Vendor Review: BluePrint Cleanse

Is it just me, or is cleansing the new fad diet?  (Well ok, cleansing and gluten-free).  You probably have heard of these cleanses either from people who love them or people who hate them.  Personally, I know people who have literally lost ten pounds in a week on these things and kept it off.  So when it came time for me to take my boudoir photos, I was tempted... quick and easy weight loss?  Seems like something most women would like!

Of course I should mention- most cleanses say that they are not intended to be a weight loss technique.  What they are actually supposed to do is rid your body of toxins and all that yucky stuff.  So take it for what you will.  Also, a brief legal disclaimer: be careful, talk to your doctor, and know that I'm making no claims, promises, etc. regarding the safety or effectiveness of cleansing.  You're on your own peeps.

And thus, my research into the world of cleansing began.  Now, my first exposure was to the Master Cleanse- which seems wildly unhealthy to even my non-medical mind.  The cleanse involves drinking only a concoction made from fresh lemons, grade B maple syrup and cayenne pepper.   For days.  No solid food is eaten for the entire cleanse, and for me that was a deal breaker... I was not spending all this time and effort to get skinny only to wreck my metabolism.  Plus, no food is a really bad idea for me, because I get cranky.  So I kept looking.

Next I considered GOOP which is the cleanse made famous by Gwyneth Paltrow.  The nice thing about this cleanse is that you DO get to eat.  The drawback for me was that you have to have lots of fresh food on hand and you have to fix everything yourself.  For regular people this is totally doable.  But for me, given my work schedule which is generally hectic and unpredictable, it wasn't realistic.

But then, I found the BluePrint Cleanse.  BP is actually a company that makes a few types of cleanses and they're all pre-made and juice based, but the juice has calories so your body doesn't go into starvation mode.  The drawback to BP is that their 3 day cleans runs about $190- that is a lot of dough to spend on juice.  But they delivered it to my office and it was all pre-pressed and convenient, which was ideal for me.  I decided to try their Renovation Cleanse, which at the time was the best for beginners.  I loved that the juices tasted good- nothing to grassy or gross- and for your last juice of the day, you get this cashew milk blend which has cinnamon in it, and it is downright delicious.  It is also the most filling of the beverages, so when you're really about to chew off your own arm, the cleanse comes through for you with some sustenance.

These days, BP is also offering a new cleanse, the Juice 'Till Dinner, which the website says consists of a daily supply of four juices, a two course vegetarian meal, and two snacks.  With foods like Cucumber Basil Soup with Cashew Cream on the menu, I think it sounds pretty good.  If you've tried it, I'd love to hear about how you liked it!

So, ok, review time. 

Pros:  The BP Cleanse offers tasty juice, and is 100% convenient.  I did my fast in very hot August weather and worked out every day, but in spite of these two facts I was never left feeling shaky or weak.  The cleanse helped me lose 3 pounds, at a point in my wedding diet where I had been at a three week plateau.  My tummy was as flat as it has ever been in my boudoir photos and I felt great.   

Cons:  I was hungry.  Very.  No lie.  I was cranky.  I was emotional.  I cried once (or twice).  The BP Cleanse was also expensive- but then again, that may have been a pro because when you spend that much on a cleanse, you ain't cheating.

Would I do it again?  Sure, so long as I have the kind of job where I can afford it.  But my MIL made a good point too- you could probably do a day drinking V8 and get similar results.  Ok, you might not feel like you were eating 10 pounds of freshly pressed cabbage, but for less money I might try that next! 

Have you ever tried cleansing?