There’s quite a bit of talk circulating around about juice cleanses at the moment. With the popular documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead making it’s rounds in online streaming, to Dr. Oz dedicating an episode to the topic, and countless celebrities photographed with their raw juices in hand, it’s hard not to hear about juice cleanses. So what exactly is a juice cleanse, and is it just another fad diet or is there something substantial behind the claims? In order to find out, I was provided a one day juice cleanse courtesy of the Southern California based Ritual Wellness to try the juice movement myself and see.
Juice cleanses aim to provide your body a “break” from pesticides, hormones, additives, and chemicals that humans ingest each day through the consumption of processed food and being around toxins in the everyday world. Using cold pressed juicing methods, only the best of each fruit and vegetable makes its way into the juice guaranteeing enzyme retention, and creating a vibrant, better tasting juice with 4 times more nutrients than other methods of juice extraction. In theory, by giving your body a serving of fresh, organic, nutrient-rich juice every 2-3 hours, your body can stay full without needing to dedicate energy towards breaking down processed food, and can therefore use the energy that would otherwise be used on breaking down food, to increase mental clarity and restore health and energy levels to a positive state.
Ritual Cleanse provided me a complimentary cleanse to review in this article, but all opinions remain my own.
I chose to undertake my first juice cleanse using Ritual Wellness not only because they’re located close to my home, but because they are comprised of 100% organic fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts using superior ingredients with each green juice holding more than 3 pounds of 100% organic goodness pressed into each bottle! Ritual Wellness is also the only juice cleanse on the market that includes a fitness-friendly Shred component, to ensure clients can obtain a healthy level of nutrition for continued workouts.
By prepping a few days beforehand by having only organic, raw foods leading up to the Ritual Cleanse, I was ready to transition into my one day Seasonal Reset Cleanse and see if there was more fact or fiction to the latest fitness fad!
Arrival:
Because I live in Southern Orange County, about 20 minutes from where Ritual Wellness cold presses their juice, I had the fresh organic blends arrive at my door sometime between 4am and 6 am on the morning of my cleanse. For individuals to get the maximum benefits of the juice, its recommend to consume the detox drinks within 72 hours (although ideally sooner) as that is the time period that the juice can retain their maximum benefits. I appreciated that the early arrival allowed me to begin right away after my morning lemon water.
The packaging that the juice came in was well insulated without freezing the juice (which can reduce vitamin C, potassium and copper amounts) and the bag was easy to carry while limiting the amount of heat and light that could reach the juice, which could reduce Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), B1 (thiamin), B6, Folate, Vitamins A, B C and E levels. Overall, I was very pleased both ascetically and from a health benefits standpoint with the packaging.
Taste/Level of Satisfaction:
For the Seasonal Reset Cleanse, there was three chlorophyll rich green blends, 1 antioxidant packed fruit blend, 1 alkalizing lemonade and one protein rich nut mylk. Each bottle was labeled 1-6 so juicers like myself would know in which order to consume the yummy organic beverages. Here is a walk through of what I thought of each of the drinks:
1. The first drink of the day is a “greenie” consisting of spinach, kale, romaine, celery, cucumber, green apple and lemon. Being that I have never juiced before and can’t even drink V8 juice (no Bloody Marry’s for me) I wasn’t sure how I would respond to drinking a mixture that’s mostly spinach and kale. Being quite honest, it did take me three or four baby sips to get used to the taste, but once I got past the fact that it’s ok to taste celery in juice form, I started to really enjoy the drink. While green apple and lemon are barely included in the drink, the sweet flavors really shine through and make this a delicious and tasty morning beverage.
2. I love fruit! While I’m sure it wasn’t the healthiest or most nutrient-packed drink of the day, I was excited to have this second juice as a midday snack before “lunch.” Consisting of raspberry, pineapple and green apple, I believe the ingredients for this juice change seasonally, however I was very happy with how this version turned out. If you ever get the opportunity to go to Disneyland, it reminded me of the Dole juice you can get by the tike room, but better! The juice was fairly sweet but helped me keep my energy up and stay motivated to stay on track with my seasonal cleanse!
3. The third drink of the day was similar to my morning juice, except it has ginger added instead of lemon for the final ingredient. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed drinking this green juice and especially liked the hint of flavor brought on by the ginger.
4. The fourth drink was an alkalizing ‘lemonade’ blend made from alkaline water, lemon, raw agave and cayenne. This juice reminded me of something Beyonce would have on her Master Cleanse diet (sans the maple syrup) and although it works to curb afternoon cravings while gaining a natural jolt for the second half of the day, this drink took me a little while to consume, and I only was able to finish half in one sitting. The cayenne may be a metabolism booster, but I found it a bit on the spicier side, so I took baby sips on this one. Overall, I did enjoy it when I finished up the second half the following day, but I will say that if you’re not a fan of spicy beverages, prepare to drink slow like I did. * Images for 4, 5 and 6 use picture above, as sun began to set by the time I began the alkalizing lemonade.
5. Drink five is the same as drinks one and three, except according to Ritual Wellness’ website, there’s neither lemon nor ginger to this beverage. Very filling and enjoyable with the green apple really shining through and adding a sweet source of minerals and antioxidants!
6. Finishing off the day on a high note was drink number six…desert! The last drink is both satisfying and delicious, made from a protein-rich cashew mylk aimed to curb evening cravings and keep you satisfied throughout the night. After making sure it received a proper shaking before opening, the consistency threw me off for a moment as there’s some actual cashew bits in the mylk instead of pure juice, but I enjoyed the mix of cashews, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg for an evening treat. With 10 grams of protein, I was only able to finish half of this drink before getting full, but ended my seasonal cleanse day feeling satisfied and having more mental clarity than the previous day!
Overall Thoughts:
While I had my doubts as to how a juice cleanse would work for me, I was thrilled by my results. Not only was I full the entire day (no cravings at all!), but my skin started to get a pregnancy-like glow by the end of day one that stayed all week, and I lost three pounds that I still haven’t gained back. On their website, Ritual Wellness claims that their cleanses can “reset eating habits, eliminate cravings and kick start a healthy diet, free from processed foods” and I completely agree with them, that the cleanse accomplishes those goals.
After completing the Ritual Wellness cleanse, I slept better than I had in awhile, woke up more refreshed (only needed 6.5 hours of sleep instead of my normal 8.5), had my skin clear up instantly and I had no desire for junk food. Since completing the cleanse, I was able to try their Shred on a separate day and throughly enjoyed all three of those beverages (a chlorophyl water, beet juice blend, and another mylk) and have been inspired to eat healthier and consume smaller portions moving forward.
If you’re looking to start eating healthier or plan on making a New Years Resolution to lose weight, undertaking a 1-3 day Ritual Wellness juice cleanse can be a great way to reset your eating habits and possibly help you have an easier transition into a better diet. I found that while on the Ritual Wellness cleanse, I had no headaches, hunger pains, and my mental clarity increased tremendously. While each juice cleanse plan revolves around different juicing techniques, ingredients, and shipping methods, I feel confident recommending Ritual Wellness as the Seasonal Reset Cleanse worked for me!
Always consult with a family doctor before undertaking a juice cleanse to ensure that your body is healthy enough for a cleanse, and plan on eating organically the day prior, and at least one day after completing a juice cleanse to help your body make the most out of the juicing. Results will vary per individual, however my results were positive, immediate, and long lasting.
For more information on Ritual Wellness and to find the perfect juice cleanse for you, visit their website at http://www.ritualcleanse.com/
Ritual Cleanse provided me a complimentary cleanse to review in this article, but all opinions remain my own.