You’ve made it to 2016. The resolutions are in full swing, eating healthier perhaps being one of them, and you are READY to restore your body back to life. But sticking to a resolution isn’t always as easy as saying it out loud. Committing to a “better you” is a conscious effort and one that many diet programs exist to cash in on. I’ve done my fair share of diets in the past — Paleo, Atkins (the worst), even Blueprint — but none have quite stacked up to the one we’ll be diving into today. The Clean Program, in my opinion, has officially changed the game when it comes to transforming the body, inside and out.
I first heard about the program through my friend Maria, co-founder of clean eating blog, Spinach 4 Breakfast. After doing a bit of research, I was definitely intrigued, but not quite ready to take the plunge. It took squeezing into a little white dress for my engagement party to make the commitment — and lucky for me, my fiancé also jumped on the bandwagon. The consensus: we were both pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to maintain. The beauty about this program is that it’s less of a “diet” and more of a “lifestyle.”
Here’s how it works: The classic way to do the program is a 21-day deep cleanse consisting of their shakes which comes in two flavors, Vanilla and Chocolate, and supplements. Their focus is to deliver real results and to inspire long-term positive health progress through detoxification and by helping us break bad habits. Some of the things you can eat consist of whole veggies, whole fruits & berries, wild fish & organic chicken & turkey, brown rice & quinoa, etc, while some of the things you can’t eat consist of gluten, dairy, beef/pork/eggs, processed sugar, nightshade veggies & fruits (ie: tomatoes, eggplant, strawberries, etc.) Essentially, the program prepares your body to “eat clean.” Do you follow me?
I interviewed a few friends (and myself!) who have also tried the program and got the dirt on how they felt throughout the whole experience. Here’s what they had to say…
Photo via Hershel Supply
Brendan Fallis: DJ/Entrepreneur
TTS: Your overall pros and cons of the program:
BF: Pros: 1- Easy to follow program, especially if you already eat in a clean format. 2- Prep is super simple. 3- Packaging made easy so if you’re on the move, it’s very simple to consume.
Cons: 1- As any cleanse, if you’re a snacker, this will be difficult for you. 2- Doesn’t come with any reusable water bottle to make the smoothies on the fly. 3- I actually don’t have a 3rd!
TTS: What did you crave most during the cleanse?
BF: Brunch on the weekends, but that’s because it’s more of a habit.
TTS: What were you surprised to find out you didn’t really crave much at all?
BF: I’m pretty “cleanse heavy” so this wasn’t a new exercise for me. I’ve dealt with all those feelings in the past though……scary!
TTS: How did the clean program differ from other cleanses you may have done in the past?
BF: A lot of the other cleanses I’ve done are too strict and don’t allow you to be happy per se. The lack of food at all makes for an unhappy me anyway, so this cleanse is so nice to be able to look forward to eating once a day but then having the simplicity of smoothies ready to go twice a day. And the big difference is how it made me feel. The selection of supplements and ingredients of the smoothies are really what make all the difference. And you’ll know by how you feel and how you look.
TTS: How likely are you to do the cleanse all over again?
BF: I might never stop! Ha. Really though, you could do this on the daily quite easily. But I’d say realistically I’d repeat this every two months.
Photo cred: Vanessa Granda
Jackie Cruz, Actress (Orange is the New Black)/ Singer/Entrepreneur
TTS: Your overall pros and cons:
JC: The pros are definitely more energy, weight loss, clear skin.
Cons: After it’s done you miss everything you couldn’t eat, haha. I live a fast-paced life so sometimes I couldn’t be home to make that last shake so I missed a few. The pills everyday became too much.
TTS: What did you crave most during the cleanse?
JC: Regular carbs like pizza and pasta.
TTS: What were you surprised to find out you didn’t really crave much at all?
JC: Coffee, and I’m still mostly drinking matcha tea.
TTS: How did the clean program differ from other cleanses you may have done in the past?
JC: I was able to actually eat real food and have healthy snacks.
TTS: How likely are you to do the cleanse all over again?
JC: I want to do it again this year.
Photo cred: Daniela Spector
Maria Tosoni-Roberts & Alyssa Tosoni, Sisters/Founders of Spinach 4 Breakfast
TTS: Your overall pros and cons:
S4B PROS: 1- Learning what your body tolerates and what it does not. This is so valuable for those who never feel well or are always low on energy. 2- Cutting all cravings for sugar and junk, and really enjoying the simplicity of delicious, healthy food. 3- Losing a few lbs. Although this is not the main goal of the cleanse, we don’t hate it.
CONS: 1- Trying to maintain an active social life during the Clean cleanse is pretty difficult. 2- The first few days are pretty tough, especially cutting out coffee for the first time. 3- There’s a lot of dedication and prep involved in this cleanse. However, it’s meant to teach a lifestyle.
TTS: What did you crave most during the cleanse?
S4B: Wine! And sushi. We just tell ourselves it’s only 21 days.
TTS: What were you surprised to find out you didn’t really crave much at all?
S4B: We always surprised to find that we never crave dairy. I think it’s something we are used to throwing on things we eat just because, but there are so many other healthier options for added flavor.
TTS: How did the clean program differ from other cleanses you may have done in the past?
