Yes, it took me forever to post a review about this. Better late than never?

So, after a day of having pancakes for breakfast, pizza for lunch and chinese for dinner and feeling sufficiently like a fat ass, I decided I needed to do a detox. I had planned on doing the Master Cleanse (the spicy lemonade cleanse), but lets keep it real, I wasn't going to be squeezing 12 lemons a day and drinking every two hours while I was at work. Totally impractical.

I had heard about the Blueprint Cleanse while I was interning at MTV News a few years ago, so decided to look into it more. Based out of New York City, the ladies who founded the Blueprint Cleanse had reaped the benefits of cleansing, but wanted to make it more accesible to themselves, and the average busy New Yorker. A three-day juice cleanse from Blueprint will run you about $195 (more if you live outside of the NYC area). Yes, this is expensive, but if you were to gather all the ingredients yourself, and factor in the time and work, you would pay about the same amount. Also, in my mind, doing a cleanse for health is cheaper than paying for a doctor's visit without health insurance (just sayin').

Here's the breakdown. There are three cleanse levels to choose from. "The Renovation" for those of you who count the garnish on your sesame chicken as a day's worth of vegetables and go to the gym only when you feel fat; "The Foundation" for those of us who make healthy choices, but have the occasional slice of Cheesecake, and/or midnight chocolate cravings; and "The Excavation" for those of you who are extremely health conscious.

As a vegetarian, and someone who works out everyday with the occasional binge on pizza and cake, I chose the Foundation cleanse. All 18 of my juice bottles arrived in a huge refrigerated box, with a cute little carrying tote and freezer packs in case I needed to cleanse-on-the-run. The juices were conveniently numbered from 1-6 in order to easily guide me from beginning to end each day.



1. Green Juice (Romaine, Cucumber, Kale, Parsley, Lemon)
2. Pineapple, Apple, Mint
3. Green Juice
4. Spicy Lemonade (Lemons, Agave, Cayenne)
5. Green Juice
6. Cashew Nut Milk (Cashews, Filtered Water, Cinnamon, Agave)



Unlike with the Master Cleanse, the Blueprint Cleanse is specifically designed to make sure you are attaining your caloric needs for the day. The Foundation cleanse allows you 1,500 calories per day, which is more than enough. The idea is not to starve yourself, but to give your digestive system a break. I was not hungry during the three days, I just missed chewing food. By the the third day, I had a handful of raw almonds. The juices come with a cheat card, which lists foods you can cheat with (the almonds were not included, oh well).

For 2-3 days prior to the cleanse, you are directed to consume a pre-cleanse diet. Think vegan. Raw fruits and veggies (I actually enjoyed this more than the cleanse itself). It weans you off of solid foods, and prevents you from feeling hungover on the first day. You are also advised to follow this same diet after the cleanse, but I didn't. I just made sure to eat light and avoid processed foods. I did indulge in some lettuce wraps from PF Changs though. :)

Blueprint Cleanse Pros: I lost 5 lbs in 3 days. A good thing, especially if you need to fit into a tight dress for a special occasion. I had high energy levels, which allowed me to kick start a new workout routine. I got the "monthly" a few days after (again, TMI) and I had NO CRAMPS AT ALL. From some research, I have the green juices to thank for that, so I'll be incorporating more green juice in my daily diet.

Blueprint Cleanse Cons: You are instructed to drink a little more than the daily recommended amount of water. This IS a good thing, however, its not professional for me to be sitting at a reception desk, guzzling water all day. Not convenient, AT ALL. I felt constipated. Sorry if that's TMI, but no intake, no output. This is why its recommended to schedule colonics throughout the cleanse or use saline enemas, but I really didn't have the time or the money for it. Oh well. I also didn't feel completely refreshed after just three days. Maybe its because I should have done a level 3 cleanse.

All in all, I would do this cleanse again, but probably after the holiday food bingeing and I'd do 5 days. Check out www.blueprintcleanse.com for more info and to order! Happy cleansing!
Read original post

Organic skin and hair-care product are all the rage right now. The question one may ask is, "are all-natural products hype?" The answer is no. Synthetic (man-made) chemcials are cheaper than high-quality, natural products, so manufacturers use these as FILLERS. The problem is, these fillers can be harmful to our health and are far less effective than their natural/organic counterparts. Here's a list of synthetic ingredients to avoid at all-costs.

Cleansers: sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium myreth sulfate

Petrochemicals: petrolatum (petroleum), mineral oil, parrafin

Preservatives: ALL parabens, DMDM hydantoin

Chemical Suncreens: oxybenzone, avobenzone, octinoxate

Moisturizers: propylene glycol, butylene glycol, polyisobutene

Some of my favorite all natural brands can be found at health food stores, and even at CVS and other mainstream stores. Check out Burt's Bees, Carol's Daughter and The Body Shop.
Read original post

Late night pizza, binge drinking on weekends, snacking on sugary and fatty foods between classes and shoving your face at the dining hall--habits every college student must endure throughout their four years (or more, God bless). This can lead to weight gain, sluggishness and a myriad of other health problems.

In honor of my alma mater's commencement ceremony tomorrow, I wanted to highlight a few simple changes graduating seniors can make as soon as you cross the stage to receive your diploma to take on a faithfully healthy lifestyle and begin to rehab their bodies (undergraduates can take notes too, but I'll be back another time with eating tips for college students!). I made these changes immediately upon graduating and I am now 20 lbs lighter because of it.

Stop eating deep fried foods. Right now. Yes, it might taste delicious, but you are adding way too many calories to your diet, and your freshman 15 (some of you, 30) can probably be entirely blamed on those late night fries or chicken fingers. Opt for baked and grilled foods instead.

Cut back on the pizza. If you must eat pizza, please top it with vegetables, or just have one plain slice with a big greens filled salad.

Cut way down on the sugar intake. This includes all the sugar you put into your coffee during your all nighters, sodas (especially Red Bull), gummy bears, M&Ms. Not only will you lose weight, but lowering the amount of sugar you ingest will prevent you from crashing throughout the day, and will lighten your mood.

Go to bed earlier. Try to get at least six hours of sleep per night. Your body uses sleep to rejuvenate itself. Fun fact: Did you know that your spinal discs shrink throughout the day and only re-expand during your sleep? This could account for all those times you felt sore all over after getting little to no rest during finals week. Your entire body will thank you for getting more sleep. "Beauty Sleep" isn't just a saying.

Exercise more frequently. No, walking to and from class does NOT count as exercise. The most effective form of exercising allows your heart rate to be above its resting rate for at least 30 minutes per day, 3 days a week. Once, you get used to this, increase your workouts to 45 minutes, 5 days a week.

To the Class of 2009, congratulations and good luck. Hopefully make these few changes in your life will help to begin your life in the real world healthily and happily.
Read original post