As someone who enjoys a daily green juice, I’m a bit embarrassed to reveal that I had never done a juice cleanse before this. Now don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of a cleanse and have often been close to ordering one but I was worried about not completing it and wasting not only the juice but also the money.
As if by fate, I was approached by ELXR Juicelab to try one of its cleanses and at first I shook my head at the thought of doing a juice cleanse during quarantine. Quarantine for me has been a time of cooking, baking, and constant grazing so the thought of replacing not only my morning cups of coffee, bagels, french toast, cookies, and more with juice seemed near-impossible. After chatting with a few friends, I realized that this is actually a great time to do a juice cleanse because I wouldn’t be tempted to go out to eat at restaurants and I had no industry events to attend, so what was holding me back? Nothing.
I decided to go for it and I signed myself up for two days of ELXR’S Deep Dive cleanse.
*If you aren’t sure a juice cleanse is right for you, consult a doctor and always listen to your body.*
The cleanse consisted of two four juices, two boosters, one tonic, and one milk and let me preface by saying how easy the whole experience was from start to finish.
The cleanse was delivered right to my door at 9 a.m. via contactless delivery and I got started right away with Toxic Flush which is like a spicy lemonade that kickstarts the detoxification process. In addition to being good for you, this tonic was absolutely delicious and I had to stop myself from downing it all in one go. Along with Toxic Flush came with the Tumeric Booster. This potent shot is great for its immune-boosting anti-inflammatory properties and with added black pepper, it makes it easier for our bodies to absorb.
Next up was ELXR’s Second Base which is a green juice and I’m not afraid to admit that I was scared it would taste awful because, let’s face it, most green juices can be reminiscent of grass. However, I’m also not afraid to admit that I was proved wrong and was pleasantly surprised to find this juice was SO good and didn’t have a grass-like taste at all.
Again, I had to stop myself from downing this juice because it was that delicious.
By now it was early afternoon and I proceeded to tuck into juice after juice and found each one tasty, refreshing, and all-around enjoyable. Now, I’m not saying that I expected them to be nasty, but I wasn’t prepared for them to be this good.
It wasn’t until the late afternoon that I began to feel hunger and I developed a relatively strong headache. I made sure to keep drinking enough water but even as I stayed hydrated, my headache wasn’t going anywhere.
I decided to have some of the Chaga Fix which was my “all-day sipper” and after a while, my headache and hunger disappeared completely.
Dinner was another green juice, the Third Base, and it didn’t disappoint either. The juice tasted ‘greener’ than the Second Base but it was easy to drink and before I knew it, the bottle was empty.
Call me crazy, but I already felt less bloated and I wasn’t even completely done with Day one.
All in all, the cleanse was much less scary than I thought it would be. I anticipated feeling deprived, hungry, and sluggish all day but it couldn’t have been more of the opposite. Day two came and went and I felt not only amazing and lighter in a way, but also proud of myself that I stuck with the cleanse and tried something new.
If you thought that ELXR was known for just its juices, then think again because the brand also makes tasty treats like chia seed parfaits, oatmeals, sprouted granola, and more. These are delicious any time of the day but they’re great for breakfast as well as post-cleanse for introducing food back into your diet.
I had the chance to ask ELXR Juicelab founder and CEO Daniel Gelshteyn a couple questions:
What are your thoughts on doing a juice cleanse while we’re in quarantine?
DG: Whether you’ve just learnt to cook for yourself, are snacking more than usual as a result of heightened anxiety or boredom or becoming more health-conscious in an effort to keep your immunity up, I think it’s become increasingly evident that this pandemic has had an effect on the way most of us eat. Juice Cleansing is an opportunity to take a break from unhealthy eating habits which may have developed during your time in quarantine, or simply as a way to refocus your diet with a variety of organic formulas and vibrant plant-based superfoods that aim to detox, energize, repair and nourish the body from the inside out.
Do you have any tips on how to stick with the cleanse for the whole duration if someone is new to cleansing?
DG: For anyone that’s new to cleansing the most important thing to remember is that you need to listen to your body to ensure you come out of the cleanse feeling your absolute best. If you ever feel low on energy, It’s okay to introduce salads, soups or nuts into your diet. In addition, it’s super important to continue drinking lots of water or herbal teas in-between juices to stay hydrated.
Cleanses can span anywhere from 1-6 days at the discretion of the person participating. It’s important to pick a number of days that services you and your body without overexerting yourself to ensure maximum success. We also understand cleansing can be difficult with day one typically being the hardest. It’s important to monitor how you’re feeling, you can always take a break in between days while maintaining a plant-based diet and still feel the benefits.
Want to order your own ELXR Juicelab cleanse? Use code STYLEDEMOCRACY for 20% off, valid until July 31!
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