Spring Detox Guide Review

Greetings wellness lovers!

I hope you had a happy Easter! Hopefully you were able to enjoy the spring weekend in the company of family and friends. :)

If you indulged a little more than you should have, then you may be interested in completing a cleanse to jump-start your system and get you back on track!

Just yesterday, I learned about a new detox guide for spring, created by my nutrition school, the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

Since I am always very interested in new ways to renew my health and overall well-being by using healthy foods and lifestyle changes, I figured you just might be as well!

I thought I would do a little review for you. :)

What I love about this detox guide is that is does not recommend anything too intense such as fasting or juice fasting.

Don't get me wrong, I believe those types of cleanses can be beneficial... but as someone with a busy schedule and many obligations, a more gentle cleanse that still allows food is more of what I am looking for at this moment. :)

Why complete a cleanse?

1. Transition your body from heavy winter foods to seasonal, lighter spring foods.
2. Boost your mood, energy, and productivity by reducing inflammation.
3. Shed excess weight and eliminate toxins to feel light and fresh this summer.

The Spring Detox Guide covers:

• foods to enjoy
• foods to eliminate
• a grocery shopping list
• 3 days of recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Also included, (and this is perhaps my favorite part)... are the many benefits of the ingredients you will be creating your detoxing meals with!

You will learn about the many benefits of honey dew, lime, basil, broccoli, fennel, apple, kale, lemon, yellow onion, quinoa, flaxseed, cherries, red onion, apple cider vinegar, sunflower seeds, avocado, zucchini, garlic, cucumber, celery, ginger, parsley, scallions, tomatoes, asparagus, almonds, and extra virgin olive oil!

Here is a sneak peak of just a few of the delicious recipes you will be enjoying...

Massaged Kale Salad

Skin Glow Smoothie

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Tempted yet? ;) I think you will be pleasently surprised with the many benefits and healthy, delicious recipes of this gently spring cleanse.

You can get it here. (P.S. did I mention it is completely complimentary?!)

Let me know if you end up giving it a try!

I hope you have an excellent week! :)

xoxo,
Ashley

Successful Cleanse!

Happy Wednesday! :)

Whew! I made it... I completed my first liver and gallbladder cleanse! 

Before I started, I read The Liver and Gallbladder Miracle Cleanse by Andreas Moritz.

He claims "Most people unknowingly suffer from a dangerous buildup of gallstones in the liver and gallbladder. These stones clog up the body's cleansing organs, creating a toxic environment incapable of maintaining good health. You become fatigued, your tissues inflame, you gain weight, and your immune system stops fighting off illness and disease. The Liver and Gallbladder Miracle Cleanse teaches you how to easily and painlessly remove gallstones in the comfort of your own home."

To give you an idea of what the liver and gallbladder cleanse entails, here is the time line I followed:

The Week Before: Consumed a vegan diet, for the most part avoided "cold" foods, drank 2-4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar 4 times/day. Supposedly the malic acid helps to soften the stones, making them easier to pass.

Day of the Cleanse
8:00 am- Hot quinoa for breakfast.
1:00 pm- Steamed veggies and basmati rice for lunch. Stopped eating after 1:30.
6:00 pm- 6 oz. water w/ 1 tablespoon epsom salts
8:00 pm- 6 oz. water w/ 1 tablespoon epsom salts
10:00 pm- 1/2 cup olive oil mixed with 3/4 cup grapefruit juice

The Next Morning
8:00 am- 6 oz. water w/ 1 tablespoon epsom salts
10:00 am- 6 oz. water w/ 1 tablespoon epsom salts

Notes:
*I continued drinking the apple cider vinegar throughout the day.
*After drinking the mixture at 10 pm, I jumped immediately into bed.
*The book recommends having a colonic prior to the cleanse, or performing an enema the evening of. I did not do either of these things.

My Thoughts:
I have to say... the actual cleanse was not nearly as bad as the anxiety leading up to it! I was pleasantly surprised!

The Epsom salts were the worst part... the first 2 glasses were easy to get down. By morning, I was not feeling up to drinking the last 2... but I managed! :)

And, I actually thought the olive oil/grapefruit mixture tasted great! As long as you mix it well, you can hardly taste the olive oil.

To be honest, I was a little scared when I read that after drinking the olive oil/grapefruit mixture and lie down in bed, it is common to actually feel gallstones coming out of your gallbladder! The book describes this as a "rolling marble" sensation. And it most definitely is! Within the first hour, I felt this sensation about 5 times!

There was absolutely no pain at any time during the cleanse. I did feel a little nauseous this morning when I began drinking the final dose of Epsom salts, but it didn't last very long, maybe 20 minutes. As soon as I sipped some leftover grapefruit juice, I felt better.

The Results:
7 stones so far! Most were about 1/4" in length. (Some people get rid of hundreds of stones on their first cleanse!)

Summary:
I am definitely glad I completed this cleanse! It was a very interesting experience and I am interested to see what improvements it brings to my health & well-being! :)

Have you ever done a liver/gallbladder cleanse? What did you think of it?

*Disclaimer* Please note that this information is provided as an account of my personal experience and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own intuition, nutritionist, physician, or trained professional. If you have special circumstances or in doubt whether this is for you, consult a professional before starting this program.