3 day Blueprint Juice Cleanse : I did it !!
Posted in Cooking tools, Life on October 22nd, 2011 by Natacha – 1 CommentI endured a lot of stress at work recently -> trouble sleeping -> i was too tired to cook -> ordered more takeout…and my whole body started to feel the effects of too much processed foods/sugars/fats and lots of vino.
I needed something drastic, a change. I desperately needed to hit the “reset button”. I looked at juice cleanses and recently heard of the Blueprint cleanse. A set of 6 juices to help detoxify the body, and nutritionally designed so that you are still able to stand “vertically” at the end of the day. It took me a while to go for it, the main hold back was the price (65$ per day – delivered to your door). When I saw one of my local market was carrying their juices (way to save a few bucks), I decided that I would start trying it for 1 day. So I bought the 6 juices there, at the end of the day I was feeling good so bought enough for day 2 and decided that for day 3 I would get the stuff fresh and delivered. I did ask the Blueprint people why the in-store juice had an expiration date two weeks later (given that the stuff is “raw”) and here’s their reply :
typo - meant bouGHt but was way too excited about this topic...LOL
Fair enough ! I am still extremely curious about this “secret proprietary” method to make something raw lasts for weeks….This is why i really wanted to check the difference and get that stuff fresh (as in “made that day”) for the last day of the cleanse.
I prepared for a couple days before the cleanse with lighter meals, salads etc…I think it made it easier…It would not have been the right time for an all-Mexican meal with frozen margaritas, if you see what I mean 😉
Day 1 was a little rough, I started my morning as suggested with warm water with a squeeze of lemon (supposedly to “alkanize” the body) and then started with my “green” drink, at 11am i was staring at pictures of food online, experienced some mild digestive cramping…at the end of the day i used my gym’s sauna for 20 minutes and then took an icy cold shower to help with the detoxification process. I was very anxious about the end of the day, when i veg’ out on the couch, watching silly reality TV (yes I do that too) but I had their marvelous “cashew-cinnamon-vanilla” milk – it was so filling i could hardly drink the whole bottle. It contains 7g of proteins and 300 calories…And I must confess i “only” drank 5 juices that day and not 6 that daa. I basically drank juice everytime i started getting hungry.
After my first day I slept literally like a baby, it was the first time in a while (kinda like I do after a session of Bikram yoga). When I woke up, I truly felt refreshed, like a new “me”….(I also spent lots of time in the bathroom if you see what I mean- OK OK TMI- but still that’s what “detox” is all about, isn’t it ?).
Day 2 seemed easier, maybe because it was a very busy day for me ? I enjoyed a deep Swedish massage to get the blood flowing…You should have seen the therapist’s face when i asked her “Can you massage my liver, I’m detoxing”…Never thought I would ever say something like this…My French ancestors must have rolled over in their graves…
Day 3 went by very fast, I felt energized and was even considering going for 5 days…I did not look so great but still felt fine. I did feel as light as a feather.
At the end of the cleanse i used “common sense” and basically had fruit for breakfast/lunch and had a light vegan dinner. I did not experience any discomfort but I was very anxious about my body’s ability to get back to “normal” foods. Overall I lost 4 pounds (which will probably come back) but this would be a great way to kick off a new diet.
Overall I really liked the convenience, the fresh juices (the ones delivered) did taste slightly better than the ones bought in the store and really liked the feeling that resulted from it. All the juices tasted delicious and slightly on the sweet side which made the whole thing easier…My son loved the red juice and he made sure he had half every day :
Nothing's cuter than a red beet juice moustache...
This cleanse is great if you have deep pockets and live in NYC…but I think that I will invest into a “press” juicer like the innovative Hurom juicer and make the juices at home for the whole day, at least it will also be guaranteed organic – the blueprint people “try” to include as many organic veggies and fruits as available.
The Hurom is a very interesting juicer that does not damage the raw ingredients with internal heat like other juicer may (unlike the Vitamix blender). Its extraction process is quite innovative and it can even handle nuts like almonds, cashews…etc (unlike other juicer that don’t do so well with nuts).I think this is going to be my next “investment”, kids will also be able to enjoy it !
BluePrint Renovation Cleanse – what exactly is it ?:
6 juices to be drank in this specific order:
1) and 3) are green drinks : Romaine, celery, cucumber, apple, spinach, kale, parsley, lemon and ginger
2) the “mojito” : pineapple, mint, apple
4) “detox” afternoon : lemon, water, cayenne and agave
5) the “red” one : beet, carrot, apple, ginger, lemon
6) the “yummy -super filling-white” one: cashews, water, cinnamon and vanilla
Make room in your fridge for the Blueprint juice cleanse !
I also used that time to meditate and reflect on my life and realize what was really important to me : a loving husband and fun healthy kids.
It doesn’t help to have a clean body if your soul isn’t after all…
