About a month and a half ago, our good friend, holistic nutritionist Andrea Sarjeant of Healthy Delicious got in touch with me to asked me if I wanted to join her upcoming group cleanse. Having been through an eventful Fall season, I jumped at the chance to join and regain some much needed discipline. Although scared of what I’d be missing, I knew I’d be gaining much more. I decided that a good way to stay accountable to myself and document this process was to use my Instagram account during the 14 day process. Sometimes it takes a village of your virtual friends to cheer you on and let me tell you, there were days that the encouragement kept me going.
In case you didn’t know, a cleanse (as Andrea told me when I interviewed her on the subject matter earlier this year) is the practice of detoxifying the body of toxins found every day through the environment, our homes, personal care items, such as our makeup and hair products, and the food we eat.
The day before starting our cleanse, Andrea set-up a group on Facebook so we could not only get to know one and another virtually but also, it became a place of virtual support and resources during the 14 day period. As well, we met in person where Andrea handed us the 30 page cleanse handbook which included detailed day to day recipes, ingredients to buy and supplements to support us through the cleanse. We also went on a shopping trip to Kensington market to pick everything up.
The Verdict:
The Very Good: The recipes and food options were DELICIOUS, DELICIOUS (red-curry chicken and brown rice, hello!) . I was never hungry, always satisfied which was a major concern for this foodie. My skin was looking amazing, people I had not seen in awhile even told me so (winning)! Felt focused, calmer, more relaxed. Having the support of Andrea throughout the process was amazing, not only would she check up on each and every one of us via the facebook group, she’d also call and text to check-in on us and our progress.
The Good: Didn’t feel bloated, slept better (insomnia is still a major issue for me) and even lost weight without even trying.
The Bad: First couple days were BRUTAL, my body went into shock without caffeine and sugar. I don’t drink coffee but I drink a lot of black tea and prior to the cleanse as well, sugar is my Kryptonite and saying goodbye to any forms of it, natural or not, was difficult. I’m a banana fan, I have one every day and on the cleanse, because bananas are so high in sugar it was a no-no. So let me tell you that the struggle was real at the beginning. How I compensated? Started buying a whole lotof lipsticks, doing things that made me feel good and took the focus off what I was not having. Being social on a cleanse can also be trying because you can’t drink and have more limited food options but I made it work.
The Verdict: Do it. You won’t regret it and your body will thank you for it. It’s been a few days since we finished our cleanse and I’ve adapted a few of the habits I learned while on it because makes me feel better physically and mentally. I’d do it again and again.
Andrea’s next Healthy Delicious Group Cleanse is just after the Holiday season, a great time to refocus and get your eating on point. If you want to join, click here for all the info http://healthydelicious.ca/new-years-reset-cleanse/ .
Bisous, Winy
Looks very delicious. I will definitely try this.
Thanks Abby! Try it and let us know what you think!
Bisous, Winy