Wondering What Juice Cleanse to Try? Meet The Ripe Stuff

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Juice cleanses are usually a polarizing subject. Some swear by them, others warn of the perils—but one thing we can all agree on is the benefit of consuming all-natural, locally pressed juices (cleansing or not). Leading the pack here in Boston is The Ripe Stuff, founded by Rebecca Ferrell who pursued her own business when she noticed the lack of Boston-based options for juice fans.

Following a surgery and left depleted of nutrients, Ferrell switched gears from her advertising career and studied holistic, integrative nutrition to become a certified health coach. Founding her company on the clever themes of the Cocktail Cleanse and the Corporate Cleanse, she set out to develop programs based primarily on green juice to suit the local market. About 20 pounds of produce go into each day's worth of juice, and much of it is sourced regionally, incorporating seasonal ingredients when possible. And you know you could never take in that many fruits and veggies in their whole form.

The four person company presses all its juices in Weymouth (they take about ten minutes each to make), and you'll often find Ferrell personally delivering the end product. Small batches and short delivery times keep the elixirs fresh, which are loaded with super foods like kale, spinach, and beets. You won't take in any additives with this regimen, with the exception of some agave and cinnamon to sweeten an almond milk flavor. The six-juice cleanses are meant to be done in groups—the Cocktail menu offers a different version of "happy hour," while the Corporate set has office-inspired lingo for coworkers to tackle together.

Getting down to the nitty gritty on cleansing, Ferrell notes that yes, our bodies have built-in detox functions, but if we don't take a break from those fries and blocks of cheese our system will never catch a break. The intention of juicing is to reintroduce exclusively raw, natural goodness and encourage good eating habits while breaking bad ones (we're looking at you, caffeine binges).

Obviously the worse your habits, the more painful a cleanse will be—so listening to your body is key. Hungry? Pick up an apple or avocado. Rigorous exercise, smoking, drinking, and caffeine are on the forbidden list, because at $170 for three days it certainly isn't cheap. Want to ease your way in? Try a day-long option ($60 for 6 juices) or a la carte orders. This season's special flavor set, Spring to Action, includes warm weather ingredients like strawberries and coconut water and is currently available to order.
· The Ripe Stuff [Official Site]
· Recycle Studio Encourages 'Social Sweats' [Racked Boston]