Detox Diaries: Cooler Cleanse

Tester 1: Kim, 34

OVERVIEW

The ease of use was great. I didn't have to think about my next meal. It was as easy as 1, 2, 3 (and 4, 5, 6!) The most difficult part was following their recommendations for eating raw prior to and following the cleanse. Changing my diet took a lot of effort.

I have a full-time job where I'm in and out of a lot of meetings, plus an infant at home! We'll see how I can manage through three days of this!

DAY 1

9:26 a.m.: I woke up this morning already exhausted. The baby was awake during the night from 2-3 a.m. and then up again at 4:30 a.m. I was already hungry at 2 a.m. from eating the "raw way" the day before. I wasn't too strict about it but did steer clear of caffeine, had salad for lunch, and homemade soup for dinner. I honestly can't imagine anything less appealing than being a vegetarian! I poured the first juice (Essential Green) over ice and tried to "sip and enjoy", but ended up having to chug it in big gulps so I could get out of the house on time. It sort of reminded me of a super concentrated Pimm's Cup without the alcohol. I had an after taste of cucumber all morning.

11:31 a.m.: Just finished juice number 2, Grapefruit Mint. It was okay and went down fairly easily over the course of my 10:30 a.m. meeting. So far, my stomach hasn't growled, but I've had to pee a lot.

1:03 p.m.: Trying to get through Essential Green #2. I poured it over ice with a lemon, but it's not helping. This one just doesn't taste great. When I walked down to the café to get ice and a lemon, the food smelled so good!

3:23 p.m. Juice #4, Young Coconut Water, is much better than the last. It tastes a little like a liquid Mounds Bar.

5:11 p.m.: Juice #5 tastes like a beet salad! My head kind of hurts. Not sure if it's the cleanse or just from work.

8:24 p.m.: I finished my last juice around 7:45 p.m. It was an Almond Nut Milk and sort of tasted like the vanilla snow ice my mom used to make when I was a kid. My hands are cold and my head hurts. My stomach still hasn't growled and I don't feel hungry per sé, but my head definitely feels off. I never get headaches otherwise. I realized after drinking juice #6 that I hadn't had a single glass of water all day. (It was all I could do to get the juices down, let alone incorporate more liquid.) I'm trying to drink a couple of glasses now. Maybe that's why my head hurts. I'm always bad about drinking water. So, day 1 is almost over; not too bad but I am dreading tomorrow. I'm afraid I'll feel worse. Also, my teeth have a gross film on them. I hope I have enough energy to take care of my baby!

DAY 2

3:48 p.m.: It's been a busy day, but I'm feeling pretty good. I did go to bed early last night at 9:30 p.m., so I got about 10 hours of sleep. (Although it was interrupted multiple times by my cranky baby.) Still, I felt pretty good this morning and weighed in 3 lbs lighter than yesterday. The Essential Green juice wasn't great for breakfast, but I managed to get through it. My second juice of the day was Pineapple Ginger and was delicious.

12 p.m.: I had a lunch meeting that included catered food in the conference room. I was a little jealous of the turkey sandwiches and brownies, but I think the thing I most coveted were some pretzels. Perhaps for the salt and crunch?

5 p.m.: My head does not hurt today, but I'm still not doing well in the water department. I had one cup of tea earlier, but haven't had any glasses of water while at work. (I had just one this morning.) I'd better go get a glass right now.

8:30 p.m.: The baby went to sleep without a hitch, but not a minute too soon. I am feeling exhausted for the first time today. My head hurts a little again, and my stomach feels hungry. Tonight's juice was yummy: Brazil Nut Milk. I was surprised because it was different than last night's milk. On my subway ride home I was thinking about how convenient it was that I didn't have to think about dinner...even though I think I still would have preferred to eat a real meal!

9:30 p.m.: Overall day 2 went surprisingly well, and I felt good all day. Just looks like I'm going to have to get in bed by 9:30 again! Oh...and I must drink water.

DAY 3

8:08 p.m.: Today was a pretty good day. I lost .5 more lbs, so it looks like a total of 3.5. We'll see what tomorrow brings. Ironically, I actually found myself almost looking forward to my Essential Green this morning! I guess I grew to enjoy it? I didn't sleep very well last night (combination of my husband being out of town, getting up to use the bathroom, and the baby), but I was fine once I got going this morning. I had a lunch meeting scheduled and was a little embarrassed to "drink" my green lunch while everyone else ate. Surprisingly, I wasn't really craving their sushi though. It's interesting how doing a cleanse can change your perspective on food. I keep thinking about what I'll eat tomorrow, but I've found that I'm not necessarily craving anything unhealthy. The one thing I keep thinking of is a turkey burger. (Maybe it's my mind telling me I'm not getting enough protein?) I just finished my last juice of the series. I have to say, part of me is very happy to be returning to solids tomorrow. Today was much like the other days: I had normal levels of energy and my stomach never growled, but as I got towards the end of the day, my energy dropped quickly. I just put the baby to bed and am contemplating doing the same to myself!

BREAKING THE CLEANSE

I'm back on real food today. Oatmeal, salad, and trying to drink more water. I'm feeling okay. I had lost a total of 4.5 lbs, and I feel so much smaller. A plus was that I fit into pre-pregnancy clothes! We'll see if any of it stays off. Once off the cleanse, I returned to my regular diet. Since I am on Weight Watchers, I've continued to monitor my intake and have tried to focus on even more veggies and fruit. Over the weekend, my husband and I did our usual activities: brunch, dinner out, a party, etc. I felt pretty free under the Weight Watchers plan because relative to the cleanse, it felt glutinous! I felt a little bad having my first post-cleanse beer, but the feeling didn't last long!

OVERALL

To summarize, I would rate Cooler Cleanse a four out of five. It was easy to do and relatively tasty. I can see doing it again when I need a weight-loss kickstart or if I'm preparing for a special day. I thought this cleanse was fairly easy to do. The 6 juices made it a thoughtless process, and other than getting enough water, I had no trouble following the series. Beyond end-of-day tiredness, I didn't really have any adverse side effects. It definitely made me think differently about my food.

Next: See how Colleen, 24, did on her three-day juice journey.