Happy 2014!!!!
As most people do around this time of year, I've been thinking of ways to get healthier. Not necessarily to lose 5 pounds, or to drop a pants size (or two), but to just be healthier in my food and life choices. But it's really hard to kick those old habits (aheem the two cups of coffee and diet cokes I have every day...) So I decided to do a cleanse... and somehow convinced my husband to do it with me. I had talked with him about it before and he seemed skeptical, then he heard from Steve Edwards at beachbody (fitness director) talking about the benefits of doing cleanses and resetting your system and blameee... he came on board.
After a lot of research about the 'best cleanses' out there I chose the Dr. Oz 3 day cleanse mostly because it seemed like the smoothies would taste good and there were a lot of reviews out there.
As most people do around this time of year, I've been thinking of ways to get healthier. Not necessarily to lose 5 pounds, or to drop a pants size (or two), but to just be healthier in my food and life choices. But it's really hard to kick those old habits (aheem the two cups of coffee and diet cokes I have every day...) So I decided to do a cleanse... and somehow convinced my husband to do it with me. I had talked with him about it before and he seemed skeptical, then he heard from Steve Edwards at beachbody (fitness director) talking about the benefits of doing cleanses and resetting your system and blameee... he came on board.
After a lot of research about the 'best cleanses' out there I chose the Dr. Oz 3 day cleanse mostly because it seemed like the smoothies would taste good and there were a lot of reviews out there.
The good news is the diet is packed with good veggies and fruits, the bad news is they estimate it to cost about $17 a day but I'd say it's closer to $20 per person per day. Hopefully it pays off :).
Our grocery list (for two people) consisted of:
Multi-vitamins
Probiotics
Omega 3 Supplement
3 packages frozen raspberries
2 packages frozen blueberries
3 packages frozen pineapple
4 green apples
4 mangoes
12 lemons
4 limes
12 cups of kale
2 avocados
6 cucumbers
12 bananas
24 stalks of celery
4 liters coconut water
3 cups of almond milk
cayenne pepper (had this)
ground flaxseed (had this)
almond butter
coconut oil
green tea bags
stevia
epson salt with lavender
Multi-vitamins
Probiotics
Omega 3 Supplement
3 packages frozen raspberries
2 packages frozen blueberries
3 packages frozen pineapple
4 green apples
4 mangoes
12 lemons
4 limes
12 cups of kale
2 avocados
6 cucumbers
12 bananas
24 stalks of celery
4 liters coconut water
3 cups of almond milk
cayenne pepper (had this)
ground flaxseed (had this)
almond butter
coconut oil
green tea bags
stevia
epson salt with lavender
I will say that I was the least embarrassed to buy these groceries than I have ever been before lol. We had a big new years meal on new years day before our cleanse to satisfy any last minute cravings. We planned to do three days of a cleanse and then eat vegan for the following 7 days - just to see if we could :).
The cleanse works as follows: tea and breakfast drink, lunch drink and vitamins, snack drink (your choice of the three), and dinner drink. You're also supposed to do a detox bath each night soaking with epson salt.
There is a handy sheet you can print off here and details on why to cleanse here. Some of the benefits of cleansing include:
My goal was to just cleanse my system from all of the toxins - so that works too :). The smoothies run (I've read) about 350 calories a pop so you're getting in a good amount of calories a day (you're not starving yourself). Here is my review of this cleansing system. Feel free to ask questions or share your experiences!
There is a handy sheet you can print off here and details on why to cleanse here. Some of the benefits of cleansing include:
- Jump start a more active lifestyle
- Removes 'congestion' from the wrong types of food
- Cleanse your system of bad habits
- Getting to drink lots of juice (lol)
My goal was to just cleanse my system from all of the toxins - so that works too :). The smoothies run (I've read) about 350 calories a pop so you're getting in a good amount of calories a day (you're not starving yourself). Here is my review of this cleansing system. Feel free to ask questions or share your experiences!
Cleanse Day 1- Thursday
Breakfast:
The morning smoothie was actually pretty good. I had already read online that it was the best smoothie of the three so I had high expectations. It was good though, not great.
I've never had Stevia before and I must have put too much in - I didn't like the tea very much.
I can't believe how much drink there was - almost two cups worth. I was NOT hungry at all after. In fact, I had a hard time finishing it!
How did I feel: me: full!, husband: "missed the caffeine jolt from his usual coffee" but other than that, he was satisfied. Also, it was a bit strange but I felt a bit red or 'hot' when I was drinking the breakfast smoothie - it must have been those toxins leaving :).
The morning smoothie was actually pretty good. I had already read online that it was the best smoothie of the three so I had high expectations. It was good though, not great.
I've never had Stevia before and I must have put too much in - I didn't like the tea very much.
I can't believe how much drink there was - almost two cups worth. I was NOT hungry at all after. In fact, I had a hard time finishing it!
