Shakin' It Up At Cafe Rivva

Recently, I've been reading and hearing so much about cleanses that I've secretly desired to try one. It seems to be the Hollywood way of detoxing your body and losing weight fast. I know I would never actually be able to do one, since I love food way too much, though I find myself envious of those who are successfully able to complete a cleanse. When a fairly new vegetarian cafe called Cafe Rivva had a deal on Living Social for $15 for $30 worth of juices, smoothies and frozen yogurt, I was excited at the chance to attempt some sort of juice diet. It also helped that it is located near me in Brentwood.

The cafe was so cute and had a vibrant energy that was transferred into the delicious smoothies. The voucher could be used across multiple visits, thus I decided to try a raw shake diet in place of lunch. I did not do this consecutively, as I started to miss food too much. I also felt tempted to order one of their scrumptious sandwiches to go with the shake, but I controlled my urges to maintain the diet.

On day one, I ordered a Kale Smoothie, which had kale, banana, almond butter, flaxseed and agave.

I loved this smoothie. It was so frothy and creamy and had a light sweetness to it. It was also fairly dense and filling. I only ordered the 12 oz smoothie and this kept me satisfied until dinner.

On day two of my diet, I tried the Raw Cacao Smoothie made from cacao powder, almond milk, dandelion blend, banana, coconut oil and topped with cacao nibs.

This was probably my favorite shake and it was so rich and decadent. It had a strong chocolatey flavor and was very dessert-like. The cacao nibs on top were a great contrast to the smooth and creamy shake. This was reminiscent of a chocolate milkshake, only way healthier.

On day three, I decided to give the Green Delight a try, despite it sounding kind of odd. It was composed of spinach, super green powder, almond milk, banana, and agave.

This was very similar to the kale smoothie, only a little less frothy and not as sweet. It had a lighter flavor and was very enjoyable. It was still very creamy and quite decadent. I was nervous the spinach might be overpowering, but there was only a hint of it in the shake.

On day four, I opted for something more fruity for a change. Thus, I chose the Superfood Smoothie, made of blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, banana, goji, tocos, spirulina, almond milk, and agave.

This was like no fruit smoothie I've had before! It was very fruity and sweet but also very frothy. It was slightly creamy and had notes of spirulina, which added a light bitterness to it which was a great contrast to the various fruits and agave.

On day five, I decided to order another fruity drink, thus I chose the Westside Post-Yoga Refresher made   from blueberry, banana, spirulina, maca, and coconut water.

This smoothie was very similar to the Superfood Smoothie, although it wasn't as frothy or creamy. It was  a little lighter and also did not taste as sweet. It was very refreshing and the name is definitely fitting. While I enjoyed this smoothie, I still prefer the Superfood Smoothie.

My raw shake diet ended up being very successful. I was able to enjoy five delicious 12 oz smoothies for just $30. Normally each shake cost $6, but with the discount I only ended up paying $3. This is such a great deal considering how nutrient-rich each smoothie is, along with being packed with many high quality organic ingredients. I also felt satisfied and energized from each drink and didn't find myself craving food throughout the day as I normally do. The staff at Cafe Rivva were very friendly and told me they plan on doing another deal like this soon. This is my new favorite juice joint and I can't wait to try the rest of their menu.