Ever done a juice cleanse? Or maybe thought about it? Holiday season is already here! Maybe after indulging in too much holiday merriment your gut could use a bit of a rest, and your body a bit of cleansing. I’m going to give you the scoop on Calgary’s best Juice Cleanses, and help you decide which one is the right choice for you.

Usually the goal of a cleanse is to support liver detoxification, give the digestive system a rest, and to help bring inflammation down in the body. The first few days can be a bit rough, but then you start to feel better and see positive changes in your body. A few people shouldn't cleanse. If you have diabetes, are pregnant or are breastfeeding, then a cleanse is not for you right now. If you are on pharmaceuticals, you should discuss with your doctor to find out if it's a good idea.

In the past I’ve done 3-5 day juice cleanses using juicers I have in my kitchen, but the problem is that cleaning them is a lot of work. Recently that has been a significant deterrent to juicing, because my schedule has gotten busier leaving me with little time to clean a juicer.

Amazingly it had never occurred to me that I could buy my juices, until recently when I met a woman who had just completed 30 days of juicing. She runs her own business and has kids, but managed the 30-day cleanse successfully because she could order her juices.

So I decided to try a 21-day cleanse where I would sample the best cleanses that Calgary had to offer. My criteria were that the juices had to be organic, cold-pressed and unpasteurized. I found 4 places that met these criteria and the cleansing began. I’m presenting the cleanses in the order I tried them.

The Juice Shop

The best thing about The Juice Shop is that it has a menu of cleanses to choose from. Not only do you have the option to choose from the menu, but you can have a cleanse completely customized to be unique to you. The Juice Shop was the only company to actually screen me, and make sure I was suitable for a juice cleanse. I tried both their liver and skin cleanses. They are about to launch bone broth in their line of products.

Length of cleanse: Options include anything from 1-5 days.
Delivery: available. Price varies depending on distance of delivery.
Customize option: Yes. Best customization available of the cleanses I tried.
Flexible start date: Yes.
# of cleanses: 14 different cleanses on the menu, plus the ability to customize further.
Provides instructions: Detailed pre and post cleanse instructions are emailed out once screened.
Ingredients/nutritional info on bottle: Ingredients are on the label, but no nutritional label.
# of bottles: Varies depending on the cleanse. 4-6 bottles per day. Some cleanses come with a "shot", which is added to hot water. Shots include Immune Shot, Candida Shot, Flu Shot...
Cost: Starting at $40 per day up to $60 per day.
Order to drinking juices: Juices are labelled in the order they should be consumed.

JUSU bar

The best thing about JUSU bar is that it has multiple locations throughout the city, so if you want to pick up your cleanse, then you can choose the location closest to you. Since it is a store with branches in various cities, it is well branded and packaged. On the down side, staff may not be very knowledgable at these locations, but I was able to get my questions answered through email.

Length of cleanse: 1 or 3 day options
Delivery: available
Customize option: Similar juices can be swapped out if an allergy or sensitivity exists.
Flexible start date: Tuesday or Saturday afternoons.
# of cleanses: 2. An Easy and a Deep Cleanse.
Provides instructions: Available on the website.
Ingredients/nutritional info on bottle: Ingredients and nutritional label on each bottle.
# of bottles: 6 bottles per day.
Cost: $60 for 1 day cleanse and $165 for 3 day cleanse.
Order to drinking juices: Juices are labelled in the order they should be consumed.

Wild & Raw Bava Juice

The best thing about Wild and Raw is the depth of flavour in their juices. They pride themselves on their use of Superfoods. The bottles are beautiful, which might have some appeal to gourmands or someone who can reuse them. You have the option of adding bone broth to your cleanse.

Length of cleanse: 1 or 3 day options.
Delivery: included in the price, but pickup is an option.
Customize option: Can be customized if allergies or sensitivities exist. There is an option to add bone broth to the cleanse.
Flexible start date: Yes.
# of cleanses: 2. Basic Cleanse and Deep Cleanse
Provides instructions: Detailed instructions on what to expect during the cleanse, and post cleanse are emailed.
Ingredients/nutritional info on bottle: Neither is on the bottle.
# of bottles: 4 large bottles, plus an elixir to add to water between juices
Cost: $120 for 1 day and $333 for 3 days
Order to drinking juices: Indicated in instructions

Juice Because

The best thing about Juice Because is that you can take the glass bottles back and get store credit. If you are concerned about your environmental foot print, then this is the best option. You can also save some money using their Cleanse with a Friend option. You have the option of adding bone broth to your cleanse. I have to admit that I was disappointed with the flavours of these juices, and to see agave in one of their juices. Agave is a high-fructose sweetener that is not gut-healthy.

