Hi everyone,

This post is so, so overdue,* and my apologies. 

The truth of the matter is, I've really struggled how to approach my review of the BluePrint Cleanse, and there's no easy way to write what I'm about to without sounding completely harsh: I hated it. 

And I have nothing to add to what I just wrote to qualify my negativity. No: "I learned to throw away my morning latte!" or "Even though I felt horrible during, I reevaluated my relationship with food - and have noticed some new healthy changes!" Not even: "I discovered I love beet juice! I'll be drinking it more from now on." 

Full disclosure: I'll admit that I'm a bit of a cynic when it comes to the whole idea of "detoxing." Any medical professional or nutritionist worth their weight in protein powder will tell you that your body is built to detox; that it's doing it constantly, naturally; and that any "toxins" (like chemicals, pesticides, and processed food byproducts) we've ingested over the years won't be magically excreted by drinking juice for three days.

That said, I'll also be the first to concede that the modern Western Diet is an atrocity, and as I said in my initial post, cutting out processed foods, caffeine, dairy and alcohol for a few days is probably a good thing for most of us to try. Many people, for example, have no idea they're lactose intolerant, and a cleanse where they cut out any milk products can make them feel instantly better. Ditto for those who are sensitive to caffeine; you might not be an insomniac - quit that afternoon cup of coffee, and you could sleep like a baby for the first time in years. 

The thing is, while all of the above is fantastic, living off juices - which are essentially just carbohydrates, and not much more - isn't really necessary. And in my case, it absolutely wasn't beneficial.

As mentioned though, I had friends who have tried the cleanse as part of a trip, and I was open to seeing what all the fuss was about. Either they wanted to take an edge off of coming back from an overly-indulgent getaway, or like my friend Aubrey, they wanted to feel like they were at their optimal level of energy and health for an upcoming vacation. 

"I first heard about BluePrint Cleanse from some friends in Manhattan who swore by it," Aubrey told me, "so I figured after a month of birthday celebrations, it was due time to give my body (and liver!) a break. I chose the 3-day Renovation Cleanse for the first time, and it was surprisingly easy. Whereas the Master Cleanse immediately bores you as you're drinking the same juice day after day, the variation during the day (I had 5 different varieties in my cleanse) kept it interesting, and I was never hungry. I had such a good experience - felt lighter, healthier, more astute - that I prepped for a 2-week trip to Greece by doing another 3-Day cleanse as I wanted to make sure I felt my best before leaving."

After checking in with a few other women who did the cleanse and had a positive experience, I entered the whole experience with an upbeat attitude. I was also happy that each day of BPC has an average of 1,100 calories, an amount that's pretty doable for a relatively sedentary blogger (me) who works from home and can go a whole day without walking a block when on deadline. 

So now that I've set the stage for my little experiment, check back later this afternoon for Part 2 of my BluePrint Cleanse review, which will detail my experience in full. And if you've done a detox in conjunction with a trip or vacation, please feel free to chime in below.

Your jauntsetter editor,

Dorothy

*For those who read my first post from a couple of months ago, I was testing out The Blueprint Cleanse (at a special 50% discount) because many women I know have tried the "detox" program in conjunction with a vacation.