Three days. Six juices a day. That’s all I “ate.” I did a juice cleanse and I lived to tell the story.
Honestly, it wasn’t that dramatic at all. This was my second annual cleanse—and frankly I’m a little disappointed how easy it was. I wish I could tell you that it was awful! But I persevered because I’m so strong! For me, it was easy, and (almost) all of the juices were delicious.
We are lucky here in the Twin Cities, because we have a lot of people making absolutely beautiful and nutritious cold-pressed juices. I’ve tried Minnesota Juice Company, Juice So Good, and Truce.
Let’s do some Cleanse 101 first:
A cleanse does not flush out toxins
If you were walking around with toxins in you, you’d be dead. Your body does a lot of quality work flushing out toxins every day. Don’t buy that nonsense.
A cleanse is not a good way to lose weight
I did lose 5 pounds during the cleanse, but dieticians will tell you that you’ll gain that back unless you make a shift in the way you eat.
A juice cleanse is not a colon cleanse
So many people asked me if I spent all my cleanse in the bathroom. I did spend more time in the bathroom, but it was more of a number one situation instead of a number two, if you get my drift.
Cleansing does not jump start metabolism
There is no science to support this idea.
So why cleanse?
For me, going three days without eating any food is a way that helps me focus on the eating choices I make every day. When all you do is drink, you realize how many mindless food choices you’re making: the food in the meeting room at the office, the snack with the kids, the dessert late at night, the cocktail after dinner. Last year, doing the cleanse helped me get my eating habits back in shape.
How did I feel?
Great. I work in the early morning hours because of my job at WCCO-TV, so I get to work at 3:30 a.m. I drank my first juice at 8 a.m., next at 10 a.m., next at Noon, then I took a nap. I drink my fourth juice at 4 p.m., fifth at 6 p.m. with my family at the dinner table, and sixth just before bed at 8 p.m. I was never hungry, although around 9 a.m. on Day Two I did start having a bit of a headache. Juice So Good is the cleanse I did, and they encourage people to eat something like carrots or a cheese stick if they feel a headache.
The Juices:
Juice So Good
I did a WCCO story on Juice So Good in 2015. Rita Katona is a former Target health/nutrition buyer, and you can find her juices in yoga studios and at Lunds & Byerlys and other stores around the Twin Cities. They typically cost $7.50 per bottle. I really like the Sweet Green, Happy Green, Ginger and Juicy Roots. The Fierce Greens juice is rough. It tasted like a salad. 733 Marquette Ave. #227, Minneapolis, 612-354-2779, juicesogood.com
Truce
Truce is Minnesota’s first 100% organic fresh-pressed juice shop. Blaire Molitor and Allie Pohlad co-own Truce in Uptown. They have no added heat or oxygen—they’re only fresh for 3 days. I really liked the kale/ginger combination in Morning Greens, and the Apple/Lemon/Ginger in Immunity. These are around $9 each. 1428 W. 32nd St., Minneapolis, 612-825-1684, drinktruce.com
Minnesota Juice Company
Tom Walters & Domini Mellott also create cold-pressed juices, also raw (like Truce) and in glass bottles. My favorites were the Hennepin (spinach, parsley, apple, mint, cucumber and lemon) and the Sculpture Garden (Lemon balm, peppermint, sweet basil, honey, lemon, lime). These are $10 each—you can get them delivered (you have to order 6), or you can subscribe and get weekly juices. 955 Mackubin St., St. Paul, 612-200-3100, minnesotajuicecompany.com
