Cleanse Update: I'm Cleansed

I’m a bit behind in updating y’all on my Humdinger Cleanse experiment; a whirlwind holiday (including a stop at The Umstead) + prepping for the Parlor fashion show and fighting a cold have left me feeling like this. BUT! That is NOT a reflection of my cleanse results. 

As you may remember I attempted a pre-Turkey Day 3-day juice cleanse from my friends over at Humdinger Juice. I will admit, the holiday season is not ideal to try this out for the first time. Even foods I can’t stand started to smell delicious. Day 1 I was pumped, eager even. You’re advised to give up essentially anything you could be addicted to/dependent upon. Caffeine, alcohol, smoking, etc. Fortunately I don’t smoke, so I didn’t have to deal with that, but giving up your morning Starbucks is shockingly hard. (Obviously, I realize most of the world faces far greater challenges, but in the context of a juice cleanse, it’s hard.) I was definitely mean to coworkers, but they were warned. I also really, really like wine. I tend to get wound up over the course of a day, and I usually work into the night, so wine’s like, my bestie. That was definitely a kicker. Thinking about doing a 5-day cleanse with no wine sounds really scary. I digress. 

Anyyyways, by Day 2 I was definitely feeling buzzed. You have to be systematic about when you drink your juices (6 throughout the day), because you don’t want to get the hunger pains. But you feel lighter, less bloaty. I did get really cold though. I know it’s winter, but it was this really specific cold. But that encouraged me to get in bed and go to sleep early! On Day 3 I woke up with more energy, and felt less anxiety about not starting the day with coffee. My BF did the cleanse with me, and on Day 3 he was essentially euphoric; felt great, healthy, looked fresh. You are definitely in the rhythm by Day 3. The crazy cravings are gone (I mean I wouldn’t have turned down food, but I wasn’t like staring at people while they eat.) and my timing with the juice drinking was much better. And guys, it definitely "cleans" you out...just be aware. (Sorry.) Thanksgiving was the next day, and at that point I was down 2.9 lbs, and I could definitely tell a difference in my skin and I was aware of a feeling of “lightness”. It also resulted in me having so much more self-control over our 2 days of turkey-based meals. No desserts or seconds, and I didn’t even want them. People remarked about how fresh and de-puffed we looked. 

It's definitely an exercise in self-control, and super helpful for checking your habits--and acknowledging unhealthy behaviors. There were definitely moments of hunger-induced unhinging, but the feeling that you're doing something good for your body, giving it a break, certainly outweighs those. I plan to incorporate Humdinger into my routine in the future, maybe subbing out breakfast and lunch and doing a healthy dinner for a day or two every month. The standard Humdinger cleanse comes with Lift, which is beet-based and my least favorite, so we subbed Charge (my MOST favorite) and I would recommend doing that if you're not a beet lover. Overall, A+ experience, complete with doorstep delivery and pep talks from the owners. It's also a great gift idea, for those looking for something local and different!

And stay tuned...we have a special treat coming soon from our Humdinger friends!