Peeled Cleanse Day 3: I Would Have Sold My Firstborn Child For A Piece of Broccoli

Tweet this!

**In case you missed it, I'm doing a 3 day Juice Cleanse from Peeled Chicago. Read about why I'm doing it and what it entails here. **

Juice Cleanse Day 1

Juice Cleanse Day 2

Juice Cleanse Day 3

Well, they were right. The second day was the hardest! Day 3 was a piece of cake (ugh, cruel reference to make in a post about juice cleansing) by comparison! 

You know how I mentioned I was getting a ton of sleep? Well, as it turns out, there may be sheer quantity, but the quality is not particularly good. Here's how I clocked in last night...

A lot of hours? Yes. But my REM cycles are all kinds of wonky and I apparently kept waking up. It's like my body had no problem being unconscious but refused to get quality and long deep sleep. What's up with that? Maybe because I'm STARVING.

Juice 1: The Green Lantern

A bit after waking up, I had my first drink. The Green Lantern. I added a bit of lemon juice to it to alter the flavor a bit, and it was good enough to wake me up.

Juice 2: Haute Lemonade

I was pretty excited for my lemonade. I did the same thing as yesterday and heated up half water, then added half Haute Lemonade. Check out how much pepper is in this baby. Remnants above.

Juice 3: Maroon Five

Nope, that's not red wine I'm drinking as I watch Sex and the City on my lunch break. I usually take a run on my lunch break when I'm working from home, but today I'm taking it easy because of the cleanse. I sort of enjoyed my Maroon Five. It's just funny to me how this drink was my absolute favorite on day one and ended up being in last place by day 3.

Juice 4: Green Lantern

I just wanted to share this picture to show you how the juices settle. They look kind of odd when you first grab them from the fridge, but it's nothing a good shake can't cure! I had this one around 2:30 or 3, and sipped it as I did some work.

No, I did not eat that! 

The most difficult part of my day came at around 6:00 when I was making my fiance dinner. He's been really busy with work and some studying up, and I had all the time in the world since I wasn't hitting the gym and had worked from home all day. So, I ended up putting together a dinner of chicken, quinoa with parmesan and feta, and sauteed vegetables with Bobby's All Purpose Seasoning (delicious and gluten free). The hard part was not tasting it. I would have sold my first born child for just a piece of broccoli. 

Juice 5: Maroon Five

I didn't get to this one until around 6:30. I only had a small cup of it and didn't finish the bottle, because I just wasn't desiring it, and I've been told it's important to listen to your body during a cleanse. So, I drank about half the bottle and popped it back in the fridge. Today is my last scheduled day of drinking it, but I figured I could sub it for a snack tomorrow if I wanted to (will I?).

Juice 6: Cashew Milk

I had been looking forward to this all day. I decided to drink it straight up - no ice cubes, no blender - because I legitimately wanted to savor every sip. I took a picture toward the end as I said goodbye to my favorite delicious treat. I actually got a little sentimental... about cashew milk... obviously this cleanse is getting to my brain.

Overall:

I am feeling... happy, content, not really hungry. I feel like I could actually keep going if I wanted to. Too bad I have to attend a wine tasting tomorrow night, so I've got to be able to at least put Quinoa or something in my stomach just to take a few sips.

I am craving... Vegetables. This is so weird. Yesterday, I just wanted carbs and pizza and bagels and pretzel buns, but now, on day 3, all I really want is broccoli.

Physically... I feel pretty darn good. I almost feel like I could go on a run or go lift weights but I know better than to do that on pretty much an empty stomach. Point is, I have energy. Yesssss. 

Rate the juices... In order from favorite to least favorite: Cashew Milk, Haute Lemonade, Green Lantern, Maroon Five

Peeled Juice Cleanse Day 2

Tweet this!

**In case you missed it, I'm doing a 3 day Juice Cleanse from Peeled Chicago. Read about why I'm doing it and what it entails here. **

Juice Cleanse Day 1

Juice Cleanse Day 2

Juice Cleanse Day 3

I slept like a freaking baby last night. 8 hours and 54 minutes of sheer unconscious bliss. The write up on Cashew Milk said it would prepare my body for a good night's sleep... and that, it did. I woke up with a slight headache, but that almost always happens to me when I sleep more than 8 full hours, so I'm not sure if that is cleanse related or not.

