This morning during my Sunday yoga class, my teacher Erica said, “Hold the pose for one last breath for that extra Snickers. I did that too this week.” I smirked because I knew it rang true for many in the class, including myself.
This past week I wanted to do a 3-day juice cleanse. After my marathon, I continued to eat like I was a training for one and found it hard to say no to the Halloween candy that was popping up everywhere! I even ate the “bad candy” I featured in my YouTube worst candy video! Insert embarrassed emoji here.
I noticed when I woke up my face started to regularly look “puffy” and was ready to put a stop to it. I love the juices from The Ripe Stuff and decided that a quick cleanse was what I needed to reset my cravings and undo the recent damage I had done to my body.
I chose to try The Ripe Stuff’s seasonal fall cleanse, A New Leaf. Rebecca, the owner, makes the juices the same day that she delivers them to your door so you know they are fresh and not pasteurized. For those of you that do not live in Boston, I recommend finding a a juice company that does not use high pressure pasteurization as they taste better and arguably* have more nutrients.
The first day was easy thanks to the extra calories I had been eating the few days before I started my cleanse! My juices consisted of:
- Fall Foliage: Kale, Spinach, Romaine, Ginger, Cucumber, Celery, Apple, Lemon
- Apple Picking: Apple, Pear
- Weekend Getaway: Carrot, Beet, Apple, Lemon, Ginger
- Touchdown: Lemon, Orange, Grapefruit, Cayenne
- Daylight Savings: Kale, Spinach, Romaine, Ginger, Cucumber, Celery, Apple, Lemon
- Harvest: Cashew, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Dates
Harvest was new to me. I love that it is sweetened with dates instead of agave nectar. It tasted like a delicious light milk shake!
I did not exercise on my own but did teach two classes and had one personal training client. I ate a couple tablespoons of peanut butter primarily out of boredom while working from home around 5pm which made me not want my 5th juice but I drank it anyway.
I do not do cleanses to lose weight but I do weigh myself.
After the first day I noticed I lost 3 lbs. This is water weight and extra stored carbs that were hanging out in my large muscles waiting for the nonexistent long runs. It is not fat! When I do cleanses, my goal is to eliminate the shit (toxins or extra calories) I’ve been eating from my body before they find a permanent home. This why I like doing them after vacations.
I loved the addition of Apple Picking and Touchdown, both unique to the fall cleanse using in season fruits. Touchdown reminded me of the Tone It Up meta-D shots. The carrot and beet juice, Weekend Getaway, is one of my regular favorites from The Ripe Stuff as is their green juice.
The second and third day went just as smoothly as the first. I did have about 100 calories worth of almonds both days and a few slices of fresh mango on the third. My face looked so much thinner by the time I was ready for my last juice, which I drank at the ballet… #Selfie alert.
I woke up Friday morning full of energy and wanted a green juice instead of pancakes and bacon which is what I had on Sunday. This made me so happy because it meant I successfully reset my cravings! Mission accomplished.
Luckily, I bought an extra juice and had it with fresh mango for breakfast. I lost a total of 7 pounds at the end of my cleanse. Again, this was not fat but simply water weight, toxins and other stored energy being held in my muscles waiting to be used. I’ll probably gain 4 back by Monday.
If you ate way too much candy this weekend, The Ripe Stuff is offering you guys an exclusive 10% off using coupon code “candydetox” – good until November 4th, 2014.
They also have a new 3-day eating and juicing program that comes with 10 juices and a 3 day meal plan designed for optimal health, detoxification and fuel for those of you that are new to juicing or want a less extreme approach. You can order your cleanse for after the 4th but all orders must be placed by the end of the day on the 4th.
You are supposed to eat a vegan diet a few days before and after a cleanse to get the full benefits from it, but you do not have to of course. You also are not supposed to chew gum, smoke or drink caffeinated beverages during a cleanse. I usually do have some sort of snack, like 1/4 of an avocado, nuts, or fruit.
I CUT MY HAIR!
And yes, I cut my hair. Here is a better shot of what it currently looks like. After ruining my Olaf costume earlier in the day, I had to scramble to put together a last minute Halloween idea for Friday night. Feeling inspired by my new cut and red lips from the ballet, I put together a look from the “Shake It Off” music video by Taylor Swift. Lame, yes, but I felt in good company. My friend Emily was equally unprepared and with our props, we made our all black outfits “work.”
Have you tried a juice cleanse yet?
Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post. The Ripe Stuff is a SarahFit favorite and the owner is a friend. Who doesn’t like supporting their good friend’s small businesses?