Length of cleanse: 1 or 3 day options.
Delivery: Available
Customize option: Similar juices can be swapped out if an allergy or sensitivity exists. There is an option to add bone broth to the cleanse.
Flexible start date: Tuesday or Saturday start days.
# of cleanses: 2. Cleanse I (and JB Cleanse 9.0 which I'm not covering in this article)
Provides instructions: Brochure provided in the box with pre and post cleanse instructions.
Ingredients/nutritional info on bottle: Ingredients and nutritional label on each bottle.
# of bottles: 6 bottles per day.
Cost: $65 for 1 day and $190 for 3 day cleanse. There is a discount if you cleanse with a friend.
Order to drinking juices: Juices are labelled in the order they should be consumed.

Which one do I choose?

Determining factors for whether I'll use any of these cleanses again are taste and convenience. The Juice Shop, JUSU bar, and Wild and Raw all have my vote for great juices in the flavour department. Convenience for me means grabbing the juices I need and throwing them into my backpack to take to work. This was very difficult to do with the glass bottles from Juice Because, and Wild and Raw. They are very heavy, and if I had more than one in my bag I had to be careful they didn't bang against one another. If you are doing your cleanse at home, then this isn't an issue, but if you need to carry juices with you, then it could become a problem. When looking at both taste and convenience The Juice Shop and JUSU bar worked best for me.

If you are brand new to juice cleanses, then the Easy Cleanse from JUSU bar, the Beginner's Cleanse from The Juice Shop, or Cleanse I from Juice Because are your best choices. JUSU bar and Juice Because only have two delivery/pick up dates, so if you need more flexibility, then The Juice Shop offers that.

Moderate cleanses would include Wild and Raw's Basic Cleanse, JUSU bar's Deep Cleanse, and The Juice Shop's Intermediate Cleanse.

If you already lead a healthy lifestyle that includes an organic, whole foods diet, and you want to do a more intense cleanse, then The Juice Shop's Advance Cleanse, or their Liver Cleanse, or Wild and Raw's Deep Cleanse are your best choices.

If you want to add bone broth, then you can choose Wild and Raw, or Juice Because, and The Juice Shop is anticipating having their broth out soon too. Of course you can also add your own broth, which is what I did for most of my 19 days. Why would you add broth? Amino acids are needed for phase 2 of liver detoxification, and broth will provide you with the specific amino acids you need to also nourish the gut lining. It offers all of that without requiring digestion, so still let's your digestive system rest.

If you need customization, then Calgary's local shops offer the best choices. The Juice Shop, Wild and Raw, and Juice Because have knowledgable staff that you can talk to. JUSU bar allows you to swap similar juices, which may or may not be easy depending on your food sensitivities. The Juice Shop comes out on top for customization, with Wild and Raw being the next choice.

If flavour is your biggest determining factor, then here are some considerations. Wild and Raw had the richest depth of flavour in their juices. JUSU bar includes a chocolate almond milk, so if you have a bit of a chocolate addiction then this has you covered. The Juice Shop has the greatest variety of juice blends, which is especially nice for longer cleanses.

Lastly, if cost is the biggest determining factor, then JUSU bar or Juice Because's Cleanse with a Friend are the best choices.

I hope all those criteria help you decide which cleanse is right for you. With the holidays right around the corner, think about adding a Juice Cleanse to your holiday wish list, or pre-order a cleanse for yourself or a loved one.

Winter Cleansing Tip

Coming off a cleanse requires a slow reintroduction to solid foods. In the winter months the best way to transition back to whole foods is to eat a lot of blended soups made with meat stock or bone broth. These will help warm you while adding foods in a way that are easy to digest. Gradually make your soups chunkier and heartier. The longer you have cleansed, the longer this transition period will be.

Click on one of the websites for juice cleanses above, and place your order for a January cleanse. Do it for yourself or a loved one. What are you hoping a cleanse will do for you?

Happy, Healthy Cleansing!
Tracey

CALGARY'S BEST JUICE CLEANSES