Today’s post is the thirteenth in a series of reviews of juice cleanse companies.
Have you ever done a juice cleanse while traveling? I can now say that I have! Interestingly, although dieting while traveling has always felt impossible for me, juice-cleansing away from home was straightforward and surprisingly easy. On a recent weekend getaway to North Texas, I had the opportunity to try a 3-day juice cleanse courtesy of The GEM, a local Dallas juice bar and healthy café. The GEM uses organic produce and cold-presses their juices to keep the vital nutrients intact, offering cleansers a number of different programs to choose from. I travel to Dallas semi-often, so I was excited to discover that there’s now a juice cleansing company based there.
And so, a couple weekends ago, I completed The GEM‘s 3-day Diamond Mine juice cleanse program.
Arrival: The first two days’ worth of juice were delivered to my hotel around 10:00am the day I began the cleanse, and they delivered the last day’s worth of juice fresh on the morning of day 3!
Options: The GEM offers three different 3-day cleansing programs containing a pre-selected set of six daily juices. The Original GEM cleanse is best for beginners; the Diamond Mine is a “mid-level,” more vegetable-heavy cleanse; and the Platinum Clarity cleanse is the greenest of all. Each cleanse has a “menu” indicating the order in which you should drink the juices as well as suggested times of day to consume each one.
Variety: I did the Diamond Mine cleanse, which was composed of five different drinks each day—two bottles of one juice, the super-green Platinum Veggie Love, were provided each day, plus four other, different drinks. The selection doesn’t vary day-by-day through the 3 days of the cleanse; each of the 3 days has an identical menu.
The Juices…
GREEN GLOW: kale, apple, ginger, lemon, cucumber
Each day of the cleanse begins with this green juice. It’s not overly sweet, which I appreciated, with just enough apple to mask the kale’s bitterness.
GOLDEN GLOW: filtered water, lemon, agave, fresh turmeric, fresh ginger, cardamom, Himalayan sea salt
I expected this to be a lemonade-like drink, but it wasn’t very sweet at all. I was happy about that, because it meant that only a small amount of agave must’ve gone into it! It was distinctly turmeric-y, but light and refreshing.
PLATINUM VEGGIE LOVE: celery, spinach, carrot, cucumber, cilantro
Now THIS is what cold-pressed juice is all about. I was so impressed with this green juice, which is 100%-vegetable yet smooth as silk. I also loved that it includes cilantro, a potent detoxifier. Every sip of this velvety, emerald tonic was a pure pleasure. I was so happy to have TWO of these per day!
RADIANT GLOW: kale, apple, beet, ginger, lemon, cucumber
Despite the dramatic color difference, this yummy juice actually tastes similar to the Green Glow, but with the added liver-cleansing love (and scarlet hue) of fresh beets.
CASHEW MILK: cashews, grade B maple syrup, sea salt, cinnamon, filtered water
This smooth, silken cashew milk was not very sweet at all, so I added a few drops of stevia to mine. But I LIKE that about it! It allowed me to control the sweetness level (you can always add, but you can’t take away…) and meant that I didn’t take in much added sugar. Yummy!
Extras: The GEM keeps it simple, giving you all juice and nothing but the juice.
Cost: The GEM cleanses cost $55 a day. This brings the total price of a 3-day cleanse to $165. Cleansers pick up their fresh juice each morning of the cleanse at The GEM‘s retail location (at 7721 Inwood Road, Dallas, TX 75209).
(Full disclosure: The GEM gave me this cleanse “on the house.”)
Support: The GEM offers both unlimited email support (info@insidethegem.com) and phone support (214-808-1907) throughout the duration of your cleanse.
How to Order: Email info@insidethegem.com, call 214-808-1907, or stop by The GEM at 7721 Inwood Road, Dallas, TX 75209 between 8am and 2:30pm Monday through Friday.
Final Thoughts: I absolutely loved The GEM‘s Diamond Mine cleanse. The juices were all scrumptious, organic (yay!), and low in sugar, and I appreciated the level of support offered by The GEM team throughout the cleanse (encouraging emails, post-cleanse meal plan, etc.). The only thing that could improve them would be if they offered nationwide shipping! But until that day comes, The GEM is absolutely a place I’ll be visiting every time I come to Dallas from now on. North Texas/DFW Metroplex friends: visit The GEM at the first chance you get! You won’t be disappointed.
P.S. Are you interested in cleansing, but not keen on living on liquids for 3 days—or looking for a more inexpensive alternative? Try my Real Food Cleanse!
