This was my second go round with a liquid cleanse. My first time, I did a green smoothie cleanse, but this second time I did my cleanse with fresh fruit and vegetable juices. Along with the juices, I allowed myself to snack on nuts, raw crunchy vegetables, and intermittent fruit. I also let myself have air popped popcorn :) Let me tell you that 10 days does not seem like a long time, but when you are restricted in what you eat or drink, it can seem like forever. I feel though my second time round, my withdrawals were not as drastic. I did not crave sugar and junk food as much as I tried it the first time. But it was still not a stroll in the park.

Here are my takeaways from my juice cleanse:

-First 4 days are the hardest! This is when your body does go through withdrawals where you start to crave sugar and carbohydrates. When I read about other people’s experience, pretty much everyone went through the same thing. The body wants what it had been having and in order to break the habit, you have to just go cold turkey.

-After the first four days, I did not crave anything specific and could fast for any meals. I felt like I did not have to eat a lot in order to feel satisfied during a meal. Eventually, I started to crave fresh vegetables and salads.

-My husband and I did it together and we realized how we unconsciously and unnecessarily snack and mindlessly eat.There were many times that I would walk through the kitchen and if there were chips or chicken nuggets that were easily accessible, I would eat it.

-I need to do the cleanse with a partner to hold me accountable. I do not think I would have lasted if my husband did not do it with me.

-I realized how a lot of activities are surrounded by food. I crave going to the coffee shop with my husband or going out to ice cream with the kids. But, I realize everything in moderation. Once you start restrict anything, you crave it that much more.

-After the withdrawal period, I noticed that my body craved to move and just had the urge to be active. I noticed that I was more productive throughout the day.

So would I do it again? Sure, but with someone to help keep me accountable. I do not know if I would do 10 days again. Maybe a shorter 3 or 7 day cleanse. As of right now, my eating habits are not as good as I would like, but I try to eat in moderation, fast for certain meals and definitely stay active trying to complete a daily goal of 6k-10k steps. The cleanse is great because I had more energy, looked and felt better, felt lighter, did not crave processed foods and could minimal to no food and did not feel hungry.