Food be gone. I’m detoxing.

Urban Remedy Juice Detox

Here’s my justification.  The Christmas party season has been crazy, I’m heading off on a break at the end of the week and want to feel in tip top condition to enjoy it.  Not lethargic and run down.  I want to be bursting with energy and vitality.  

Oh, and for the record I’ve gone straight for Level 3 cleanse.  Yeh, I know. HARD CORE.  Which means there’s a whole lot of green in most of six daily juices now safely in my fridge.  But I’m ready. 

DAY 2

Well, I’ve woken with that detox semi-headache around my brain feeling.  Not so bad that I’m incapacited.  Just there.  On today’s agenda is some Christmas baking with Mr 5.  No licking the bowl for me. 

But that’s ok.  I’m absolutely loving the juices.  No kidding.  Each one has tasted great, even the green ones.  And what I’m really loving is the “no brainer” way this program works.  The juices are all there in our (bar!) fridge, they’re all numbered.  I don’t have to think about what I’m eating or what I need to prepare.  I simply grab a juice, undo the lid, pop in a straw (that was provided with this esky pack below) and sip away. 

So excuse me now, I’m off to crack a Pear, Apple, Spinach and Mint, or a #2. 

Day 3

Ok, so let’s get a little personal here. When you detox, things happen (yes, I’m talking in the downstairs department but don’t worry, I won’t go into graphic details).  Your stomach is prone to gurgling at inappropiate moments and it’s not a good idea to be too far from a toilet.  That’s all I’m going to say on the matter but don’t say you haven’t been warned. 

The lovely people at Urban Remedy email me every day with tips and reassurances about what’s going on and why I should feel extremely good about what I’m doing.  I love that.  Because every other communication I’m receiving at the moment seems to all be centred around food.  On Twitter and Facebook, all talk is of chocolate and ham buying. My neighbourly blog buddy, Veggie Mama, is posting almost hourly with yummy recipes.  I find myself trawling her site, while downing a herbal tea. 

Yet, strangely someone asked me today if I was missing “eating”.  I thought about it and said, no not really.  It’s been such a busy few days, it’s been a Godsend to have all my “meals” ready and prepared for me.  And it is only three days.  And my reward is Christmas Day. 

My favourite “juice” is definitely #6 – an energy smootie of raw cacao, raw cashews, rice milk and agave nectar.  It’s like a gorgeous chocolately treat at the end of the day. 

So would I do it again?

In a flash.  I wish I had another delivery turning up tomorrow.  Seriously. You know what I loved?  (Apart from the lovely comments from people saying how well I looked?  Yes!  In just three days.)  It was the feeling you have that your body is very happy with you. 

In hindsight, doing the cleanse just before Christmas Day was not the most intelligent idea I’ve had of late.  (You do get an email on the last day suggesting that you eat “light” for the next three-five days).  Oops.  But I found even on Christmas Day and the days following, I ate and drank less that what I typically manage at this time of year.  And I find myself craving my next clease.  I want that feeling back. 

The low-down

Urban Remedy is a healthy, natural and balanced juice cleanse.  The one, three or five day detox programs involve substituting all food with a series of six delicious (they really are – even the green ones) juices and smoothies.  You choose the cleanse level that’s right for you.  I chose Level 3 as I don’t drink coffee, have minimal dairy and no gluten in my diet (for a number boring personal health reasons). 

The cleanse is super simple – it’s ordered online and everything you need is delivered to your door in a cute cooler bag the night before your start. (This is such a bonus – I’ve done cleanses before that have involved doing the juicing myself which involves a lot of effort from the buying of fruit and veges to the actual juicing.  By day two I’m usually over all the preparation.) 

I can even take my juices with me ...

The idea for Urban Remedy was born when a bunch of health conscious (but indulgent) Sydney-siders wanted to do a cleanse that was healthy, balanced, simple to follow and highly effective. Developed in consultation with nutritionist Taryn Polovin, the cleanse is all natural and designed to ensure that you receive adequate kilojoules, protein, good fat and carbohydrates for the duration of the cleanse, while at the same time delivering a huge boost of the nutrients that are often lacking due to busy lifestyles and hectic schedules. 

The juices are made using professional twin gear, cold press juicers rather than high-speed commercial or home juicers. Commercial juicers or home juicers juice at a very high speed resulting in an oxygenated juice with a much reduced nutrient density. Urban Remedy’s juicers extract juice using a slow speed pressing action, preserving the nutrients and producing “living” juice that is ideal for cleansing.  

Pricing and delivery: Urban Remedy currently delivers to metropolitan Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold and Sunshine Coasts and regional NSW. A one day cleanse is $75, three days is $195 and five days is $325. Delivery in custom-made cooler bags is included. 

Order online at urbanremedy.com.au