Lifestyle Mirror

The idea of a juice cleanse has always prompted an eye roll. I’m a beauty writer and part of my job is to observe trends with a critical eye. The so-called “beauty benefits” of the juice cleanse? Easy: hydration. And isn’t anything that forces people to not eat food some sort of starvation diet?

I had my doubts when I agreed to partake in the famous BluePrint Cleanse, mostly because my average meal consists of at least three cheeses, pasta, and an unhealthy amount of prosciutto. But, it’s for work, so I decided to give it a go. You can keep up with my day-to-day journey here, and read all about my awakening experience.

1. The Pre-Cleanse Diet

The folks at BluePrint were kind enough to send a thoughtful reminder e-mail to start the detox process before taking the plunge. So, after a hearty charcuterie and cheese plate (and nearly two bottles of wine) at Barbuto, I bid farewell to life as I loved it. The next day, I gave up caffeine, gluten, dairy, meat, and alcohol. I was actually so preoccupied with avoiding food (and kicking the caffeine headaches) that I focused on activities that would keep me away from food: I ran four miles every day, did some weights, and went to yoga. I scheduled “tea dates” with friends. One brave soul even agreed to go to the health-conscious Café Blossom in the West Village with me for my final chewable dinner. I pouted as my friend enjoyed vegan crème brûlée, but sipping on my peppermint tea, I learned the meaning of resisting temptation. It was oddly empowering. 

2. The Cleanse, Day 1

I don’t usually have breakfast. So I crawled out of bed and forced myself to enjoy the “Green Juice” (romaine, celery, cucumber, kale, parsley, etc.), which was a surprising kick to my morning. Today I woke up without a caffeine headache. Throughout the day, I was running to and from the office refrigerator, forcing myself to down the juices.

I was doing fine until I went to a party that night with a makeup artist friend (our fabulous video star, Katey Denno) and was confronted with cater waiters approaching us with trays full of prosciutto-wrapped dates and cocktails. A health food nut herself, she held me back and I indignantly got in a cab home to enjoy my cashew milk, which is essentially the Cleanse’s version of dessert. 

3. The Cleanse, Day 2

I woke up—ahead of my alarm—from a dream about profiteroles. Angry and more than a little hungry, I downed a Green Juice and took my frustration out on the treadmill. Four miles later, I was still flying. In fact, I felt better than ever. I left the gym that morning with a weird sense of vitality that lasted all day: Gone were the food comas, the caffeine crashes, and the obligatory 3 o'clock snack. Also, not being able to go out at night (or drink at events) really changed my attitude throughout the day.

Many of my friends (also Cleansers) told me that Day Two would be the most difficult. I have to disagree. After work, I went home and detoxed some more with Ahava's Dead Sea Body Mud. By ten o'clock, I was asleep, profiterole-dreaming for Day Three. 

4. The Cleanse, Day 3

The day went beautifully until I met up with a friend for dinner. I forced her to go to Tea & Sympathy in the West Village so I could sip on some nice herbal teas (totally allowed) post-beet juice. After a short dinner (it's no fun being the only one eating, I discovered) and more than a couple of dirty looks from our waitress who seemed mystified at the thought of a cleanse, we left to go have another tea at a café down the street. Once there, we learned some lovely French people next to us were celebrating their engagement, and they invited us to join their party and buy us a drink. When I politely declined, I tried to explain the logistics of the juice cleanse to them. Two of the women rolled their eyes and immediately, we were exiled from the festivities.

Shortly after, my friend announced her departure to a club with a couple of our other friends and implored me to go with her. I declined, and I felt a bit sad at the moment, but I reasoned that my newly clear skin and healthily energized self was better off sans-alcohol for the evening. I made a promise not to look at my friends' Twitter or Instagram accounts, and instead went to bed early, satisfied that my juice cleanse was over.

5. Post-Cleanse

The day after my cleanse, I went to an early morning yoga session, enjoyed a fruit smoothie for breakfast, and skipped coffee entirely. I felt like my body was completely detoxed—devoid of dependency on coffee, sugars, and fatty foods. It was an oddly triumphant feeling. I lost a total of six pounds in six days, had more energy than ever, and my skin was positively radiant. Even for lunch, I stuck to salad, and then slowly eased in to sushi for dinner. Even a couple of days afterwards, I was sticking hard to my workout routine and watching what I ate more carefully. I now have a habit of a smoothie or fruit for breakfast every day.

While I missed long, drawn out dinners with friends, bottles of wine, and having dessert, the cleanse is a nice break from the constant flood of New York life. We are always expected to be consuming something, or we're so busy we forget to take care of ourselves. Overall, it was less a weight-loss experience or a diet experience than it was an eye-opener. I'd never use a beauty product that I knew had harmful ingredients. Maybe it's time I start looking at prosciutto the same way.