Juice cleanses, whether you love the idea or hate it - have been widely used as a detox for years now. With celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow to Kate Hudson raving about the results. The idea of only drinking little bottles of juices may not be for everyone. It takes a lot of willpower to reach for a green juice over a sandwich (no one can argue that carbs are more satisfying than juice).
To see whether juice cleansing really lives up to the hype, we tried out the 3-day KBK juice cleanse to see the final results and test if it's fab or a fad.
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www.kbk.co.uk
What is included in the juice cleanse?
You get five cold-pressed juices to drink daily. A range of healthy ingredients and flavours. Instructions and information on how to make your cleanse work for you.
KBK also recommends drinking 2-3 litres of water per day, having low-calorie meals, avoiding alcohol, nicotine, and coffee.
According to KBK some of the health benefits of their juice cleanse are:
• It is cold-pressed to lock in nutrients.
• Perfect for healthy weight loss.
• Fresh (not frozen).
• Plant-based.
• Reduces body inflammation
• Supports the body’s detoxification process
The KBK juices:
1. Fruity: Orange, lemon and cherry (150KCAL/300ML)
Drink within the first hour of waking up.
KBK suggest you drink the first juice of the cleanse within the first hour of you waking up. Juicy is a fresh, citrus drink with a mix of orange lemon and cherry juice and is the highest juice in calories. It is quite sour but super refreshing. The drink is filling, especially when drank with a big glass of water and is packed full of essential vitamins and minerals from the citrus fruits. This tasty juice promotes healthier skin and is packed full of mood-boosting properties. Ideal for a Monday morning.
2. Zen: Thyme, apple, ginger, lemon (90KCAL/300ML)
Drink 3 hours after consuming drink number one
If you like ginger, you will love this one. This drink feels nourishing and is the type of juice you would drink if you feel under the weather. This juice is high in antioxidants and is a good source of fibre too. Taste-wise, this is my favourite drink from the juice cleanse.
3. Coco Cloud: Coconut water, spinach, romaine, cucumber, mint, lemon, kale (21KCAL/300ML)
Drink around lunchtime either on its own or with a low-calorie lunch.
This green juice is filled with antioxidants and is high in iron thanks to the spinach. It has subtle hints of mint and citrus, making it taste like a summer salad (in a good way.) This is a very low-calorie juice, so a light lunch on the side of either grilled courgettes, salad, or celery and hummus is recommended.
4. Charcoal Lemonade: Activated Coconut Charcoal, lemon, lime, water, agave. (21KCAL/300ML)
Drink between 5pm and 7pm.
This activated charcoal drink is a light black drink that won't stain your teeth (don't worry); it is packed with fibre pectin, which reduces hunger - helping you get through the day.
The charcoal, lemon and lime, make it taste like a light uncarbonated lemonade. The ingredients work to clean your liver and helps to clear more toxins out of your system. The pectin will help keep the hunger pangs at bay. However, a big glass of water here is recommended.
5. Verde: Cucumber, apple, kale, lemon, mint. (51KCAL/300ML)
They advise you to drink this before 9pm
Another green juice that is super hydrating is the final juice of the day, Verde. Made with kale - one of the best natural sources of Vitamin K and antioxidants - plus the addition of cucumber, apple, mint, and lemon, make this nutritional juice hydrating and packed full of vitamins. I have to say; this drink was the hardest to drink - it feels slightly thicker than the others and not as sweet. However, after drinking only juices all day, my taste buds maybe weren't that forgiving as I was definitely craving a proper meal.
My experience with the KBK juice cleanse:
Day one:
The first day was by far the easiest. I was actually excited to do a juice cleanse after my digestion felt sluggish over a weekend of over-indulging (what are weekends for!) The fruity juice was a great start to the day; it was tasty and refreshing just what you need when you wake up.
By lunchtime, I was not too hungry after drinking Zen and Coco Cloud, they were light drinks but felt fresh, plus the flavours were nice and different. Around 3.30-4pm, I felt my energy levels drop. This is the time I would typically have a coffee, but I stuck to KBK's suggestions and opted for a peppermint tea instead.
