blueprint cleanse.

Yes, it took me forever to post a review about this. Better late than never?

So, after a day of having pancakes for breakfast, pizza for lunch and chinese for dinner and feeling sufficiently like a fat ass, I decided I needed to do a detox. I had planned on doing the Master Cleanse (the spicy lemonade cleanse), but lets keep it real, I wasn't going to be squeezing 12 lemons a day and drinking every two hours while I was at work. Totally impractical.

I had heard about the Blueprint Cleanse while I was interning at MTV News a few years ago, so decided to look into it more. Based out of New York City, the ladies who founded the Blueprint Cleanse had reaped the benefits of cleansing, but wanted to make it more accesible to themselves, and the average busy New Yorker. A three-day juice cleanse from Blueprint will run you about $195 (more if you live outside of the NYC area). Yes, this is expensive, but if you were to gather all the ingredients yourself, and factor in the time and work, you would pay about the same amount. Also, in my mind, doing a cleanse for health is cheaper than paying for a doctor's visit without health insurance (just sayin').

Here's the breakdown. There are three cleanse levels to choose from. "The Renovation" for those of you who count the garnish on your sesame chicken as a day's worth of vegetables and go to the gym only when you feel fat; "The Foundation" for those of us who make healthy choices, but have the occasional slice of Cheesecake, and/or midnight chocolate cravings; and "The Excavation" for those of you who are extremely health conscious.

As a vegetarian, and someone who works out everyday with the occasional binge on pizza and cake, I chose the Foundation cleanse. All 18 of my juice bottles arrived in a huge refrigerated box, with a cute little carrying tote and freezer packs in case I needed to cleanse-on-the-run. The juices were conveniently numbered from 1-6 in order to easily guide me from beginning to end each day.



1. Green Juice (Romaine, Cucumber, Kale, Parsley, Lemon)
2. Pineapple, Apple, Mint
3. Green Juice
4. Spicy Lemonade (Lemons, Agave, Cayenne)
5. Green Juice
6. Cashew Nut Milk (Cashews, Filtered Water, Cinnamon, Agave)



Unlike with the Master Cleanse, the Blueprint Cleanse is specifically designed to make sure you are attaining your caloric needs for the day. The Foundation cleanse allows you 1,500 calories per day, which is more than enough. The idea is not to starve yourself, but to give your digestive system a break. I was not hungry during the three days, I just missed chewing food. By the the third day, I had a handful of raw almonds. The juices come with a cheat card, which lists foods you can cheat with (the almonds were not included, oh well).

For 2-3 days prior to the cleanse, you are directed to consume a pre-cleanse diet. Think vegan. Raw fruits and veggies (I actually enjoyed this more than the cleanse itself). It weans you off of solid foods, and prevents you from feeling hungover on the first day. You are also advised to follow this same diet after the cleanse, but I didn't. I just made sure to eat light and avoid processed foods. I did indulge in some lettuce wraps from PF Changs though. :)

Blueprint Cleanse Pros: I lost 5 lbs in 3 days. A good thing, especially if you need to fit into a tight dress for a special occasion. I had high energy levels, which allowed me to kick start a new workout routine. I got the "monthly" a few days after (again, TMI) and I had NO CRAMPS AT ALL. From some research, I have the green juices to thank for that, so I'll be incorporating more green juice in my daily diet.

Blueprint Cleanse Cons: You are instructed to drink a little more than the daily recommended amount of water. This IS a good thing, however, its not professional for me to be sitting at a reception desk, guzzling water all day. Not convenient, AT ALL. I felt constipated. Sorry if that's TMI, but no intake, no output. This is why its recommended to schedule colonics throughout the cleanse or use saline enemas, but I really didn't have the time or the money for it. Oh well. I also didn't feel completely refreshed after just three days. Maybe its because I should have done a level 3 cleanse.

All in all, I would do this cleanse again, but probably after the holiday food bingeing and I'd do 5 days. Check out www.blueprintcleanse.com for more info and to order! Happy cleansing!