Exalt marked my first initiation into the world of juice cleanses and is a great place to start. I first sampled the selection back in December 2021 and had another go with the cleanse in January 2023. The brand’s juice cleanse is much freer than some of the other brands on this list in that it doesn’t give you a specific juice for each time of the day – bar separating the bottles by their purpose – caffeine for an energy-boost, protein for pre or post workout and the cold-pressed juice for evening time.
There are also lots of flavours, both a blessing and a curse. A blessing in the sense that everyday and meal time was different, and a curse as it felt quite overwhelming when the bundle first arrived but you quickly find your favourites which helps for any follow up cleanses.
Exalt has a combination of cold-pressed juices and high protein smoothies – and the latter were far more filling and made a nice break from that fruit/vegetable flavour that we found to be repetitive with some of the other brands in this list.
Backed by science, each has been developed with a team of dietitians, nutritionists, and fitness experts with a combination of natural and quality ingredients. The protein is Exalt’s own triple-release blend and each component – be it the cacao or the berries – is added for its nutritional advantages and to pack antioxidants, immune-boosting or cardiorespiratory benefits into each and every one.
While we were concerned about the quantity of waste that the accumulation of the plastic bottles produced by the end, 50 per cent of it is made from recycled plastic and the brand donates to ocean plastic charities with each bottle sold. They also emphasise sustainability through the supply chain.
There are different bundle packs depending on your needs with more options added since our first foray with the brand. The Beautiful, Awake and Calm has seven juices targeting energy and skin, the Trial Box (with a vegan alternative) lets you try one of every flavour and then there’s the Break-Fast that’s made up of, you guessed it, breakfast smoothies as well as the Gym Bunny with the conocotions to supercharge your fitness routine.
I tried the five-day The Exalt Life cleanse that comprised of 30 juices in total. Each day, you should have four of the diet protein smoothies and two of the cold-pressed juices that act as a supplement with the likes of collagen, adaptogens and CBD included in the formulations. Choose your cleanse from one day to two weeks.
I found the quantity to be quite a lot to consume in one day and only really got round to having three of the shakes and one of the juices a day. The protein smoothies are very filling and yet, unlike most others, don’t feel heavy or stodgy. Particular highlights included the Lean Machine which was great after a workout and the Anything But Vanilla, which had a subtle vanilla taste, overnight oats, almond butter and banana. The Health Nut tasted like a chocolate Nesquik and the Berry Berry Good (my personal favourite) was a fresh fruity hit, while feeling substantial at the same time. Since I tried the cleanse for the first time, Zest Fest has been added to the line-up, a chocolate protein shake with the added bonus of orange. The latter was something I looked forward to each day.
On the juice front, each was delicious. The Chilled AF (that contained the CBD mentioned earlier) was like a citrusy virgin cocktail with its combination of pineapple, orange, mango and lime. The Cherry Bomb gave a welcomed energy boost with the inclusion of 150mg of natural caffeine that will be particularly appreciated by those forgoing their traditional cup of Jo during the cleanse. The Nip & Tuck and Glow – both green juices – were super refreshing and are designed to give skin a boost from the inside out with collagen, antioxidants and more. The only niggle that I have with these juices is that they contain bits (not pulp but like residue for the mixing) that aren’t the most pleasant.
The bottles are sent on ice, have a shelf life for up to 14 days and are handmade fresh in Hackney each week.
