I have done this cleanse twice and have had great results both times. It has given me greater amounts of energy, and I lost between three and five pounds each time. Courtney Prather, fitness model and trainer, is the originator of this cleanse. You can read more about her on her website at www.fitnesslifeadventure.com or on Facebook. She has been a big motivator for me throughout my journey, and I am currently using her five day workout from www.cutandjacked.com, which I will probably share in another posts. Cut and Jacked is a great website to look at for new workouts if you're looking for a change. You can check out example workouts from various fitness models and bodybuilders.
In looking at exercise, while following this cleanse, it is important to remember that it is very low in calories as many cleanses are, so you should only do it for seven days at the most and not work out heavily during those days. Yoga, Pilates, light weight lifting, and walking are good forms of exercise from which to choose.
Follow this meal plan as closely as possible to get the best results:
- Upon rising, drink two cups of room temperature water with a squeeze of lemon juice. (I prepared this the night before and put it on my night stand, so I had easy access when I awoke the next morning.)
- Meal 1: Lean Green Juice- 1/2 cucumber (peeled), 2 stalks of asparagus, 2 cups of romaine lettuce, 1 leaf of kale, 1 pear (take out stem and seeds), 1 stalk of celery, 1 inch of ginger root (can omit), and some parsley (also can be omitted)
-When I did this cleanse the first time, I borrowed a really nice Jack LaLanne juicer from a friend in order to make this juice. When I started the second time, I bought my own Bella juicer, which is cheaper and works just as well. I would suggest borrowing one for the first try, because drinking vegetables does take some getting used to!
- Meal 2: Fruit Smoothie- 1 cup of coconut water, 1 cup frozen raspberries, 1 cup fresh mixed berries, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, 1 scoop of vegan vanilla protein powder, and 1 tablespoon of Sun Warrior Ormus Green
-This smoothie is made in a blender. I used my Ninja with the single serve smoothie cup. The vegan protein powder and Sun Warrior Ormus Green can be found at a natural foods store. The first time I tried this cleanse I got soy protein powder and omitted the Ormus Green, because I couldn't find it. The second time I just used regular whey protein powder, but I did not achieve as good of results as the first time.
- Meal 3: Large salad- 6 cups of greens with homemade ginger lime dressing (2 T extra virgin olive oil, 1 t minced ginger, 2-3 T lime juice, and agave nectar to taste). Any additional veggies will do as well.
-I used spinach and cucumber. Courtney says that she uses spring mix lettuce with carrots, cucumbers, sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and chick peas. If you need the variety, I would suggest following Courtney's lead rather than mine.
- Meal 4: Snack- 2 cups fresh veggies with 1/4 cup of hummus or 1/4 of an avocado
-This was my favorite meal of the day, because I love hummus and carrots/cucumbers/celery. Red pepper hummus is my favorite, but again if you like variety, try a bunch of different flavors! Be sure to check the ingredients list and find a fresh hummus rather than one with preservatives and nasty chemicals. The less items in the ingredients list, the better!
- Meal 5: Another large salad like meal 3
- Meal 6: Lean Green juice again, like meal 1. Also, on the side, drink 1 scoop of the vegan protein powder you add into the smoothie with coconut water for added protein.
-I tried to do this right before bed, so I went to bed with something in my stomach.
If you are a meat eater like me, this cleanse will be difficult, but you'll get into the habit after a couple of days. It is also a GREAT jump-start to any weight loss diet! Start your New Year's resolutions off right with this cleanse. I wish everyone good luck in keeping those resolutions throughout the year!
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