{BVTMB has partnered together with Tomgirl Juice Co. to bring you this sponsored post on their three day juice cleanse. While we received compensation for this post in the form of product, the writer’s opinions and thoughts expressed are entirely her own.}
Every once in awhile I need to hit the reset button in life.
Whether I’m resetting how I eat, how I sleep, how I think, or how I parent, it’s important for both my physical and mental health to rethink the way I do things. One time I went on the Special K diet for a whole week. If you don’t know what that is, you eat cereal twice a day and then a “sensible” dinner. It was terrible. Mostly terrible because I don’t even like cereal all that much and it was boring. However at the time, it was my way of hitting the reset button on my eating habits. Plus I always like to try new things…like even the time I ate fried grasshoppers in Mexico. Since my Special K nonsense I have learned to eat healthy, exercise often, and enjoy my fair share of treats (in moderation; sometimes). Even with all the whole grains and “clean” eating I’ve been doing, it’s nice to re-evaluate healthy habits.
With the end of winter I really wanted to hit the reset button in a challenging way. Enter: The Juice Cleanse. The Three-Day Juice Cleanse.
Here come the questions. A juice cleanse you say?! But aren’t you going to starve? I didn’t! What about all that green juice that tastes like the algae I clean off my sons aquarium every month? Nope. And dear me, what about all the pooping you’ll be doing?! It wasn’t all that bad, actually. Don’t roll your eyes at me, you know that was the first question that popped into your mind when I mentioned the words: Juice Cleanse. And where do I find such juices? With the wealth of juice companies around, both locally and online it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with the options.
I had heard about Tomgirl Juice Co. about a year ago, when the owner, Gabrielle Kammerer was delivering it via her bike and had not yet opened her storefront on St. Paul Street in Burlington. My friend was getting juice delivered to her and her co-workers every Friday. She would rave about the flavors and the freshness of each juice. So my decision to go with Tomgirl Juice was an easy one. Plus there are so many reasons to love them…including the adorable (and recyclable) Ball Canning jars in which they lovingly package their juice.
When I called to schedule my juice cleanse, Gabrielle took the time to speak with me about each of the juices as well as provide encouraging words for taking on this challenge. Because you know what? It IS a challenge, but in a very good way. The juice cleanse consists of six pints of juice every day for three days. No food. No coffee. No alcohol. Did I mention no coffee? Water and tea are allowed. SO yeah, committing myself to 72 hours of nothing but fruits and vegetable juice and nut milks was a little daunting. But Gabrielle is delightful and wise at the same time. Kind of like Yoda of the juice world, but cuter. So on a Tuesday morning, toddler in tow, I picked up my three large bags of juices from Tomgirl’s bright and airy store downtown. I was ready. And excited!
Before getting into my thoughts on the actual experience it’s important to know that Tomgirl doesn’t just whip up whatever juices they feel like making that day and send them to you for a three day cleanse. You don’t just reach into the fridge and grab whatever juices you want—you drink each juice evenly spaced and in a certain order.
Starting off with pink grapefruit juice, you begin each morning with this sweet and tart welcome to your day. Honestly, it was amazing. I could have drunk it all day. Onto pint 2 where the cleanse starts to get more serious: Spring Healing Detox. A mix of carrot, beet, kale, spinach, ginger, and turmeric it immediately connected with me because of the gorgeous jewel-toned red. They say that you eat with your eyes first…and this one satiated me. Don’t be afraid of the kale and spinach, the sweetness of the carrot and beets paired nicely with the earthy greens, and the ginger and turmeric created that zingy after burn that reminds you that everything is fresh. A few hours later I was on to pint 3: Hawaiian Ginger Maple Lemonade. A flavor sensation of bright and sweet and zingy, it was quite possibly the most incredible drink I’ve ever had. I’m really not joking. Instructed to drink straight out of the jar or to mix with hot water to create a warming tea it was the uplift to my first day and each day after. Every time I was feeling doubtful about doing this cleanse, it was as if I unleashed my own private cheering squad every time I opened up the lid. Sounds so silly, I realize, but when you’re drinking nothing but juice all day, your taste buds, and frankly, your spirit, respond to things that stimulate your energy reserves.
