Drink Up: A Juice Cleanse Guide

Everyone seems to be talking about juice cleanses.  Staring out from magazine covers in grocery store aisles, these miraculous juices seem to be popping up everywhere, promising to cure what ails you. Un secreto sagrado no longer, juice cleanses have become mainstream. And as their availability grows, with national brands and local juice bars popping up all over the country, we have to ask: do the cleanses live up to their hype? TLK takes a look at the top three cleanses to find out. 

With the motto “We Think You Drink,” the Blueprint Cleanse was created to make cleansing easy, available to everybody, and customizable for each users’ dietary history and nutritional needs. Cleanses can be tailored from 3-10 days, and offer six juices per day made up of 100% USDA organic fruit and vegetable juices. With three levels of intensity (Renovation, Foundation and Excavation Cleanse), those new to raw green juice can dip their toes in the water without a full-on commitment. However, experimentation doesn’t come cheap, the Blueprint Cleanse starts at $65 per day.

The Cooler Cleanse, co-founded by one of our favorite Latinas, Salma Hayek, is all about giving your body a break. Advertising a juice cleanse as “routine maintenance,” this cleanse replaces traditional meals with cold-pressed vegetable and fruit juices and nut milks to give your body time to efficiently and effectively detoxify. There are five cleanses designed to fit the nutritional needs and lifestyles of most users, and the company offers a daily delivery service of raw food meals and pressed juices. The Cooler Cleanse starts at $58 per day.

The Suja Cleanse motto states it “will help detoxify and reset your body so you can feel your best.” All of the juices are HPP’d and cold-pressed. HPP, High Hydrostatic Pressure, is a process that kills pathogens and extends the shelf life of the juices without affecting the nutritional value of the raw juice (as traditional flash pasteurization does). This cleanse has 1-Day, 3-Day and 5-Day packages, with each day comprised of six juices including breakfast, lunch, dinner, two snacks, and one dessert juice. The Suja Cleanse starts at $54 per day.

Click on for more info and guidelines!…

The bottom line? All of these cleanses focus on two common problems: making good-for-you foods easier to incorporate into your diet, and giving your body a break so it can focus on those all important nutrients. But, buying your internal maintenance is expensive. The good news? You can get similar benefits by making your own healthful, veggie and fruit filled smoothies at home. And, you guessed it, we have the recipes.

Three green smoothies that can keep you full and fuel you for your daily activities are Chocolate Spinach Coconut, Spinach Mango Strawberry, and Blueberry Kale Blast smoothies. Each smoothie has a power green which is rich in antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins, while the fruits provide an extra boost of flavor and nutritional power. Add a scoop of your favorite protein powder for additional benefits or to make these shakes meal replacements.

Remember, at the end of the day we want to be as healthy as possible. So, take the first step to better health and make a green smoothie. Think they compare to the cleanses above? Tell us about it on Facebook and Twitter.

Click on for the recipes!…

Chocolate Spinach Coconut

• 1 1/4 cups unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 cup spinach, packed
• 1/2 banana, frozen
• 1/2 cup ice cubes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cocoa powder
• honey, to taste

Get the full recipe. 

Spinach Mango Strawberry Smoothie

• 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 cup spinach, packed
• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries 
• 1/4 cup frozen mango

Get the full recipe. 

Blueberry Kale Blast

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup kale, packed
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries 

Get the full recipe.