Any time I post a review of a juice cleanse on the blog, my phone immediately blows up with friends and family members asking me questions. It seems like a lot of people are curious about trying out a juice cleanse, but are unsure of the best way to go about it. I could seriously talk about juice all day (when did I turn into such a bore??), so let’s cover one of those common juice uncertainties today: When is the right time to do a cleanse?

People do juice cleanses for a number of reasons, and to an extent, that end goal determines when the best time will be. You’ll frequently hear of someone doing a cleanse before a beach vacation or big event (wedding) as a quick way to shed some extra bloat and look his/her best. And that’s a totally valid use of a juice cleanse—I know I always think I look just a little leaner after doing one, and my skin glows by day 3 of a cleanse. But—and that’s one big, bolded, all-caps BUT—the subtle changes in your physical appearance are far and away NOT the biggest benefits of doing a juice cleanse.

Juice cleanses help you reset cravings, and are an amazing way to kickstart a habit of healthy eating. Every time I’ve finished a juice cleanse, the first thing I want to eat is…more juice. Maybe a nice salad. Some fruit. Roasted veggies. Processed, sugary foods don’t even sound appealing after juicing for three days. Your body craves the good stuff, and the best-timed juice cleanse will allow for you to act on those healthy cravings for as long as possible. And that is why, I would argue, you’re not going to get the most out of your cleanse (or money—cleanses can be expensive!) if you do it before a big event or vacation.

What comes with (most) big events and trips? Indulgence. And that’s ok! Maybe I’m just a degenerate, but no vacation or wedding of mine will be void of alcohol and dessert. Doing a juice cleanse and then going on vacation would be like washing my car before driving through mud. I know not everyone is like that, but the bottom line remains the same: To get the most out of a juice cleanse, do it to start a health “streak”, not to prepare for the end of one.

Now that I’ve painted the big picture, here are a couple specific things I consider when scheduling a juice cleanse:

• Social schedule: You don’t realize how social the act of eating is until you can’t do it. Food is involved in so many of our interactions with others, and I would never set myself up for failure by attempting a juice cleanse if I know I have to go to a friend’s birthday party one day or am meeting up with a relative for lunch the next. I pick a week when I have no social events planned—no FOMO, no problem.
• Workload: Do you tend to eat more when you’re stressed? I sure do. I try not to schedule juice cleanses during crazy work weeks. In addition, to echo the previous point, if you have a work event or even just a catered meeting, it may make a juice cleanse more difficult. The less you have to test your willpower, the higher your chances at success.
• The Weekend: The first few cleanses I did, I thought it was a no-brainer to do them on weekdays—much easier to avoid temptation. I’d get through them with ease and then…it’d be the weekend. So much for riding out that kickstarted health streak! I think the best way to do it (for me, anyway) is to plan a cleanse for a weekend when you don’t have any social things planned. This way, you’ll finish the cleanse with five whole days of routine, work and less temptation in front of you. This will allow you to stick to eating healthy and not immediately fall back into old cravings and poor eating habits.
• Delivery Times/Policy: If you’re ordering a juice cleanse (as opposed to making your own juices at home), when you start will depend on when the company delivers. Some only deliver Tues-Fri, and you will need to start the cleanse within a day or two of delivery—important logistics to consider when planning.

Hopefully that was helpful! If you have any other questions, leave a comment.

Have you done a juice cleanse before? How’d you time it?

If you’re into juicing or even have just sipped on the occasional green beverage, you’ve probably noticed that ginger is a common ingredient. It’s one of those foods (like kale, lemon juice and blueberries, to name a few) that you frequently see paired with the word “superfood” or included in top ten lists of miraculous foods you just must be eating right this second. But why?

A lot of people go along with health trends without really knowing why they’re doing so (see: THIS hilarious clip from Jimmy Kimmel Live of gluten-free people not knowing what gluten is)—and I’m guilty of it myself! (Guilty of blindly going along with trends, that is—I know what gluten is haha.) I was talking my friend’s ear off about juice the other day and was asked why I frequently put ginger in mine. I replied that ginger is a natural digestion aid and nausea-soother, but was a little embarrassed that I didn’t really know much beyond that. Don’t you hate that?? You’re talking all passionately about something and then get swiftly reduced from Expert to Queen Bullshitter—the worst. But happens to the best of us, right?…maybe?…humor me?

