After binging on pineapple tarts and bak kwa over the Lunar New Year period, my body was crying out for a much-needed break. To kick start a healthier lifestyle, I decided to undergo a detox and try Sana Cleanse’s three day juice cleanse.
Sana Cleanse, founded by Rochelle Hogan in November 2012, is a juice cleanse program designed to detoxify your body and renew your health as well as your general wellbeing. Sana Cleanse offers three or five day juice detox programs where you replace your regular food and drink with the company’s organic cold-pressed juices.
Sana Cleanse says these juices provide your body with complete nutrition while giving your body a digestive break, allowing it to cleanse and heal. The company prides itself in using the freshest organic ingredients and the juice cleanse is said to work by flushing the toxins from your body while nourishing your cells with vital enzymes and nutrients.
As a first-timer, I was encouraged to try the three-day juice program where I consumed six 500ml juices a day at two hour intervals. Though the thought of going three days without food was daunting, the benefits of clearer skin, more energy, better sleep and improved digestion called out to me and I was excited to embark on my cleanse journey.
Prepping for the cleanse
A week before starting your cleanse, Sana Cleanse will send you a guide on preparing yourself for the detox. It requires cutting certain foods and drinks out of your diet.
Seven days before, I started to slowly cut out caffeine from my diet. With no coffee in the mornings, after lunch or in the afternoons, I suffered from headaches and became grouchy.
Two days before the cleanse, I turned full vegetarian. From not eating vegetables to only salads and steamed vegetables, I had come a long way.
Rochelle Hogan shares that “Preparation is key! Follow our preparation tips and your cleanse will be easier, more rewarding, and over in no time!”
Thankfully, I stuck to the preparation guide which indeed made my three-day cleanse experience a lot more comfortable than I thought it would be.
Day 1: I started the Sana Cleanse on a Saturday and was worried about going hungry but after finishing the first juice of the day – a breakfast smoothie, my fears were eliminated.
My favourites were the juices with fruits, they tasted super yummy! Finishing six juices a day together with two litres of water kept me full and I was positive I could get through three entire days.
I followed the recommended cleanse schedule and towards the end of the day, I started experiencing detox symptoms such as tiredness and a slight runny nose. But after going for a walk, the runny nose cleared up.
Day 2: I look forward to weekends, my days of rest. I usually sleep in on Saturdays and Sundays and my family as well as friends know how hard it is to wake me up.
To my surprise (and my family’s), I woke up 7:30am on a Sunday but with body aches – another detox symptom. I was expecting the detox symptoms to be a lot worse but they were surprisingly bearable.
Day 2 is often said to be a hump day for people doing the cleanse. While I wasn’t craving unhealthy food, I was craving some sort of solid food. Weirdly, it was vegetables, something I wasn’t even accustomed to eating until a week prior.
When you feel like giving up, think positive and stay strong. Rochelle encourages you to “think about the commitment you made to yourself and your health and stay strong! Three days is such a short time to give your body a little TLC when it works so hard for you every day of your life. Embrace the journey and pamper yourself with massages, hot baths, a good book or some extra yoga. You will come out feeling all the better for it!”
Thinking of this, I pressed on. I continued to drink the juices and followed the Sana Cleanse’s elimination strategy to flush the waste from my body.
Day 3: I was proud of myself for making it to the final day of the Sana Cleanse. I was back at work with my juices stored in the pantry’s refrigerator. Cleansing at work was easier as time seemed to fly by when I was busy.
I was surprised and amazed at how immediate the benefits of the cleanse were. My colleagues noticed my glowing skin and I noticed I had better digestion, energy and more focus at work. Though my body continued to ache a day after I completed the cleanse, I felt recharged and lighter.
It’s been two weeks and I still wake up refreshed and earlier than usual without any caffeine in my system.
Would I do it again? Maybe next year. But now I love that I am energised when I wake up and I am eating vegetables regularly. If you’re looking to kick start a healthy lifestyle, try the Sana Cleanse. It may not be the easiest thing to do, but it’ll be worth your while.
 | The three-day Sana Cleanse juice programme is available at $320 for 18 juices. Juices are delivered to your home one day before the cleanse. For more information and to book your cleanse, visit www.sanacleanse.com. |