I love junk food! I love chips, candy bars, gravy, cheese…I basically like anything that’s not good for you. I try to work out at least 3 to 4 times a week but during the holidays it’s always more like 2 times…per month. I once heard that all women gain weight during the winter, something about storing fat for hibernation? No? It sounded weird to me to. Luckily, since my metabolism has always been super speedy, I haven’t had to worry about winter weight. Then I turned 25. This year, I noticed a bit of a change in my body and I have had to rethink that way I eat and exercise. Blah!

This holiday season, my boyfriend was home from San Francisco for the month of December, my best friend was pregnant and I was preparing to leave Shaw Media (goodbye parties all over!) – thus I packed on a couple of pounds. A few weeks ago, when the weather began to look more like May than February, I decided that it was time to unpack my spring wardrobe and pull out my favourite pair of pink, denim Capri pants. I won’t go into detail, mostly because it’s embarrassing, but I ended up laying in my bed, crying and watching old episodes of Sabrina the Teenage Witch – these pants BARELY fit! After I cried, ate my last block of brie cheese and called my mom, I decided that something needed to change. I considered signing up for Slice’s The Last 10 Pounds Boot Camp, but the thought of Tommy Europe yelling in my face is frightening + I only actually gained about 6 pounds. Naturally, I took to Twitter to find an answer and that’s when I was introduced to benourished.

benourished is Canada’s freshest nutritional juice cleanse, made with only organic and local ingredients. A juice cleanse you say? YES! I only drank juice for 3 days, but the beauty of benourished is that they offer different levels of intensity based on your nutritional needs. According to the team at Be Nourished, “The average person in Canada spends the bulk of their body’s energy dealing with the effects of a diet that is low in nutrient quality, acidic and inflammatory in nature (a.k.a., The Standard North American Diet). And, chronically acidic conditions can lead to pre-mature aging and disease. So, here’s where we come along… benourished products give you a convenient and incredibly nourishing food-based cleansing program that won’t keep you hiding in the bathroom. We’ll pack you with a punch of vitamins and minerals so you can say GOODBYE to chocolate cravings and HELLO to the new and improved you!”  Does it sound to good to be true? I thought so too. The fact that sold me on this particular cleansing program however was their juice-to-door service. Delivered straight to your door, every 3 days, benourished is no fuss and no stress!

I was in serious need of cleansing, so I decided to take part in benourished’s SPROUT cleanse. The SPROUT cleanse consists of specially designed, freshly pressed mouth-watering juices. An all-liquid cleanse, it leaves you feeling brand spanking new in no time. Out with the old & in with the new…YOU! No drama. I wasn’t concerned about getting hungry; I was mostly concerned about the taste of my juices. I was actually so petrified that I made Esther, Justin and Ravina sample each juice before I gave it a try! You want to know what? They were great – with the exception of the beat juice, which I’ve been informed I can swap out next time! My cleanse consisted of 6 juices per day + 1 delicious White Coconut Crème Tea and a ton of water. During my cleanse I was permitted the following juices; I’ve also given them a rating:

Green Alkalizer x 2  (6/10)
Love yourself & your leafy greens and banish those afternoon sugar cravings!  This green liquid energizer, made with an organic swiss chard base, is alkalizing and abundant in phytonutrients to restore, rehydrate & render you fabulous from the inside out!

Zesty Lemonade (10/10) *Esther’s FAVOURITE: “Lemonade Piquante!”
Add a little spice back into your life, ignite your metabolic fire & say hello to zest and vitality!  This juice will alkalize, increase circulation and add a little charm to your day.

Red Booster  (4/10)
Rejuvenate & purify with this powerful red beet juice (made from local beets and organic carrots and apples) that will show your liver some love, pack you with an extra punch of nutrients and leave you feeling lighter & more radiant in no time!

Digestive Express (10/10)
Make your digestive system weak at the knees! This pineapple and organic apple-based juice is loaded with vitamin C as well as fruits with natural enzymes to get you revitalized and feeling in tiptop shape.

Almond Bliss (8/10)
This luxurious raw, organic almond-based nut milk is a little taste of heaven, a source of protein and a well-deserved reward for all of your hard work at the end of the day. Drink up, enjoy and experience pure bliss!

I was warned by friends that have cleansed before, as well as the team at benourished, that I may experience some side-effects such as: headaches, nausea, lower energy, overly regular BM’s, runny nose and the occasional skin blemish. I chose not to exercise during my cleanse to eliminate additional nausea and because I was feeling kind of lazy. I did experience more than normal skin blemishes and I was a bit crankier than usual, but other than that it was smooth sailing!

After completing my cleanse I felt rejuvenated, clear-headed and ready for a fresh start. While it was a bit difficult to not eat any solid food, I’m glad that I didn’t cave in. I had the most wonderful experience! I truly believe that benourished kick started my spring/summer 2012 health regime. I highly recommend this cleanse to anyone who’s looking for a body spring clean. OH and most importantly, I lost those 6 pounds + 2 more. GO ME!

For more information, prices and FAQ’s on benourished please visit www.benourished.ca and follow them on Twitter @benourishedCA

What are you doing to get your body ready for summer?

Tags: benourished, Juice Cleanse, Slice TV, Spring Clean, Toronto