Gifted by Juice Quest
By November, I’m running on fumes. Between the school run, deadlines, after-school sport most days of the week and the end-of-year rush, my “meals” have become coffee, a handful of my kids’ leftover crusts and whatever I can eat standing at the bench. I haven’t been sick or unwell, just flat. That tired, foggy, running-on-empty kind of flat that a lot of mums will recognise.
So when Adelaide’s Juice Quest offered me a try of its new RAW ’til 4 program, I was keen, if a little sceptical. A full juice cleanse has never been realistic for me. I’m hungry, I’m busy, and I still have to cook dinner for everyone else. This one is different, though: you drink juices during the day, then sit down to a normal evening meal with the family.
How RAW ’til 4 works
You drink four cold-pressed juices through the day, roughly one every two hours, from morning until about 4pm. Then you finish with your own dinner, ideally something simple and nourishing. There are three levels to choose from. I went with Awaken, the beginner option, which uses fruitier blends and is designed as an easy first step.
My two-day box had:
- Pink Bliss
- Immune Glow
- Roots & Fruits
- Gimme Greens
The juices are pressed to order using local organic produce and arrive in reusable glass bottles. I’ll admit that a fridge stacked with bright, colourful bottles made me feel more organised than I had in weeks.
Day one
I did my two days over a weekend, which turned out to be a good call. Weekends in our house are just as busy as weekdays, with kids’ sport, running around and the usual chaos. Being on the go meant I didn’t have time to think about food. The sneaky mid-morning snacks and afternoon Coke Zeros I usually reach for didn’t get a look-in.
Day one was easier than I expected. By 4pm, I was surprisingly okay. I was ready for dinner, but I wasn’t counting down the minutes or raiding the pantry.
Day two
Day two was even easier. I’d found my rhythm, knew what was coming next, and again got to 4pm feeling fine.
Having four different flavours each day made a real difference. I never felt like I was forcing down the same juice over and over. Each bottle felt like something different to look forward to.
The verdict from the kids
The juices didn’t stay a secret for long. As soon as the kids spotted the colourful bottles in the fridge, they wanted to try them. Pink Bliss was the clear favourite with my youngest, which came as no surprise.
The real shock came from my 14-year-old daughter, who loved Gimme Greens. That happened to be my favourite too. If you’d told me a teenager would happily drink a green juice, I wouldn’t have believed you.
What I liked
The biggest win was that I didn’t have to opt out of family dinner. That’s what makes RAW ’til 4 realistic for parents. You get a reset during the day without having to feed everyone else while you sip celery juice in the corner.
By the end of the two days, I noticed I had more energy and was snacking far less. Honestly, it wasn’t nearly as hard as I’d expected. Having my next juice ready in the fridge took away the 11am scramble for whatever was in the pantry. For once, I was drinking something with fruit and veg in it, rather than just meaning to.
Who it suits
If you’re curious about a juice cleanse but can’t imagine giving up food entirely, or you just need a couple of days to break the coffee-and-crusts cycle, RAW ’til 4 is an easy place to start. Awaken suits beginners, while Balance and Vitality offer greener, lower-sugar options for those who’ve done it before.
The details
What: Juice Quest RAW ’til 4 (Awaken, Balance or Vitality), available as 2, 3 or 4-day programs
Delivery: Pressed and delivered on Mondays and Fridays, with pick-up also available
Offer: 20% off all RAW ’til 4 programs until 20 November
Shop: juicequest.com.au
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