Anyway, to add to my limited knowledge of its ability to cure nausea and stomach aches, I did a little research and thought I’d share some fun facts about ginger. It really is a wonderful addition to juice (and regular meals, of course) and packed with health benefits.

Some Health Benefits of Ginger

• It’s a remedy for nausea, upset stomachs and cramps. Stomach aches, period cramps, nausea, motion sickness, morning sickness, flu symptoms—if it involves your gut feeling lousy, ginger has you covered. It does this by neutralizing stomach acid and absorbing gastrointestinal toxins and hormones.
• It’s a digestion rockstar. Ginger increases the secretion of digestive enzymes in the stomach, improving the absorption of nutrients.
• It’s an anti-inflammatory. Ginger inhibits two enzymes that are associated with chronic inflammation (COX and LOX). This applies to all sorts of inflammation—arthritis all the way to inflammation of the colon, which can be a precursor to colon cancer.
• It can help lower blood pressure. The gingerol in fresh ginger cause a widening of the blood vessel walls. This can help improve circulation and lower blood pressure. I had read before that rubbing ginger on my fingers when I’m having a Raynaud’s episode can help get the blood flowing again to those restricted blood vessels—now I know why!
• It can help with muscle pain. There was a study showing that taking ginger daily helped reduce exercise-induced muscle pain. In addition to ingestion, you can apply it topically, rubbing it into sore muscles or even arthritic joints (if you have ginger in essential oil form, this would be a great use!).
• It’s great if you have a head cold or congestion. The gingerol in ginger is similar to capsaisin in chili peppers and spicy foods in that it has that hot, ok-now-I’m-awake effect when crossed with your respiratory airways. It will break up congestion and open up those sinuses. Ginger is also a good immune system booster, activating T cells (those are the white blood cells responsible for killing off cells carrying viruses) and containing antimicrobial compounds that will help ward off the growth of bad bacteria.

Tips for Juicing Ginger

A little goes a long way when it comes to juicing ginger. It doesn’t yield a lot of juice (you probably won’t even see any drip out the juicer if you run it through on its own), but you’ll definitely taste it. I don’t use more than ½-1” of ginger root in a single juice.

I’ve read that you should remove the skin from the chunk of ginger you’re going to put through your juicer, and if it’s non-organic, I would agree with that. Being the lazy person that I am, however, I usually just cut off a small chunk from the root, quickly scrub it under some running water, and then pop it in the juicer, outer skin and all.

Ginger is a great addition to just about any green juice combination you can think up, and also wonderful with carrots (carrots + an orange + ginger = delicious!). Here are a few juice recipes I’ve posted in the past using ginger to get your started:

Do you add ginger to your juices?

Resources: Kimberly Snyder‘s website and books are always favorite resources when it comes to understanding what certain foods can do to benefit your body. I also found this site helpful. Reboot with Joe is another go-to of mine for juicing info!

Disclosure: The link to ginger essential oil is an affiliate link. I LOVE Mountain Rose Herbs and used them for all my essential oils long before I joined their affiliate program.

I know—another juice cleanse. I’m spoiled. When I get the chance to review juice cleanses for the blog, it’s like being eight years old and opening up an American Girl Doll on Christmas morning (Samantha or Felicity, to be exact—I would not be that excited about Molly). As you all have I’m sure noticed by now, I love juicing. If I had the budget (or patience to make my own at home), I would absolutely do a three-day juice cleanse every month because I’ve never finished one without feeling amazing. This Ritual Wellness cleanse was no exception!

Ritual Wellness 3-Day Juice Cleanse: The Deets

I did the Seasonal Reset 3-Day Cleanse, which consists of six juices per day: three green juices, a seasonal watermelon berry juice, a spicy lemonade, and a “dessert” nut-based juice to end the day feeling full and satisfied. They’re 100% organic and cold-pressed. In addition to the six juices in the Reset, I opted to add in Shred, two extra juices each day to be consumed before and after workouts. I’ll go into details on that a little later. With Shred each day, the 3-day cleanse would be $270 ($216 without). Ritual Wellness is California-based, but ships nationwide.

