Hi, Friends!! Back in November, we ventured into the fun little world of juicing and instantly got hooked! It all started with a little morning ginger shot, which led to full-on morning juice blends, and that route quickly took us to a 3-day juice cleanse!

We purchased all of our juices from Greenhouse Juice Co. right here in Toronto, and I have to say, we have been SO pleased with our experience with this company! Now, for those of you who do not live in Toronto or even remotely close to Canada, everything in this post can still apply to you. First things first, we have to find you a juicery!! These are the main things I look for when shopping in local juice shops.

• Credibility: What are previous customers saying about their juices?
• Variety: Do they have the juices that meet all of my needs?
• Promotional Content: Are they on a quest to make you think that drinking 1 cup of juice will “burn off all that stubborn belly fat” or help you “Drop 10 in 10″…
• Accessibility: If I commit to doing a 3-7 cleanse, can they provide everything I need for the entire duration of the cleanse?

So… let these questions get you thinking. Obviously, I’m not looking to “Drop 10 in 10” because I will “Gain 10 in 1” the moment I go back to a regular or semi-normal routine… That being said, why do you want to juice? These are some of my reasons why I enjoy the fine art of juicing, and some of these reasons were discovered after beginning the journey.

• All The Nutrients: If you shop smart, you can stock up on nutrients that you just won’t get out of your normal daily lifestyle/diet/food routine.
• The Benefits: These have been some of my pleasant experiences – clearer skins, more energy, feeling clean (like on the inside haha), less bloating, the occasional quick meal replacement, and I won’t lie… I lost a little weight.
• Peace of Mind: The people are constantly telling us how unhealthy we are, commanding us to do better and be better. Well, when you are drinking 8 ounces of pure vegetables and/or fruit, you can feel you are doing better than the large sugary beverage you thought wanted haha
• Knowing What You Get: My personality is very you get what you see. I try to be super transparent in that way and just really straightforward about who I am as a person, so I like people (and mainly my food) to do the same for me. A good juicery isn’t afraid of sharing EVERY SINGLE INGREDIENT like very clearly on the packaging. It’s nice to know exactly what you are putting into your body.

The Juice Cleanse & All the Deets:

Okay, so I promised you a full review of my experience with my first ever juice cleanse, and here it is! I did a 3-day juice cleanse which is about as short as you want to go when cleansing. It’s also as long as you want to go if it’s your first time. I’ve learned that 1-day juice cleanses aren’t really that helpful, but I’ve also been advised that going all in on a 7-day juice cleanse your first time is like going to the Olympics before ever learning the sport. Just for more info, this link will show you all the juice cleanse options at my favorite juicery. This one that I’m reviewing is the Standard Cleanse.

What you’re looking has is 6 full-sized cold-pressed juices and 2 juice boosters. This is your daily supply of juices, so for a 3-day juice cleanse, you will have this times 3. Below, I’m going to walk you through a day in the life of this juice cleanse. I spread them out, drinking 1 every 2 hours throughout the day.

Step 1: Clean-Zing

Ingredients: Filtered Water, Lemon, Liquid Cayenne (all organic)
Review: I’m not gonna lie… I really enjoyed this one. It has a bite to it with the lemon and the cayenne, but it’s the kind of juice that you know is doing good things lol This is one that I actually drink regularly. Since you’re supposed to avoid coffee and lattes on a cleanse, this does a pretty good job of waking you up and getting you (and everything else) moving.
Learn More: Here – sike… this one is discontinued and has been replaced with this one.

