From The Straits Times    |

I’ve always been interested in juice cleanses and wanted to try one out and see what all the hype was about. Naomi Campbell has sworn by them for detoxing her system every few months, and when you look at her body, she is a walking, talking advert for health and wellness. In Singapore, The Daily Juice is a well known juice company serving up daily doses of green and other veggie-licious goodness from their shop near Boat Quay. Having met the passionate founder Su, at a press event, we discussed her business and having sampled some of the delicious, cold-pressed juices on that day, I bit the bullet and decided to do a 3 day Reboot cleanse. 

Pre-cleanse

When doing a cleanse, no matter how long, you need to prep your body for the process, this will help any side effects to be minimal and your body to achieve optimum results. This was the first challenge in itself, as I had a friend visiting from overseas during my prep days (3 days before the start of the cleanse), and therefore wanted to take her to dinner, much of which in Singapore is not meat and dairy free, two things I was supposed to avoiding pre-cleanse. The change in lifestyle that doing a juice cleanse requires is not to be played down, social events tend to revolve around food and drink, and when you’re supposed to be cutting down on caffeine and alcohol before you start your juice cleanse, it’s hard to tell colleagues and friends that you need to go somewhere more healthy and with more veggie choices than usual, no one wants to be the fussy eater!

Another thing to consider is that healthy eating in Singapore tends to be more expensive due to the lack of locally farmed produce, especially when eating out. So, even though ideally I would have been on a retreat in Bali to give my body, mind and soul a cleanse from urban life, most of us will not have that luxury. There were times I couldn’t entirely stick to a caffeine-free, dairy and red meat-free diet during my pre-cleanse days, whether it be due to work meetings, social obligations et. al  but the main takeaway is not to feel too guilty about it. You will be making more consciously healthy choices than usual anyway, and living in a fast-paced society, you need a cleanse that will work with your life commitments, not cause you to become a recluse!

 

 

A photo posted by Daily Juice (@dailyjuicesg) on

 

Day 1

I was excited to start my juice cleanse, as quite honestly I’m a huge fan of cold-pressed juices anyway, and the thought of treating my body to a concoction of pure goodness all day for the next three days was a good one. Having had a look through the juices for the day, they all looked delicious and packed full of nutrients. My colleagues who aren’t big fans of ginger did not look as excited for me, but as a lover of the warming root vegetable, I was happy. 

The first two juices of the day I spaced out over two hour intervals, the first was pretty yummy, almost a typical ABC (apple, beetroot, carrot) with added ginger and lemon for zest. However when it got to 11am and I tried out the second juice, I wasn’t the hugest fan of the ingredients, I realised throughout the cleanse that I’m not a big fan of parsley! One thing to note is that you will be going to the toilet a lot more than usual, which is something Su, the founder, warned me about, so it’s best to not have any major meetings whilst you’re on cleanse. As well as the juices, of which there are six per day, all 530ml each, you will need to continue consuming at least 2 litres of water every day. By lunchtime I was in need of something more substantial, so I was happy to see the juice was more of a smoothie in texture, super filling and ensuring my stomach didn’t feel empty. This was definitely one of my favourites from the cleanse, and one I would recommend anyone to have even as a breakfast smoothie day to day, full of berries, psyllium husks (which are a great natural laxative) and coconut goodness. 

One thing I noticed was great about the way the cleanse was designed was that the flavours and consistency of the juices mimicked what your body might normally be craving at that time of the day. For example, the mid-afternoon juice was 100% coconut water, a palette cleansing and refreshing afternoon pick-me-up, whilst the evening juice was savoury and contained cilantro, red pepper and lime, almost like having a light curry come dinner time! Overall day 1 was good and the novelty of drinking my food rather than chewing it was refreshing. I went to bed feeling satisfied and earlier than usual, a boost for my beauty sleep!

Day 2

For me, day 2 was the hardest of the cleanse, the novelty of drinking all my meals began to wear off and I started to miss chewing, and the when delicious smells of char siu noodles and freshly brewed coffee came wafting in my direction, I definitely missed the variety of different cuisine. In the land of no chewing gum, there was little I could do to trick my body into thinking it was eating, and the cleanse is as much a psychological detox as a physical one. I realised that I often mindlessly snack throughout the day when by my desk and if I’m relaxing at home. The willpower to not give in to random cravings and making sure I was staying constantly hydrated allowed me to realise that I was never actually hungry throughout the cleanse, and that often eating can be as much about boredom (and often because your body is actually thirsty) than giving your body the nutrients and energy that it needs. 

My favourite juices of the day were the dragonfruit smoothie, as well as the aptly named ‘Hot Shower’ one, consisting of cayenne pepper, honey, lemon and ginger, just the thing your immune system needs if it’s ever feeling down!

Day 3!

On the third and final day of the cleanse, I started to really feel the effects of it kicking in. Despite it being that ‘time of the month’ for me (which in hindsight, was not the best time to go on a juice cleanse given the hormonal craziness that comes with that) I didn’t feel bloated at all, and in fact noticed a lot less water retention than I would have on a normal day. My energy levels without a caffeine or refined sugar kick were sustained, and there were less peaks and troughs throughout the day. However, when my flatmates asked me to join them for a Korean BBQ dinner that evening, it was a total test of willpower to turn it down. Juice picks of the day were the cashew and coconut concoction, (Coco+Cash) and the BerryChio smoothie.

 

 

A photo posted by Daily Juice (@dailyjuicesg) on

 

Post-cleanse verdict

Once I had finished my cleanse, it was both exciting and daunting to start eating regularly again, it felt strange to suddenly have a whole host of options to choose from come breakfast time. That was definitely one thing that the cleanse allows you to do, be free from the choice and indecision that can come with eating three meals a day! In that respect it’s great for busy, working women as all the juices come labelled and organised according to the order you should drink them in. The one issue I found for the on-the-go lifestyle was the bottle design, which can be cumbersome and due to the natural colouring of the veggies, stain your hands when opening it. The cap was also wide, which meant drinking from the bottle was a little difficult, meaning you need a straw or a glass to pour into handy.

Overall, I would definitely recommend the cleanse for those who want to press the reset button on their diet and see a significant difference in their energy levels and know they are feeding their body with the nutrients it needs, at least for three days straight. I would be tempted to go on a longer cleanse in the future, but the one drawback I found was that it definitely affects your social freedom. Meeting up with one of my friends for brunch on my last day of the cleanse meant I had to surreptitiously sip my lunch smoothie whilst she ordered, as she’s pregnant, I definitely gave her dibs of restaurant choice. Perhaps going on a juice cleanse will give you the perfect excuse to have some much-needed alone time, or just become more conscious of what exactly you’re putting into your body on a daily basis. The Daily Juice’s products are delicious, well-crafted and have definitely got your body’s best interests at heart. Even if you’re not considering a cleanse, incorporating some green, burgundy or pure coconut goodness into your everyday routine will definitely benefit your body. 

The 3-day Reboot cleanse retails at $255 including delivery fee and can be ordered online here. Single juices start from $8.50 and can be purchased in store or online.

For more health-focussed habits, see our sleep like a baby night time routine here.