At the end of the cleanse we each thought our own faces look brighter, our thinking clearer and our spirits energized. During the cleanse with the prescribed recipes and meals we both observed that we had no trouble stopping when we full. However, being full we did not feel comforted. Something was missing. We made a trip to the City Market for some laundry soap and food, meat in particular; salmon, flank steaks and the roasted chickens seemed strikingly sumptuous and decadent. Our salutary glands were heightened and in high gear.
The Dr. Oz Cleanse is convenient and easy because of the shopping list and recipes which are provided. However, it is expensive. We doubled the ingredients on everything, with the exception of the Vegetable Broth Soup because there were two of us. However, we did double the Shiitic mushroom caps in the broth. We had more than enough broth for both days, for both of us.
The total cost for the cleanse was approximately $125.00 for two people. We ended up shopping at two grocery stores to accumulate all the ingredients. However, we didn’t ever locate the naturally fermented sauerkraut that the shopping list called for, even after stopping at the Natural Grocers.
We do have some ingredients leftover: flaxseed oil, rice milk, almond milk, pineapple juice, pomegranate, small of Shiitic mushroom caps, chia seeds and some lemons.
The Vegetable Broth Soup was bland and the taste was enhanced by adding extra the extra mushrooms. The Sauerkraut and Apple Salad was surprisingly tolerable. I sprinkled additional caraway seeds on the salads. We enjoyed the sliced vegetables throughout the day but mostly used it for a snack like popcorn in the evening while we watched a movie each night. We just used the lemon juice on the vegetables for the dressing and did not add the olive oil. The dressing was delicious when generously seasoned with salt and pepper. The recipe we enjoyed the most was the Lunch Smoothie. It was great and we would happily make it anytime.
We had never used chia seeds in our smoothies and found them quite addictive and delicious. The other drinks were strong, hearty and acidic.
The first day we made a triple batch of the Quinoa with Chopped Prunes and almost had enough for the second day but the next morning ended up making an additional double batch. My husband has a high metabolism and is a hearty eater. I added the flaxseed oil to the first batch. I did not like this ingredient addition and left it out the second day. It was ever so much better. The first batch tasted oily. You need so little flaxseed that opening a couple of capsules would do the trick, you needn’t purchase even a small bottle of flaxseed oil.
The first night we each took a hot bath and the second night we went to the hot tub outside our condo. It was below zero and snow and ice surrounded the tub. The water temperature was approximately 104 degrees and we stayed in for twenty-five minutes enjoying the Dillion lights. After that we scurried inside and sat in a hot sauna to dry off for about fifteen minutes.
During cleanse I felt hungry and craved meat, fat and sugar. I had a headache the second morning and was weak. My husband felt weak the first day but much better on the second day. He had a much easier time with the cleanse than I but it might be because he is overall a healthier eater than I am.
We had had a wonderful Christmas with both of our families and I had indulged heavily in all of the celebratory foods. I had gained about five pounds since Thanksgiving. We took a hour walk every day at 8000 feet elevation, and near zero degree weather every day. In the afternoon, we did thirty minutes of Yoga, including twists which benefit the internal organs. We did not cheat in any way in the full forty-eight hours even though we were sorely tempted to do so. We didn’t drink coffee with was missed a lot, especially the first day. Having each other made it easier to prevail to the end. We broke the cleanse, which was fast like with a breakfast of baked apples and dates seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg. In addition, we had two pieces of buttered wheat toast. each.
Later in the morning we each had a banana and then sad to say we indulged with a Rueben Hot Dog and a Gyros sandwich for lunch. We are not sure how we are going to do next but it has caused us to think more about incorporating more plant based recipes in our diet. We benefited from the cleanse and I think the most would most people would. I feel re calibrated and ready to face the new year. We intend on doing the cleanse again, perhaps at the beginning of every season, spring, summer, winter and fall.
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