Our Three Day Detox

A few weeks ago, I completed the Dr. Oz three day detox cleanse.  Josh and I both gave it a shot, with similar results, and I thought I'd share how it went for each of us, and give a few tips for making yours a success.  First though, I'd like to make a few disclaimers:

Neither Josh nor I did the cleanse to lose weight. 
We both wanted to rid our systems of the pure crap we'd been consuming for the past few months, and we also wanted a fresh start, and a way to get rid of our individual cravings (his for sweets, mine for...well....everything.)
I'm not saying you won't lose weight if you try it, but I do think hoping for weight loss might set you up for failure.  Think of this detox as a way to jump start a healthy living routine that will, in turn, lead to weight loss (and a general feeling of awesomness.)

It's probably a good idea to cut out, or cut back on, things like alcohol, caffeine and sugar a day or two before you begin.  That part was easy for me since I had a stomach bug the day before I started.  It was like nature's very own cleanse kick start, but I don't recommend it. ;)

OK, let's get started!

Day One:

Josh started his cleanse one day before I did because of my aforementioned stomach bug.  Both of our first days were about the same-- we weren't very hungry, but we did crave solid food.  He realized that kale is not his thing, and I realized that I have an extreme addiction to toast.

I was surprised that I really enjoyed the breakfast and dinner smoothies. (More on the dinner smoothie in a bit)  The lunch smoothie?  Well, it's bearable, but required more gulping, and less enjoying, than the other two.  By the last day, I was adding more green apple than the recipe called for, to mask the taste of celery and kale.

Day one was probably the toughest day mentally, because we both knew we still had two more days to go.  I found that drinking hot water with lemon (in a coffee cup) kept my cravings at bay while helping keep up my water intake, which is very important during any cleanse.

Day Two:

I missed my coffee quite a bit during the cleanse, but not nearly as much as I thought I would.  The green tea with lemon in the morning was fairly enjoyable, and I even looked forward to it on this day and day three.

The smoothies were also easier to enjoy today as well.  I think it's because we both new what to expect, and our hunger had kicked in enough for anything to taste good!  Josh caved on his day two and ate a handful of raw almonds.  We both decided that couldn't be bad, since the breakfast smoothie contains almond butter, which is literally smooshed almonds.  It helped him control his cravings, plus he was still working out through all of this, so I'm sure his body needed the calories.

One thing neither of us was prepared for?  We were both unbelievably cranky.

I was moody too.  Oh man, was I moody.

Our energy levels were about the same that day, but Josh had a huge rush of energy after his lunch smoothie.  I wasn't that lucky though, and felt fairly non-energetic the whole day.

Day Three:

By day three, I was fantasizing about food, and even dreamed about crackers the night before.  I was so hungry that I began snagging little bits of what I was throwing into the blender, just to have something to chew.  My neighbors would have raised eyebrows at the way I ravaged every last morsel of almond butter from the measuring spoon.  It was embarrassing in every sense, but there was no way I wasn't getting every. last. bit.  of my alotted one tablespoon.

I thought, by day three, that I would have crazy amounts of energy and feel like a million bucks.  That did not happen.  Instead, I was even more cranky, bloated and hungry than before.  I tried Josh's "handful of raw almonds" trick on this day too, and it helped to control my hunger...well, almost.

I was never happier to go to sleep than I was at the end of day three.  I knew I'd be waking up to a hot cup of coffee and toast, of course.

What I learned:

• The day after my cleanse I had tons of energy: massive amounts to be exact.  I cleaned and organized like a mad woman.  Oddly enough, that cup of coffee I was craving didn't taste so great, and I only had one before I switched to green tea.

• I'm still craving smoothies a week and a half later, and try to have a cup of green tea every day as well.  (I still love my coffee, but have cut back considerably from what I used to drink.)

• The main lesson I took away from the experience was how alive I felt when it was all said and done.  I didn't lose any weight, but I felt healthy, and that was marvelous!

My Three Day Detox Tips:

1. I mentioned it before, but drinking hot water with lemon is a great way to curb your cravings.  I think I even fooled myself into thinking it was coffee a few times.
2. Be sure to drink plenty of water.  From what I hear, cleanses such as this pull loads of toxins out of your body.  By drinking water, you're ensuring that your body is able to flush all of those toxins away, leading to a better feeling you!
3. Use organic ingredients whenever possible.  If you can only choose a few organic items, take a look at the dirty dozen list to make your choice easier.  We chose to use organic apples, celery, kale, spinach, blueberries and raspberries.
4. The dinner smoothie in this detox is supposed to be made with cayenne pepper.  Josh liked the added heat in his smoothie, but I thought it was horrible.  Instead of enduring an entire smoothie full of cayenne, I chose to sprinkle it on top instead.  That way, I was able to only have a few very hot spoonfuls of smoothie with cayenne, and enjoy the rest without it.  This technique worked great for me, but I will warn you that those spoonfuls will be incredibly hot!
5. Don't give up!  By the second day, I was ready to throw in the towel and heave myself into a pool of salty french fries.  I kept going though, and told myself that the end result would be worth every tortuous minute.

Was it worth it?  Yes.

I learned how my body feels after being pumped full of only good stuff for three days straight.  It was, in a sense, euphoric to know that I had done something great for the this body that I so often neglect.

If you've made it this far in my post, then I have no doubt you'll have the perseverance to complete the three day detox! :)  Find the complete list of ingredients and a breakdown of each day on Dr. Oz's site.

Let me know if you decide to do the cleanse, because I'd love to cheer you on! 

Note:  I'm not affiliated with Dr. Oz, nor am I an expert in nutrition.  Always check with your doctor for questions concerning your health or before any major diet or exercise change.