New Year, New Cleanse

I used to think New Year’s Resolutions were pointless. I’d make a generic list in my head of what I wanted to work on, but without definite goals, they would be long forgotten. But after this past year, I realized they can be beneficial especially if you have concrete goals. January 1st is technically just a day like any other but I like the idea of having a marker to reflect and take stock of the past year. Among my resolutions last year were to visit South America (check!) and sign up for a dance class (well, I did sign up, I still have to go…I’m just carrying it over to this year). That said, I’m still working out my list of resolutions this year…2012 kind of crept up on me and I didn’t necessarily plan ahead…

That said, one of the things I have been more cognizant of lately is my physical health and what I put in my body. Thus, I just started this cleanse with some friends and I’m hoping to keep it up for the next three weeks. Normally, I would find this type of thing terrifying, but after experiencing my very first cleanse with Ritual Cleanse last year, I’m a little less intimidated…excited if anything.

Mid-last year, I was not feeling my best. I was working ALL the time, and barely found time to even go to the gym which I always felt I had been good about before. I needed to “reset,” and I wanted to start with my diet. At that point, I had heard of cleanses, and was curious but have never really tried one before. It was a bit serendipitous actually, because when I started asking people if they recommended any, my friend Kristan told me about her obsession with Ritual Cleanse. It’s basically a liquid detox cleanse, where depending on which program you choose, you are sent fresh, 100% organic fruit and vegetable juices that act as meal replacements to rid your body of toxins and nourish it with vitamins and minerals. While I think a lot of people associate cleanses with weight loss, I was in it for other benefits — mostly for energy and mental clarity (I was starting to experience a bit of brain fog at work and was finding it hard to just focus).

She promised me it wouldn’t taste like dirt, and accordingly I connected with them myself and they sent me a three-day supply of their Seasonal Reset. It was 6 drinks for each day, plus an extra two drinks to have before/after a workout…20 drinks total. When I took a look at the my first green drink (which included kale, spinach, cucumber, celery, and apple) I braced myself. I thought this liquid salad is going to taste horrible — but surprisingly, it was actually refreshing and (dare I say) delicious. Seriously!

I thought the best way to talk about it was to give you the pros/cons:

PROS
– I thought every drink tasted DELICIOUS and refreshing. Added bonus that you know everything is extremely fresh and 100% organic.
– The package comes with a cooler bag and ice packs so you can easily take your drinks with you if you’re on the go or have to pack multiple while you’re at the office.
– I didn’t really feel hungry because you have to drink a whole bottle every 2 hours.
– You don’t really have to think about your meals because every bottle is clearly marked 1 through 6.
– I’d say the first day is probably the hardest, but then it gets easier, and by the third you’re feeling absolutely light.
– After the cleanse, I found myself actually craving salads and ‘good foods.’ You sort of adapt to the nutrients, but it’s totally something you have to keep following through with. It’s easy to fall off that track.
– I didn’t really do this cleanse for the weight loss as much as I did as a response to feeling tired all the time. I really felt like I could focus and felt more energetic by the 3rd day.

CONS
– While the drinks are delicious, the hard part is the fact that you just don’t have the option to eat anything else if you don’t want to cheat yourself.
– On that note, I didn’t realize that the reason you pick which date you’re going to actually start the cleanse is because they deliver it overnight with ice packs, so you can start right away otherwise the drinks will go bad. I planned this poorly and started a DAY before my friends wedding. All that chicken and rice? Had to pass it up and drink my spinach/celery/cucumber juice instead
– The first day is probably the most difficult (but it gets easier!)
– Price. It’s $80 per day, plus $20 to ship if you don’t live in California.

Worth it? For me, I felt like it was definitely a good way to detox and “reset” as I set out to do. Like I said, even though the cleanse itself was three days, I was craving healthier foods afterwards. It doesn’t automatically become a seamless lifestyle shift though — you need to train yourself or else you can fall off track quiet easily with your healthier diet.

This particular cleanse can potentially be an expensive habit as well, so that’s why I’m trying to emulate this cleanse now which is more accessible since I’m buying all my food from the grocery store. Also, I find a liquid diet is only practical if it’s in short intervals like this…I personally wouldn’t want to go beyond three days because I’d just miss other foods.

Anyone else try Ritual Cleanse or other cleanses? What did you think? Do you have any questions about cleanses?

x
Shy

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