I was invited to do a 3-day juice cleanse a while back by Justin at Juice Dive. Being as my “well before new years” goal was to get my abs back, I decided there was no time like now to bite the bullet and do it.

While I do not do it often, I am no stranger to cleansing and I know how my body tends to react. Even so, I asked Justin a few preliminary questions (below) so I knew a bit more about their cleanse and what I was doing. Megan and the Juice Dive staff were extremely helpful as well. It was mostly Megan that I dealt with during my cleanse and she checked up on me while delivering.

Q: tacogirl – How many juices do you get a day?
A: Justin – 7 juices per day

Q: tacogirl – Which juices in which order?
A: Justin – There are 2 types of cleanses. In the standard cleanse, you start with Crescent Moon followed by Sweet Green, Carrot Karma, Scorpion Lemonade, Feel the Beet, Super Green, and then Black AF. If you’re doing the green cleanse, Sweet Green, Carrot Karma, and Feel the Beet are replaced with another Super Green and two Super Green 2’s, Super Green 2 is a different blend of but also allow sugar nutrient dense juice.

Q: tacogirl – What is the science behind the order?
A: Justin – You start with the crescent moon because it has a higher fat and calorie content to satiate you and provide energy to start the day. The juices are then given in descending order of sugar content, allowing you to once again utilize that energy. The more nutrient dense and low sugar juices come towards the end and the final juice of the day is meant to detox.

Q: tacogirl – Is there protein involved for people who work or exercise while they cleanse? Moringa powder?
A: Justin – Being able to work while cleansing varies from person to person. Generally, people who eat relatively clean and/or have cleansed in the past find they have the energy and enjoy working and workouts while cold-pressed juice cleansing. If you consume a great deal of processed or unnatural foods, toxins like caffeine or alcohol, or you are normally on a very high-calorie diet, either may prove to be more challenging. We recommend taking it slow at first and seeing how your body responds. The protein from the nuts in crescent moon and the kale and broccoli in super green and super green 2 is enough to provide sustenance.

Q: tacogirl – What is the best way to set yourself up for success?
A: Justin – By making sure you drink a lot of water eat clean in the days leading up to and following your cleanse. We recommend as close to a raw vegan diet as possible. Avoid toxins and processed foods so as not to shock your system. Natural laxatives like salt water and laxative teas are also helpful.

Q: tacogirl – How often should you cleanse a year?
A: Justin – How often is totally personal preference but 4 times a year, or seasonally seems to suit many.

Q: tacogirl – Why is this cleanse healthier/better option than some of the others?
A: Justin As far as we know, we are the only cold-pressed juice cleanse in Belize! We pride ourself on sourcing organic, high quality produce, utilizing the best equipment and using environmentally friendly and healthy packaging (some of it is corn based.) We also encourage everyone to recycle our bottles. All of these efforts are what makes Juice Dive cleanse the healthiest and best option.

2 Day Wind Down

I opted to start my two-day wind down two days ahead of time. I wish I would have done 5 but I am just not there yet. While winding down I ate things like cooked greens, quinoa, lentils, fresh coconut curry and lots of salad. While it was hard for me to give up sweets, the thought of what I was doing for my body was very motivating to me. I had successfully put myself in the right frame of mind to do this. I positively had anchored my goal (as you will see in my bikini pic below) and finally taken a huge step to make it happen.

Day 1 Jan 19th

I woke up feeling nervous but excited. This was it there was no going back. I had gotten my fresh juice delivery the night before and I was ready to go.

By 10 am I was starving. I was not craving bad stuff though which is a noticeable improvement – I am a naughty foodie all too often. It was a good thing because the junk food less craving factor and water helped me overcome my hunger and further flush out my system.

In the afternoon I napped as I feel it is important to rest as much as you can while cleansing to let your body do it’s thing. Around 4:30 I felt hungry again and started back on the bottle. My timing fell off due to sleep and at 8:30 I was finishing last my 3 juices and still needed to do my warm salt water. I vowed to regulate myself a bit better the next day. I really needed to as I had an unplanned volunteer experience fall right in the middle of everything and I could not say no to – helping Daryl Kennedy get blood.

