A Real Food Cleanse is Better Than Juice Cleanse
If you’ve been following my insta-stories this week, you might have seen a surge in smoothies and juices from Real Good Juice Co. I know, it’s not that out of the ordinary considering I’m there picking something up almost every week. Guilty! But this week, I switched it up and decided to test out their Meal Plan. It’s typically sold as a one-day thing, but my pals over there and I thought it would be fun to feature it for 3 days as an alternative to a juice cleanse. And let me tell ya, I’m a believer.
You might remember that I tried out their Winter Cleanse back in January, which I surprised myself with, honestly! I’ve always been weary of extreme cleanses, but they won me over with the addition of soups. And even though I’m glad I tried it, doing it again isn’t at the top of my list right now. But this meal plan is another story!
What is it?!
Basically, you get a smoothie (of your choice!) for breakfast, a salad or grain bowl for lunch, a soup for dinner, and 2 juices + their Super Food Bites to snack on throughout the day. And everything was super tasty! I’ll admit that I’m already a fan of green juice, so I didn’t really need to adjust to that aspect. But even if you’re not, you can handle it! I believe in you!
Obviously, my favorite part about all of this is that you get to eat real food! When I did the juice and soup cleanse, I discovered a lot of benefits, but I was also SUPER tired. I even said in my recap post that if you need to train/exercise or get through long stressful work days, I would NOT recommend a cleanse. But even though this is more liquid and less food than I would consume on a normal day, I could totally keep up all 3 days. I went to Flywheel on Monday, Flybarre on Tuesday, and I was crazy busy on Wednesday. And even better – I could focus on work all day, every day.
No crazy stomach rumbles or foggy brain.
That being said, if you saw my insta-story, you know that I cheated at the end of day three… WOOPS. Long story short, I met up with a few friends before an event at Antique Taco, and I couldn’t resist getting a margarita with everyone else! And since I was having some alcohol after only eating smoothies, juices, soups and salads for the past 3 days, I thought I should eat some chips & guac with it, too. Responsible?! Well… maybe not so much. I felt totally bloated and awful immediately after that and I realized that this meal plan really did work like a “cleanse”. After that feeling, my desire to eat chips and junk food (or drink tequila!) is at an all time low. Pretty sure that means mission accomplished, right?!
Who would I recommend real food cleanse?
Basically, this is the kind of reset that can work with a busy on-the-go lifestyle. You don’t have to think about cooking or meal prepping (wahoo!). And it’s enough food that you really shouldn’t ever feel starving. I did feel a little sluggish on Tuesday afternoon, so I made myself a cup of matcha for an extra jolt of energy. But I got up for a 7am class and worked until bedtime, so I feel fine about that.
In other words, if you’ve been having trouble getting your diet back on track, this meal plan is an amazing option for you. Whether you do it for one, two, or three days, you’ll give your body a break from added sugars, dairy, and animal products. Also, if you’re a snacker like me, it’s nice to remember that a green juice or super food bites can be a healthy snack option during the day. And WAY healthier than even the “healthy” crackers and chips that I always eat wayyyy too fast ?
I mean, how good does that salad look?! The bowl had quinoa, arugula, tomatoes, artichokes and non-dairy cheese that they make out of almonds! YUM.
Have you felt the need for a “reset” recently?
If so, would you ever consider doing something like this to get back on track? I know everyone talks about the comfort food of winter. However, I find Spring and Summer weekends to be my biggest weakness! Tempt me with cocktails and snacks on a patio and I can not say no. Anyone else with me?!
I’m honestly really glad I know this meal plan exists in case I get caught up in warm weather indulgences and need a little push back on the healthy train ? Such a helpful resource!
Also, I have something really fun in the works with Real Good! If you love a good smoothie, stay tuned! SO excited to share more!
*This meal plan was comped by Real Good Juice Co, but (as always) all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the companies that make Lake Shore Lady possible.