Juice 1: Green Lantern

I left for work at 8am. After packing my mid day juices in my trusty back pack, I grabbed my Green Lantern and drank it in transit. I still enjoy the taste, but I have to admit that I'm a bit disappointed that I have to keep drinking the same things. I realized that I will drink The Green Lantern 6 times within these 3 days. Same goes for Maroon 5. Why do I have to drink the same things so many times? I wish Peeled would have varied it a bit more for me. Kind of disappointing.

Also, my stomach hurts.

In likely related news, I am obviously cranky. That rant above, itself, proves my point. 

Juice 2: Haute Lemonade

Since getting to work, my stomach had been hurting pretty badly. I was also extremely thirsty but had no appetite for water, itself. So, I hit up the green tea... only to take a few sips. What's with being really thirsty and yet not being able to drink? It's like a hangover.

Anyway, I popped open my Haute Lemonade around 10:15 and sipped it as I worked. I was just so cold and started to think it was from consuming only cold things, so I decided to make this drink warm. I wasn't sure if it was safe to microwave the juice, though (after all, they're big on raw veggies, so... ), so I just filled my cup half way and then topped it off with hot water. It wasn't hot, but it was pretty warm, and really helped warm me up. Plus, it made it at least slightly different than yesterday.

Juice 3: Maroon Five

On my lunch, I walked to LaSalle and the Chicago River to meet my fiance. He knew I just had a juice, so he kindly ate his lunch at work before meeting me. We walked around for a bit as I drank my juice, and it was okay. Not amazing. 

Also, my fiance tried it. His judgement? "Tastes ginger-ey." Yep, sure does. I like that part of it, though. Helps take the edge off of an otherwise dark and heavy drink (carrots and beets, you know).

Juice 4: Green Lantern

2:00 rolled around and I wasn't particularly excited for my green drink. I just wasn't hungry yet and was kind of on overkill on the green and red juices. Finally, around 3, I grabbed it and sipped away as I did some work at my desk.

Juice 5: Maroon Five

Totally skipped it. Wasn't feeling it at all and had no desire to open it. Just wanted my Cashew Milk!

Juice 6: Cashew Milk!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was SO excited for this by the time 6:30ish rolled around that I "milked" it for all it was worth. I blended it up with ice cubes and cinnamon for an "ice cream" treat (read: I got to use a spoon for the first time in 48+ hours!), and drank the rest of it without ice. So delicious... so happy... apparently this is now my favorite one.

Before bed, I had a little hot water with lemon. I wanted something warm to prepare me for bed for some reason (read: still fREEZING). So, I sat in bed and watched Sex and the City on HBOGo (had to be something that required like zero thought) and drank my lemon water.

Overall:

I am feeling... empty, hungry, tummy hurts. Hungry hungry.

I am craving... CARBS! And anything crunchy. I found myself making a list of things I wanted to eat... The funny thing is, these are mostly foods that I rarely eat, and yet they are what I am craving during the cleanse.

<--things I want to eat

Physical side effects... My skin is freaking out a little bit, runny nose, sore.

More tomorrow!

Peeled Juice Cleanse: Day 1

Tweet this!

**In case you missed it, I'm doing a 3 day Juice Cleanse from Peeled Chicago. Read about why I'm doing it and what it entails here. **

Juice Cleanse Day 1

Juice Cleanse Day 2

Juice Cleanse Day 3

Day one. Since my cleanse was starting and vigorous cardio or weights is discouraged, I got up early for a Pilates class. I don't plan on working out the rest of the days, but I really love this class and figured it wasn't too intense so I could try it out. By the time I got home, I was pretty hungry and really excited to try my first juice.



Juice 1: The Green Lantern 
"Green means go. Start each day of your Peeled Cleanse with our signature green juice. Cold pressed with chlorophyll rich romaine lettuce, young spinach leaves, vitamin C-rich cucumber, iron packed parsley, the alkalizing qualities of celery stalks and fresh lemon, immune boosting ginger root and naturally sweet organic green apples -- this is the most important drink of the Peeled cleanse program. A multi-vitamin and the combined nutrients of 5 full servings of fruits and vegetables in just one 16-oz drink." 