Around dinner time, I had the Charcoal Lemonade and Verde juices but did start to feel a little bloated and hungry. KBK suggest you have small low-calorie meals with juices if your body feels like it needs extra fuel. I listened to my body and had some grilled courgettes with lemon and garlic, which left me feeling satisfied.
Day two:
I woke up feeling surprisingly energised. I expected my stomach to feel hungry as I often eat breakfast 30 minutes after waking up. I had my first juice with herbal tea and a glass of water.
After midday, my stomach was starting to feel a little upset from the acidic drinks without anything substantial. So at 1.30pm, I had hummus, celery sticks and carrots, which came to around 200KCALS.
Later after eating a light lunch, I felt much better towards the evening. However, the last juice was hard to drink and I was tempted to eat something more substantial as the Verde drink wasn't my favourite flavour. Sometimes a green juice just doesn't cut it.
Day three:
On the last day of the juice cleanse, I have to be honest - I was really looking forward to having proper food and coffee again. The first part of the day, however, I found much easier than the evening.
The morning/midday juices are super tasty and have diverse flavours, and the hunger pangs only really occurred around 4pm. I was starting to get a little fed up with just drinking liquids and lots of water, so I made a kale salad with strawberries and a lemon tahini dressing.
By the evening, I did not feel that hungry or tired. If anything, I was feeling really energetic and happy. However, I was fantasising about what meals I would be cooking the following day.
That was my day to day experience of the juice cleanse but let's talk about the results...
Results
Firstly, I have to say how amazing my skin looked after the three day cleanse. It looked bright, felt fresh and glowy. The hormonal spots I had on my chin had dried up, and my eyes looked less puffy.
In terms of my stomach, it would fluctuate through the day. I would wake up with a flat tummy only to get more bloated through the day from all the liquid consumption. I felt this most on the second day, but it did subside after the third day. If I were to do this again, I would eat a meal every lunchtime as I did feel my energy levels drop around 2pm.
My energy levels also fluctuated; I felt very awake in the morning only to feel sluggish and hangry in the late afternoon, and then my energy would pick back up again in the evening. Overall, after the three days, I felt so energetic. I felt light, my digestion felt better, and I didn't feel like I needed to nap at any point.
Juice cleanses are not meant for weight loss, but evidently, after drinking just liquids and eating very low-calorie meals for three days, you may drop a pound or two. If I am honest, this was not my intention for the juice cleanse. I wanted a digestive detox to cleanse my stomach from heavier foods from the weekend and also to give my skin a boost. I did not lose any weight in the long run, as it is common to put it back on when eating normally again after a cleanse.
Final verdict:
In my honest opinion, I really enjoyed the challenge. The juice cleanse was an exciting change to my regular routine. I would recommend doing it from Monday-Wednesday as these are usually quieter days where you aren't as social as the weekend. So you can stay on task and not go out for a meal, coffee or drinks down the pub.
I would recommend going for a walk in the day or the evening to take your mind off food or what you could be having for dinner. That is the most challenging part as the temptation of eating something substantial, especially in the evening, is quite tricky. I motivated myself by getting out of the house, having a nice herbal tea and doing something productive.
www.kbk.co.uk
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It is essential to listen to your body, do the juice cleanse when you feel like it is the right time for you. If you have a cold, are feeling under the weather, or feel quite agitated and emotional (ladies, check your calendars!), then do it when you feel up to the challenge.
In terms of the juices themselves, they all had different flavour profiles and nutritional values. My favourites by far were Zen and Juicy, and my least favourite was Verde.
I really liked how easy the delivery was and the packaging it arrived in. It came in a cooled insulated box, the instructions were clear, the nutritional purpose of each drink was clearly parked, and the bottles were cute and enticing. The delivery will come in 2-7 working days and you will receive a notification on the day of dispatch.
I would absolutely do this juice cleanse again. Three days is the perfect amount of time for this detox, however, KBK does offer five days as well. Overall it left the most significant impact on my skin. It was glowing and nearly blemish-free. It also helped my mood over the following few days (not just because I got to tuck into a carby pasta dish). I felt energized, raring to go and generally really happy. I did not have any more bloat and, in all, felt like I had given my digestive system a well-deserved reset.