I've been curious about different cleanses for a couple of years, but I haven't known where to start- until the internet delivered a little Christmas present into my lap that I get to share (in a real way) with you! This January I was contacted by the ladies behind The Conscious Cleanse, and asked if I wanted to participate in exchange for a review & a discount for any interested readers.
It seemed like a perfect way to start the new year, and something you all might be curious about too!
I've heard about cleansing to get rid of toxins in your body, but one of the things that I didn't realize is that while it's great to give your body a break by eating gentler foods, that process helps boost your body's ability to absorb nutrients from the great food you're putting so much of your pay cheque toward every week. I know, it's really practical, but the idea that I was spending so much time & effort on making good choices and I might not be getting the full benefit of them was a huge motivator for me.
The other big benefit of a cleanse is that it can help you re-set your taste buds, figure out what your trigger foods are (foods you might be craving emotionally or be addicted to), and pinpoint food sensitivities that you aren't aware of.
The Conscious Cleanse goes further in that you have an actual handbook including a day by day guide with daily journaling prompts, a focus for your intention, along with insight into how you'll be feeling and what a new ingredient to try out could be. If you buy the more in depth cleanse program you also get access to coaching calls, tips, support, shopping lists and recipe resources. It was honestly such a wonderful experience! I miss those darn journaling prompts, they became a highlight of my morning.
So, my results!
Honestly, I was shocked by my results. I can easily say that participating fully in this has been one of the best gifts I've given myself. I was able to…
- Quit caffeine, because I now start every day energized and fully awake already (!)
- Learn the difference between what it feels like when I'm having a hunger cravings vs. an emotional food craving
- Get creative and excited about food
- Learn new approaches to cooking and eating that worked really well for me
- Discover that I have a massive wheat sensitivity that's been sincerely effecting my life without me knowing
- Break through the weight barrier that I haven't been able to drop below for four years
Since starting the cleanse I've kept up with the way of eating it brought into my life 80% of the time, and am treating myself 20% of the time. I've lost ten pounds without making any other changes, I have more energy than ever before and feel incredibly motivated to keep up the momentum from the experience.
It was a great experience that I can't recommend highly enough- if you're interested in the live programs there's a new one starting on April 14th and you can get 20% off using the discount code: RFCC912.
If you'd like a solo cleanse you can start any time, buy the book and you can cleanse any time you like.
Have you ever tried a cleanse or detox?
I'd love to answer any questions you have in the comments! I'd never tired anything like this before and the emphasis on eating simple, whole food was easy enough for a beginner, didn't leave me hungry and didn't zap my energy.
LAST UPDATED ON: March 7th, 2013
CATEGORY: All Posts
wow, what great results! that’s fantastic! i have really wanted to try a cleanse, i may need to check this out…my husband and i just recently started a 80/20 type health kick…we still have off days here or there, but so far so good!
We are thrilled to hear of your results, Kyla! Thanks for sharing with your readers! Keep up the great 80:20 work and stay in touch with us.
I’m really happy to hear your positive experience with this. I have always been so skeptical of cleanses and fasts in the past, but I’m coming around. Especially a style like this that is even partly an elimination diet so you can try to pinpoint certain problem foods.
And I’m a sucker for journal prompts.
I am currently on Day 13 of the Whole30 challenge and I feel fantastic. If you’ve never heard of it, basically you can eat meat, seafood, fruit, veggies, eggs and nuts. No dairy, no wheat, no sugar, no booze. It’s been absolutely incredible. I knew I could never commit to a cleanse where it’s like drink a million glasses of water and only eat one meal a day, because I love food to much so when I heard about the Whole30 I definitely knew I wanted to try. It’s not always easy as I have a sweet/salty tooth for suuure and miss my potato chips and chocolates haha, but in the end I feel so much better. I used to have a lot of tummy probs and haven’t had any since I started this. I truly know that it has changed my life and changed the way that I look at eating and what I put into my body and for that I am so grateful for trying it! I have been blogging my journey with it if you want to check it out at missteacups.com
Kyla,
Amazing results! We are so glad you enjoyed your experience on the cleanse and have found renewed physical and mental benefits. That is EXACTLY what we are all about.
In health,
Holly
Great results! I’ve been cleaning up my eating a lot lately as well. It really does have a huge impact on my day-to-day experience.
The best cleanse I’ve ever tried and still use in a sustainable way is juicing. It started out as a means to weight loss and to cleanse my body of any meat because at the time I had just made the lifestyle choice to become a vegetarian. I’m a vegan now but I still like to juice daily, to accompany the healthy meals that I prepare. I highly recommend it!
I have wanted to do a cleanse for a while, but have resisted because I’m not quite sure how to balance what the family eats with what I’m eating. I’m quite certain my husband would not participate and I don’t think it’s the right thing for a toddler to do. That said, I am always fascinated when others do cleanses and wind up spending hours searching the internet to learn more about them.
I just finished Whole30 & it was amazing. I love doing cleanses… it’s amazing how much hitting “reset” can benefit you. and congrats! great accomplishments.
hm, no caffeine is a scary thought! But I’d love to try this out, if only to give me some good healthy meal ideas… I get into such a rut with trying to think of what to make, I sink into “make your own pizza” night far too easily! A food routine would go a long way I think. I’m guessing this is vegetarian friendly?
xox
Way to go, Kyla! I’ve been doing a cleanse myself – no caffeine. I’ve found that caffeine consumption makes my heart murmurer more prominent when I consume too much, so I decided either decaf or none at all.
I love cleanses!! I haven’t had a great experience with one, though…lol. I tried the Master Cleanse twice, now (the one with just lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup) and it was super-horrible – BUT it did make me crave great food after the few days I survived it. lol. Off to check this one out! :)
I think there are a lot of benefits to doing cleanses, but one thing that really gets me (being a nursing student now) is the idea that it cleanses the body of toxins. It doesn’t. Your liver, kidneys and immune system do that quite well unless you have some kind of illness involving them.
But having done Paleo now for two and half months, the changes in my cravings, my tastebuds, my energy levels, and in general how I feel have been great. I attribute that to the more natural nutrients that I’m getting. I’m not sure a “cleanse” is needed, but I do think it helps break people of some bad habits and that’s always good!
I totally agree with you on this. As a nutritionist it actually kinda drives me up the walls! I like the sound of this cleanse since it encourages great foods and can work as an elimination diet.
And I think Paleo is great as well for the same reasons.
Thinking about this from another perspective I totally see what you mean, and how this could be frustrating! lol How I was thinking about this is that I stopped eating sugars and drinking tons of caffeine – essentially dumping bad things into my body – so when that influx stopped I was able to stop it and keep it up for an extended amount of time. But that’s not the same thing as getting rid of toxins! Better wording would be a good thing :)
This is fantastic! I have not done a cleanse with all of these goals, but I have played with my diet with these goals in mind! I always love the results and feel so accomplished! This is such a great post! So happy for you!
Great results!! :) I think I am on an unintentional cleanse – AKA working at a hundred miles per hour and not having time to eat, lol
Oh my gosh, Kyla, I am so excited that you posted this! I have been investigating cleanses (mainly juice cleanse) for the past few months and this post is really motivating me to do it! I already have their book in my Amazon wishlist from the article you posted on twitter the other day. :)
Awesome! I found not eating sugar for 5 weeks really helped reset my taste buds as well. Though I’m slowly going back on it.. I’m curious to hear more about what kind of food this cleanse had you eating and what it had you avoiding!
I like to do a two day cleanse I found in Womens Health. It is an easy way to get back on track if I have been eating bad.