Tried and Tested: Sana Cleanse 3-Day Juice Detox

We’re all guilty of indulging in wine and decadent food (steak and foie gras, anyone?) a little too often. Too much of a good thing can be bad, so it’s natural that there will come a time when your body screams for a much-needed break.

This is where the Sana Cleanse three-day or five-day juice detox programme comes in handy. Founded in 2010 by Rochelle Hogan, these juices are carefully designed and specially formulated by nutritionist Natalie Kling to provide the body with all the essentials for a fast-paced lifestyle and cleanse your system. This local company prides itself for sourcing the best organic produce, which are then cold pressed using a hydraulic press (to maintain the integrity of nutrients and keep enzymes raw and live) for the freshest juices.

First-timers like us are encouraged to try the three-day juice programme, with six 500ml juices consumed a day every two hours. Some of the benefits include improved digestion, better sleep, clearer skin, more energy and focus.

Six different flavours of 500ml juices featured for The Sana Cleanse.

Prep Work

A week before starting the juice programme, Sana Cleanse will send users a guide to prepare them for the detox. We’re not gonna lie -- the prep work needed before the three-day juice detox will require some effort, especially if your diet heavily revolves around caffeine, take-out, alcohol and red meat. The last two days before the juice diet were the hardest for me, as I was allowed to consume only raw or steamed vegetables and fruits. While this may sound torturous to some, it is a great way to explore cooking with spices and herbs!

The Juice Diet

One of the juices from The Sana Cleanse that consist of carrot, beetroot and cucumber as the main ingredients.

I tried a total of 9 different juices during the 3 days. The breakfast smoothies were my favourite, with a tasty blend of fruits and veggies. The nut milk was surprisingly delicious as well. This lovely creamy and nutty concoction was packed with a blend of cashew nuts, cinnamon and vanilla. While there were clear winners, I personally disliked the strong taste of ginger and sour pineapple in some of the juices.

Surprisingly, the juices were filling and a lot more substantial than expected. As a person who normally eats four full meals a day, I wasn’t hungry during the day, and even felt more focused, positive and energetic!

Fair warning: you’re going to need a good amount of willpower to resist all the temptations lurking every corner. The urge to inhale a greasy char kway teow had never been stronger, but thankfully, each Sana Cleanse juice is consumed every two hours, and Rochelle is there too every step of the way with useful and detailed emails to cheer you on.

Click on to the next page to find out the results of the cleanse!

Results

While I didn’t lose any weight, I did notice a leaner torso. For those who are keen on losing weight, try out the five-day juice detox instead. The week after the juice diet is equally important, as you’ll need to ease your body back into consuming solid food. I followed the Sana Cleanse food plan as closely as possible and I did continue to feel the benefits even after the diet.

We definitely recommend trying this out during one of your slower weeks at work, where you have easy access to the fridge and toilet. Of course, you need to be committed to the cleanse and see this through from start to end in order to enjoy the benefits. The whole process is about two and a half weeks, but it’s definitely well worth it.

Tips

During your prep week, if you need that extra boost for your workouts, avoid your usual carbs and load up on steamed sweet potatoes, tapioca, yams and potatoes instead. Do your homework and prepare ahead of time. If you’re a caffeine addict, start cutting down on your daily cuppa as early as possible. Your body will thank you during the three-day juice diet. Clear your schedule and plan for more me-time during this period. Arrange for massages and yoga sessions to get the best out of the programme.

The three-day Sana Cleanse is priced at S$320 for a total of 18 bottles of juices to be consumed over three days. The five-day Sana Cleanse is priced at S$490. For more information, please visit www.sanacleanse.com.