I loved all the juices! The “dessert” juice was thicker than ones I’ve tried in the past so you really end the day feeling satisfied. The first day, I was almost too full after drinking it (but couldn’t stop, it’s too flippin’ tasty). Here’s what you drink each day (not including Shred):

• GREEN LEMON | Kale, romaine, spinach, celery, cucumber, green apple, lemon
• WATERMELON BERRY | Watermelon, coconut, apple, strawberry, lime
• GREEN GINGER | Kale, romaine, spinach, celery, cucumber, green apple, ginger
• SPICY LEMONADE | Lemon, cayenne, raw agave
• SWEET GREENS | Kale, romaine, spinach, celery, cucumber, green apple
• CASHEW CRUNCH | Cashew, filtered water, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, raw agave

What Makes This Cleanse Different: Shred

As I mentioned before, with Ritual Wellness, you have the option to add their Shred component to any cleanse. Shred is two extra juices, one to drink pre-workout and one post. I always workout during cleanses without an issue, but I was a little nervous this time around because I now teach spin, which requires a ton of energy for me. Taking spin classes is fine while juicing because you can just kinda sit in the back and pretend to turn up the resistance on your wheel if you’re tired (you know what I’m talking about, slackers!), but teaching is a whole other story. I felt a lot better about doing a cleanse knowing I’d have those extra juices each day.

PRE SHRED | The pre-workout Red Energy juice is beet, carrot, pear, apple and celery. If you like root veggies and beets, you’ll love it.

POST SHRED | The post-workout Almond Mylk juice is similar to the “dessert” juice in that it’s nut-based. Almonds, cinnamon, vanilla and raw agave—it’s heavenly. At 370 calories, it’s the most caloric of the juices, and really gives you that post-workout protein fuel you need.

My Experience

I actually didn’t end up drinking all 8 juices on any of the three days. Without the Shred juices, the cleanse comes out to 900 calories a day which is, of course, less than what’d I consume if normally eating. With Shred, it’s 1,470 calories a day, which is probably right around what I’d normally eat, depending on the day*. It actually worked out great because I had some leftover juices and was able to turn my 3-day cleanse into a 3 ½ day cleanse! You might be thinking why would you want to torture yourself like that, but honestly, when you finish a cleanse, all you want is more juice! It sounds crazy, but you’ve reset your eating habits and your body craves more of the good stuff.

*Just to clarify since I’ve gotten a few comments/questions about that calorie intake: I just mean that a 1,500(ish)-calorie day is not abnormal for me if eating regularly, unlike a 900-calorie day, which would never happen outside of a juice cleanse. Some days, especially super active days, I definitely eat more than that (2,000 cal range if I had to estimate–I never count). 

DAY 1 | The first day, I just drank the 6 core juices (no Shred). I never feel a lack of energy on day one, so even though I took a class at Btone, I knew I’d be fine without the pre and post-workout juices. 

DAY 2 | On the second day, my boyfriend and I did a lunch break Barry’s Bootcamp class. I had just drank juice 3 (Green Ginger), so I didn’t feel the need to have the Pre-Shred, but I brought the Post-Shred with me in my cooler bag and was pumped to drink it after the workout—I needed it.

DAY 3 | The last day was what I was nervous about: teaching spin on day 3 of a liquid diet. Eeek. I drank the Pre Shred half an hour before class as well as about 1/3 of the Post Shred just to be safe, and class went great! I did feel a little lightheaded afterwards, but I just drank the rest of my Post Shred, sat on the couch for a bit, and then was fine. Because I had added the Shred juices into the day, I ended up not drinking one of the green juices.

POST-CLEANSE | Because I had a green juice, two beet juices and a nut milk leftover, I extended the cleanse into the next day, drinking the juices and then in the afternoon adding in some fruit and a couple salads. It was the perfect ease back into normal eating!

As has been my experience with cleanses in the past, afterwards my skin was clearer (tons of nutrients + tons of water = radiant skin) and I had no cravings for junky and sugary foods—not even cake pops from Starbucks, to which I am literally addicted. In general, drinking enough water is something I really need to be better about, and the cleanse definitely got me on track with that (you drink water between each of your juices).

