21-Day Cleanse (autumn)

My husband and I did the 21 day Spring Cleanse together. It was a very positive experience! We both needed a change in our diet, and with the meal plans and recipes at our fingertips, we had nothing to lose (but weight!). Prior to the cleanse we were eating very poorly. During the 21 days, we changed some meals around and omitted some snacks but didn't stray from the cleanse other than sharing one glass of wine at a festival and my husband having grilled chicken on a salad a few times. I lost 10.1 lbs and my husband lost 15 lbs!! We really needed this boost! And you would think the weight loss was the best part, but it really wasn't. Turns out we LOVED eating plant based!! The meals were soooo flavorful and we were never hungry. The variety in each meal kept it exciting and kept us motivated. I am reading two books: Eating on the Wild Side and How Not to Diet, and they both confirm that a plant based lifestyle is so beneficial for your health. My husband and I have enjoyed it so much that we have joined Rawk the Year and already did our meal plan for this week. Having the customized grocery list really works for us and we have found that we need a meal plan to succeed. We have not been caught hungry with no idea of what to eat. Thank you for providing such an invaluable tool! Our health is so very grateful!!

This is my second 21-Day Cleanse and I had a slightly harder time with this one than I did with the fall version! I lost 5 lbs and felt great about cutting out sugar and caffeine. I did experience some fatigue and headaches the first week, but they cleared up quickly and I was able to feel more energized and clearheaded the second week. I had some challenges around keeping up with the cleanse on weekends, as we are often at social events or other celebrations, but got back on track during the weeks. I'm proud of myself for keeping up with the daily smoothie habit. I usually eat plenty of veggies, but have a harder time getting fruits into my diet. The smoothies have been perfect for making sure I get a couple of servings in first thing!

I joined the cleanse to feel better, and to stop drinking coffee. As I was going through the cleanse, the first 3-4 days were hard because I had caffeine headaches and had to nap and take Tylenol. After the 10th day, I knew I had kicked my coffee addiction and felt “lighter.” Now I feel great, my gut feels phenomenal, and I have reduced my GERD maybe completely. I’m proud I stuck it out! I’m amazed at how easy it is to make homemade pesto, and am loving looking in the Simple Green Smoothies dot com recipes to use the extra food I have left over. Also I love making the vegetable broth from scraps every week. I seriously love to drink a glass of broth (warmed in the microwave), with my evening meal.

I joined the cleanse because my husband wanted to do it. I already eat pretty clean and vegan lifestyle, but he was feeling sluggish and bloated, not sleeping well so I suggested we do it (I already knew the outcome would be great). The first four days were not good for him due to giving up alcohol and coffee. I was enjoying the meals as they were exciting to my tastebuds. He continued to get in the kitchen and prep and cook with me so it wasn’t so overwhelming for me. Grocery shopping was quite an experience as I soon realized with vegetables what’s considered 16oz is not the same as 2 cups… particularly spinach lol. That first week we over bought a lot of food. I’m a math teacher so I was in the stores doing my conversions and had my calculator out, needless to say even in all that I was still off. The next surprise came when my kids started asking for some of my food instead of what I made for them. I would say things like you’re probably not going to like it… and every time I was met with eyes that lit up and a smile followed by “mmm, this is good” Overall I feel great because I was able to add more vegan meals to my collection and a bonus is that they are gluten free since my daughter is gluten free. My husband has been sleeping quality sleep and has lost 15 lbs. I knew it was all the sugar in his favorite after work beverage that had him bloated and restless. While he is a self proclaimed connoisseur of all meat… he has said he can join me on the mostly plant based food with occasional meat. I am proud of my self for modeling healthy habits for my family and having them aboard. Also it turns out I enjoy cooking everything from scratch. I never liked to cook, but I’m proud of myself for getting in the kitchen and trying new recipes. Never seen a fennel bulb or let alone knew how to cook it. I look forward to continuing this lifestyle with my family.

I was a little skeptical about the recipes. They looked daunting and not super appetizing. I was completely surprised at how delicious they were. I played all in, and followed the recipes as close as I could. There were things I haven’t liked in the past that I actually liked with these recipes (tomatoes and mushrooms). I loved that there were so many options for meals and food. Cleanses I’ve done in the past have felt so limited, and I get tired of the same smoothie and a baked potato three days in a row. There was so much yummy variety to this cleanse.
Every cleanse is different in purpose. I feel this one is mostly to get eating healthy. Not necessarily cleansing the organs and systems. I only lost 2-4 lbs (I don’t have that much to loose), but I do feel I’m not as swollen and aches are minimal. I’m coming off a year of doing a keto version diet, and I feel so much better eating this way.
The shopping list was SO helpful, and the recipes were easy to understand. Some took a lot of prep, but mostly because they were new unfamiliar recipe, or a lot of veggie chopping. But prep was the name of the game to succeed!
I have my kids try some of the recipes, and they really liked them also. I’m going to incorporate most of them in my family cooking.
I’ve been telling all my friends about the cleanse and highly recommending it to anyone.

This is my second cleanse with Simple Green Smoothies. I really appreciate all the group support and accountability. Everyone is honest with their successes and failures. I truly felt like we were all in it together ~ that makes a big difference in do-ability for me! Discovering new recipes and new ingredients, plus trying new approaches, was fun. I find this a good platform for getting into the swing of a more plant-based lifestyle and for re-setting myself when things have gotten off track a little, or a LOT! The recipes are great! I found myself not really craving sweets or coffee and hope to continue with that trend. I've lost a few pounds, feel lighter in body and mind and can pat myself on the back for a job well done, though not without a few deviations. That's the other wonderful thing: no one beats anyone up for slips, indulgences or variations; instead I found only positive encouragement in all the posts and comments. Listen to your body, do what works for you and keep rawkin'! Thank you ALL for the good cleanse and all your help!

This cleanse is always a wonderful reset! I feel light, lean and energized. The recipes are so yummy and satisfying.

I started the autumn cleanse with the intention of resetting my eating habits. I really enjoyed most of the recipes- I couldnt believe I made food that tasted that GOOD! the potato soup- incredible, the tomato soup- lickin' the bowl clean!! I didnt need as much variety as the plan provided so I pared it down to suit me. It was easy to stick to the meal plan, everything was laid out.
I felt really great during the 21 days, no fatigue or headaches- possibly because I am not a caffeine person. The only bummer was that I did not lose any weight. I was really hoping for that. Having a calorie count would have been helpful- and I did not have the time to do all the calculations, thus why I chose a meal plan program. When I requested a calorie count the response I got was to buy another book ( that has the calories in it). might consider it. Thanks for the program. I will now be continuing the plan- to use up all the remaining ingredients.

I really loved all the recipes of the cleanse. I'm a picky eater and liked about 90% of the meals plus all the ingredients (really except beets and shredded coconut). So that's a win! The cleanse is definitely challenging, mostly because the amount of time you need to spend to cook everything. I tend to like simple snacks and meals. But I'm happy to add so many really flavorful recipes to my repertoire.

I have been wanting to do one of these for awhile, and being able to do it along with a group of like minded people made it much more achievable for me! I loved having a plan to follow, and how the meal prep wasn’t too overwhelming. I was excited to see how easy it was to incorporate fresh wholesome foods back into my daily routine, something I plan to keep doing!