Who Needs Solid Food: A Juice Cleansing Journey, Part Two

Continued from Liquid Living: A Juice Cleansing Journey, Part One.

A very hungry stomach woke me on the first day of my BluePrint Cleanse (BPC), which seemed completely unfair given that I had not actually begun cleansing. I started with the recommended warm water and then eagerly started sipping my first green juice. Despite being green, the juice (which packs a hefty 6 pounds of greens in to 16 ounces of liquid) was palatable, even tasty. That said, 16 ounces of green is a lot of juice. I drank it slowly, not savoring but rather building up the strength to keep going.

And then I waited.

BPC suggests as a general guideline to wait at least one hour between each juice, and to finish the last one a minimum of two hours before you go to bed. So I waited and was, in approximately an hour - maybe 45 minutes -  rewarded with the second juice of pineapple, apple and mint. It was awesome. A couple of hours later was another green juice. It also tasted awesome. I was sensing a trend: when you deprive yourself of food, anything tastes awesome! The fourth juice was immediately the new love of my life: agave-sweetened lemonade with a kick of cayenne. BPC says something about cayenne boosting the metabolism, but I just thought it was a fun deviation from the other drinks. The juice I was most afraid of came in fifth: beets, carrots, and apples. I loathe beets. There is a hint of ginger to liven the juice up, and it wasn’t nearly as beet-y as I had feared, but there was no love lost between us. Last up, something resembling dessert: cashew milk with cinnamon. I wanted to love this, but the thin and grainy texture left something to be desired. Regardless, it was a welcome respite from the day of fruits and greens, and left me satiated and sleepy.

A serious headache woke me on the second day. I moved through the world tired, hungry, and in pain. By the time I came to the beet juice I felt drunk. By night, nauseous, as though I had a hangover without any of the fun bits to make it worth it. I fell asleep early and easily, while visions of chewing danced in my head.

On third day something miraculous happened: I stopped worrying and learned to love the juice. As I drank each one for the last time, I was struck by a deep sadness. These juices had been my dear friends these last few days, and I was starting to believe that would miss them when they were gone. I actually savored the beet juice, and decided that the grainy texture of the cashew milk was desirable. Despite my newly enlightened state and a lack of hunger, I my stomach was growling enough to attract dogs on the street. I once again fell asleep with ease; even my melancholy couldn’t keep my slightly undernourished body awake.

And then it was over. The next morning, with no juices left in the fridge, I was struck immediately and forcefully by a desire for a cheeseburger and fries. I gave in. 

Don’t do that. Don’t make the mistake that I did. BPC warns against rushing into solid food, but I had neither the desire nor the willpower to follow anymore of their recommendations. I did not want to ease myself back into the realm of solid food. I wanted the immediate satisfaction of meat and cheese and carbohydrates. But it's not worth it. It wasn't until I shoved that solid food down my throat that I truly realized how clean, pure, and superior I had felt subsisting solely on liquids. I ruined it.

It took a couple of days for me to get over the glory of chewing, but I have found that despite the mini-post-cleanse-binge, I have magically developed some healthy habits. I have learned about what my body does and does not enjoy (dairy is on the no list), and I have a newfound respect for apples after the crucial role that they played in making the green juice drinkable. I have even been voluntarily eating raw and vegan just because it makes my body feel good. Am I going to give up the fun stuff? No. Especially not coffee. That came back immediately and isn’t going anywhere. At least not until my next cleanse, which I’m scheduling soon. The cravings and headaches and stomach growls were worth it: I became intimately acquainted with every inch of my digestive system. And I liked it.