My 5-day BluePrint (juice) Cleanse

Haters, take note. You’ll want to skip this one. This post is a recap and review of my recent (as in finished yesterday) 5-day “detox” cleanse from BluePrint Cleanse.

Two points I want to make right up top.  1) I didn’t do this cleanse to officially “detox” my system.  I ascribe to the theory that our organs do that for us naturally, particularly if we maintain a reasonably healthy diet & lifestyle.  And 2) This cleanse is crazy expensive.  There must be a better local alternative, and if you know it, please comment below, SPAM free of course.  I did find a great DIY option with recipes on the web, which I’ll get to later.

Why then did I choose to invest the dedication and money in a detox cleanse?  Well, because I spent the ENTIRE month of July traveling out west, and eating at least one meal EVERY day in a restaurant with my 13 year old son (and you know the required french fry stealing that goes along with that).  Getting back-on-track in diet and exercise routine needed a MAJOR jump start.  We’re talking a “get off the block for the 50 meter dash”  start,  a “really need to lose a few pounds and jolt my metabolism and my brain back to reality” start.  I’ve done the BPC before, and I know it works for me.  Plus, I really like the juices, although not everyone does, as you can see from the review links below.

How does it work?   (Not the “detox” or cleansing part – I’ll leave that to the folks at BPC to explain.  As I said, I’m not sure I buy it verbatim, but it works like a charm for me so I don’t nitpick).  Their website is very easy to use.  Pick the type of cleanse you want – think of them as beginner (Renovation) , intermediate (Foundation) and advanced (Excavation).  Pick the number of days you want to cleanse.  One thru whatever.  Most folks do Three days. I chose Five days of the beginner Renovation Cleanse.

Delivery via FedEx comes in up to 3 days of juice supply – 6 bottles per day.  Freshly juiced, shipped cold, arrive cold.  The folks at BPC give lots of tips on your diet in preparation for the cleanse, and what to do on Day One (and Day 4) as you wait for FedEx to arrive.

The juices are numerically marked in drinking order.  You’ll need to rethink the word “juice” though.  Lots of veggies, lemon & ginger,  some fruit, even Cashew Nut Milk.  Like I said, I really like each and every one.  The Green Juice that starts off each day is made from organic Romaine, Celery. Cucumber, Apple, Spinach, Kale, Parsley & Lemon.  Depending on the cleanse you choose, you will get at least one more Green Juice during your day.  Tastes super clean, a bit grassy,  mostly I taste the cucumber and celery.

The 2nd Juice, unless you go the Advanced route, will be everyone’s favorite PAM:  Pineapple, Apple & Mint.  This is so nice, I am actually going to try to juice it myself.  Followed by another Green Juice for Number Three and Spicy Lemonade (h2o, lemon, agave nectar & cayenne) for Number Four which tastes exactly as you would expect.  Lemony and spicy.

With Juice 5, many carnivores will venture into uncharted territory via CAB juice…..Apple, Carrot, Beet (oh yeah, you got that right), Lemon & Ginger.  This is where the BPC seems to lose some reviewers, and some even go to the next level of cleanse to avoid beet juice entirely.  Personally, I like it just fine, and the heartiness of this juice is just what I need to fill me up around dinnertime, when I am really starting to feel a bit hungry.  Or more precisely, when I am really dying to CHEW SOMETHING.   FOR THE LOVE OF PETE.

The last juice of the day, which I can hardly drink all in one sitting, is the Cashew Nut Milk.  Often, I drink a bit of this during the day when I am feeling un-sated.  It is rich, sweet, and kind of creamy, in a nut juice kind of way.  It’s a nice one to end on, as it fills you up and feels a bit like dessert (granted, your perspective on dessert changes significantly after days of vegetable juicing).

How did it go?  Well, Day 1 & 2 were pretty easy.  I dialed back my exercise and drank a ton of green tea and water in between juices.

Day 3 was the hardest for me.  I was dying for solid food and just felt “off” all day.  I did snack on some celery and a bit of avocado as the BPC suggests.  For the record,  I don’t think it’s a caloric consumption issue – each day has like 1,100 calories which is do-able for a woman of my weight & age on a non-workout day.

Day 4 was a bit less of a struggle, but I still felt somehow wobbly, and did not have the “increased clarity and energy” some reviewers mention.  I wasn’t able to workout either Day 3 or 4, and I wonder if that contributed to my sluggish feeling.

However, by Day 5, I felt 100% – actually fantastic.  Ran a bit, gardened, worked some, even enjoyed my last day of juices.
Today is Day Six, which means the cleanse is over for me.   I woke up feeling fabulous, rested and accomplished.  Had some watermelon for breakfast (a treat at any time but this morning, a slice of heaven) and am not particularly hungry or craving.  I do feel that my appetite has been re-set, and am hoping it sticks.  I plan to use the next week to ease myself into my usual “dieting diet” – which is Dr Dukan’s low-fat, low-carb, protein rich plan with a slow disciplined approach to starchy vegetables and complex carbs.

I lost several pounds, mostly water weight no doubt, but that always helps me stay on the straight and narrow for the upcoming weeks and weeks of healthy eating.  My salty snack and sugar cravings are gone, as are those for bread, and I’m off my “but it’s summertime” glass(es) of white wine every night.  Mission accomplished.  And one unexpected side affect – I slept GREAT the entire time.  7+ hours of totally uninterrupted sleep.  Heavenly.

So the question – would I get the same benefits from going five days free of caffeine, salt, soda, sweets, alcohol, wheat, meat and dairy?  Yes, no doubt.  Would I crank up my juicer every day, if I even had one, create these tasty drinks and stick to the regime if I hadn’t just shelled out the price of a new pair of shoes for them?  Hmmmm.  By now you know me….you already know the answer to that one :-).

Just in case you (or I) am motivated to try to save hundreds of bucks and create these juices at home, I have found this website which purports to have hacked the recipes for the BPC.  Haven’t tried them myself, have no idea how they taste.  If I do get around to it, I will def let you know, and hope you’ll do the same for us in a comment below.

Questions? Comments, Personal Experiences and Reviews?  Please post below.  And here are a few links to other reviews of the BPC from the web for your reading pleasure.

Around The Vegetable.com Post on The BluePrint Cleanse.

Gourmande in the Kitchen.com Post on BluePrint vs. Cooler Cleanse.

All Lacqued Up.com Post on The BluePrint Cleanse.

Cheeky Kitchen.com Post on The BluePrint Cleanse.

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