Detox
“Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” Puts Juicing on the Big Screen
Salma Hayek’s The Cooler Cleanse
While BluePrint Cleanse provided their three-day cleanse at no charge, we were under no obligation to provide a review. This review is the author’s own opinion and was not influenced.