Juice ’Til Dinner program

The subject: I am staunchly antidiet, antifast and anti-anything-that-increases-the-likelihood-of-my-getting-hangry (hungry + angry), so I went into my three-day Juice ’Til Dinner cleanse—the latest addition to the BluePrintCleanse canon (blueprintcleanse.com)—with a bit of a bad attitude. Not only do I have a short temper on an empty stomach, but I’m also highly skeptical of anything that denies me my one and only successful eating strategy: keeping my metabolism well fueled at all hours. Still, I was curious about a fast that allows me to eat solid food (albeit healthy, mostly raw solid food) come suppertime: The hybrid is meant for people who want to ease in or out of a full-on juice fast, or, as in the case of yours truly, are too sensible (wussy?) to consume nothing but liquid for three straight days.

The diet: My allowance included four juices downed every two to three hours, followed by a two-course meal (like red bell pepper soup and a collard wrap with creamy red peppers) and two whenever snacks (a fruit-and-nut bar and a raw chocolate pudding that didn’t taste nearly as good as it looked). Juice No. 1 is made with kale, romaine, celery, cucumber and spinach, and sweetened with green apple. Juice No. 2 is pineapple, apple and mint. Juice No. 3 is the same as Juice No. 1, and Juice No. 4 is a cayenne-spiked lemon water with agave nectar. The whole shebang, food included, costs $255, and BPC will deliver for no extra charge.

How it went: Over the course of 72 deprived hours, I became acutely aware of just how much I use food—looking forward to it, eating it, talking about it—to punctuate my workday. “A cleanse can increase your awareness [of] food and how it’s affecting you physically and emotionally,” says Molly Lee, a certified holistic health and nutrition counselor unaffiliated with BPC (347-268-9289, energizingnutrition.com; initial consultation $35). “It can also increase your energy and mental clarity. For New Yorkers, who naturally need more energy to get through the day, the juice-and-one-meal cleanse is a good option.”

Indeed, after the first 24 hours, during which I felt light-headed and out of it, I experienced a spike in energy and clearheadedness. So much so that I forwent caffeine altogether and, on mornings two and three, bounded 40 blocks to work. All told, I spent three days teetering on the edge of hunger; that is, my stomach never growled, but I also never felt completely full—amazing how possible it is to survive without stuffing face at every meal. Portions were decent, but the sweet juices left my salt taste buds screaming for attention. Smelling my coworkers’ savory lunches was almost unbearable.

The short-term results: Going all-liquid is every celebrity’s favorite way to lose a few pounds fast, but this isn’t the way to permanent Skinnyville. I may have lost a pound or four, but those came back postcleanse faster than I could say “three well-rounded meals.” Interestingly, the mysterious pink splotches on my face I’d learned to live with vanished a day into the fast—and returned a few days after it ended. It may have been the diet’s lack of milk: “For many people, too much dairy will lead to rashes, acne and inflammation,” says Lee. She also thinks the juices themselves could’ve helped. Chlorophyll, which is in great abundance on the Juice ’Til Dinner plan, is chemically similar to human hemoglobin and gives a boost to the brain, immune system and skin. And, of course, thanks to all the vitamins, minerals, proteins and enzymes, a major anti-infection battle was being waged in my system while I was bingeing on the stuff.

The long-term results: I was back to my old habits within 48 hours, but I do have a renewed appreciation for the rejuvenating powers of fruits and veggies, and I’ve done my best to reincorporate them into my diet. Juice ’Til Dinner isn’t life changing, but it is a viable gateway to healthier eating if you’re looking for a clean slate in the New Year.

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