A big thanks to Ritual Wellness for three days of organic goodness—and a break from cooking and washing dishes!

If you follow me on Instagram, you might already know that I did a three-day juice cleanse last week. My friend Rebecca from The Ripe Stuff asked if I wanted to try one out, and since (as you’ve probably noticed) I’m a huge fan of juice, I was eager to take her up on the offer. Every once in a while, it’s nice to give your digestive system a break, hit the reset button, and let your body balance itself out. I’ve done a few juice cleanses and always feel amazing afterwards—this one was no exception!

In addition to their signature cleanses, The Ripe Stuff offers a seasonal cleanse that incorporates some in-season produce and changes every three months. For summer, they have the Beet the Heat cleanse, and as soon as I saw watermelon-mint juice on the menu I was sold!

Here’s what the six juices each day were:

All the juices were delicious! Green juice is my jam so those two were probably my favorite, but the watermelon-mint was a real treat, too. And I loved that there was so much variety—two green, an earthy beet juice, a sweet watermelon drink, a fiery cayenne lemonade, and a satisfying cashew drink to finish the day.

How I Felt during the Cleanse

I had a ton of energy throughout the cleanse and was able to workout each day. A few days prior, I stopped drinking coffee so that I could get the caffeine withdrawal headaches/sluggishness out of the way—something I highly recommend you do before any cleanse. On day one I went for a short run and did a 15-minute HIIT workout in my living room (I’m posting it to the blog later this week!). On day two, I took it easier and hit up a yoga class. On day three, I did a class at Btone in the morning and then was invited to a free indoor cycling class at SoulCycle that night on behalf of Women’s Health Magazine and Birchbox. I was surprised I had enough energy for a double-session workout day, but I felt great!

I was only hungry for a little while the first day, and I think it was probably because I ate a big dinner the night before my cleanse—something I wouldn’t recommend. It was a healthy dinner, but I ate a lot. Whoopsies. Other than that, I wasn’t hungry, and the heavier cashew drink helped me go to bed satisfied each night.

How I Felt after the Cleanse

My favorite thing about juice cleanses is how any cravings for unhealthy foods I may have had are totally gone by the end. You wake up the next morning and just want more juice! There’s a heightened awareness of what you’re putting into your body, and the next couple days, I pretty much just wanted smoothies, juice, veggies, fruits and nuts. When the weekend hit, I added in eggs and some bread…and, ok, beer…but all in all, I’m still eating super healthy. And I haven’t had any coffee since before the cleanse! I don’t think there’s anything wrong with coffee necessarily, but I don’t think you should be dependant on something to feel awake in the morning. I go through no-coffee phases a lot, so we’ll see how long this one lasts.

As a result of no coffee and habitually drinking a ton of liquids for three days, I’ve found myself drinking a ton of water since the cleanse, which is great because it’s something I often neglect. Three days of juice + lots of water = clearer skin! The little bumps around my chin look so much better.

The number one question I get asked about juice cleanses is weight loss. I don’t weight myself, but I definitely looked a little thinner after the juice cleanse. How much of it is “real” weight and how much of it is water weight and bloat? I don’t know, and it doesn’t really matter to me—that’s not why I do juice cleanses. When you take three days off from digestion, your body can direct its energy to repair. Cleanses flush out and repair the bad, while helping you kickstart a healthy routine. It’s like hitting the reset button. And anyone who ever owned a Nintendo64 knows how essential a reset button can be from time to time.

More About The Ripe Stuff

The Ripe Stuff is a local company, and is delivered throughout the Boston area Sunday through Tuesday. I decided on a Sunday delivery so that I could start my cleanse on Monday morning. The produce used is locally sourced and hydraulically pressed. For any Boston readers, I’d highly recommend The Ripe Stuff! You can get 1, 2 or 3-day cleanses, as well as a-la-carte juices. Check The Ripe Stuff out online HERE to order and see their other juice and cleanse options.

Hope you all enjoyed Friday’s entertaining little detour from the health & fitness posts–let’s get back to what I’m drinking 99% of the time (i.e. not beer).

