Marie Weihs chose the I·DO Bio Balance juice treatment and shared her juice treatment experience with us. She describes her juice cleanse as the “start to a more conscious approach to nutrition.” Marie is 29, a yoga teacher and market researcher from Munich. By consciously avoiding solid food, she has regained her mental and physical balance. In her experience report, she explains what was most difficult during the juice cleanse and what she learned from it.
Why I did a juice cleanse?
The five-day juice cleanse with I·DO was the starting signal for bringing two aspects – mindfulness and self-exploration – into my diet and health. The decisive factor for this decision was my digestive problems, combined with what felt like an insatiable appetite. I snacked 2-3 times a day, which was too much for me in the long run, even though I often ate “healthy” snacks.
Why did I decide to do a juice cleanse with I·DO?
I decided to do the juice treatment with I·DO because I was impressed by the gentle production of the juices and the organic quality . I also think it's great that you can flexibly choose how many days you want to fast and I can adapt the number and type of juice to suit my needs. So I was able to order exactly the juice package that suits me.
My first three days of the juice cleanse
For the first three days I felt very comfortable and connected to myself. I knew I was doing something good for myself and my body took the break from solid food surprisingly easily. It really helped that I·DO's juices were so delicious and varied. Since it was my first time doing a juice cleanse, it was a very gentle introduction. The consistent rhythm and the predetermined order in which I consumed the juices gave me the necessary security that I was doing everything right.
What particularly helped me was starting on Friday to allow myself enough rest and relaxation, combined with greatly reduced caffeine and sugar consumption before the juice cleanse. This helped me avoid cravings and headaches from coffee withdrawal.
The biggest difficulties for me with the juice cleanse
In fact, it was very difficult for me to find alternatives to eating with friends. I've learned more clearly than ever how much eating is viewed as a social activity, especially on the weekend (I started my juice cleanse on Friday).
As a physically and mentally very active person, it was a new experience and good exercise to take more breaks and allow myself to slow down during the juice cleanse. That was very healing for me.
What did I learn from the juice cleanse?
I have learned to question how I deal with rules and to give myself the freedom to adapt them to me and my needs. In general, I am a person who likes rules because they give me structure and security. However, the juice cleanse showed me that I tend to put following the rules above my needs and go beyond my limits.
It was very difficult for me to break the juice diet on the evening of the 4th day and to listen to my body, which was no longer good for the fast. So I was able to learn to find a way to more balance - to use the advantages of rules in a loving and kind way and at the same time to accept my physical limits. That's why I adapted the juice treatment to my body. At first I only ate solid food for dinner and juice the rest of the day. I then gradually increased the amount of solid food I consumed over the next few days.
What has changed in the long term as a result of the juice cleanse?
In addition to the mental growth, I was able to change my attitude towards food in the long term. I was able to learn the difference between appetite and hunger again. So now I know when to stop eating because I'm full. I was also able to stop frequent snacking because I realized that I often did it out of boredom or reward.I have a conscious and healthy relationship with food: I notice which foods are really good for me and I now eat less sweet things and almost no longer consume coffee. Because I reduced both before the juice cleanse, I can feel the effect of both on my body more clearly again: They pump me up, but in a very upsetting way. You can imagine that I go through the process like a startled chicken area. Of course I don't give up either completely, but I know when and to what extent.
Finally, I was able to give my digestion a soothing break, which has regenerated and feels lighter. At the same time, of course, it's also a good reminder to myself how important breaks are - especially under constant stress.
Would you like to find out more about Marie Weihs or listen to her meditation podcast? Then visit her website and follow her on Instagram.
