The Herald Life & Style team road test health and fitness trends so you don't have to.
After the food and drink binge that is December, many of us see January as a time to repent, turning to a strict regimen in an effort to bring that post-Christmas paunch back under control.
Social media producer Tessa Stockdale takes one for the team and trials The Classic Cleansefrom Nomad. It's a one day detox said to cleanse the liver and other detoxifying organs by providing them with specific vitamins and minerals.
According to Nomad, each juice blend is designed to help the body release and purify what it needs.
A light meal is suggested prior to cleanse day, with no eating after 8:30pm. At 8pm, I freak out about the fact that I'm not going to eat for the next 36 hours. So, being the calm and collected person I am, in approximately eight minutes, I eat two pieces of toast, a banana, a yoghurt and 13 almonds - all after downing half a carafe of sangria and three plates of tapas earlier that evening. I'm annoyed when my flat mate goes on a chocolate run at 9pm and I can't partake.
The Nomad juice cleanse. Image / Supplied
Cleanse Day
5:30am I decide to do my workout at this ungodly hour because I know I won't be able to pull myself to the gym this evening. Why even exercise when I'm about to start a juice cleanse, you may ask?
First word: Christmas. Second word: Bread. When my alarm goes off I'm annoyed I didn't follow Nomad's recommended bedtime of 10pm.
7am After dying a slow muscular death thanks to Kayla Itsines (yes I am on that bandwagon), I down a glass of warm water and organic lemon to "stimulate and wake my body". I've heard Miranda Kerr does this every morning so I'm more than partial to a watery citrus beverage.
8am This sounds like what I need since I'm ditching my usual morning vice - a long black. I tentatively take my first sip and I'm delighted, throwing it back like a New Year's Eve shot as I dash to work.
9:48am If you say you haven't looked at your pee after going to the bathroom at least once in your life then you're a liar. This is the part where I realise the cleanse is "working" - my urine is green and I'm not sure how I feel about it.
Juice two: Phoenix Rising
10am It sounds like Harry Potter's about to go into a dual. But I guess that's a relatively appropriate reference since I am going into a food battle today. The opposition being my ridiculous appetite.
As my colleagues drink their coffee and eat their brioche, I crack open my bright orange juice and sip. I'm enjoying this juice, it tastes nice. It also has turmeric, which has anti-ageing benefits, something I think I need after having to endure my family at Christmas.
Juice three: Wild & Wilin Berries
12pm This one is apparently to "feed the fire". But I'm quite bewildered as I open it because I'm actually still feeling relatively full. Could this no food thing be that easy?
Juice four: Raspberry & Hibiscus Kefir
3pm Three-thrity-itis is about to hit and my co-workers are eyeing up this juice.
I have to say, it's a pretty cool colour and I am a big raspberry fan.
3.37pm New personal record: I've peed five times since juice number one.
4pm This is usually my snack time but weirdly I'm not hungry. I've reached the part where I feel super healthy and motivated to "clean eat" my way through 2016.
4.37pm My friend calls me ridiculous for doing a juice cleanse and says he's taking me to New Flavour for dumplings. I wish.
5pm This is the hard part: It's wine time. I'm still not hungry at this stage but I drink my fifth juice of the day and it's extremely delicious. Who knew avocado and pineapple would be such a perfect mélange?
6pm The thought of drinking another juice is not appealing. Especially when my flat mate has made a delicious smelling dinner. My food craving sets in, at which point I realise that up until this moment, I haven't craved food all day.
I tell my flat mates about my strength and willpower; they roll their eyes.
6.12pm Temptation is killing me and I cook some broccoli. Don't worry folks, the cleanse rules do allow you to eat this for dinner.
6.23pm I decide not to eat the broccoli because if I've gotten this far, I can survive 13 more hours, right? I spend four minutes sniffing it then put it in the fridge.
Juice six: Shanti Calm
7pm The. Last. Juice. This one is actually very calming. I sip it tentatively, enjoying my last few moments of liquid imprisonment.
8pm I don't know if it's because I haven't eaten all day or what but I hit the pillow and by 8:30pm I'm sound asleep.
I wake up at 6:30am, fresh, glowing and feeling revitalized. Despite yesterday's struggle to decline food, wine, coffee, and the urge to pee every 30 minutes, I'm glad I've done it. And I'm sure my liver is feeling pretty thankful right now.