Nothing says “summer” like watermelon, right?? Growing up, my cousins and I would have watermelon seed spitting contests, and in case you’re wondering (I know you are, since we’re all eight years old here…), the key to getting maximal distance is to roll the seed in your tongue to create a chute, and launch it from there with a forceful exhale.

WIth knowledge like this, I’ve pretty much got “The Cool Aunt” title on lock. Not that I’m an aunt, but you get where I’m going.

This juice is so refreshing! And would taste amazing as a cocktail. Make a big batch, throw in some vodka, and you’ve got a summer BBQ home run.

Hope you had a fun weekend!

It’s kind of ironic that I post juice recipes on Sundays—the day of the week typically dedicated to hangovers, “cheating” on your diet and eating your feelings. Oh well.

Anyway, mint is by far my favorite herb to add to juices. You don’t need much to taste it, but I’d recommend sending it through the juicer with harder produce to maximize the yield.

What are your favorite juice combinations using mint?

Sometimes, I genuinely do enjoy eating half a grapefruit with a spoon, carefully and methodically extracting each sliver from its thin membrane casing, bite by bite. Sometimes.

Most of the time, however, ain’t nobody got time for that.

Adding grapefruit to your juice is a great, fast way to reap the benefits of this health-packed fruit without the spoon.

What are your favorite grapefruit recipes? (Juice or otherwise!)

After posting Kiwi Wheatgrass Juice a couple weeks ago, I realized some quick tips would have been helpful for the newbies—when it comes to juice ingredients, wheatgrass is somewhere between Lea Michele and Naomi Campbell on the diva scale. These don’t really apply to wheatgrass shots (an oz of pure wheatgrass taken in one gulp), but are good to keep in mind when adding the superfood to your vegetable and fruit juices.

Pair it with a sweet fruit.

Wheatgrass tastes like, well, grass. It’s a little bitter which is why most people usually take it straight as a shot. If you’re adding it to a juice and sipping rather than shooting, make sure to add fruit to it to mask the sharp flavor of the wheatgrass. Apples, grapes, watermelon and pineapple are some of my favorites, and I find they compliment the taste better than citrus fruits.

Twist it up into a clumpy knot before sending through the juicer.

Small stray blades of wheatgrass are going to fly right into the pulp bucket without being juiced if you try sending them down your juicer chute as-is. Twist the clump of wheatgrass into a ball—the larger and more solid it is, the bigger juice yield you’ll get from it.

Sandwich the wheatgrass between two harder pieces of produce when you send it down.

This, too, will help maximize your juice yield. I’ll put something like a cucumber down the juicer chute first, followed by my knot of wheatgrass and an apple on top, and push it all through together. This will help you get the most out of your wheatgrass.

Use a dime-width clump of wheatgrass.

For an 8 to 12-oz glass of juice, I’ve found this is a good amount. Any more and the juice will taste too much like lawn clippings.

You can grow your own little plot of wheatgrass if you’re feeling ambitious (and obnoxiously trendy), but I usually just buy a container of it at Whole Foods.

Do you have any wheatgrass juicing tips to add?

Juice might not be the typical Sunday Funday beverage, but I’ve got another yummy green one for you today! This week I made the fatal mistake of going to Whole Foods hungry and left with five trillion bazillion dollars worth of produce that I’m determined to not let go to waste. Oh, hello there, juicer.

After a green juice and some breakfast, I’m off to teach a couple classes at Btone today. A nice healthy start to my Sunday that I’ll probably completely cancel out later on with some real Sunday Funday drinks.

I normally drink juice first thing in the morning to start my day off with a big boost of nutrients. For that reason, on a typical day, I’ll make some sort of green juice. But the more indulgent juices—sweet potato juice, cashew juice, all-fruit juice, etc.—are great to have on hand if you’re doing any sort of cleanse and want to feel really satisfied. Typically these are the last juice you have during the day so that you go to bed feeling full and happy.

This juice is a total treat. The sweet potato gives it a thicker, creamier texture, and the cinnamon makes you feel like you’re drinking some sort of seasonal fall dessert.

What’s your favorite “dessert” juice?