Day 2 Jan 20th

One of the most significant parts of my cleanse came as I ended up volunteering at the emergency blood drive day 2. While there, I was prepared to donate and told them I was on a liquid diet. After seeing my magic cooler full of vivacious vitamin cocktails, Nurse Doreen and Leonicia determined that I could do the initial screening the same as always. If I passed with the minimum hemoglobin level required for female donors (12.5g/dL, ) then they would let me. Leonicia who does the intake was visibly surprised I came in at 15.0g/dL. I have never tested that high before. I am usually in the 12 – 13 range. That was a concrete confirmation that I was doing something great for myself and why I need to do it more often. Cheers to my health.

Day 3 Jan 18th

I was over the top excited by yesterdays proof, that this cleanse was doing my body good. On this day I was very grateful I did not have to go anywhere and could finish my last day of juicing while resting. I noticed as the hours passed, the more I felt like a lucky girl at Valentines, only it was all the healthy vegetable treats in my fridge I was longly gazing at instead of fine chocolates and pretty flowers 😀 I am not above treating myself in advance of a holiday so special as that – haha. I did actually buy myself flowers too along with my Shoots Alive vegetable order.

2 Day Wind Up

Right before embarking on my cleanse, I had decided to do a little prep work for the end and filled my fridge with enough healthy vegetables to get me started on solid food again. I ate similar to the above, lots of cooked greens; okra, bok choy, dark greens, and chickpeas and lentils for protein. Food never tasted so good. I felt victorious.

I bet a few of you are wondering would I do it again? My answer is Absolutely. It is a great way to keep your body in tune, just like you would your car or bike. In fact, I have a Canadian friend who is coming down for two months shortly and I have already signed her on to start doing an occasional one day cleanse. She was all in as she already practices eating during a set time range for maximum digestion and was ready to expand nutritionally. Having good friends on the journey to health makes it so much more fun and keeps you motivated.

I waited a short while after finishing my wind down to finish this piece. With Valentines being around the corner I wanted to test myself and see how far from my healthier eating practices I would stray. I am pleased to say I did okay. I’m not going to lie, I ate cheap chocolate and had take-out food since then (panko breaded chicken fingers and fries), but overall I am still practicing healthier habits. As soon as my friend arrives and gets settled, we will do a one day cleanse with a one or two day wind down on either side. I can’t wait. I’m also looking to make it back to the pool soon too for aquafit classes. I know both these things will help me stay healthy and reach my fitness goal at 51.5 – abs. And I need to hurry up I am not getting any younger haha.

More About Juice Dive Cleanses

Cold-pressed Juice Cleanse Benefits

Juice Cleansing is one of the most popular wellness practices in the world
right now. Juice Dive is the only commercial cold pressed juicer in Belize. Unlike traditional juicing, which produces heat that breaks down nutrients, the cold pressing process preserves all the health benefits of the ingredients.

Juice cleansing aids in digestive health by producing healthy bacteria and reducing inflammation. Cleansing also promotes weight loss and suppresses cravings. Consuming cold-pressed juice also improves the immune system and makes your heart healthier by increasing the plasma nitric oxide content of your blood. Based on my very real blood drive experience I am sold.

Juice Cleanse Options

1-day cold pressed juice cleanse: In order to reap all the health benefits of a cleanse, Juice Dive recommends the 3 or 5-day juice cleanse options. A one day cleanse, however, is a great way to get your feet wet if you are new to this or looking to jump start a new diet. $100 BZ

3-day cold pressed juice cleanse: The 3-day option is great if you are looking to get serious about your health and get all the benefits from consuming raw juice. $300 BZ

5 day cold-pressed juice cleanse: The 5 day cleanse is the longest duration we provide. This is a great option if you have done a cleanse before. Although the most challenging, the 5-day is also the most rewarding!
$500 BZ.

Order Individually: If you are interested in refreshing cold pressed juice but not interested in cleansing, we can still provide Juices for you at cost with any combination of blends. $16 BZ per bottle.

Juice Dive also has a great menu if you want to make your pre and post cleanse healthy eating easy. Note all cleanses can be delivered in town radius.