Operation Cleanse: What Flat Tummy Teas Can't Do That Real Food Can!
I decided to do a 2-week cleanse called Operation Cleanse and when I tell you I was pleasantly surprised- I mean I was REALLY happy with the results. The cleanse was much easier than I thought it would be and I lost 5-lbs which wasn't even part of the goal for me. Operation Cleanse was meant to reboot my system for the New Year, and that's exactly what it did.
Operation Cleanse was created by two Dominicanas (woot-woot!), Violet Santana and Indhira Santana, owners of My Wellness Solutions. Violet is a Nutritionist while Indhira is an IIN Health Coach (like myself!) and so I knew I was in good hands. Not only did they understand my needs culturally but they were extremely knowledgeable and helpful.
Operation Cleanse consists of a 2-week cleanse. The first week is a vegan cleanse while the second week is a sugar-free cleanse. I was more than happy to give up both! But I'll admit- the first few days were ROUGH! I was bloated, nauseated, and FULL DISCLOSURE, going to the bathroom like 4 times a day. I suspect this was because of the dietary supplements prescribed to us that were chockfull of fiber. There's also this little thing called a Pre-Cleanse which I did not do AT ALL!
PRO TIP: When conducting any cleanse or detox it's important that you transition into your cleanse with a pre-cleanse. A pre-cleanse can be as simple as reducing the amount of caffeine, sugar or alcohol you consume before your cleanse. The goal of a pre-cleanse is to decrease your chances of experiencing a "detox hangover!" Such a hangover may consist of extreme bloating, migraines, nausea, constipation or diarrhea.
Day 1-3: Needless to say, your girl was miserable for a couple of days! I made an executive decision, with the help of Violet, to stop taking the CleanStart pills because I was mildly concerned that the supplements might have had cross-contamination with wheat. For most people, this is not an issue but because I suffer from Celiac Disease, it's a major problem. Let's just say my body does not digest gluten, wheat, rye or barley. Everyone else doing the cleanse didn't seem to have an issue with the pills.
Day 4-6: Once I quit the pills and let a few days pass, my stomach felt better but I was TIRED! I slept about one to two hours more than usual because I truly felt exhausted. From what my research has shown this reaction is totally normal during a cleanse as your body is releasing toxic wastes.
Day 7-9: After Day 7 of my cleanse my energy level sky-rocketed! The morning smoothies I was drinking was giving me LIFE! Ingesting all those nurtients first thing in the morning was exactly what I'd been missing from my morning routine and I've actually decided to permanently include it into my routine. I also have to say that the cookbook that comes along with Operation Cleanse has some incredibly delicious recipes! They spell it all out for you. From detailed grocery lists to a schedule for every your weekly meals, and I could not be happier!
Day 9-11: During week two of the cleanse I felt like I was TOTALLY in command of my cleanse. I was a meal prepping goddess and my recipes smelled and tasted so delicious that everyone from my co-workers to my boyfriend wanted a taste of what I was cooking up! To be honest I was a bit sad that the cleanse was so close to being over.
Day 11-14: The last few days of the sugar cleanse taught me that giving up sugar, as much as humanly possible, is a must for my body! Simply being off of sugar for a week taught me that it's for sure my weak spot but that I am determined, equipped and supported enough to live without it.
Final Thoughts: Never once was I hangry or deprived. I ate 3 meals and 3 snacks throughout the day and felt completely satisfied throughout the entire cleanse. Most importantly the cleanse wasn't simply about weight loss but about building community via their Facebook group and supporting one another throughout the cleanse. With that said, the added bonus was definitely feeling lighter, healthier and losing a couple pounds. I was grateful for the opportunity to participate in such a cleanse and cannot wait to try some of the other services at My Wellness Solutions.
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