How did I feel: me: full!, husband: "missed the caffeine jolt from his usual coffee" but other than that, he was satisfied. Also, it was a bit strange but I felt a bit red or 'hot' when I was drinking the breakfast smoothie - it must have been those toxins leaving :).
Lunch:
Definitely no where near as good as the breakfast smoothie. It was again a TON to drink - two pint glasses worth! I didn't really like the taste that much. I couldn't put my finger on what it was exactly that I didn't like... but it wasn't my favorite. My husband pre-mixed it and took it with him to work he said, "it wasn't very tasty and it was really thick"
How did I feel: me: full and a bit gassy, husband: full
Definitely no where near as good as the breakfast smoothie. It was again a TON to drink - two pint glasses worth! I didn't really like the taste that much. I couldn't put my finger on what it was exactly that I didn't like... but it wasn't my favorite. My husband pre-mixed it and took it with him to work he said, "it wasn't very tasty and it was really thick"
How did I feel: me: full and a bit gassy, husband: full
Snack:
I was so full after lunch that I didn't think I'd want the snack drink... then I cleaned the kitchen and had the hardest time not munching so I made a snack drink. I had 1/2 of the breakfast drink around 5 pm and the rest when the hubs got home at 630pm. I'm missing a warm meal right now because I just finished shoveling the driveway.
My husband got home and he felt like he was coming down with the flu - or at least has flu like symptoms (tired, no energy and a bit achy). He read online that this is a common side effect. We'll see... he also chose the breakfast drink for his snack - it's a winner.
How did I feel: me: it was delicious and it put me in a great mood! my stomach is cramping a bit though. husband: he was starving so he was happy after - took a nap :).
I was so full after lunch that I didn't think I'd want the snack drink... then I cleaned the kitchen and had the hardest time not munching so I made a snack drink. I had 1/2 of the breakfast drink around 5 pm and the rest when the hubs got home at 630pm. I'm missing a warm meal right now because I just finished shoveling the driveway.
My husband got home and he felt like he was coming down with the flu - or at least has flu like symptoms (tired, no energy and a bit achy). He read online that this is a common side effect. We'll see... he also chose the breakfast drink for his snack - it's a winner.
How did I feel: me: it was delicious and it put me in a great mood! my stomach is cramping a bit though. husband: he was starving so he was happy after - took a nap :).
Dinner: The first drink was weird - the Cayenne is definitely apparent. I really didn't like it at first but the more I drank, the better it got! I was surprised by that. My husband felt the same way.
How did I feel: me and husband: it was filling. I wish it would have been a warm soup like recipe but it wasn't... it was good for what it was.
Detox bath: The bath was great! Who doesn't like a nice warm soak!?
I had a pretty good headache and a bit of a stomach cramp at the end of the night.
How did I feel: me and husband: it was filling. I wish it would have been a warm soup like recipe but it wasn't... it was good for what it was.
Detox bath: The bath was great! Who doesn't like a nice warm soak!?
I had a pretty good headache and a bit of a stomach cramp at the end of the night.
Cleanse Day 2- Friday
I woke up today feeling normal. A little tired but that's likely just because of the holidays! My husband is getting sick - not sure that's really related. I wasn't hungry at all - which I was surprised by. I weighed myself this morning just to see - I was down about 1.5 pounds. Not sure that's significant yet (your weight can very a lot each day). But overall I was feeling good! The stomach ache and headache were gone!
Breakfast:
Because I wasn't crazy about the tea yesterday morning I made sure to make a larger cup so the stevia wasn't as prominent. MUCH better! I made the breakfast drink again and this time I thought it was FABULOUS! It sort of tastes like raspberry lemonade. Yum! I was full and shoveled the driveway (again - sooo much snow) after!
How did I feel: me: it was delicious and it put me in a great mood!
Lunch:
I didn't eat until 2pm - that's right, I wasn't even hungry! I made myself drink it! I blended the smoothie much more today to try to make it less thick. It still was... so I added some sparkling water to thin it out. It still isn't my favorite drink but it's filling. I think it's the celery I'm not loving. Go figure... I only like it with peanut butter or in soup!
How did I feel: me: it wasn't that great but it was filling.
Dinner:
The smoothie was much better tonight! It's still not my favorite (and my husband said it's least favorite of the three), but it was much better. Our avocados weren't very ripe so that might have affected it.
How did I feel: me: super filling, took me a long time to drink it. I was full - but my cravings are really kicking in. Not because I'm hungry but because it 'sounds good'.
Breakfast:
Because I wasn't crazy about the tea yesterday morning I made sure to make a larger cup so the stevia wasn't as prominent. MUCH better! I made the breakfast drink again and this time I thought it was FABULOUS! It sort of tastes like raspberry lemonade. Yum! I was full and shoveled the driveway (again - sooo much snow) after!
How did I feel: me: it was delicious and it put me in a great mood!
