I had never tried a juice detox or any sort of fast-results method for cleansing my body. The idea of drinking only smoothies for an extended period of time just didnāt appeal to me. Donāt get me wrong. I like smoothies and try to eat healthy, but with full-time work, two kids, three doggies, and a hubby to take care of and feed, my needs usually go out the window.Ā
When I heard about the concept for the Your Super detox diet, I was intrigued. It seemed like a pretty easy and nonpainful way to try the whole detox thing: It wasnāt solely juices, there was also one hearty salad a day incorporated into the plan. Your Super is a plant-based five-day detox plan that promises to reset and clean out your system, increase energy, help your skin, and improve your overall well-being. Granted, the company admits, āDuring the detox you may experience headaches, bad moods, get a cold, feel tired or breakout.ā That whole disclaimer had me a little worried. And some of those feelings I was warned about did come, but something amazing also happened with my whole way of looking at food.
So on Day 1, Wednesday, I made one big green smoothie for breakfast.
The premise of the plan is to use two powders: Skinny Protein and Super Green with each smoothie; Super Green on your salad; and then Forever Beautiful, another nutrient-rich powder, with the dinner smoothie.
I have to admit that the breakfast smoothie, consisting of mango, spinach, and cucumber, with Skinny Protein and Super Green, was delicious and very filling. I went through to lunch without any overwhelming hunger pangs.Ā
For lunch, I was at work, so I ordered a yummy salad from one of our local salad spots. No proteins and no dairy — thatās the deal if youāre on Your Super. I sprinkled the Super Green powder on it and dressed it with lemon juice. Yum.
I made one of the recommended snacks to have between lunch and dinner. Skinny Protein, raisins, and almonds, mixed and kneaded into protein āballs.āĀ I couldnāt quite get the ball part right but I made a bar, sort of. Donāt let the look fool you. The snack was delish and very filling.
Dinner was another smoothie. This part was tough. Although I had to prep dinner for my family, watch them eat solid deliciousness, I had a glass of ā¦ blended salad and fruit, basically. I canāt lie: I was hungry. Or rather hangry. But I had to power through. My stomach wasnāt feeling the best, either. TMI warning: I was feeling gassy and just overall heavy. My body was adjusting to the detox and it was not happy.
On Day 2, Thursday, I was so tired in the morning. So tired. I badly needed my coffee. Luckily, I had a packet of Energy Bomb powder, one of the powders that comes with Your Superās starter pack. I vowed to use it if I needed it — and boy, did I. I dissolved the packet contents in water, and to my surprise, the drink tasted great and it actually worked like magic. It got me through a few morning meetings with no problem. The salad for lunch was delicious, and at home I made one of the smoothies from the detox guideās recipes, with dates, blueberries, and almond milk. Yum! I could handle this for three more days, right?
By Day 3, I was feeling the energy, I looked glowing, and the gassiness was almost completely gone.
I was, as crazy as it sounds, looking forward to one of the smoothies for breakfast, planning my salad for lunch, and then another smoothie for dinner. I liked playing with the ingredients and mixing up veggies and fruits to make delicious combinations. I also really enjoyed the Forever Beautiful powder, mixed with water, through my day. The powder is made up of chia seeds, acai berry, and other power foods, so it upped the nutrition factor of my water. I know it may look like a weird bird seed water, but it actually tasted yummy, courtesy of the acai berries, and with all that packed nutrition, what more could I ask for with my water?
Day 4, Saturday, was a breeze! I was feeling great in the morning. A little hungry but nothing crazy. By now, the smoothie, salad, smoothie formula was easy and filling.Ā
I actually cut the detox short by a day. It was by now the weekend, and cooking for my kids and husband was becoming harder and harder when all I had was a juice, I have to admit. But I do feel GREAT. I know that I can come back to this detox now with experience and with full knowledge of what to expect and reset, cleanse, and end up feeling great.Ā
I learned so much about my eating habits by undoing them completely. As a Latina, Iām used to our normal and not-so-healthy diet, which consists mainly of white rice and a protein. Maybe some beans, more carbs, and never really giving a second thought to any greens or veggies. Of course, this terrible diet is not followed by all Latinos, but it is quite common. Going through this exercise made me realize how important plant-based foods are, how easy they are to consume, and how much I was missing out on them. That will change. Another plus: the powders will make it even easier to up my nutrition and my familyās on a day-to-day basis.
I probably wonāt be giving up meat, but the way my stomach felt when I was off it for a few days has made me realize that I should think about eating less and switching meat out for more healthy and friendly-to-my-body proteins. I was also reminded of how important water is daily. I drank way more consciously during the detox — something I continue to do now, which helps me feel better on the whole. One of the founders of Your Super actually does one day of this detox (smoothie-salad-smoothie) once a month and the full five days once a quarter, according to the plan booklet you get with the program. Maybe I will adopt that in some way going forward.
Cheers!
Psst, if you want to try Your Super for yourself (maybe you can make it through the full five days!) use the promo codeĀ LITTLETHINGS for 15 percent off at checkout!
