{GBF Spring Cleaning} Three Day Juice Cleanse with Pressed Juicery

As part of my spring cleaning initiative, I went on a three day juice cleanse last week as I've been eating erratically and unhealthily the past couple of months and needed an opportunity to stabilize my consumption habits and reset my metabolism. I partnered with Pressed Juicery due to convenience as they have several LA locations including a new store that's opening in Pasadena and the fact that I've had their juices and love every flavor so the repetitious drinking wouldn't be gag inducing.

Cleanses would be so much easier to swallow if I could lock myself in a room for three days. But life is filled with yummy temptations that require a healthy amount of restraint and discipline. And I happen to have a palette curiosity. I took my juices everywhere and what worked for me was to experience the taste of the food through projected assumptions. When staring at the mini donuts, I simply reached into my memory bank to recall what donuts taste like in order to suppress my curiosity. It worked as it helped separate the physical need for food versus a psychological reflex to try something new.

{day 1}

It took a lot of will power to resist the delicious quiche served at the LAFC rooftop lunch. Instead of refraining from eating, I had a few bites of peach and lettuce and washed it down with my roots 3 juice, a refreshing and sweet blend of beets, apples, lemon, and ginger.

I had a greens 3 juice in the afternoon. Pressed with 9 different kinds of veggies and fruit, it provided the needed boost of energy for a busy day of work.

I got home around 6pm and quickly changed before heading to the WGACA party. I grabbed my "dinner," which was a vanilla almond protein juice that tasted like vanilla ice cream. At the party, eye candy in the form of vintage Chanel bags, jewelry, and accessories kept me distracted from hunger pangs. After the party, I went to dinner where I sipped my juice while watching my friend chew which wasn't as miserable as it sounds as talking a lot masks the one-sided eating. Afterwards, I felt lightheaded but perked up after watching new episodes of New Girl and Brooklyn Nine Nine.

{day 2}
I woke up feeling weak but in denial as I went to Equinox for a one hour cardio barre session and thirty minutes on the threadmill. The h2o infused with aloe vera kept me hydrated.

A few juices later, I was feeling like shit. I had hit the cleanse wall and couldn't concentrate on work or anything else. I wasn't hungry but felt incredibly lethargic and craved the motion of chewing. So I took a nap. It helped as I woke up feeling refreshed and noticed a flushed glow I hadn't seen in years.

With my new found energy, I headed out to the Hunters Alley party in DTLA. The mini donuts were incredibly difficult to resist although I did eat a few sticks of raw asparagus, sweet peppers, and broccolini which satisfied my urge to chew on something.

I don't drink a lot or often so not having a drink in my hand during social events was not a problem for me.

{day 3}
In the morning, I went to visit my friends at Boohoo at their new Hollywood home/showroom. The sweets were a non issue as I experienced zero cravings and was much more excited for their festival collection than the festival of cupcakes on display.

I was feeling so great I decided to go on a midday hike at Runyon Canyon. The view was amazing but distracting as I slipped and fell on my way down. My juice was not harmed during the fall.

After I got home, I did some outfit scheming and another round of juicing.

A few hours later, I ended my cleanse with my very last juice and felt strong and ready to do another round of juice cleanse. But I didn't. I celebrated the end of the cleanse by eating a Mexico strawberry ice cream bar inside an IHOP parking lot while watching two guys reenact Lord of the Dance, a not so fitting but entertaining end to three days of juicing. I think having to"eat" every two hours really helped normalize my eating habits as before the cleanse I would forget to eat breakfast and lunch and made up the calories with heavy dinners and indulgent sweets. Behaviorally, I'm starting to eat before sundown and have experienced less cravings for sweets. Mentally, the cleanse really helped me recognize and distinguish the physical need for food from the emotional and mental curiosity to try something new!