An Instagram fad that has piqued my curiosity has to be the #JuiceCleanseChallenge. Influencers guzzle these overpriced cold pressed beverages that offer little in caloric value but loads in nutritional value as they prepare for events like Coachella, their brand sponsored trips to Fiji and more. These colorful juices have always drawn me in with their claimed health benefits and aesthetic pictures on Instagram.
Now there are several different brands that offer a wide variety of different cleanse packages and options. However, for this week, I decided to try Pressed Juicery because of its convenient location in Westwood and its reputation as the most trendy juicer on Instagram.
Pressed Juicery has several different options based on your own individual preferences, and even an option to bundle your own juices. I personally chose to opt for their “Cleanse 1: For the Beginner”, just because I was not entirely sure what to expect. Here are some recordings of my thoughts and experiences during my three day journey. Let the melodrama ensue.
All I can say is that none of these juices particularly taste very great except “citrus 2”. Shout out to “citrus 2”. You are the only thing that kept me going through the whirlwind of juices. The juices taste weird: oddly spicy, with a new flavor profile I would like to brand “grassy-a*s” (as in a mixture of grass pasture, celery and root).
The first day was not too bad in terms of energy and willpower, but the second day almost took the life out of me. I was tired, and as I guzzled down liquid salads, my friends consumed plates of chow mein and orange chicken in front of me. Let’s just say forgiveness is a virtue I may not necessarily possess.
The feeling of nothing solid in your stomach, in my opinion, is the worst. My energy levels felt dwindling on the second day of my cleanse, but picked up soon after my body got more used to it.
In the end, did I lose some weight? Yes, but the weight loss aspect of it is only temporary, and apparently I will gain it back within the next couple of days. Did I neccessarily feel any health benefits? My body was defintely exposed to more of the nutrients from fruits and veggies than it was used to, since my diet usually consists of cup ramen and hot Cheetos. But this is something I will have to pursue long term to really find out. Would I do it again? Maybe… I did feel “cleansed” in a way. I would probably only partake in it again in preparation for a particularly big event like Coachella, or for a vacation where I know I can eat like a pig.
In conclusion, I think juice cleanses are worth a shot. However, be aware that it is not something you should do just “for the gram”. This experiment was pretty expensive, and is NOT viable in terms of a healthy way to diet. The only way I would be able to justify a cleanse would have to depend on the intentions behind it.