Jill Pettijohn's Nutritional Cleanse: 3 Day Journey

After frequenting Jill's Cafe in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, I decided to try out Jill's three day nutritional cleanse. Cafe owner and cleanse creator Jill Pettijohn guided me - and it was a great experience! Read below for the full rundown, and stay tuned for Aarona's 5-day review as well.

Menu 3/5

Juice! You get six (that's a lot, trust me) unique juices to drink throughout the day, from a delicious green juice in the morning to a squash soup-juice for lunch, to a bedtime nut milk. Each bottle's label lists a concocton of veggies, fruit, and special herbs. The soup-juices are no joke, though - if you're new to juicing you may find the new tastes and textures hard to swallow!

Energy 5/5

I had a boost of energy while on the cleanse! I ride my bike every day, work, go to the gym, and practice yoga (when i have time!), and I felt great while juicing. This cleanse seems to support a city girl like myself, which is hard to find in a most fasts/cleanses. At no point did I feel weak - every time i got hungry, i knew it was time for the next juice (Jill advises to drink one every two hours), and the days just flew by! But don't forget to drink plenty of water inbetween juices - it's easy to get dehydrated and not receive the full cleanse benefits.

Arrangements 5/5

Jill's does deliver for a cost, but you can also pick up your juices each morning or the night before each day. I rode my bike to pick up the juices each morning, and as they were securely packaged in an adorable little case, I had no trouble transporting them!

Coming off the cleanse 5/5

After the third day, I followed Jill's guidelines to come of off the juice fast. Her comprehensive menu of simple, plant-based meals made it easy to integrate solid foods back into my diet. In the past, this has been the hardest part of the cleanse for me, so it was a relief not to experience the severity of returning to a normal food plan.

Overall Rating: 9/10

Details
Jill Pettijohn's Nutritional Cleanse
Sign up online for a 3 day or a 5 day cleanse anytime!
Jill is also available for personal consultations.

David Avocado Wolfe

Hot on the heels of Burning Man and just in time for Raw Spirit Fest (in Arizona!), raw food scientist and pioneer David "Avocado" Wolfe swings through Cosm tonight for a rare New York visit, armed with hours of mind-altering information. The globe-trotting nutrition expert dogs on the American food industry and shows how "wild" food can cure even the gravest of ailments, sharing his knowledge with an enthusiasm that could only come from consuming raw, unadultered nutrients all day long. His self-designed hemp suit aside, the glowing author of The Sunfood Diet Success System inspires health in even the most pallid city-dweller. Wolfe will take you through his list of superfoods and superherbs(cacao, goji, etc), as well as awesome daily practices and life-changing recipes. Don't miss it!
Details:
David Avocado Wolfe
Thursday, September 4
7-10pm
Cosm Gallery
542 west 27th st
(btw 10th/11th aves)
Investment:
$40

Film: Enlighten Up

Yoga's pretty hot right now, but not everyone has jumped on the downward dog wagon. In recent documentary Enlighten Up, New York yoga-skeptic and journalist Nick Rosen proves to be one of these aforementioned dissenters. While filmmaker Kate Churchill makes it her mission to convert Rosen to an om-loving yogi through a guided tour of the world's leading teachers, disciplines, and environments, her subject continues to declare himself "not a spiritual guy". Rosen is pretty annoying, but the movie shines through with beautiful cinematography and inspiring interviews - fierce guru BKS Iyengar and NYC teacher Dharma Mitra, to name a few. Equally edutaining for the new and seasoned yogis, Enlighten Up brings a refreshing perspective - it focuses less on the western-obsessed physical asana practice, and more on using yoga to become a better person. CW can get down with that, any day.