Lunch:
I didn't eat until 2pm - that's right, I wasn't even hungry! I made myself drink it! I blended the smoothie much more today to try to make it less thick. It still was... so I added some sparkling water to thin it out. It still isn't my favorite drink but it's filling. I think it's the celery I'm not loving. Go figure... I only like it with peanut butter or in soup!
How did I feel: me: it wasn't that great but it was filling.
Dinner:
The smoothie was much better tonight! It's still not my favorite (and my husband said it's least favorite of the three), but it was much better. Our avocados weren't very ripe so that might have affected it.
How did I feel: me: super filling, took me a long time to drink it. I was full - but my cravings are really kicking in. Not because I'm hungry but because it 'sounds good'.
Cleanse Day 3- Saturday
I was really tired last night. I fell asleep for a few minutes of Anchorman 2 when we went to see it! I'm not sure what's up with that as I've been getting plenty of rest! I was down a total of 3 pounds and the hubs was down a total of around 5 lbs. Crazy.
Breakfast:
Breakfast was delicious as always. I sort of feel like my tastebuds have adjusted to these flavors better! It was sooo good. The tea was just 'drinkable' this morning. I chugged it but didn't really enjoy it. I think it's the combo of the lemon and the stevia...
How did I feel: me: it was delicious and it put me in a great mood!
Lunch:
I was hungry and had to force myself to wait till 1230 to drink this! It was less gross today because I only used 3 celery instead of 4 so it was more smoothie like. It was actually not bad.
How did I feel: me: it wasn't that great but it was filling.
Snack:
I had the breakfast smoothie again - YUMMY. I was so hungry and my cravings were at an all time high! Probably because I know I'm so near the finish line.
How did I feel: me: it was delicious and I was tired so I took a nap.
Dinner:
The smoothie was much better tonight! I think it's because my taste buds are adjusting! Crazy. I was really craving a hot meal because I knew it was my last smoothie before real food! I shouldn't have thought about it like that but I couldn't help it. I also went grocery shopping which was pretty tormenting lol.
How did I feel: me: I felt good but my cravings were through the roof!
Breakfast:
Breakfast was delicious as always. I sort of feel like my tastebuds have adjusted to these flavors better! It was sooo good. The tea was just 'drinkable' this morning. I chugged it but didn't really enjoy it. I think it's the combo of the lemon and the stevia...
How did I feel: me: it was delicious and it put me in a great mood!
Lunch:
I was hungry and had to force myself to wait till 1230 to drink this! It was less gross today because I only used 3 celery instead of 4 so it was more smoothie like. It was actually not bad.
How did I feel: me: it wasn't that great but it was filling.
Snack:
I had the breakfast smoothie again - YUMMY. I was so hungry and my cravings were at an all time high! Probably because I know I'm so near the finish line.
How did I feel: me: it was delicious and I was tired so I took a nap.
Dinner:
The smoothie was much better tonight! I think it's because my taste buds are adjusting! Crazy. I was really craving a hot meal because I knew it was my last smoothie before real food! I shouldn't have thought about it like that but I couldn't help it. I also went grocery shopping which was pretty tormenting lol.
How did I feel: me: I felt good but my cravings were through the roof!
Overall, I lost 4 lbs and my husband lost 6 lbs.
I would definitely do this again - there's just something about eating extremely healthy for 3 days that makes you feel good inside. I also learned that I can control my cravings (I didn't cheat at all!). It helps if you do this with a friend or spouse to keep you motivated, otherwise it could be very hard! My husband didn't feel very good throughout the whole process -I think it was residual sickness from Christmas time - so it's hard for him to give an honest review. However, he did say he felt good about getting so many nutrients inside of him, but he was hungry most of the time and craving real food (I usually eat around 1500 calories a day, and my husband eats around 2000... at around 1400 calories a day for the cleanse it was a much larger cut in his calorie intake than me!).
I broke my 3-day cleanse on Sunday morning with a bagel - it was only 'pretty good' which surprised me. We'll see how long it keeps my cravings curbed :). We're following this cleanse with a 7 day vegan challenge - I'd recommend you check this out too! Let me know if you try this and how it goes!
I would definitely do this again - there's just something about eating extremely healthy for 3 days that makes you feel good inside. I also learned that I can control my cravings (I didn't cheat at all!). It helps if you do this with a friend or spouse to keep you motivated, otherwise it could be very hard! My husband didn't feel very good throughout the whole process -I think it was residual sickness from Christmas time - so it's hard for him to give an honest review. However, he did say he felt good about getting so many nutrients inside of him, but he was hungry most of the time and craving real food (I usually eat around 1500 calories a day, and my husband eats around 2000... at around 1400 calories a day for the cleanse it was a much larger cut in his calorie intake than me!).
I broke my 3-day cleanse on Sunday morning with a bagel - it was only 'pretty good' which surprised me. We'll see how long it keeps my cravings curbed :). We're following this cleanse with a 7 day vegan challenge - I'd recommend you check this out too! Let me know if you try this and how it goes!
*knowgirl Scarlett