Everyone knows somebody who’s on a cleanse. They are in a constant state of euphoria, repeating over and over (and over) again the bliss they feel now that they’ve cut out what ever it is that you’re still currently enjoying eating. And while most people are talking about the cool bar they went to over the weekend or the heavenly fish tacos at the best mexican joint in the city (imho), clean-eaters are still innocuously rambling on about the inner workings of their latest smoothie concoction. Let’s face it, 99% of social endeavevors include eating, drinking or a combination of the two; activities in which cleansers cannot partake. What else are they going to talk about?

So let’s get down to it; I am one of those people. After a weekend of whimsically frolicking around the grounds of Osheaga, being dehydrated in the 25° weather, getting caught smuggling in ample amounts of Kraken, and eating back-to-back poutines at Banquis, I vowed to start a cleanse. Like most of us, when we say “I’m never drinking again” we really don’t know how much we mean it, but after how I felt after 4 or 5 (delicious) pastries at La Fabrique Arhoma (a necessary stop for a bakery in Montreal!), I meant it.

After researching on the 5 hour drive home, I decided on the Clean Program Cleanse, however substituting the Clean Program Shakes with the Vanilla and Mocha Vega Protein Powders (Must Try!) that I already had on hand. On the cleanse, you’re essentially eating a plant based diet, and in the evenings, giving your body 12 hours between meals; enough time to fully digest, and then self-cleanse your body.

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Read our other tips on How To Stay Successful On A Cleanse

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Results Have I Seen In The Last Week on this Cleansing Plan:

Huge Increase In Energy

I’ll be the first to admit that when I started this cleansing plan, mainly cutting out coffee, I didn’t quite know how I would do it. Many aspects of the cleanse were not a far cry from my regular eating program (minus about 7 burritos/week), but coffee’s place in my life had extended past an addiction to an actual dependency. I could barely crawl out of bed and begin functioning regularly without the smell of coffee wafting up my staircase.

The first 2 days coffee-free were harsh. I had foggy mind, and vision. I almost fell asleep during the day which is way out of character for me, I was cranky. When the withdrawal peaked, I could actually smell the scent of coffee when there was no coffee in sight. Luckily the cleanse allowed me to drink green tea which I was allowing myself 1-2 cups and day, and I was also trying to stay properly hydrated to help stave off the cravings.

The cleanse also lets us have Cacao powder and Maca powder which is a natural energy booster so I’ve used the following recipe to boost energy during low points:

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. raw cacao powder
2 tsp. maca powder
pinch sea salt
pinch cinnamon powder
1 Tbsp. coconut sugar (optional)
A few drops of vanilla extract(optional)
1-2 cups almond or coconut milk or water

Directions:

1. Boil water or warm milk on the stove in a small saucepan.
2. Turn the water down to a simmer and mix in your dry ingredients.
3. Pour into a cup and enjoy!

I began the cleanse on Tuesday morning and by Thursday I felt I could get through the day without needing a caffeine boost! Today I went to one of my favourite workout classes, Barre3, and in a workout that totally kicked my a** last week, I definitely turned it around today. I glided through the class with ease, taking something that was a huge challenge for me last week to simply just a great workout!

Weight Loss

I didn’t take the time to weigh myself inaccurately before I began this cleanse as A) I began the cleanse post-osheaga and with about 3 poutines in my system. At that point, I really did not want to know what the scale said; and B) I didn’t go on this cleanse with the purpose to lose weight, so much as,I wanted to cleanse out all of the bad, nutrient poor food and drinks that I had been loading into my body in the past few years.

Regardless, in just a week, with minimal effort I was able to lose 3-5 pounds! I know this because even though I didn’t weigh myself when I began, it is 5 lbs lower than my regular fluctuating weight. My boyfriend who is on the cleanse with me had the same results, weighing in 5 pounds lower than he usually does, even though he’s been snacking like crazy.

This was legit effortless weight loss, we were barely hungry at all on this diet, in fact we were eating so well on this plan that we feel pretty satiated at all times. It allows us to enjoy some of our delicious favorite snacks such as hummus and guacamole.

I’ve Got That Glow

Now don’t get suspicious! I swear it must be all the carrots; like that episode of the Magic School Bus when Albert eats too many Seaweedies and turns orange. I’ve eaten just enough to give my skin a slight faux-tan gold hue and drank enough water to give me that glean. My skin has become exponentially smoother, and so baby-soft I surprise myself when my arms rub against each other. People have been telling me I’m glowing at all hours of the day. Literally people stop me….its getting creepy… I’ll leave it at that.

Thinking Clearer

When you drink a lot of coffee, you get a burst of energy and it feels AMAZING. You can get so much done in such a short amount of time, you’re multi-tasking, you’re leading meetings, you’re writing repor-oh oops, you crashed.

The difference between the real caffeine-free, and clear energy I’m feeling now and what I felt about 2 weeks ago is worlds apart. I wake up and I can jump out of bed without needing to reach for a cup of java, my brain starts functioning almost immediately, allowing me to pick presentable outfits, whereas before I would bleary-eyed pick the first thing in front of me (resulting in outfits that are so mis-matched, they almost seem like I did it on purpose). I feel a steady stream of energy throughout the day and I actually can pay attention better in my workout classes, or when my boyfriend’s mother is talking at me. I’ll admit, I still have coffee cravings, but I think that is normal after 10+ years of caffeine dependency.

If these are my results after only the first week, I’m excited to see how things progress.

Time Management

The first 2 days of our cleanse, we must have gone to the grocery store 5 times and spent 6 hours cooking. Most people (us included) do not have the time to dedicate towards that. So until your potential dreams as aspiring house-girlfriend fabricate into reality, you need to think smart about how you are going to manage your time and your meal prep. Although every single recipe on the plan will look delicious, and you will want to try it, it will not be realistic to cook, prepare and store every single one.

Many of our regular to-do’s and tasks got put on the back burner because of the time we dedicated to cooking, so we had to think of a smart way to manage our time. This week, during our meal prep we were a lot smarter, and now we have a few days of meals prepped and ready which will make meal times this week a breeze.

A few things we implemented this week to keep organized:

• Create a book of recipes, keep it organized (see image above)

• Make smart grocery lists; organize them by areas in the grocery store so you’re not walking back and forth through aisles.

• Plan the exact recipes and amounts you want to eat for the week and shop accordingly

Stomach Pain Subsided

I’ve had this recurring pain in my abdomen for about two years… Yes, I know I should have gotten it checked out earlier. I know, how could I let it drag on this long? I’ve heard it all before. I’m not good at making doctors appointments, what can I say? I spend all my time working on this blog.

I have been trying to eliminate certain foods to see if a specific food or ingredient was causing it. With this plan and only eating one solid meal a day, at the beginning of the cleanse I noticed that the pain was only occurring after I had eaten lunch which led me to believe that the pain was caused from eating solid food! But now, a week in, the pain hasn’t returned for a few days! It was so great to go a few days without the pains! I’m beginning to think that it could have been caused by eating an inflammatory diet in general and after clearing out acidic foods, coffee and giving my digestive system some time to rest, things are getting better, but I’ll keep checking in to see how this progresses.

PS: You’ll be happy to know I’m actually getting my stomach checked out today regardless.
Hope you enjoyed my sysnopsis of my first week on the cleanse! I’ll be sure to check to update you guys on how week 2 progresses, as well as some yummy recipes! If you have any questions, leave them in the comments!

Don’t forget to follow on instagram and twitter @yessupply for more updates and inspiring quotes/articles.

xo.

Reese