So what is the hype around doing a juice detox?
I have just completed a 3 day performance
detox with One-Juice, which is packed with nitratic oxide, plant proteins and
probiotics. What makes this detox great is the fact that it is aimed at
athletes, by helping with anti-inflammatory and building lean muscle.
My reason for juicing is that my
system felt sluggish, digestion wasn't on point and I've been battling with
sinus. I did the 3 day as my aim was not to lose weight, but rather just ‘reset’
my body and flush out toxins I may have gathered during the Christmas and New
Years period. Its also helpful in resetting my mind to focus on healthy eating,
getting out of bad habits of too much caffeine and chocolates.
The first day is the hardest, not
having morning coffee or dinner. The day also feels a little bit longer – it also
didn't help that it was the first full day back in the office. My morning
started off with a warm cup of lemon water, as prescribed, to kick start my metabolism.
My first juice was between 7 and 7:30. Thereafter I had a juice every 1 and a
half to 2 hours, adding up to 8 juices a day in total. At 17:00 I had a Red
Juice; which should be consumed before activity; about 30 minutes before I went
for a run. Although I felt fine on the run, it was afterwards that I was
craving a post run snack – at 18:30 I settled for my last drink of the day, the
Protein Chocolate. The rest of the night I had water and warm lemon water.
Day 2 was a bit easier mentally as I
knew what to expect and it was rest day, meaning no post exercise cravings. I
hit a bit of a hunger patch around 16:00 as I was buying groceries and had my
third last juice later than expected. This pushed my other 2 juices out by
about 30 minutes, meaning I had my ‘dinner’ at around 19:00.
Day 3 was the easiest for me,
knowing that it would be my last day. I had a runners conditioning class at
17:30, which meant Red Juice at 17:00. I felt strong during the session but
felt a little bit hungry and moody afterwards. I ended up having my Protein
Chocolate only at 19:00.
My Schedule:
6:00 - Warm Lemon Water
- antioxidants
- nitrate and folate which improves athletic performance
- anti-inflammatory
- alkalising properties
- Source of Vit A & C
10:30 - Protein Turmeric
- amino acids to build lean muscle
- anti-inflammatory - helps in muscle recovery
- probiotic helps absorb protein and maintain a healthy gut.
- dairy, lactose & gluten free
12:00/12:30 - Sweet Greens Juice
- antioxidants
- Source of Vit C, A, beta carotene, calcium and vitamins
13:30/ 14:00 - Probiotic Celery Juice
- powerful anti-inflammatory
- alkalising properties
- Source of Vit A & C
17:00 - Red Juice
- antioxidants
- nitrate and folate which improves athletic performance
- anti-inflammatory
- alkalising properties
- Source of Vit A & C
19:00 - Protein Chocolate
- amino acids to build lean muscle
- cacao is a natural mood elevator
- probiotic helps absorb protein and maintain a healthy gut.
- dairy, lactose & gluten free
18:30 - 20:30 - Warm Lemon Water
Water throughout day
So how did I actually feel during
these 3 days?
My sinus headaches still made an appearance in the afternoons,
but it wasn't as bad as the last 2 weeks. Day 3 I definitely had more energy
and woke up on the Thursday feeling more clear headed and bright. My skin is
also glowing a little bit more and I am not feeling bloated and uncomfortable. I
personally don’t feel as though I have lost weight, but I did get a comment on Wednesday
from my conditioning coach that I look at bit more lean, which is not a bad
thing (must be all those anti-inflammatories in the juices). During the 3 days I did not take any of my vitamins or medicines, as a way to purely focus of the detox process.
I loved the fact that for 3 days I didn't
have to think about what I was ‘eating’ or prepare anything, which actually for
me personally created a more positive mindset – nothing is worse than being
stressed about food.
The downside now is that I am one of
those people who battles to eat or drink something that I have forcibly removed
from my diet, its sort of like a mental block because the juicing has made me
feel so good that I am scared eating food will have a negative effect.
So, to get back into it, for Thursday
and Friday I stuck to consuming water during the day, no coffee or tea. My plan is to have low carbs and fats, and higher
protein. In terms of training, Thursday is a 5km Time Trial and Friday is 30
minutes.
Thursday:
Pre-breakfast: Lemon in hot water
Pre-breakfast: Lemon in hot water
Afternoon snack: Almonds and a fat bomb (from Keto Nutrition) for energy on my Time Trial.
Dinner: Broccoli, Cauliflower and bacon Casserole.
Friday:
Pre-breakfast: Green tea with senna and ginseng
Breakfast: scrambled egg, with one full egg and 2 egg whites, with a little salt and hot sauce
Morning Snack: NPL Diet Pro, Milk and Honey flavour
Lunch: Bacon and spinach with some feta
Afternoon Snack: 3 Slices Watermelon
Dinner: Frittata
with salad
Overall I love how simple juicing is, as a way to detox and reset. 3 days is also a good start if you not sure you going to survive; I found I could have done the 5 or 7 day detox by the end of it. Also the feeling of being lighter and more energized is definitely worth it. Going forward I plan to do more detoxing, maybe 3 times a year as a way to destress and declutter my body.
Just as a final note, I weighed myself on Saturday midday, after 2 and a half days of normal eating and found that I had lost 2kg since 17 November 2018. Unfortunately I am not sure my weight in December, so I cannot determine if this lose was gradual or mostly due to the juicing, but it still got me motivated to try keep it clean and fuel my body through more natural foods.
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