Juicing in Shanghai

2015-11-04_0003Deep-fried pork ribs crusted in cumin, pan-fried noodles smothered in thick soy sauce, steamed buns filled with fatty brisket, and Chinese crepes layered with cilantro and fried wontons. This, in a nutshell, is what I’ve been consuming since returning to Shanghai a few months ago.

Needless to say, I’ve been feeling a bit “fluffy,” as my mom and I like to say. (It sounds so much nicer than “fat” or “pudgy,” don’t you think?)

As a quick fix, and to put me back on the right track, I decided to do a juice cleanse. That’s right, a juice cleanse. As in, nothing but juice. For three days.

I’ve actually done a few cleanses before, and have surprisingly gone as long as seven days without consuming food. It’s always been tough, and requires some prep work (cutting out meat, clearing your social calendar, etc.), but it’s been worth it.

There are a few companies in Shanghai offering up fresh-squeezed bottled juices, and I’m pretty sure I’ve tried them all. However, I can’t be certain, as the city seems to be undergoing a health craze at the moment. Yoga studios, cycling centers, vegetarian cafes–and yes, juice bars.

When I lived in the States, I would have never shelled out hundreds of dollars for a few boxes of cold-pressed bottled juices; but in China, you never really know where your produce is coming from. And I personally don’t feel like drinking concentrated chemicals (or concentrated God-knows-what-else). It’s also nice to at least feel like I’m cleansing my body of some of the pollutants and reused oil from the street food vendors.2015-11-04_0004So let’s get to the point, shall we? Farmhouse Juice is the best company in Shanghai for juice cleansing. Or for ordering your occasional bottles of green juice. They recommend 3, 5, and 10-day cleanses, but you have the option to order for as many days as you want.

The company offers a “traditional cleanse,” which may look familiar to some of my American readers. It consists of a morning green juice (kale, spinach, romaine, celery, parsley, cucumber, apple, lemon and ginger), a pineapple-apple-mint juice for a morning snack, an apple-cucumber-celery-lime-ginger juice for lunchtime, spicy lemonade (calamansi, lime, lemon, ginger, cayenne pepper and agave) for an afternoon snack, beet juice for dinnertime (beets, carrots, apple, ginger and lemon), and horchata (cashews, vanilla bean, cinnamon and agave) for dessert.  An “intermediate cleanse” and an “advanced cleanse” is also available, which is still an array of 6 juices per day–the difference being the substitution of green juice for some of the sweeter varieties (replacing the beet juice for the intermediate and the beet and pineapple juice for the advanced).

Since, as I told you earlier, I have been somewhat of a pig for some time now, I opted for the advanced cleanse, hoping the extra kale might push out some of the evil I’d put in my body.

Day one was very easy, and so was day two. By day three I was ready to eat again but I pushed through. The fact that the Farmhouse cleanse provides 6 large 500ml bottles of juice, and includes a nut milk to be consumed before bed, ensures hunger will stay at bay, even if you’re used to single-handedly consuming the same daily calorie intake of a small family (I may or may not be talking about myself. Don’t judge.).

Overall, the cleanse made me feel lighter (I lost 5 pounds), healthier, and was the perfect way to kick my butt in gear and get out of my “I’m still on vacation” mentality. I would highly recommend it to anyone who’s looking for the same effects.

Additional Information:

Website: http://farmhousejuice.cn

Price: ¥230.00¥4,830.00 for the cleanse, depending on how long you go for. Individual bottles range from 30-45. 

Screen Shot 2015-11-04 at 9.11.40 PMMy favorites: Currently, I’m obsessed with their Pumpkin Spice Latte, which is a mix of cold brew coffee, raw pumpkin, cashew nuts, pumpkin spice, agave nectar and Himalayan pink sea salt. I also love their Green Elixir (mentioned in the cleanse description) and their “Iron Lungs” juice, which consists of pineapple, carrot, celery, cilantro and ginger. The only juice I really don’t care for is called “Beet It.” Luckily, the company is pretty flexible about swapping it for something else.

**Promotion**: In addition to providing me with a 3-day cleanse, Farmhouse is offering my Shanghai-based readers a discount on their next order. To receive the coupon, simply follow Farmhouse Juice’s WeChat account (FarmhouseJuice, WeChat ID: lily19900617) and send the message “adventurousappetite.”

 

Have you tried juicing in Shanghai? I would love to know your experiences, as well as YOUR favorite juices! 

17 Comments
  • Linda Young
    Posted at 23:45h, 04 November

    Hi Jen,

    I am a friend of your awesome mom. Can this juice be purchased in Florida? Guess I can do a Google search rather than asking you. I love your posts and look forward to them in my inbox.

    Take care,
    Linda Young

  • Chris
    Posted at 23:56h, 04 November

    Sounds like you are staying healthy!

    • admin_jennifer
      Posted at 00:12h, 05 November

      Haha I am now on a path to health, but the food is too good here in Shanghai!! 🙂

  • Sophia
    Posted at 11:27h, 05 November

    Hey Jen,

    Thanks for sharing this! I’ve just tried to receive a coupon on wechat but it doesn’t work..is there any other way to receive it maybe?

    Thanks so much,
    Sophia

    • admin_jennifer
      Posted at 21:17h, 05 November

      Hey Sophia, it is not an automated response. You should have gotten a reply this morning. Enjoy your free Pumpkin Spice Latte, and let me know how you liked it 🙂

      • Sophia
        Posted at 02:44h, 07 November

        Great, got it this morning! Always wanted to try the Pumpkin Spice Latte. 🙂
        Thank you!:)

  • Bob & Winnie Hamblin
    Posted at 17:53h, 05 November

    I prefer the old fashion way. Beer. I don’t know if it works better than juice, but I will stick with it, if I have to. Uncle Bob

    • admin_jennifer
      Posted at 21:16h, 05 November

      Hahaha beer always has its place, Uncle Bob! 🙂

  • Shahar Cohen
    Posted at 02:58h, 09 November

    Jennifer!
    Great post. I would love to try it out.
    Missing you,
    Shahar

    • admin_jennifer
      Posted at 20:07h, 09 November

      Thanks for reading, Shahar! Love you to the moon and back. xo

  • thepursuitofsnackiness
    Posted at 06:23h, 09 November

    That pumpkin spice latte sounds SNACKTACULAR!!

    • admin_jennifer
      Posted at 20:08h, 09 November

      You’re so cute. Let me know how you like it! And in the meantime, let’s plan for pumpkin pancakes at Egg! 😛

  • Edna
    Posted at 10:08h, 13 November

    That pumpkin spice sounds fab, I love juices with pink sea salt! I always went with Lizzy’s when I cleansed in Shanghai, she had some great cold coffee ones as well.

    • admin_jennifer
      Posted at 03:06h, 22 November

      I love anything with pink sea salt! 🙂 . Are you gone for good, or are there plans to come back to Shanghai??

  • Diane Heiler
    Posted at 12:55h, 06 February

    Wow! Jennifer, your cleansing and mention of pumpkin spice and pink sea salt “almost” makes me want to cleanse! So glad your beautiful Mom and adorable Dad keep me posted on your whereabouts and travel. You’re a chip off the old blocks I can tell! Fondly, Diane Heiler, Dade City, Florida

    • admin_jennifer
      Posted at 03:32h, 13 February

      Thanks so much, Diane! And thanks for reading 🙂