Mastering the 14-Day Health Cleanse

Hey, there! I know this post is super lengthy but, if you are planning on doing the 14-day health cleanse with me (or after), I promise you that this information is important and super helpful! Initially, I was not planning on sharing my cleanse on the blog but, after I mentioned it on my Instagram story, so many of you reached out and expressed interest (yay!) I have never shared my cleanse with anyone besides family before so, needless to say, this is a bit outside of my comfort zone. Bear with me, here. I am trying my best not to forget anything but, if you do have any questions, please reach out to me via Instagram or email and I will be happy to answer!

Note: I am NOT trying to push this cleanse on anyone. I am simply sharing my experience and tips for mastering it if you do want to try it. This post is not sponsored by or affiliated with NutriBullet.

Now, lets get to the good stuff - This health cleanse is originally based off of the NutriBullet 60-day challenge. About 2 years ago, my Dad watched a short documentary on TV by chance that, in a sense, changed his life. He called me immediately when it ended and said, "I'm going on a cleanse and I'm not going to chew for 30 days", and I was like "Wow, that sounds horrible". He explained to me that you get all of the nutrients that your body needs (the majority of the time, more than you would get in your normal routine). But, you get the nutrients in a smoothie form rather than by solid food. This way, it cuts out bread, processed foods, added sugar, meat, and most dairy. All your left with is fruit, veggies, and nuts. By the time your body has gone through withdraws of the other items, your sugar and carbohydrate cravings drop dramatically.

You might ask: Why not just eat the fruits and veggies 4 times a day instead of drinking a smoothie? Yes, in theory, this would work. However, people don't just sit down and eat a bowl of spinach and kale without dressing it up, or eat as much fruit as we put in these smoothies, 4 times a day, and not cheat. It's easy to add in a little bit of this and that, or substitute a smoothie for a fancy salad, or lose track all together.

Once my Dad explained the whole process to me and the reasoning behind it, I decided to join him for 30 days. I loved the routine of knowing exactly what I was going to have for every meal and although I only made it through day 21, it helped me "reset" mentally and physically and I even saw a permanent drop on the scale. My Dad continued on and lost 22 pounds in 30 days. Once we both completed the cleanse, we slowly reintroduced solid food into our diets while keeping the smoothies a constant, at least 2 per day, and toning up our bodies so the pounds and bad eating habits did not return. 

Now, I wish that were the end of it and I had kept up the smoothies over the past 2 years since the challenge ended but, naturally I fell off the wagon after a few months. So, I am ready to restart, this time with a 14-day health cleanse so that you all can join me as well! This is how it works: 4 smoothies per day (fruit, veggies, and nuts) about 5 hours apart, no chewing, no added sugar, no alcohol, only black coffee or unsweetened tea, and kombucha if you want. Since I started today, I went to the grocery store yesterday with my printable list below and got everything that I need for the week. Last night to start, I prepped 6 smoothies in "carton" sized Ziplock bags (filled about half way) so that the process is much easier and quicker for the mornings or when I need to make a smoothie at the office. All you have to do is pop the frozen bag in the microwave for 30 seconds, empty into your blender, add water or almond milk up to the line (about 3/4 full), and blend.

My smoothie schedule: 6am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm. I'll also be drinking a bottle of kombucha once a day whenever I'm feeling a little extra hungry (right now, it's about 10am). For workouts, I mentioned that I just started at a new gym this past week so, I'm going to be doing light work outs about 4 days per week (yoga, spinning, barre, treadmill). However, last time I did this cleanse, I did not work out AT ALL and the results were fully there so, please don't let that deter you.

My reason behind doing this 14-day health cleanse is to hit the "reset" button on my mind and body. Not only will the cleanse flush out all of the bad food in my body and drop some of the fat but, it also serves as a huge source of inspiration in bettering my health long-term. It proves to me that, when I do complete this challenge, I have no excuse to grab a greasy bagel as opposed to a homemade smoothie for breakfast. It shows me just how easy it is to choose the "healthy" option. It helps me practice self-control and become more intentional when I am fueling my body.

Grocery List for the Week:

Smoothies:

  • Almond Milk
  • Fresh Spinach
  • Fresh Kale
  • Bananas
  • Frozen Berry Mix
  • Frozen Mango
  • Frozen Orange/Pineapple mix
  • Fresh Ginger
  • Avocados
  • Medjool Dates, pitted
  • Almonds
  • Hemp Seeds/Chia Seeds
  • Coconut Milk

Other:

  • Kombucha
  • Lemons (for water in the mornings/to kick the sugar cravings)
  • Green or Black Tea Bags Organic

To use the Weekly Plan below, save this image to your desktop and print the full page!

Top 3 Favorite Recipes:

  1. Fruity: pineapple, mango, orange slices, mixed berries, handful of spinach, handful of kale, 1/2 frozen banana, 2 thin slices of fresh ginger, about 1 1/2 cups almond milk or water
  2. Sweet: 2 tbsp. hulled hemp seeds, 4 fresh medjool dates pitted, 1 frozen banana, 1 cup coconut milk, pinch of ground cinnamon, drop of vanilla extract, 1/4 cup sliced almonds
  3. Energy: 1/2 avocado, 1 cup mango, 2 thin slices of fresh ginger, handful of spinach, handful of kale, about 1 1/2 cups almond milk

Other Recipes I love:

Tips:

  • The first 2-3 days are hard. You will most likely get headaches and dread your smoothies but, once you get into the routine of doing it, and the cravings have subsided you'll feel so much better. In contrast, the last 2-3 days of the cleanse are the best. You'll have so much natural energy, you'll be able to see and feel a difference in your body and skin, and you'll realize that, if you wanted to, you could continue this cleanse for another 14 days.
  • Very important: Do NOT deprive yourself; even if you are not hungry for the 4th smoothie that day, make sure that you are drinking it so that you don't wake up starving and have to quit the challenge early.
  • Be smart and listen to your body; if you are feeling lightheaded or nauseous, make sure that you have fed yourself enough nutrients and calories. If the feeling persists, you should re-enter solid food into your diet slowly.
  • Remind yourself that this challenge is only temporary; 14 days is NOT that long in the grand scheme of things. Whatever you are craving, whether it is a chocolate chip cookie, hot Panera panini, or an extra large soda - these things will still be there when you complete your challenge.
  • Track your progress and how you are feeling in a journal or at the very least, on the notepad within your smartphone.
  • Once the challenge has ended, reintroduce solid food slowly back into your diet - do not binge eat on your first day. You worked hard to complete the 14-days so don't undo it in the first 24 hours. Also, you'll feel really sick if you do so... just don't.

SO.MUCH.INFORMATION. I know. But, I think I got through all of it. Like I mentioned, if I missed something or if you have any questions at all (or just need a little extra motivation), please don't hesitate to reach out to me on Instagram or by email! I love hearing from you guys!

xo Anna Elizabeth

LifestyleAnna Smithfood, health, healthy, cleanse, nutribullet, smoothies, 14 day, body, motivation, grocery listComment