S4B: The only other cleanse we’ve tried was a juice cleanse for three days. To us, juice cleanses are more of a “quick fix.” No one can maintain a juice cleanse. The Clean Program is a lifestyle, teaching you to look at food and your own health in a new way.
TTS: How likely are you to do the cleanse all over again?
S4B: We do the Clean cleanse twice a year, usually after the holidays and before summer. It gets easier and easier every time.
Adrienne Scissons, Director of Marketing at Calvin Klein, Jeffrey White, Founder of Ecology Architecture Urbanism, and cutest couple ever
TTS: Your overall pros and cons:
JW Pros: Overall feel much better (“cleansed”), feel better about yourself and after the first couple days you get into a groove and it’s pretty easy.
Cons: Hard to maintain after you’re done, shakes get monotonous and having to take those pills every day (biggest con.)
AS Pros: Physically, you notice results almost instantly — skin is brighter, hair is fuller and stomach is much much flatter, even after just a few days. Other pros — more energy in the morning and becoming more concious/able to cut back on some of the bad habits (sugar, wine, caffeine) once through the withdrawal…see cons.
Cons: Caffeine withdrawal (I had pretty bad headaches for the first few days), the pills, and the fact that you’re pretty limited in what you can do at night/on the weekends without alcohol or meals at dinner.
TTS: What did you crave most during the cleanse?
JW: Black coffee and alcohol
AS: Black coffee and pasta
TTS: What were you surprised to find out you didn’t really crave much at all?
JW: Fried chicken
AS: I still craved it all
TTS: How did the clean program differ from other cleanses you may have done in the past?
JW: Other cleanses I still felt hungry all the time.
AS: Having the one small meal at lunch makes it more sustainable over longer periods of time.
TTS: How likely are you to do the cleanse all over again?
JW: Very likely
AS: Likely
Photo cred: Luis Ruiz
TTS: Your overall pros and cons:
AF Pros: 1- I was able to actually DO a cleanse, which I didn’t think was possible prior to hearing of the program. 2- I didn’t feel overly hungry, or weak & at the end I felt pretty great. 3- The program was quite adjustable to your needs. I like to work out, and in order to continue that while on the plan, I ate 2 smaller solid meals a day versus just one solid meal. I also loaded up my shakes with things like almond butter & other approved ingredients to really feel like a full liquid meal. I liked that you could make the snacking and amount of food consumed fit for your lifestyle. The point wasn’t to starve yourself.
Cons: 1- I’m not very inventive in the kitchen, so we ended up eating a lot of the same things all week. 2- Organic food is damn expensive. 3- There aren’t many options in the fast-casual culture to grab & go, so planning your meals was a must, which isn’t the easiest thing in the world.
TTS: What did you crave most during the cleanse?
AF: Burritos are my weakness. I’m sure there could have been some clean way for me to make a “burrito” like structure, but I’m not that savvy in the kitchen. I’m too accustom to modern, Chipotle-style conveniences.
TTS: What were you surprised to find out you didn’t really crave much at all?
AF: I was generally surprised at my lack of cravings in general. Sure, if it popped into view I might be bummed that I couldn’t have this or that, but the intensity of the cravings wasn’t terrible. I was fairly full most of the time, which generally helped.
TTS: How did the clean program differ from other cleanses you may have done in the past?
AF: I’ve never done a cleanse before, but it definitely removed my complete dismissal of them. I always pictured myself emaciated, and like some kind of torture procedure, but once I understood that there was a fair amount of solid food involved, I definitely pictured myself being able to succeed in it.
TTS: How likely are you to do the cleanse all over again?
AF: I could definitely imagine myself doing it once a year, or even more often for some shorter amounts of time. A week here or there if I’m feeling a bit off. It’s easy to slip off the deep end in NYC with all the great food, so a break every now and then wouldn’t be a terrible thing.
…and as for me….
TTS: Your overall pros and cons:
My Pros: 1- I felt lighter almost immediately. 2- I was able to cheat in ways that didn’t feel too naughty but still satisfied a craving. 3- Being able to prove to myself that I can do it.
Cons: 1- I’d always forget to take the pills. Thank goodness for Adam. 2- Being social without drinking isn’t always easy, especially as the First Lady of a bar group. 3- Being strict with the diet can sometimes be challenging unless you’re cooking, which is something I didn’t always have time to do. I definitely had to bend the rules a few times.
TTS: What did you crave most during the cleanse?
Me: Surprisingly not too much. We cut back on eating out (obviously) and instead went to movies, so refraining from popcorn was a massive challenge for me. I love me some movie popcorn.
TTS: What were you surprised to find out you didn’t really crave much at all?
Me: Booze. I would drink club soda with lime and somehow that’d help curb the craving.
TTS: How did the clean program differ from other cleanses you may have done in the past?
Me: The length may sound scary at first but it’s actually less of a commitment than other diets out there. They provide you with everything you need and finding a meal that works in the middle of the day is generally easy, especially in NYC.
TTS: How likely are you to do the cleanse all over again?
Me: Immediately, if not yesterday.
Ready to dive in? Get the program here.
The post Why The Clean Program Is The Only Sane Way To Cleanse According To These New Yorkers appeared first on Taste The Style.