What to Expect on a Pressed Juicery 3-Day Cleanse

Pressed Juicery recently opened a Westfield UTC location here in San Diego. Feeling bloated and out-of-shape from a summer of travel, I wedged in a complimentary 3-day juice cleanse (for purposes of this review) between excess in Napa Valley and a trip to Los Cabos, Mexico, to cover a resort opening.

I was desperate to feel better, and though I swore off juice cleanses, they work for me. And this one did, too, with much better-tasting juices than the competition’s.

In my world, cleansing kicks off a healthy regimen after a period of excess. When I feel better, I tend to exercise more and eat healthier. Plus, picking up a cleanse on a whim at the mall is a huge selling point for me—the company was founded with accessibility in mind. You can also stop by for an individual juice or water there as well.

My Pressed Juicery Juices

Here’s the great thing about ordering from Pressed Juicery in person: You can taste each cold-pressed juice before you buy it. While there is a recommended series of juices for cleanses, if one doesn’t suit your palate, they’ll swap it for a comparable juice.

Having done several juice cleanses before, I chose Cleanse 2. Cleanse 1 is for newbie cleansers and involves nut milk in the morning in lieu of juice, while Cleanse 3 is for those used to clean eating.

The juices I chose were:

• #1 Greens 2 (kale, spinach, romaine, parsley, cucumber, celery, apple, lemon)
• #2 Citrus 2 (pineapple, apple, lemon, mint)
• #3 Greens 3 (kale, spinach, romaine, parsley, cucumber, celery, apple, lemon, ginger)
• #4 Roots 2 (carrot, kale, romaine, spinach, parsley, apple, ginger)
• #5 Citrus 2 (cucumber, pineapple, lemon, coconut water, aloe vera)
• #6 Vanilla Almond (almonds, dates, vanilla bean, sea salt)

The cleanse also comes with aloe vera and chlorophyll cleanse waters which I seriously LOVED. The aloe helps soothe your digestive system while chlorophyll helps keep you full while detoxing. A few days later I was at Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos and they also served chlorophyll water as an option in the spa and fitness center. So, it’s definitely a thing.

You Must Prepare

I mean it. I have been much better about cutting out meat, dairy, processed sugar, caffeine, and booze in the days leading up to a cleanse, but I admit to never going totally cold turkey on these things until the cleanse actually starts.

This time, I just didn’t have time to prepare. And I was girded for the consequences. Cleansers are less likely to get headaches, feel tired, and experience detox symptoms when the body is gradually weaned off of (most) evil.

Day 1

What struck me during day one was how good the juices were. On other juice cleanses, I get tired of sour green juices and afternoon beet juices to the point where I skip finishing the bottle. Not here.

Physically, I felt fantastic (and wrote two long articles) until about 6 p.m., when I hit a wall. Maybe it was residual fatigue from my Napa trip, but despite hopes of the evening almond milk rejuvenating my energy levels, I was done.

Bedtime came promptly at… 8:45 p.m. Prepare not to hit the town during a cleanse. And, don’t plan on boot camp or any other extreme exercise.

Drinking an obscene amount of water is normal for me, especially when on a juice cleanse. I didn’t track it, but aside from the six juices and two waters, I probably drank 10-15 glasses of water each day.

Day 2

Without a doubt, day 2 is by far the hardest during a juice cleanse. Your body begins to feel the ramifications of detox and craves things. I was tired and had a headache, but it was my own fault for not preparing as well as I could have.

Nonetheless, I powered through the day and got some work done. Again, I went to bed before 9 p.m., anxious to wake up the next morning.

Day 3

There’s a sense of relief that happens on day 3. Perhaps it’s a high knowing there’s one more sleep until real food. The headache was gone and while I couldn’t run a half-marathon, I felt pretty good and could keep up with my daughter and her friends until 9:00 p.m. on a Friday.

I was not hungry at any point during the cleanse. However, if I felt my energy dropping between juices, I would eat a small slice of avocado once a day.

The Days After

I felt great. I didn’t have any issues easing back into real food because I took it easy, eating mostly fruit and vegetables for the next few days (paired with wine—I couldn’t resist). I immediately hit the gym in the following days, even when in Los Cabos. And, I’m still going three times a week and feeling strong.

Did I Cheat?

In addition to the avocado mentioned above, I had a few sips of black coffee in the morning, figuring cold turkey on caffeine was asking for trouble given my lack of prep.

The Final Results

For those of you concerned about intake, my regimen had me at 1210 calories and 28 grams of fat each day, plus probably half an avocado and a few cups of coffee over the course of three days. But for me, cleansing isn’t about weight loss, though it does happen.

I would guess that I was down about 4lbs the day after the cleanse ended and my clothes fit noticeably better, especially in the waistline. However, the reality is most of the weight loss is usually temporary. Think about it… you’re not eating food for three days. But weight loss, for me, usually continues after a juice cleanse because I’m motivated to eat well and exercise more than I was before the juice cleanse.

The truth is that my weight is more consistent if I cleanse for three days once a quarter. It is the reality of my lifestyle and I accept it.

Would I Do It Again?

Juice cleanses are not for everyone, but I will definitely use Pressed Juicery again. To recap, here are the selling points:

• Pressed Juicery tastes better than the competition. I didn’t dread drinking them at all.
• I love the addition of the aloe vera and chlorophyll waters.
• You can’t beat the convenience of picking up a cleanse on the same day you decide it’s necessary. Planning around shipments is a drag.
• It is much harder for me to cleanse using food. Juice cleanses eliminate food prep, issues with portion control or temptation to snack while handling food.
• Picking up the juice cleanse saves on shipping, putting the cost at $35 per day ($105 for three days, less if you’re a VIP member which I am now), which is substantially lower than the cleanses I’ve used in the past. The price doesn’t include the waters but I would pick up some while you’re there.

Just remember that Pressed Juicery isn’t just about cleanses. Stop by and get to know the juice!

How do you cleanse? And, have you done it with Pressed Juicery? Your thoughts are welcome!