A 3 Day Juice Cleanse called Schkinny Maninny – sounds like a dance doesn’t it? Or at the very least a fad product in the weight loss world, of which you should steer clear.
However I am pleased to report that Schkinny Maninny is none of those things.
When I first heard of it, I was totally sceptical. These are the thoughts that popped in my head…
– another lose weight quickly scheme
– starving under the guise of detoxing (a big no-no from my binging days)
– toxic sugar load on your liver from all the fruit
– concentration of pesticides in the juices
– is it really necessary
– do I really want to do it
But then I read a few other reviews of this 3 day juice fast and all my fears dissipated.
It is totally organic (so no pesticides there), you can pick the plan with the least fruit if you want to keep your fructose low, there is even one that has dinner each night and there is no starving, only loading your body with high level nutrition.
So I thought what the heck, I’ll give it a go. Although I wasn’t sure how much more I needed to detox from my body as I already…
Don’t smoke
Don’t drink
Don’t drink coffee or tea (or any caffeine – not even green tea)
Don’t eat grains
Don’t eat refined sugar
Don’t eat red meat (only fish)
Don’t eat processed foods
However one thing I know for sure is, that the pain you will feel on this detox is directly proportional to how many toxic things you consume on a daily basis. Watch out coffee drinkers!
So I was in boots and all!
I selected the 3 day juice fast option which had dinner included the menu and made sure I had 3 free days with nothing else on. The advice given is to rest and help your body go through the process. Where as a few people I read about tried to keep up their normal busy day or go running, with disastrous results.
The first thing I notice with these guys is that they are a professional operation; they do everything they say they will do and more. From daily emails telling you what to expect, to the information on the bottles and in the eskies with the juices. You clearly know what is about to happen and why, and how to help yourself through it. The support was brilliant.
Here’s what happened in the 3 day juice cleanse
While I wrote 6 pages of notes while I was going through it, I’m sure you would prefer the summary version! So here goes:-
- I loved the taste of the juices but for everyone else, it depends on how much sugar and processed food they currently consume.
- Some say they are not hungry at all throughout and sometimes don’t finish the juices. I was mildly hungry the whole time and sucked down every last drop of juice!
- The dinner option is highly recommend. For me, after being mildly hungry all day, I totally craved solid food and everything tasted like a gourmet meal from a 5 star restaurant! Heightened senses anyone?
- Bowel elimination was out of this world. Total congestion there. (Sorry but it’s important!)
- I had a slight headache throughout the first two days and felt a little light-headed. I really had trouble reading, writing or focusing on anything.
- The advice not to look or talk about other food is a good one, as I was trying to schedule posts for instagram – @slimbirdy and my chocolate fudge was staring at me and it was not helping!
- I slept very soundly throughout and felt really refreshed in the morning.
Cute names and packaging
All the juices and meals have cute little names like Pine Ginger Splice & Leap Frog and tell you exactly what’s in them.
You also receive little containers of seeds to chew if you need them and some herbal tea bags that help with the detox. The only additional things I had in between was water with fresh lemon and some camomile tea. In the spirit of the detox, I didn’t use my normal stevia and even though I was tempted to wolf down a mouthful of cheesy fries while making my husband’s dinner, I resisted, remembering it was only for 3 days!
Day 3
On day 3, I felt like doing some yoga stretches and going for a walk. While walking I just ambled at a leisurely pace, normally I power along. But I didn’t feel like it, so I didn’t. I felt like my senses were sharpened somehow like everything seemed more colourful and brighter, but a little harsh too. Kind of like that feeling you get after a day spa and they have dim lights and soothing music. After your massage, you’re in this bliss zen state and then you have to go outside and reality just seems too harsh and bright. It felt like that.
The last dinner of the detox was like a victory celebration! I made it. Only 3 days but the feeling of accomplishment was brilliant.
So the end result for me was a total appreciation of this product/service that Catherine of Schkinny Maninny has put together. It is slick, professional, informative, full of nutrition, cute and funny all at the same time. You feel completely supported in the process with daily motivational emails that encourage and inform all the way. There is even a Facebook forum group you can jump on and ask questions if you are struggling with anything.
The juices have just the right balance of vegetables and fruit, so it’s not too hardcore. I loved that one juice for the day was actually a soup to warm up as I really craved something warm after cold juices. And I was so incredibly thankful that I had picked the option with dinner – it’s still all vegetables and detoxing but because your senses are heightened in this process, it tasted like the most delicious meal on the planet and you appreciate being able to chew and savour every mouthful. Just so incredible!
Weight loss
I lost 2kgs over the 3 days and here is the reduction in my stomach bloat:
So this product is a fantastic kick-start to making some permanent changes in your life. There were some reviews where people suffered through the head splitting pain of caffeine withdrawal during the process (I know how painful this can be as I have done it a few times in my life,) only to reach for a cup of coffee the first day off the detox!
The pain you experience in the detox process is telling you that one or more things you eat/drink are causing issues in your body. Immediately after is a fantastic time to continue your new found awakening and experiment further and see what it might be.
For me there are a few things I will experiment with…
1. Definitely include more fruit smoothies in my diet, even if I make one big batch and drink it over 3 days it’s better than not having it at all
2. Will be making the pear and rocket salad that was in the menu and totally experiment more with the tasty salad options – the flavours were amazing in the SM dinner options.
3. I am going to stay off stevia for another month to see the effects. I suspect it has made me fatter around the tummy (even though it is calorie free) and even though I am relatively thin everywhere else – it is really weird. (Update it does make you fatter, read this.)
(Since writing this, a few more revelations have come to light, which I will write about in future blog posts.)
Finally, I’ve seen many comments on line about ‘why don’t you squeeze your own juices?’ Here is the thing:
- Do you have all the equipment?
- Do you have access to fresh organic produce?
- Do you know all the different combinations and the things your body needs at different times of the day to assist in the cleansing process?
- Do you have the time to do it all?
Some do and good on them. For the rest of us it would be no to all of it, which is why Schkinny Maninny is so perfect for a periodic cleanse like once a year, once every 6 months or even once a quarter. Whatever suits your lifestyle.
I loved the fact that I didn’t have to cook or think about what to have for 3 whole days, it was like another restful cleansing process of the mind.
Summary
So to sum up, Schkinny Maninny is highly recommended for those who want to launch themselves into a healthier lifestyle. Would I do it again? Absolutely! And despite the name, weight loss is just a side benefit of the detox and nutrition charging process. I would even go so far as to say it has changed my life!
It should be called Detox Rocks!
A huge thank you to Catherine and the Schkinny Manniny crew for the opportunity to test their 3 day juice cleanse.
To everyone’s health!
Kristy x
2022 Update: It’s been 6 years since I did this and my dietary focus has completely changed to a fast metabolism Ray Peat style diet. I’m forever grateful for this 3 day juice cleanse experience though, as it helped me formulate a better plan called the 3 Day Summer RESTART – available now for immediate download worldwide for under AU$10. Buy here.
