How are cold-pressed juices different from anything you can get at the store or juice yourself? I've always seen cold-pressed juice in stores but never understood the hype - how long did it actually take for these juices to go from fruit to tummy? Are there any actual benefits to juice cleanses other than bragging rights? I ventured to Dallas' own BUDA Juice to get an insider look on their process and test the juices myself with a 1-day cleanse.
Outside it was a hot summer day, and I was not prepared to don a white lab coat and hairnet (no photos, sorry) to tour their state-of-the-art 35*F facility in Design District. One of their promises is an unbroken cold chain from farm to customer, trucking the produce from organic local farms in refrigerated vehicles and hyper-insulated cold containers for shipping. The entire process takes 5 days or less, and contains no added chemicals, so you only have a few days to finish the juices after purchase. If you're planning a cleanse, be sure to schedule it within 2 days of buying the juice. The entire process has been perfected with obsessive sustainability; the glass bottles can be returned for future discounts and all their leftover pulp goes back to farms as fertilizer. The tour was a fascinating and eye-opening experience into their process, and they are always open to provide tours by appointment!
Now the real work began as I picked up a one-day juice cleanse and mentally prepared myself for one day without solid foods. I've heard the hype about juice cleanses from friends for ages, but I'm a raging carnivore that likes to eat and never really thought it was my style. 1 day of no food, just juice and water. Read on for my venture into truly uncharted territory of eating healthy!
8 am
First up was the No 01 Green, their "energy" juice featuring spinach, cucumber, apple, lemon, celery, ginger, kale, and parsley. It tasted like a morning trip to the farmer's market, tangy and slightly sweet. It was a more pleasant start to the day than I would have expected from a juice with no added sugars, but the lemon and ginger was a great wake-up call.
11 am
The mid-morning "recovery" juice was their Blue Lemonade, a minimalistic juice made from cucumber, apple, lemon, and alkalized water. Buda Juice calls it their hangover cure, and it was a very refreshing take on the typical ultra-sugary lemonade. This seemed like a juice perfect with a touch of sparkling water or Topo Chico by the pool, something I will definitely be doing next week!
2 pm
Red Juice time!! A 'stamina booster' and 'stress reliever' I hoped would deliver, it was packed with beets, celery, apple, ginger, and parsley. PSA: As a Russian, I am legally mandated to love beets and anything with them. This juice was absolutely delicious, and a welcome energy booster for my midday horizontal hour. It wasn't beet overload, but it was both sweet and savoury enough to make each sip interesting. So far my favorite juice!
4 pm
Another Blue Lemonade. I'm drinking water in between and during the juices so I'm still surprisingly full, even if that bag of chips is looking mighty fine. The servings for each juice are pretty large, 8 oz, so it takes me about 25 minutes to comfortably finish each juice.
5 pm
I'm getting antsy to eat something crunchy, but those chips look too salty after my healthy day. Is the juice cleanse working? These things affect each person differently, and I'm definitely developing a sense of pride at my unwavering nature, determined to make a Facebook post that my body is now a temple. Must be the juices talking. But I am feeling lighter, thinking about picking up some fresh veggies for tomorrow's lunch instead of Chipotle. Is this juice cleansing my body or my eating habits?
6 pm
I have made it to the juicy soup I've been looking forward to all day, the creamy Buda Basilato Soup. No milk added, just tomato, cucumber, sea salt, basil, olive oil, and magic. I'm a big fan of gazpacho, and this soup is a healthy no-fuss version of that! I can eat this as a meal every day in summer, except next time I'll add some avocado or a crouton.
7 pm
I am a chocoholic, and my dark chocolate is looking so seductive right about now...but I must resist! The almond milk is coming soon!
9 pm
Time to end the day with some Buda Almond Milk! Vegan and loaded with protein, it boasts 'healthy cholesterol support' and includes almonds, filtered water, vanilla, cinnamon, and cardamon. I've only ever had the flavored almond milk, loaded up with sugar and preservatives, so this was a new experience! That seemed more like a drink, Buda Almond Milk tastes like someone physically milked an almond. It was light yet filling, a truly "raw" taste like eating a luxury almond. It normally wouldn't have been sweet enough for me, but after the day of juicing my taste must have slightly adjusted! It was a great end to the day and a delicious dessert.
I never thought I would do a juice cleanse, but here I am, catering to your requests! It was a great experience that I'll definitely be doing next month, I didn't get as hungry as I thought I would and I really did feel rejuvenated! At the end, I think I was more affected mentally; after the cleanse, I was inspired and empowered to keep my healthy streak going for as long as possible! Even if you don't believe in the health benefits, it's a great test of your willpower, even if only for a day! If you want me to try any other hyped-up fads, let me know and I'll be your personal human guinea pig!