The Lowdown on 7 Dubai Juice Cleanses!

Now I’m no nutritionist. Neither am I a proponent of liquid diets or quick fixes, but the increased popularity of juices cleanses in Dubai over the past couple of years did get me curious. And with all the eating (aka #VEGGIEBUZZING) I have been doing for my blog lately, I decided to give my first juice cleanse a shot a couple of months ago. Although it wasn’t exactly a piece of cake (pun intended), it wasn’t quite as hard as I expected either. I soon realized that there are quite a few juice cleanse companies in the UAE that offer raw, cold pressed juices, so how does one make a decision about which one to go with? I figured I’d help everyone out a little. Call me crazy, but I did the unthinkable, and gave 7 different cleanses a try over the past few weeks! All companies offer cleanses for 1, 3 and 5 days, and some for 7 and 10 days, but for the sake of comparison, I stuck with 1 day.  Here's what I have to report (in no particular order):

1. Essentially     04-8895753

AED 299 for a 1 day cleanse (+AED 45 for delivery)

I tried Essentially’s “Revitalize” cleanse, which is targeted at beginners. Their instructional packets are really good as they send you an email with pre-cleanse instructions and suggested recipes, as well as a cheat sheet and last minute tips the evening before the cleanse. Nutritional analysis is done in a lab in Norway and labels are created accordingly so you know exactly what goes into the 100% organic juices. They also have an in-house holistic nutritionist who is always available to speak with you.  Most of the juices are high up on the taste list, but the only drawback was that that a couple of them were a little bit on the sweet side.

2. Detox Delight     04-3383565

AED 370 for a 1 day cleanse (+ AED 80 for delivery)

They are the most expensive as they have a nutritionist available to their clients at all times, and most of their treatments are tailor made for the individual and are 100% organic. Their customer service is also really good – I got a hand-written note from the founder and a little card with instructions along with my cleanse delivery. Detox Delight also have packages that offer juice for the first part of the day, and soup or solid foods for the latter part. So if you’re not too keen on the all-liquid diet, this is the company to go with! They also do healthy and delicious detox snacks. I got a taste of their crunchy granola and their spicy seed crackers, both of which came in handy during and post cleanse!

3. Go Organic     04-8877025

AED 275 for a 1 day cleanse (+AED 25 for delivery)

The best thing about these juices is that other than apple, they consist mostly of vegetables that are 100% organic, so you can go to sleep at night knowing that you haven’t flooded your body with sugar all day. Although their packaging may not be as pretty as the others, their juices are light and delicious. They have a large variety of green juices, so for those looking for a fix of greens all day, Go Organic is the company to go with!

4. Detox & Diet     056-2302491

AED 299 (including delivery)

These juices were the most unique and my personal favorite in terms of taste. I absolutely love their use of grapefruit, guava and coconut water, and I particularly love how their beetroot juice tastes a little bit like a savory dinnertime soup. Their cacao milk was the clear winner. Along with the juices, you also get a small antioxidant snack that you are allowed to cheat on during your cleanse. I got a packet of macadamia nuts and dried fruit and I most certainly cheated!

5. Freshii     DIFC: 04-3278083      Health Care City: 04-4213370

AED 100 for a 1 day cleanse with a vegetarian salad (+AED 5 for delivery)

This cleanse consists of 4 juices and a salad. They aren’t bottled or packaged, but are instead served in regular plastic cups with lids with straws. It’s a bit of a hassle but it’s only a third of the price of a regular cleanse, and its still raw, organic, cold pressed and delicious! The best part is you can munch on your salad all day long, or have it for dinner. A great option for those that live or work in the DIFC or Health Care City areas as deliveries are restricted to these areas. If you don’t work in these areas then it’s a bit of a hassle to pick it up yourself, but still worth it if you want to get your dose of greens and save some money!

6. Organic Press     04-5530923 (or 800-JUICE)

AED 264 for a 1 day cleanse with free home delivery every day (except Friday)

The great thing about Organic Press is that you can receive the order on the same day if you place it before 11am as they press juices on a daily basis. Even if you don’t want to do a full cleanse you can order a minimum of 4 bottles at a time to consume as you please. Their 100% organic juices are properly labeled with their nutritional information and calorie content, which is vetted by a Dubai-based nutritionist. They are simple fresh juices that taste just like what’s in them and the almond milk is light and delicious. They are soon going to be launching a 4^th premium cleanse which will have a super boost of vegetables.

7. The Flavor Shack     056-6541466

AED 249 for 1 day cleanse with 500ml bottles (incl. delivery)

For those that don’t want to go crazy on too much liquid, you can get a smaller bottle for 330ml of juice and pay just AED 199 for the cleanse. Flavor Shack is the cheapest pre-bottled cleanse out there at the moment! They will soon be launching a customizable cleanse with fun options like a Chia Licious Juice so you get a nice dose of probiotics with your cleanse. So when you’re told to “chew your juice,” you don’t have to turn around with a funny look because you can actually chew the chia! Also, for those worried about that caffeine headache, you can breath a sigh of relief because their Desert Dream juice has a little bit of coffee in it!

I hope this helps you make an informed decision about which cleanse is right for you. But now that I’ve had my share of cleanses and I’m done writing this roundup, I’m officially off the juice cleanse bandwagon for a while!