Three food-free cleanses you may or may not be ready for
In the neverending quest for wellness, guzzling murky green concoctions—and nothing else—for days on end is standard practice. Luckily, the city is bursting with juice shops that’ll cater to your cleansing needs, whether it’s a quick detox or full-body reset. For first-timers, protein-packed almond milks can make the journey less painful, while healing burdock root blends may appeal more to seasoned vets. Here, three of the city’s best programs, from least to most intense.
For Newbies
Greenhouse Juice Co.
5 Macpherson Ave., 416-546-1719
The Rosedale boutique calls its gentlest program the “boyfriend cleanse”—the one- to three-day diet features enough protein-packed almond milks (one of them spiked with energy-boosting maca) to keep a grown man from feeling woozy. Other components include chia-seed water, liquefied lettuce and murky green shots of E3 Live.
Cost: $69 per day for three juices, two milks, two waters and an E3 shot.
For Purists
The Good Press
87 Yorkville Ave., 416-962-4000
The Yorkville shop’s one- to three-day cleanses include a straightforward selection of fruit and veggie elixirs made with the kinds of ingredients you might find in your fridge and pantry. (The Eye Spy, for instance, blends carrots, apples, lemon and turmeric.)
Cost: $68 per day for five juices and one cashew milk.
For Power-Fasters
The Village Juicery
540 College St., 647-344-0540
The “reset programs” offered by this Little Italy juice bar are broken down into three phases, each lasting at least a day—or much longer, if desired—and featuring a customized array of juices, milks and “boosters” laced with natural healers like ginger, aloe vera and burdock root.
Cost: $40 for “prepare” and “reset” phases (three juices, two boosters); $75 for “eliminate” phase (five juices, one nut milk, two boosters).
Save your $70 a day. It’s a load of crap. Zero medical evidence supports cleansing and detoxing.
Or you could blend your own fruits/veggies/proteins and spend a fraction of those crazy costs?
The boyfriend cleanse? Sexist much? Didn’t know juicing was based on gender. Oh but they might be pregnant and so and so has acne!.. lol.
Just know that the veggies being used are not non-gmo or all organic.
I know for a fact that greenhouse gets their celery and spinach from the same supplier as T&T supermarket… facts!
What about Cedar juice? They have amazing Cleanses!! http://cedarjuice.com/
Shame on Toronto Life for publishing such rank quackery. Your pages deserve better than “health” pseudoscience.
Better to buy your own organic and non GMO fruits and vegetables so you can make your own juices. Purchase a Vitamix machine and you are in business. I hardly consider this health pseudoscience when you look at the pathetic diets and what most people eat.
I know for a fact all Greenhouse produce is organic. Painstakingly difficult to procure at times, but totally organic. Fact!
Here is a great article on juicing http://truelifefitness.ca/may-newsletter-juicing/