Nap Your Way to the Top

Day 3 officially marks the mid-point of my juice cleanse. I would have to say that everything is going quite well and has been slightly easier than expected (what a relief!). I definitely think the almond nut milk is the perfect "juice" to end the day, a filling and sweet treat before bed.

Contrary to what I had thought in the beginning, that I wouldn't have as much energy because I wasn't eating solid food... I actually have more energy because I am still getting all the day's necessary nutrients and according to studies the body isn't using the 20-30% of its total energy that it normally does digesting food.

When performing my research beforehand to prepare for the cleanse, I came across many articles that enforced the fact that juice cleanses are excellent ways not only to reset your body but your mind and soul as well. Many sites played with the idea of getting spa treatments to further enhance the detox process. Never being one to turn down advice on indulging in some spa treatments (I mean it's all part of the this process right?) I went on Gilt City and bought my mom and I deals for a facial/nap combo at YeloSpa.

{All pink - definitely my type of spa}

Recently I read in a magazine about YeloSpa as a place where you can pay to take a nap... at first this concept confused me, but after trying it out first hand its actually pretty cool! Though I didn't exactly fall into a deep sleep, the feeling of floating in a zero gravity chair while listening to zen music for 20 minutes was quite intriguing. The facial was among the best I have ever experienced and the esthetician was extremely friendly, treating my mother and I as if we were long lost family. What a nice relaxing way to end this Wednesday :)

{Zero gravity chair "NAP YOUR WAY TO THE TOP"}

Refresh. Restart. Rejuvinate.

Call me crazy... but today I officially started the first day of my Cooler Cleanse. Yep, me, going on a juice cleanse. The girl who loves food more than anything and has the word "chocolate" in the title of her blog is actually going to go an entire week living solely off of just liquid alone.

{My juices for the day}

I'm by no means one for "fad diets" but after hearing about all the healthy and detoxifying effects of juice cleanses I decided that I would give it a try. I mean who doesn't want to "feel cleaner, lighter, brighter, younger and more energized with a clearer body and mind" (according to Cooler Cleanse's reasons on why to cleanse).

I have been prepping all weekend by only eating only raw, organic foods to make the transition to consuming only liquid easier. Not knowing exactly what is considered a "raw" food, I headed down to my local Juice Generation that carries a "raw cooler" menu for those who are seeking a moderate, food-based raw cleanse consisting of only raw ingredients. Saturday I tried the Live Pizza, which to my surprise was delicious and tasted like something that could be ordered at a restaurant. On Sunday night, I tried the Maki Rolls, which turned out to be another delicious meal. Eating raw ended up being a lot easier and tasty than I had originally expected. I think I feel ready to dive full swing into the juice cleanse now.

{Maki Rolls and Live Pizza}

DAY 1:

7:45am: Getting up a little earlier than usual, I headed down to the Juice Generation on 63rd and Lexington to pick up my first 3 days worth of juice. Originally, I was planning on heading straight to work after I picked up the 72 hours worth of nourishment. Little did I realize how heavy and bulky 288oz. of natural juice was going to be. As I lugged the enormous white bag clearly labeled "COOLER CLEANSE” down Lexington Avenue, I was praying that no one noticed me. I soon realized there was absolutely no way I was trekking all the way to work holding this 18lbs. of liquid. I quickly grabbed a cab to drop the next two days worth of juices at my apartment and headed to the office.

9:00am: Looking in my little white cooler pack at the labeled caps numbered 1-6, I grabbed number 1 to start my day. Here goes nothing, my first of 30 juices for the week. "Sweet Greens", a mix of kale, spinach, parsley, watercress and apple turned out to be a lot sweeter and satisfying than I was originally anticipating.

11:15am: Now onto my 2nd juice of the day - Pineapple & Ginger. With only two ingredients, I wasn't sure exactly how this was going to taste. However, I am a huge fan of both ginger and pineapple so the combination was a perfect blend, I absolutely loved this one, definitely a very nice kick from the ginger.

{Sweet Greens; Pineapple & Ginger}

1:15pm: Juice #3 "Essential Green" - cucumber, celery, dandelion greens, watercress, spinach, parsley, kale, pear, lemon & ginger. What a mix. Sooo I definitely wouldn't consider this my favorite... counting down the minutes until the next one. This is going to be a struggle.

3:40pm: The juice most commonly associated with the Master Cleanse... Spicy Lemonade made with lemon, lime, cayenne pepper, raw agave & filtered water. Honestly, I had expected it to be worse. This one I can deal with, basically just tastes exactly like its name.

{Spicy Lemonade, Essential Red}

6:00pm: Just leaving the office and grabbing my Essential Red to go – a mix of carrot, beet, apple and lemon. Judging from the bright red color I could already tell the beet was going to be the most dominant flavor, I was right.

8:30pm: Ending the day with the most delicious juice yet. Juice number 6 is Almond Nut Milk made from raw almonds, vanilla bean, dates and filtered water. It basically tastes like a melted milkshake, I’m in love. Finishing off the 480-calorie bottle, I am definitely satisfied and ready for a good night sleep.

{THE best juice}

1 day down…. 4 to go….