2 programs, 3 days, 4 honeys
We know how you ladies are super curious about the juice cleanse trend, so we sacrificed four of our rookie honeys to try not one, but two 3-day cleanse programs. It ain’t easy when you could be at a media tasting every day. Here’s how they suffered in the name of research and the Miranda Kerr glow.
The Juices:
We got wind of our island’s newest ‘kid on the block’! Joob Detox was started by 27-year-old Singaporean Choonboon Tan. The Wall Street trader turned entrepreneur was introduced to the world of organic juice during his stint in NYC, where he noticed the number of detox juice bars popping up around the city. With a vision to make these health juices equally accessible to the people in Singapore, he packed his bags, got down to full-time juicing, and the rest is history! The Joob juice bar is set for official launch next month – you heard it here first!
Another player in the detox market – Lucky You Cleanse – prides itself as the juice cleanse company that leads by example. What started out as DIY home juicing became a business for founder Heidy Jameel, whose dedication saw her travel to Ann Wigmore Natural Health Institute to learn more about the art of healthy eating. Aka the Miranda Kerr juice, Lucky You Cleanse has successfully created a health movement through celebrity endorsements and word-of-mouth referrals. With two locations in Australia and Singapore, it sets out to make health juices accessible to anyone! And did we already mention Miranda Kerr?
How it works:
The deal is to replace your meals with six juices a day (500ml per bottle). The juices are packed with vitamins and nutrients from the cold-press process, believed to help flush the nasty toxins out of your system. Most juice cleanse companies offer 3 or 5-day cleanse programs, with a la carte options as well. The 3-day program is ideal for beginners, like us!
Lucky You Cleanse
Reviews for Lucky You Cleanse:
Wan Yin: A notoriously huge eater in the office, bets were made about whether I could successfully complete the challenge, but I’m proud to say I survived! That means no coffee (that was a real toughie), no sugar, and absolutely no food – an unbelievable feat by my standards! But if you do feel serious hunger pangs, don’t push yourself till you start feeling woozy – munching on a mini green or fruit salad would do the trick.
Hits: The juices were surprisingly delish! You get eased in with Juice 1, which is a mix of banana, mango, and well-masked kale. I always look forward to the last juice of the day – a delectable treat made from cashew nuts and dates – which I consider as a reward for lasting through the day. The good folks from Lucky You are incredibly sweet too, and will send you daily emails containing tips and encouraging messages!
Misses: Juice 3, containing lemon and cayenne pepper, was a challenging one for me, but I tried to keep in mind the benefits like a boost in immunity, detoxifying properties, and how Beyonce swore by this detox drink! It’s recommended by Lucky You to consciously chew your juices, which always slipped my mind till I was halfway through the bottle.
Isabel: A 3-day juice cleanse didn’t sound too difficult, and I was raring to get started! I’m proud to declare that I was 100% caffeine-free for the entire duration. And while I thought the detox would make me terribly lethargic, I managed to go for a 1-hour Zumba sesh on the 2nd day and a 3-hour French class on the 3rd day (yay me).
Hits: Getting a generous dose of greens in my system definitely made me feel healthier and lighter than usual. I reckon it’s high time I bid goodbye to oily, fried, and processed foods!
Misses: Very, very frequent trips to the washroom. The lemon and cayenne pepper mix left me with a scratchy throat, and I had to fight off visions of oyster omelettes and sashimi bento sets at random times of the day. Oops.
Joob Detox
Reviews for Joob:
Shairah: Joob’s juice detox couldn’t have come at a better time: given my ridiculously unhealthy diet, my mother always warned me that I was one plate of Char Kway Teow away from a heart attack. Thanks mum. In all seriousness, it was just the impetus I needed to kick-start my New Year’s resolution of living a healthier lifestyle. And the idea of chugging down six bottles of ready-made juices sounded more attractive than slogging it out on the treadmill. But little did I know that this juice cleanse would be trickier than I’d ever imagine.
Hits: I HATE vegetables (no, I swear I’m not a bratty five-year old) so getting my daily intake of greens easily in liquid form was a big plus for me – definitely beats a salad any day. Another bonus was a reduced appetite after the three days. I imagined feasting like a king after the juice cleanse was over but surprisingly, I found myself eating smaller portions and even turning away a second helping of rice (believe me, that never happens.)
Misses: Health-wise, I didn’t feel any difference: no weight loss, no clearer state of mind or glowing skin. Just a bloated stomach and many trips to the loo. And did I mention the food cravings? Oh, the food cravings. In between sips of the Cleansorator (lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and agave), all I was thinking: “I’d kill for a cheese burger right now. Or a cheese prata. Heck, I’d even settle for a block of cheese!”
Natalie: As a meat lover that could rival a T-Rex, I must admit I was a little more than apprehensive about the perks of a juice cleanse. And no food at all, really? Being quite the adventurer when it comes to trying all things new, I accepted the Joob challenge (and at the same time put all my co-workers at risk of a very hungry, very grouchy me).
Hits: It gets easier! Perhaps my biggest takeaway from not eating was how it forced me to be more conscious about my body and what I put in it. Instead of having major cravings for fried chicken and chili beef fries like I thought I would right after the detox, I found myself going for healthier options instead.
Misses: I’ve heard the first day is always the hardest – and they kid you not. It’s a constant mind-over-body battle to not think about food, especially when there’s work to be done (you know how we’re all used to a little stress-eating whether we realize it or not). Thankfully, the people at Joob were super encouraging and reassuring, and answered all the questions I had along the way. I’d also recommend doing the juice cleanse with a friend for extra support – always helps to have a buddy!
Top image: Vogue, Lucky You Cleanse
