Review: Urban Remedy Cleanse

http://www.urbanremedy.com.au/

Urban Remedy was created by two Australian women from Sydney who were seeking a healthy but indulgent way of cleansing without taking hundreds of pills or starving themselves and these savvy ladies knew that thousands of others were seeking the same thing. Introducing: Urban Remedy.

Urban Remedy Juice Detox (1 day: $65 / 3 day: $195 / 5 day: $325) ★★★★★

After seeing a rival brand at several expos I attended this year, I discovered Urban Remedy: A one, three or five day juice detox containing nothing but healthy goodness. It claims to cleanse your skin, body and organs whilst removing and detoxing all the nasty things that build up inside when we don't eat right (and for me that would be almost all the time!) For years I have been unhappy with my eating habits - I don't eat the healthiest foods, instead I choose the easiest options.

After discovering Urban Remedy on Twitter, I quickly became interested in the brand and what it offers. I  took up the three day cleanse because it is available to my area and having only detoxed once before (on a dreadful Lemon Detox) I thought three days of will power would be challenging enough. My detox arrived on Tuesday around lunchtime via courier as it was due to start on the Wednesday and end on the Friday which meant I did not have to sacrifice my weekend or cancel my pre-arranged plans. The box comes with an awesome plastic refrigerator pack which keeps it cool until popped in the fridge. The 18 bottles of delicious goodness filled the bottom of my fridge and I couldn't wait to get started. Also included in my parcel was an Urban Remedy cooling bag, enough drinking straws for each drink, leaflets and information on the cleanse. The interested brochure told me to 'chew' each mouthful like a meal rather than a beverage and to drink plenty of water and herbal teas. If hungry a Cleanser can eat mashed avocado and miso broth.

Urban Remedy Juice Detox contains six different juices:
Cleanse & Renew #1 - Apple, Lemon, Cos Lettuce, Celery, Silverbeet, Parsley & Cucumber
Every morning it is recommended Cleansers start with a glass of warm water. Then I was recommended to drink every two hours from 9am onward and this beverage started my mornings. It is a dark green colour and tastes very green and healthy. It is kind of like drinking a rich green salad without the dressing. The flavour was quite nice and it feels like you are giving your body a great kick start each day.
 
Cleanse & Renew #2 - Pineapple, Apple & Mint
This was one of my favourites. The pineapple and apple make the beverage quite fruity and the mint blends well with the flavours to create a fruity, zesty and fresh flavour.  It is a great pick-me-up at morning tea time - I would aim to drink this around 11am each day.
 
Cleanse & Renew #3 - Orange, Acai Berry, Cucumber, Pineapple, Carrot & Broccoli
Served up around 1pm. There is certainly a blend of tastes and scents in Cleanse & Renew #3 but they somehow come together to create this blend. Unfortunately I am not in love with the taste of this blend but it certainly tastes fresh and I liked the tiny pips from the Acai Berry because I could actually 'chew' my meal before swallowing it.
 
Cleanse & Renew #4 - Beetroot, Carrot, Apple, Lemon, Spirulina & Ginger
Cleansers beware: this blend is beetroot read so please don't spill it over your favourite white top. Now that has been said, enjoy Cleanse & Renew #4 because it tastes lovely - I would never have expected the above mentioned ingredients to blend so nicely but they do. I detest ginger but luckily for me I could not detect any traces in the scent and taste of this juice so it was really enjoyable.
 
Cleanse & Renew #5 - Lemon, Water, Agave Nectar, Cayenne Pepper
I really wanted to stick to the recommended Detox Cleanse as accurately as possible but I only managed one night drinking Cleanse & Renew #5. There is certainly nothing wrong with the flavour - it is just bland. If I had not endured the hideous Lemon Detox weeks earlier I would have drank this in a heartbeat but I could taste the Cayenne Pepper (a key ingredient in Lemon Detox, which made me sick) and I started to panic thinking about it. Serve this one up at 5pm when you're feeling peckish.
 
Cleanse & Renew #6 - Coconut Milk, Raw Cashews, Cinnamon, Vanilla Bean, Water, Agave Nectar
Oh My Gosh. This is the YUMMIEST beverage I think I have EVER consumed. If you have not tried Urban Remedy then you are most definitely missing out. This delicious creamy caramel-coloured blend is heavier than the others which could be why they recommend hungry Cleansers drink a little around lunch time if needed but I say wait until 7pm - think of it as dessert - the yummiest dessert around. When I felt like I wanted to shove solids into my mouth or when I wanted the day to pass faster, I simply thought about drinking Cleanse & Renew #6 and I felt motivated until dinner time. I love the crushed cashews because they give Cleansers something to 'chew' and the flavour that they release is just too yummy. The only problem was when I finished my last one because I was a bit sad knowing I can't go to my local grocer and pick up a bottle whenever I please. I wish I could though because I certainly would buy it daily - an idea for you to consider there, Urban Remedy!
 
My Experience:
My overall experience was really positive from Day One. I felt prepared with information thanks to Urban Remedy and every morning without fail they would send me an email to motivate me and give me hints and tips to get through the day as well as information on what to expect and I thought that was awesome.

Day One: I added half a mashed Avocado to the menu. I experienced light and subtle headaches for the most part of the day but nothing worth whining about. I drank a glass of water and a hot herbal tea in between each Urban Remedy beverage.

Day Two: Today I finished the other half of mashed Avocado as a small Miso Broth. I drank a glass of water and a hot herbal tea in between each Urban Remedy beverage and there were no side effects.

Day Three: I did not eat anything in addition the the Urban Remedy program because I was full and did not feel the need to. I felt really healthy and experienced no side effects today.

During the process of my detox I used Twitter and Facebook to share my experience with readers. I was super surprised with how well I managed as well as how easy I found the detox to be and this has given confidence to some readers who had considered the program (or detoxing in general) but thought a detox meant it was dangerous or did not produce results. Little did they know that they can detox using the freshest and healthiest ingredients and still feel full. I actually fell behind my 'drinking schedule' because by drinking water and herbal teas in between, I actually felt too full to drink the next one and needed time to digest. Sure it was challenging (especially Day One when the office celebrated a colleague's birthday) but my persistence totally paid off and I can't wait to do it again - next time I would love to try the new Soup Cleanse because drinking cold drinks in the middle of winter had my insides feeling super healthy and clean but also freezing cold.

The Verdict:
My once flat stomach has changed in recent years and I have discovered a somewhat bloated/podge belly look but after three days on Urban Remedy my stomach was flat as a tack. I did not weigh myself beforehand because I avoid weighing myself but I felt lighter and definitely felt more energetic. My skin looks and feels soft, smooth and radiant but I can't say my hair really changed all too much. If you have problems with constipation then you will LOVE Urban Remedy because it helps everything becomes regular right from Day One. After cleansing I have certainly become more conscious of my food and lifestyle choices but I still do eat a lot of things I should not and hopefully in future I can educate myself more with the more cleanses I do. Yes, Urban Remedy is not cheap or affordable to the average person but the program is certainly a treat for the body and this needs to be considered. I can't wait to do it again and I highly recommend it.

EXCLUSIVE: Urban Remedy has a special offer for Pink Diva readers:

Receive 10% off your 3-day cleanse by using code PINK DIVA at checkout.