At almost exactly 8am, I popped open the first drink. I have read that some people don't really like this one, but, to be honest, I kind of enjoyed it. It definitely tastes "green" (there's a lot of parsley flavor in there), but there is some really yummy spice to it. I finished it pretty quickly and felt very satisfied. Thumbs up.

After the Green Lantern and before my next juiced drink, I had a cup of water with a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar (allowed... I think?) and a cup of Green Tea (definitely allowed). I'm a semi regular coffee drinker (I drink it 3-4 times a week but if I'm in a rush, I skip it and have no problems), so the warm green tea simulated the comfort and ritual of drinking coffee. I also drink green tea on the regular at work so it wasn't a huge departure from normal life.



Juice 2: Haute Lemonade
"Continue to further alkalize your system with our spicy Peeled cayenne lemonade - a tart and energizing twist on an everyday classic. Naturally sweetened with organic agave nectar and grade A maple syrup, our lemonade works to further cleanse the intestinal walls of the digestive track and increase the alkalinity of the blood and water in our bodies. Lemons diminish the oxidative effects of free-radicals."

I was really looking forward to this one, and pretty much counted down the minutes until 10am, when I cracked it open. I'd heard a lot of good things about Haute Lemonade, plus, sometimes I make my own water with lemon and cayenne, so I figured I would like it. The first sip was VERY strong, and at first I worried that my expectations would be wrong. But, when I continued drinking, I loved it. Beats the Green Lantern, which I also liked, so... Thumbs up.

I then proceeded to down ANOTHER cup of Green Tea. I felt like I was still half asleep for some reason. As I mentioned, I only drink coffee about 3-4 days per week, so I'm definitely not in the situation where missing a morning of coffee gives me any issues... so I'm not sure what exactly was causing my issues.



Juice 3: Maroon Five
"This maroon concoction will leave you feeling renewed and refreshed. The betacyanin of the beets and carrots are natural anti-cancer agents, while the juice itself acts as a diuretic. Beet juice along with the lemon and ginger aids in elimination of excess fluid from the system while this sweet kick gives you energy. Antioxidants stream straight into your blood stream, liver and for continued detoxification and furthered alkalinity."

Just after noon, I grabbed my third juice and headed over to State Street on my "lunch" to pick up a gift. It was a lunch-on-the-go, so having a pre-juiced option was really nice. I started thinking that, once I get a juicer (one of many things on my wedding registry that I want to buy now but am forcing myself to wait for), I should pre-juice some lunches and do it on the go.

Of all the cleanse juices, I was most worried about the Maroon 5. No, not because it's named after a screechy pop band, but because it sounds weird (beets? carrots? iffy). Plus, it's red and looks like TruBlood. Truth be told, I actually ended up loving it. I think for now I'll place it in between Haute Lemonade and Green Lantern.



Juice 4: Green Lantern 
"Return to green, Your body has officially undergone the first series of the Peeled cleanse - returning to your green drink is your body's opportunity to absorb the greatest quantity of nutrients available in this drink. The further we cleanse, the more easily healthy whole foods integrate with our system. This drink will provide you with improved energy and alertness - a perfect boost for mid-afternoon!"

At 2pm, I opened my fourth juice. I had a class at work this afternoon, so I casually brought the juice to my class and popped it open, like clockwork, right at the two hour mark. I enjoyed it just as much as I did in the morning, and honestly, it was kind of fun to watch people around me trying to figure out what the heck I was drinking.



Juice 5: Maroon Five
"Your vitamin-rich beet, carrot, apple-based juice returns as your fifth drink to refresh and re-vitalize your system. The vitamins continue with a kick to keep your day of detoxifying strong!"

At 4pm, while still in my class, I slipped out to the fridge and grabbed by next Maroon 5. Loved this yet again. I was actually craving it (since I knew it was up next) by the time 4:00 rolled around. I was a little cranky because this is usually the time of day I start thinking about what I should make for dinner. All I wanted was some freaking crunch.