Pints 4 and 5 are Tomgirl Greens: apple, cucumber, red chard, romaine, collard greens, spinach, dinosaur kale, celery, parsley, lemon, and Hawaiian ginger. This is the “green” juice you were asking about when I first mentioned a juice cleanse. No, it doesn’t taste like algae. Yes, it is however, a serious juice. Earthy and rich with a ginger and lemon punch it’s not for the faint of heart. Despite it being a very greens-heavy drink, the apple and cucumber helped sweeten the deal. And did I mention, the apples are local? Regardless of the fact that this was not my favorite juice, I reveled in the idea that it was full of nourishing vitamins that satisfied my need for nutrients. The last pint of the day was sprouted almond milk. Luxurious in appearance and taste and texture, this nut milk was full of Spanish almonds, orchid vanilla bean, medjool dates, and pink Himalayan salt. This pint was a lovely way to end the day of juices, I almost felt like I was cheating. The last day two days of the cleanse I blended the milk with ice to create a milkshake affect. Even my kids loved stealing sips of this drink when I wasn’t looking.
I loved doing this juice cleanse. While I was in the midst of it however, it was challenging.
I like to eat food. I like the variety and textures and flavors. It was hard to cook dinner for my family every night and watch them eat while drinking my pint of juice. So mentally, it was a big challenge. The first day of the juice cleanse I felt great and excited to see how things would progress. My energy levels were normal and I didn’t feel hungry. The second day was another story. I woke up with a headache, I was in a bad mood and I felt like I couldn’t possibly do this for another day. This is where determination comes into play. I tried to re-frame the way I thought about food, and try and seek out the positive. Don’t get me wrong, I was a grump most of the day. In fact, after my daughter’s swim class I had a moment of desperation where I dug out of the diaper bag an apple sauce squeeze pouch and immediately started to eat it. Unfortunately the pouch had been in there for weeks and had been previously opened so it was spoiled. I immediately spit it out. I took it as a sign that the juice gods were telling me to persevere. The third and final day I woke up feeling great. My energy levels were back, and my body felt strong. My spirit and body were adjusting to this new “normal” in my life. I wasn’t even dreaming anymore of what my first meal would be after the cleanse. The first day back to eating, I didn’t even rush to the fridge to stuff my face with leftovers and chips. I prepared myself a bowl of fresh fruit. I like fresh fruit, its…okay. But a bowl of fruit after a three day juice cleanse is mind blowing.
My reaction to eating food after three days was akin to the way Sally acted in the diner in the famous movie When Harry Met Sally.
I recommend doing a juice cleanse with Tomgirl Juice Co. I would do it again, maybe next year as a re-set. Price wise, it’s not cheap. But then again, the prices are comparable to other places around. If you think about what you’re doing for your body, it’s not such a bad deal in my opinion. And you know what? If I were to spend a morning at the farmer’s market buying fresh local ingredients, it’s just as easy to spend a lot there on one meal.
Tomgirl uses amazing ingredients, most of which are organic, and I’m okay with the cost because of this fact.
Also, as a parent, I don’t often do things just for myself. Gabrielle has spent time thoughtfully selecting the best ingredients and juice combinations for this cleanse. Each juice choice is orchestrated into a symphony of flavors. It’s true. Really. And if a juice cleanse is too severe for you, then maybe start with just some of Tomgirl’s juices ala carte style.
Speaking of cart, Tomgirl will be selling their juices on Church Street at the top of the block this coming summer out of a cart! Amazing.
So whether you’re on St. Paul Street or Church Street, you have some options. Frankly, strolling down Church Street with a Hawaiian Ginger Maple Lemonade sounds like the perfect Saturday afternoon to me.
