One major way that I’m hitting “refresh” over the next month is detoxing from crappy food and drink to feel better, and hopefully losing some lbs in the process. I am currently blogging at the end of my 4th day of the Arbonne 28 Day Detox program. I have never done one of these programs before, and have always been a little skeptical of using powders primarily for your nutrition as opposed to real food or cutting out whole food groups, but I was inspired by one of my coworkers. Let’s call her “N”. (I’m tempted to call her “A” as a fun Pretty Little Liars reference for her, but really, that could get confusing). Anyway, N looks amazing. I don’t just mean she lost weight (she did), but she’s glowing…people are noticing. So obvi, I want on board….(I have major FOMO).
*Side note: This is the part where I should tell you that I will not have good photos…my photos are taken with an old school iPhone 4S, and are barely edited. Lower your expectations…wait, and then lower them again.
Funny background story: I can distinctly remember N dreading going to an Arbonne “party” feeling obligated to buy something. We were scrolling through the products in our cubes when we discovered that this ish is EXPENSIVE. We were diligently trying to determine what was the cheapest, worthwhile thing she could get. Flash forward 6 months later or so, N is dropping hundreds on most of their skincare and nutrition line for her and her family and loving it.
Sneak peak at my household organizational binder -it’s pretty intense.
The basic concept of the detox is that you remove allergens, inflammatories, dirty chemicals and hormones, and foods that change your pH levels. You replace them with organic, GMO free, cage free, grass fed whole food, and can supplement with Arbonne vegan nutrition products. You get a few extra foods if you get a one hour intense workout, which I love. Above is a blurry version of the “cheat sheet” they give you. The detailed explanation behind why they exclude these items can be learned from this video:
http://www.mywebevent.com/Mxjtkazx4Ft6iD0zhhLI
Do I agree with all of their logic?? Who knows…I’m not a nutritionist or scientist. I figure it’s more trial and error. I’ve counted calories, done three workouts a day, cut all processed foods, eat 6 small meals a day…and I still haven’t been able to strike a healthy weight. I’ll try to eliminate the toxins and see how it feels and how my body responds.
I purchased $180 worth of Arbonne products for my month detox, which will account for more than half of my food for the month. N was nice enough to donate the tea, because her and her husband (who also does the detox) are not tea drinkers.
Arbonne Detox Tea. It smells just like Aveda’s tea, if you’re familiar, but isn’t as naturally sweet. I drink this morning and night.
Arbonne Vegan Protein Shake Mix. (Chocolate and Vanilla) This is hands down the best protein shake I’ve ever had as far as taste goes (And I’ve tried several different popular brands of whey protein). This is my first time trying plant based protein.
Arbonne Fit Chews. ( I got Caramel, also available in Chocolate and Lemon) These are like taffy – get stuck in your teeth, a lot of work to chew. The flavor is good, and they do seem to tide you over for a good hour until you can eat. I find the texture and the fact that they get stuck in my teeth annoying, but maybe that’s part of idea? Make something that’s hard to eat, so you feel satisfied when you finish??
Arbonne Fiber Boost. This is flavor-less powder that gives you extra fiber to keep things moving (for lack of a better term), and keep you fuller longer. This powder definitely works, because I’ve done green protein smoothies for breakfast before, and they usually only lasted me 2 or 3 hours. With the addition of the fiber boost, I can go a solid 4 hours or more without being hungry at work in the morning.
One of the coolest part about Arbonne’s 28 Day Detox is the Facebook group support. There are Arbonne consultants that run a group, and you start your 28 days at the same time as people throughout the country. The consultants provide cheat sheets, educational info, meal plans for each week, shopping lists for each week, motivation….essentially take a lot of the work out. Plus, it’s nice to see what other people have questions about, or recipes that other people come up with that are detox friendly.
I tried to do a really detailed overview – but if you have any questions, please feel free to comment below and we can discuss! I’ll post about my first 4 days on the detox next!
-E
Shine Inside Out 