"I will be the first to admit that I do not follow the healthiest of habits when it comes to proper dieting and exercise. Unfortunately, the idea of going for a run or spending hours in the gym has always baffled me. There are times where I feel as though I simply cannot keep up when it comes to taking care of my body on a physical level, so I often opt out of exercising all together and settle for a nice evening of wine and takeout on my couch. Though, as of recent, I have started to feel sluggish and unmotivated, longing to feel like my best self before the school year starts but feeling hopeless to find an alternative to help me. That ends today."

As this was written at the beginning of last week's juice cleanse journey, I am excited to share that my feelings of sluggishness did, in fact, end that day. Yet, these feelings were not alleviated by my three day juice cleanse in the ways that I had expected. On the first day of my cleanse, I picked up my juices from the store and was instructed to drink eight variations throughout the day. It was recommended that I drink the labeled juices in order every two hours, with plenty of water in between. To my dismay, by day three, I certainly felt lighter and less bloated, though I was incredibly weak and craving a cheeseburger like no other. I also found that it was slightly challenging for my body to adjust back to consuming solid foods after this cleanse, even though it was only three days. No matter how much or how little I ate, I felt extremely full without finishing meals, and it has taken almost a week to regulate my body back into its normal state.

My overall thoughts on the matter are conclusive - I would not recommend trying a juice cleanse as a permanent way to improve your health or lose weight. Surely it is convenient for a quick way to drop a couple of pounds, but I can assure you that it does not come without struggles. If you are looking to achieve long term goals related to health and wellness, I would highly recommend reevaluating your diet and making the proper substitutions in order to improve your health rather than embarking on a juice cleanse journey.