Advocare 24 Day Challenge - Cleanse Phase

Thought I would do an update, probably every couple of days throughout the challenge. 

Right now, I am on Day 3 of the Cleanse Phase. So far things are going pretty good. Today, I plan on sharing a typical schedule of what a day is like on the cleanse phase. 

I have scoured multiple websites over and over to get all of the information I could to make the cleanse phase most effective! There really are tons! I found a great website that seems to have almost every answer I have wondered. Check out Advocare Tips. They have grocery lists, FAQ, recipes, and a ton more. It seems like I find most of my answers from others posting questions at the end of their article. They answer almost all questions, so it is extremely helpful.

Here is a sample schedule. I have found out that the point to the Cleanse Phase is fruit, fruit, and more fruit! Oh, and a sidenote... I am not taking the catalyst supplements.

Here are some suggestions from Advocare Tips...

Dietary suggestions that may enhance your results:

Eat More: Veggies: salads during the day and steamed at night will scrub your system. Fruit: fibrous and low glycemic choices (apples, grapefruit, berries). Healthy Fats: avocado, nuts/seeds, olives/olive oil. Clean Proteins: feed muscle and reduce appetite (tuna and salmon will aid in cleansing; eggs/chicken/beef would be secondary options; stay away from processed lunch meats). Clean Complex Carbs: rice, hummus, oatmeal. 

Avoid or Minimize: Fried foods, refined sugars, corn or white starches, or bread. Wheat products: bread, crackers, etc. Dairy: cheese, yogurt, milk, white sauces or dressing. Alcohol: you’re on a cleanse…hold off for 10 days. Coffee or soda: drink water or SPARK 

I feel like the hardest part for me is coming up with meals that are compliant with the program. Like I have mentioned, Robert is doing this with me. There are pros and cons to that. I am glad to have someone else suffering working along beside me. But his role is just following along with my directions. Eat this, you can't have that, take your fiber drink, etc. He whines a little A LOT because he hasn't studied the plan. I highly encourage if you are doing this with a spouse to explain to them what you can and can't have. :)

The first day was actually pretty hard. I had my fiber drink and literally could not eat for a while; it really fills you up! I had to force myself to eat an apple and then I had a chicken salad for dinner.

Day 2
Breakfast: Fiber Drink, water, fruit
Mid-Morning Snack: 2 hard boiled eggs and Spark drink
Lunch: Baked salmon, fruit
Afternoon Snack: Handful of nuts (I prefer almonds and pistachios)
Dinner: Chicken soup with tons of veggies

My tips:

• Make sure that if you do any peanut butter it is natural (no added oils) and that nuts are either raw or plain (no salt, glazed, etc.).
• Limit olive oil to 1 Tbsp per day
• No dairy products. When I have made Robert's protein shake, I use almond milk. My distributor said it was ok, so I am hoping it won't hurt his results.
• The fiber drink is gross. Plain and simple. To help get it down, I mix it with Trop 50 Orange Juice. It is still thick, but the taste is a lot better. Drink 1-2 glasses of water directly after.
• DRINK WATER! I have probably drank 120 ounces or more each day. This is so important!
• The goal is to have mini meals every 2-3 hours. The first day was hard, but I am trying hard to keep it up.
• I have put my Omega Plex pills in the freezer. They are essentially fish oil and this method keeps you from burping them up all night. Yuck!

Last night I went to the gym and did 30 minutes of cardio. I haven't been in a while so I am trying to get back into it. Today when I go, I plan on doing cardio as well as weight training.

Hopefully this can give you an idea of what the cleanse phase is like. I will be back tomorrow with some recipes!