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A t this time of year when the weather cools and we stop running around like maniacs, it’s common to start thinking a little more inwardly and with an eye toward assessment: What have we been doing badly lately? Going to bed at 3 a.m. with a belly full of te - quila? Slamming peanut butter and white bread while walking to work? Dak galbi with coworkers followed by Cass-n-soju bombs with friends and one too many days without exercise? Times of indulgence are normal and necessary, but the effects can be a total drag, both in the short and long term. It’s a good thing, then, that juice cleanses are starting to catch on in Korea. The detox phenomenon used to be limited to Southern Californian movie stars and TV personalities with lots of extra cash, but thanks to a few pioneering U.S.-based companies like Blue - Print and Kaeng Raeng, juice cleansing has become accessible to everyone. It was only a matter of time before the detox breeze swept around to Korea. The idea behind a juice cleanse is simple: Every day we’re eating and drinking things that are less than healthy — things that are still floating around our bodies in various states of nastiness — but if you flood your system with raw, organic fruit and vegeta- ble juices a whole lot more energy will be directed toward cleaning yourself out (the same energy usually reserved for digestion). Juice cleanses are also really good at break - ing dependencies on foods that undermine good health — cravings are greatly reduced after just three days without sugar, alcohol or coffee — and at boosting the body’s natural ability to heal itself. You’ll drop a few pounds, reset your goals and get some rest while you’re juice cleansing, which are all good things. This is why we detox. As a veteran juicer, I’ve always been able to recognize the need for another cleanse, and a few weeks ago I saw it — weeks and weeks of gin-suffused vacation had left me feeling soft, tired and stupid. My shorts were tighter, my energy lower and my crankiness quicker to fire than my kindness, so I immediately directed my steps toward Mercy Juice in Garosu-gil. One of the rising stars of juice cleansing in Seoul, Mercy Juice’s cold-pressed concoctions attract- ed me with more expediency than the others because of their com- mitment to local products; there were absolutely no scarily oversized Costco strawberries in their refrigerator, no bananas and nothing that would give me pause. As I walked out of their small but swank restaurant with 18 bottles of juice — everything I would eat for the next three days — I felt like I’d made the right choice before I’d even started sipping. Day one commenced quietly. I went for my usual 5-mile run and got dressed like normal, but instead of eating last night’s leftovers or granola for breakfast I tossed back my first bottle of juice and headed out. Two hours later I drank another bottle, then two hours after that another. Six bottles of juice went into my tummy that day, and I wasn’t even sick of it by the time I went to bed; they’re tasty and filling! I woke up on day two with a bit of a headache and low - ered energy — both classic symptoms of the body’s “healing crisis” as it’s known, to be expected at this point of a cleanse — and opted for 30 minutes of really chill yoga in- stead of a run. I drank my juice again, one bottle every two hours, and started to feel super duper awesome by the afternoon; holy hell, where did all this energy come from? I don’t even have the heartburn I usually get on other juice cleanses! Rad! By the end of day three I was feelin’ fine, and words like “vitality” and “pizzazz” flashed through my mind as I went about my business (as opposed to “heavy” and “lazy” and “idle” like last week). The screaming need for two daily coffees had been reduced to a much quieter niggle — far easier to ignore — and my washboard-flat stomach made overeating such a thing of the past; who needs more french fries when your abs look like that?! Days later, even after I’d returned to regular food, the effects of the detox were still at play: Wine and sugar con- sumption stayed in check, and my clothes slid around my body like a dream. Mercy Juice offers two different cleanses, available in three- or five-day sets for around 125,000 won and 200,000 won, respectively. You can have them delivered, pick them up all at once (bring a big bag and some muscles) or pick up daily six-packs one at a time if you live in the area. Mercy Juice also runs a full juice bar for whenever you crave whole, raw, 100 percent en - vironmentally friendly juices, smoothies, shakes or grab-n-go vegan meals, and they’ll happily answer any of your questions — in English — on the phone, via Facebook or in person. They’re really ready to get you back on track for fall. getting there c Sinsa Station, line 3, exit 8. Walk straight down the street for about three minutes, then turn left on Dosan-daero 13-gil (otherwise known as Garosu-gil). Walk for fve minutes, past a 7-Eleven on your right and an MCM store, and take the next right turn beyond Deux Cremes. Go left at the next intersection (you’ll see a Softree ice cream store on your right) before turning right one block down. You’ll see Mercy Juice around the corner on the right side. Look for a black sign. More info j Find them on Facebook or call (02) 547-3595. For English, ask for Emily Yoon.