Also, no picture on this, but the Maroon 5 seriously turned my teeth red. I didn't notice this until I saw myself in my desk mirror as I was talking. #OOPS

Juice 6: Cashew Milk

"You did it! Your blood and body are running on high. Brimming with the nutrients introduced throughout the day. This is your body's energy in its most natural state. Listen to it and relax into our deceptively decadent cashew milk - a creamy protein rich smoothie full of healthy lignans and vitamin E. This is the perfect nightcap to a day of healthy "drinking." Your belly and mind will thank you for this gentle and most welcome indulgence. The combined scent and taste of sweet and spice work to comfort the senses and prepare the body for a good night's sleep."

When I got home from work, I was really tired. I just wanted to curl up on the couch and watch something mindless (Sex and the City? Friends?) and go to bed. I finally opened my Cashew Milk at about 6:30.

I was really looking forward to something creamy... but, to be honest, I just wanted a freaking bagel. And I don't ever really eat or crave bagels. I just wanted something to chew on, something crunchy. Bagels, Pita Chips, Sun Chips, Fries... Any of it would have put me over the moon. On top of that, I made my fiance dinner (chicken breast with cheesy quinoa) and I really wanted some of the Quinoa, just because I made it so darn cheesy (why did I do that to myself?! ah!). But, I made it through and ended up loving the Cashew Milk. It's very rich and I think the fats and proteins were just what my body needed.

Another tempting issue? My order from Vitacost came in, which included CORE ProBars, Quest Bars, PowerCrunch bars, and KIND bars. I opened them all up to put into little bags for my fiance so they are pre-combined and he just has to grab a bag... but it was so hard not to try one of the Quest bars and KIND bars. Serious self control.

Overall:

I am feeling... Excited, physically confused, very very cold.

Still pretty excited. I don't think my system started realizing it was a cleanse until the evening. My fiance told me that my eyes looked like I was getting sick, so I'm guessing my body was starting to struggle from some kinds of withdrawal. Also, starting around lunch time, I have been extremely cold and wearing multiple layers of sweaters, jackets, and blankets.

I am craving... Something to chew on. 

Physical side effects... Just very tired.

More tomorrow!

Peeled Juice Cleanse

Tweet this!
Today starts my juice cleanse! I'm doing a 3 day Cleanse from Peeled Chicago.

I had it in my head that starting the cleanse a day or two after returning from NYC would be ideal. But, as life would have it, I was not on top of my game and forgot to set it up with Peeled. They were very helpful in working with me to schedule a time that was as soon as possible (I must have seemed so dramatic - they obliged, though!).

Why am I doing a juice cleanse?

1. It seems like the right time to do it. When I went to New York, let's just say it was a gluttonous weekend. 
2. I need to jump-start my nutrition plan. I knew in advance that I wanted to do a juice cleanse afterward, to jump-start a pretty strategic eating/nutrition plan in anticipation of summer and the big event. 
3. I want to try something exciting and new. I'm always jumping at new fads and concepts (to my fiance's dismay, probably). I've been yearning to do a juice cleanse for a while, now.
4. Discipline my cravings and need for food. I get hit hard by the hunger troll. It tends to happen around 2 or 3 pm and occasionally leads to me eating half a box of banana nut cheerios or a whole box of Special K Cracker Chips. Is this the end of the world? No. But it's not a need and it bothers me that I become suddenly hit with a desire to eat something that is not even very good for me. So, part of this process is to teach my body that I don't NEED to eat crunchy chips and crackers at 3pm to survive.

What does the cleanse entail?

• Each day will include six 16-ounce bottles of juices, to be drank every 2 hours. They will total an average of 1,200 calories per day.
• I'm allowed to drink plenty of water with lemon and a cup of green tea in between.
• They suggest that you chill it out on exercise during the cleanse. Probably will do some very light stuff like take the dog on a long walk and maybe do yoga and pilates.

I picked it up last night and am now on juice number two. Will update you more later...

Juice Cleanse Day 1

Juice Cleanse Day 2

Juice Cleanse Day 3