CAN CAN You Cleanse?

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“Liquids for three days straight? Hell no. There’s no way I can sustain my physical energy demands and mental clarity with apple juice and cayenne.”

These were my rambling thoughts six months ago. For the past three years juicing and green smoothie blending have been staples in my high raw vegan lifestyle, but the thought of existing only on light juices for a 3-5 day detox cleanse?  How could I survive without kale chips and kombucha, salads and my one true love, almond butter?!!

Never the less, I’ve read extensive research on liquid fasting and cleanses, watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead a few times and witnessed others around me reset negative eating patterns, kick start weight loss and miraculously heal from diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

The only thing left to do was give it try. What was holding me back? Fear of the unknown. I don’t need to lose weight or lower my blood pressure, but I was curious to see how I’d feel. I was also inundated over new years with clients, meet-up members and readers asking for recommendations of local San Francisco delivery cleanse programs. Instead of buying a juicer and fumbling with random recipes, everyone wanted a quick and cost effective way to cleanse and reboot for 2012. Preferably packaged and dropped on their doorstep.

I decided I’d play guinea pig for you. I chose the top three local cleanse delivery companies and sipped through my first 3-day cleanse last weekend! The adorable CAN CAN Cleanse was up first. A wholesome 3-day liquid cleanse made from organic fruits, veggies, teas, nuts, herbs & spices. Below is my detox tale.

Thursday night 7pm: I could hardly wait for my cleanse to arrive! After reading through the 8 nutrient dense beverages  and chatting with the darling owner Teresa, I nearly fell out of my chair when the little glass jars arrived.

As a high raw vegan I already lived the pre-cleanse warm-up guidelines. I was ready to forgo chewing for the weekend.

These were my simple guidelines:

THE SPA RETREAT FOR YOUR INSIDES…

24 refreshing and warming beverages.

Each day, consume the same seasonal menu of 8 nutrient-rich beverages:

• 2 Fruit Juices
• 2 Green Vegetable Juices
• 2 Herbal Teas
• 1 Nut Milk
• 1 Savory Soup

Approximately 1000 calories per day

DRINK UP!

Timeline for consumption*

8:00am  Lemon Ginger Juice

9:00am  Green Juice

10:30am Dandelion Tea

12:30pm Winter Orange Soup

2:30pm   Spiced Apple Juice

5:00pm  Green Juice

7:00pm  Mixed Nut Milk

8:00pm  Echinacea Lemongrass Tea

*Skew the times according to when you wake-up. If you consume a beverage earlier or late, not to worry. These are guidelines that should be adjusted to fit your lifestyle. Remember to listen to your body and do what feels best for you!

Friday Day 1: I woke up hungry as normal. My typical breakfast includes copious amounts of fresh fruit or filling green smoothie after at least 8 hours of fasting during sleep. I gulped the lemon water, herbal tea and green juice in about 30 mins and reached for the tasty soup an hour later.

By the afternoon I had sipped my 8 beverages for the day and was feeling fantastic! Hydrated, energetic and light in body. As 6pm rolled around I started to get shaky and light headed. I know that I tend towards hypoglycemia. I have to eat nutrients every few hours or my blood sugar drops too much. Lesson #1- spread the beverages throughout the day.

I totally cheated and added a green smoothie for dinner. I drifted off to sleep under my down comforters, happy as a clam.

Saturday Day 2: Again I jumped on the juices with wreckless abandon. It was such a luxury to have fresh green juice twice a day! Who needs coffee when we have greens? The nut milk blend of almonds, hazel and brazil nut was a drool worthy evening delight.

I spread my sipping properly over the hours and couldn’t believe my clarity. I hit up the gym sauna around 2pm after a dance class in the morning. Sweating during a cleanse increases detox, but light exercise is recommended.

But… The Yoga Journal Conference was in town. It comes once a year and I wasn’t about to miss out on the fun community classes, market place and meeting new friends. I added a superfood green smoothie to my day and hit up the conference floor to bust a move.

I popped in to say hi to the gorgeous ToeSox crew. Having just come from dance, I was still wearing my new black pair.

Samazon Acai was sampling their delicious sorbets and juices. Why do you support labeling GMO’s?

Sunday Funday Day 3: After a night of random detox headaches I popped out of bed eager to pick up my buddy and head to yoga at Urban Flow. Light exercise is something I obviously don’t understand. I had the energy to power through my favorite class and then some. I noticed my joints felt more lubricated and it was easier to thoroughly enjoy shavasana.

I rounded out the evening with a few clients at Rainbow Grocery. We strolled the isles, chatted nutrition, bought in bulk and stocked up for the week.

Final Thoughts:  I’d CAN CAN again in a heart beat. Every beverage was delicious. Especially the nut milk and squash carrot soup! The ease of sipping from reusable jars throughout the day saved hours of food prep. I used that time to enjoy my day more fully with friends, reading, relaxing and setting intentions. The nightly motivation emails from Teresa rocked as well! I also appreciated the seasonal menu. Seasonal and local eating is best for the body and the planet.

During my next cleanse I plan to chill more. I have a fast metabolism and workout at least a few hours per day. It’s challenging for me to rest my bones, but it’s necessary for proper fasting. The energy I saved from not digesting, was spent performing movement. Luckily, I didn’t experience detox symptoms, beyond a headache, thanks to my high raw living.

Stay tuned for my next adventure on the 5- day Deep Green Cleanse from Juice To You!

Have you tried a cleanse?