Since I mentioned when we started and shared some of my favorites meals, it only seems right that I do an official review of the Sambazon Three Day Cleanse.
The Juices
I was a bit unsure of how packaged juices would taste but I was pleasantly surprised. The Prepare juice was a kick in the morning with Cayenne pepper waking you up. The Purifying juice tasted extremely similar to one of my favorite green juices from Whole Foods so this was a great addition to lunchtime. My favorite juice was the Purifying juice because, well, there was cocoa in it. It was actually a delicious afternoon treat that provided just the amount of dessert you needed while eating so clean.
The Recipes
I know I mentioned this in my Roasted Beet and Orange Salad post but the food was my favorite part of the cleanse. Sambazon provided extremely flavorful meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks that allowed you to eat through the cleanse but kept it extremely clean and purifying. I will warn you that it definitely took some planning to ensure you had everything you needed. I went to the grocery with the list they provided and loaded up on everything we needed. I would then plan a day ahead to ensure the hubby had all the food he needed for his meals at work. I did feel that I was cooking a lot but that was not because the cleanse required an abnormal amount of cooking. It just meant that I have taken a break from the kitchen and this was a big wake up call to get back in there!
How It All Went
Three days on a strict diet had it's ups and downs. The first day was really hard for me. I already eat every three hours so instead of feeling like I was eating more frequently, I simply felt that my portions were made smaller and I was starving at times. I did not intend to do this cleanse for weight loss purposes so there were times when I would throw an additional snack in there but is came directly from their recipes to ensure I was keeping with the foods they recommended. Day one I added two additional snacks (one in the afternoon with the juice and one before bed) and it was just what I needed. The hubby actually did great on the first day and I think handled the transition much better than I did.
The second day was much easier for me while much harder for the hubby. I was getting into my groove and my body was beginning to acclimate to the cleanse. I think my hubby's metabolism was getting a jump start and by the second day he was getting a bit more hungry thanks to the eating every three hours. For someone who eats very minimal amounts during the day at work, this was great because he needs to eat more than he does while at the office. I was having fun making the meals too and both of us agreed that everything at this point was pretty fantastic.
By the final day we were both feeling great and excited that this was it! We had made it! I felt hydrated, refreshed and just more healthy overall. It had felt great to eat so many fruits and vegetables over the past three days. The dinner on the third night was one of our favorite recipes from the three days and so it made for a perfect way to end.
What About Weight Loss?
I ate larger portions than Sambazon stated, threw in a few extra snacks and I still lost a few pounds, which was something I was trying to avoid. The hubby also lost weight during the cleanse in the short amount of time. I am sure for both of us there was a lot of water weight lost but it is something to go into understanding that if you do not want to lose weight and simply cleanse, you will need to adjust your portion sizes.
Would I Do This Again?
Absolutely. The way Sambazon designed the cleanse, we both never felt deprived of food or nourishment. If anything, it was a great reminder that we need to cook with even more vegetables than we currently do. I will also be making these recipes again, cleanse or not. They were that good.
There you have it! If you have any additional questions about it, do not hesitate to leave a comment of email me.
* Sambazon provided the cleanse to both my husband and myself but all opinions are 100% ours.