Step 2: Gatsby

Ingredients: Cucumber, Apple, Spinach, Kale, Ginger, Lemon (all organic)
Review:I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this juice. It was my first green juice that I keep going back to. It tastes good and thankfully not like the ground lol The combination of apple and cucumber is really refreshing. The ingredients are pretty super-charged to give you energy and protein while still rehydrating and cleansing you.
Learn More: Here

Step 3: E3 Live Booster

Ingredients: Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae (AFA), Filtered Water
Review: The coolest thing about this booster is that it’s alive. I felt like such a rock star drinking this one lol it tastes like nothing, well water. It tastes like water which tastes like nothing. It’s super easy to drink, and it’s definitely a nutrient I would never get in my regular diet and lifestyle.
Learn more: Here

Step 4: Almond Milk

Ingredients: Almonds, Filtered Water, Dates, Vanilla Bean, Himalayan Salt (all organic)
Review: I had absolutely no idea what to expect with an ingredient list like that, so I went in kinda blind. It took a minute to acquire the taste, but it ended up being really good. This is the sweet taste of the day, and by Day 3, I was really excited when this one was next in line. It’s also super filling, so that was a bonus.
Learn More: Here

Step 5: The Good

Ingredients: Cucumber, Spinach, Romaine, Celery, Lemon, Himalayan Salt (all organic)
Review: I remember my exact thoughts while drinking this… “Hmmm, The Good is not so good.” I’m a big baby when it comes to juiced celery and spinach. This one doesn’t have a lot to cut the green taste, so it’s a bit strong in terms of tasting like the earth. That being said, I’m sure it’s super good for me, and this is an example of getting nutrients that I would otherwise never get since I don’t eat many salads and usually steer clear of the good veggies. #criesforfries
Learn More: Here

Step 6: YYZ Booster

Ingredients: Orange, Turmeric, Ginger, Camu Camu (all organic)
Review:Say hello to my little friend 🙂  This booster is so my jam. It’s the little drink that introduced me to Turmeric, and I could write an entire 3 part series on that special ingredient. This booster does all the things in terms of making you feel amazing. It fights bloating, combats inflammation, is great for joints, headaches, and muscle related injuries. Fun fact: It’s named YYZ after the (Toronto Airport), and they recommend to drink 1 before you fly to prevent the super fun swelling that happens. I’ve tried this trick and it’s now a must-have when traveling in the clouds.
Learn More: Here

Step 7: Deep Roots

Ingredients: Apple, Carrot, Beet, Celery, Lemon (all organic)
Review: Unfortunately, this one doesn’t get a fair trial because I just really don’t like the taste and texture of beets. Though I’ll have to say, of all the beet juices that I’ve tried, this was the easiest to drink. The apple and lemon really help to balance out the strong flavor. This is another heavier one, like the Almond Milk, so it’s nice to have it last in the day about the time you would normally have dinner.
Learn More: Here

**Sidebar: This juice will likely make your urine a dark pink color, possibly causing you to run to the nearest ER (who does that?) in fear that you are dying. Let me save you from extreme embarrassment… You are in fact not on the verge of death, just enjoying all the beautiful and colorful parts of a juice cleanse.

Step 8: Clean-Zing (Round 2)

Ingredients: Filtered Water, Lemon, Liquid Cayenne (all organic)
Review: I think their juice cleanse uses a different Step 8 juice, but I remember them being out of it. Since it was relatively similar to Clean-Zing, I just doubled up and ended the day the same way I started it.
Learn More: Here – sike… this one is discontinued and has been replaced with this one.

That’s All!

Don’t forget to also drink your 8 glasses of water each day while on this cleanse! This doesn’t replace your water intake or need for the day, and yes… Your intuitions are correct. You will use the bathroom a lot 🙂 That’s a lot of liquid for 1 day, and if you do this cleanse, you’ll be on it for 3 days. With that little note, be mindful of when you choose to start your juice cleanse. I personally like wknd cleanses because they don’t interfere with my work life, and I’m more likely to stay focused and drink all the juices!

Other juices that I like from Greenhouse Juice Co. include:

• Ginger Booster – Just pure, raw cold pressed Ginger Root(organic)
• Wing Man – Apple, Lemon, Ginger (all organic)
• Turmeric Booster – Just pure, raw cold pressed Turmeric Root(organic)
• Coconut Water – Organic Young Thai Coconut Water
• Flu Shot Booster – Lemon, Oil of Oregano, Tinctures of: Echinacea, Astragalus, Codonopsis, Eleuthero, Reishi, Ligustrum, Schisandra, White Atractylodes, Licorice (all organic/wildcrafted)

Happy Juicing!

–  the Wife