After a very very indulgent 6 week holiday in Australia, I arrived back in London feeling a little over-indulged. Who can say no to all that fresh food, amazing coffee and mum’s cooking?? I certainly didn’t. Needless to say, I don’t live with regrets but it was time to give my body a little break from the overload of rich food, caffeine and alcohol. I felt bloated, puffy and I had lost my glow.

I’ve done a few juice cleanses over the past 5 years and love the effects it has on my body. I find it is an easy way to kick the caffeine habit and start a clean eating regime. I’m not saying it’s easy per say,  it’s just AN easy way to rid the body from toxins.

I searched the inter-web for the best juice cleanse in London. I wanted one that was cold pressed, organic and delivered straight to my door. After comparing a few brands, I decided that Plenish Cleanse was the best on the market. With a Plenish cleanse, you can choose from 3 levels of difficulties of cleansing which really means how much fruit content will be in the juice. The more difficult the cleanses, the less the juice. I don’t mind an all green vegetable juice, but take this into considertion when choosing your level. I choose Level 3as I had cleansed a few times before. If it’s your first time, I would recommend choosing level 1.

What to expect when Juice Cleansing

For all of those who haven’t done a cleanse before, I documented how I felt over the three days so you know what to experience. Plenish cleanse delivers all of your juices to you (6 x 500ml per day) so you don’t need to worry about a think during your detox period.

3 Days Prior to the Cleanse

Plenish cleanse recommends you cut down on the coffee, alcohol and processed foods to prepare your body for the optimal cleansing results. I may have sneaked a coffee during this time, but was able to cut down on processed foods.

Day 1 – Monday

I woke up feeling a little sluggish but ready to start my cleanse. I made a hot lemon tea and went off to the gym for a workout as I knew the next few days would be workout free.

Honestly, all I could think about was Pad Thai and coffee and chocolate and ribs. And I don’t even eat ribs! Let’s face it, Monday was hard. No matter how much juice I drank I was having visions of all my favourite meals. I wasn’t hungry, I was actually very full and struggling to get through all the juices. But as the evening closed in, I was so looking forward to my dinner drink – a Cashew Nut milk blend which was oh-so-yummy. Plenish advise to drink half at 6pm and half at 8pm to stop you craving late night snacks. But you know, I drank it all at once and sent myself to bed.

Day 2 – Tuesday

Waking up with a headache is no way to start a day. The detox process was happening and my withdrawal symptoms to caffeine was in full swing. Plenish advise to stick out the headache 24 hours, and then make a green tea if it hasn’t passed. 24 hours with a headache is no walk in the park. I made it to about 11am and made myself a green tea which seemed to do the trick. I was also feeling achey all over which is usually a sign of toxins leaving the body. I did some light yoga to get my body moving and also made myself a pampering bath that night. I was now in full cleanse mode and I could see the end of the tunnel. Energy was low so I went to bed quite early.

Day 3 – Wednesday

I made it!! Last day of juices and I could see the light! Today I woke up light and energised and my friends were saying I was glowing. My tummy was flat and I had lost 2kg on the scales. I wasn’t doing the cleanse to lose weight, but it was an effect that happens when you cleanse. Today I didn’t think about food at all and could have happily continued cleaning for a few more days. It was easy to go into the office, talk to people and enjoy the day normally.

The End Results

I felt amazing. Literally 1000 times better than when I arrived back in London. My skin was glowing I wasn’t puffy and I had shed a few Christmas kilos. I was ready to get back on the healthy band wagon and finish the rest of January alcohol and caffeine free.

My Tips for Juice Cleansing

Plenish provides a great little guide for cleansing but here a few extra tips of my own:

Plan your cleanse over the weekend and don’t plan any social engagements

1.Avoid people with food and avoid being in the kitchen

2. Don’t cook for anyone. I told my boyfriend I wasn’t cooking for 3 days and that he had to fend for himself

3. Treat yourself to a massage or a hot bath. It kills the time and also helps to aid the body in detoxing

4. Only do light exercise like yoga, walking and netflix. You won’t feel like doing anything else.

5. Plonk yourself in close proximity to a bathroom. Between the 3 litres of juices and water and herbal teas, you are going to need the loo a lot.

6. Last but not least, be kind to yourself. Listen to your body. Spend sometime meditating.

So who’s game for a cleanse? If you’re feeling bloated, rundown or if you are always getting sick, I highly recommend doing a Plenish Cleanse to kick those bad habits and turn over a new leaf.

Let me know if you have any questions about Cleansing in the below comments.

X

Phoebe