Kaeng Raeng 3-Day Cleanse
I just completed my 3-Day cleanse program from Kaeng Raeng and I feel FANTASTIC! Refreshed, rejuvenated, and really ready for some bread...haha. I actually went in for an endoscopy, colonoscopy, blood work and stool tests late last week to try and diagnose why I've been feeling so crummy lately. Though they still haven't figured out what's wrong, I needed to eat healthy, nutritive, easy to digest foods afterward and really enjoyed starting this cleanse after my procedures; it was a great way to ease back into eating after being forced onto a liquid diet for 36 hours prior, and was nice and gentle on the tummy! Plus, it was a great way to up my water intake, since I was pretty dehydrated afterward.
I first became familiar with the Kaeng Raeng company at Expo West two years ago and loved both their Director of PR, Kelly, and the simple ingredients that make up their products. Their cleanse, available in 3 or 6-day varieties is made of simple ingredients, each containing just fruit, pea protein, psyllium husk and probiotics. Unlike most juice cleanses where the fiber is completely removed from the drink, leaving you hungry and without energy, Kaeng Raeng's cleanse pack a fiber-ful punch punch thanks to the addition of the psyllium husks. This is better for your body because it slows the digestion of the drink so your body can absorb more nutrients and doesn't instead just get a sugar rush from all that fruit juice. 
The cleanse comes in 3 flavors, so its easy to pick and choose a flavor that suits you best at each meal. I also love that they're made (locally for me) in California and are certified organic, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and non-GMO. Plus, they're completely free from artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, and preservatives. And each serving (thats 3x each day!) contains a full serving of fruit, 15 grams of pea protein, and 2 billion probiotic cultures. That makes for one very happy tummy and definitely helps keep #HANGER at bay!
These cleanses aren't about fasting or starving- you're encouraged to eat as many raw fruits and vegetables as you'd like, and of course drink plenty of water. Like I said above, I did the 3-day detox cleanse. It comes in 3 flavors: Into The Blue (blueberry + banana), Daybreak (mango, peach + pineapple), and Joyful (strawberry, raspberry, + pineapple) so you can mix it up at each meal. They come in powder form and are recommended mixed with water, juice, or blended into a smoothie. I mixed mine with water so I could fully taste the drink's flavor and texture, but I actually really liked it that way and thought it was plenty sweet enough to enjoy that way as well. Each drink is made from a mix of 1 oz of freeze-dried raw fruit, non-gmo protein, probiotic cultures, and vegetable fiber. 
The strawberry, raspberry + pineapple flavor was my favorite and the one I finished first. I liked the mango peach flavor second best, and preferred the blueberry banana least- but I'm not a huge banana fan, either. I loved the way they made me feel. All day long I felt light, energized, and satisfied. I have a lot of stomach issues so I usually get a few hours a day of stomach ache-age, but on the cleanse I really felt great and had almost no stomach pain. I was eating plenty of raw fruits and veggies along with the drinks and was using the higher end recommendation of adding 32 ounces of liquid to each packet. The best part about these drinks- and maybe what I was most surprised by- was how realistic and full they tasted. Since Kaeng Raeng freeze dries whole, raw fruit and adds psyllium to the packets, the detox drinks are packed with fiber and actually have a great mouth feel when you're drinking them. Add some ice and it makes a super easy, yummy smoothie! Plus the 9 grams of fiber per serving (27g/day) keeps you filled up for way longer than a juice ever could. Just make sure you mix the powder in water very well (like with a fork or whisk, not just in a shaker bottle) before you drink it or it can get a bit clumpy. I'm sure if you're mixing it into a blended smoothie there would be no problem, though.
I mean it when I say I really loved these drinks- I would definitely order the 3-day cleanse again (it recommends about 4x per year) in a few months when I'm ready for another digestive reset or to help detox a bit before my wedding next fall - though for us brides, they do offer a special Bridal Cleanse Pack. Doing a Kaeng Raeng cleanse is a great way for ANYONE to sneak a little heath into their week, and a really great way to ease back eating after a couple icky health procedures like I had. I'm back to feeling like my old self, my skin is glowing, and I actually haven't had any mega stomach issues since starting the cleanse at all. I'm so happy with it! You can check out more about Kaeng Raeng, their philosophy, and order a cleanse for yourself HERE!
*Kaeng Raeng provided the cleanse to me at no charge, but all opinions are true and my own. It's good stuff! *
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The Taco Cleanse Cookbook
The Taco Cleanse has been making its round all over the internet. It's the tortilla-based diet proven to change your life! Okay, so maybe that's a very tongue in cheek look at the book, but thats kind of the point. The whole book is written with this over-the-top, satirical look at eating only tacos as a means of dieting and/ or cleansing. But of course, unless you're eating all veggie tacos with no delicious sauces or toppings all the time, it doesn't really work like that...so try and remember - they're only joking! It's just such a fun concept for a book idea and totally pokes fun at an obsession our culture has with fad dieting. It's the best.
Packed with 75 recipes from savory to sweet tacos they claim will 'Detox Your Dreams' and 'Redefine Your Dinner', there is literally something for everyone here. From Mexican Chopped Salad Tacos and Infinite Fish Tacos to Healing Jalapéno Popper Tacos and Thankful Sweet Potato Pie Tacos, you'll be sure to find something you love in here. Plus, who doesn't love a book whose authors don't take themselves too seriously? It adds way more fun. The clever authors even included a crossword puzzle and a quiz so you can find out exactly what type of taco eater you are; I got 'Taco Sentimentalist'...what can I say, I love a traditional street taco! 
The recipe we chose to make and share was the Inspiring Churro-Waffle Tacos, because they sound DELICIOUS...and they were! Sugar cinnamon crusted waffles topped with sliced bananas and agave or maple syrup. YES PLEASE! We ate them for a late breakfast but they are easily a dessert kind of treat, depending on your ideal sugar intake. They come together really quickly and both Alex and I really liked them. Not an everyday splurge, but a worthy sweet treat for sure. Ready for the recipe?
INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup (106 g) sugar 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1 cup (120 g) all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup (240 ml) water 1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil 1/4 cup (60 ml) agave nectar or maple syrup 2-3 bananas, sliced in half lengthwise DIRECTIONS On a shallow plate, whisk together 1/4 cup (53 g) sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and set aside. Whisk together the cornstarch, flour, baking powder, salt, remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the water and oil to the bowl and stir until just combined. Follow your waffle iron's directions to cook the waffles, sing about 2/3 cup (160 ml) of the batter for each. Press one side of each cooked waffle into the plate of cinnamon sugar while still warm. With the sugar side up, lay 2 banana halves side by side on one half of the waffle. Drizzle with agave or maple syrup and fold waffle in half to cradle the bananas. NOTES This recipe said it makes 3 waffles, but we only got two out of our waffle iron. 
We loved our experience on the Taco Cleanse and would highly recommend it to a sassy chef or someone who just realllllly loves Taco Tuesday. They include tons of great recipes for taco filling, toppings and the taco shells themselves, as well as a whole section of thirst quenchers to help it all go down a little easier. You've gotta get on the Taco Cleanse! You can find out more about the book HERE or buy our very own copy HERE.
30 Healthy Vegan + GF Recipes for the New Year!
The New Year is almost here and we're all making resolutions. Mine are focused on improving my photography skills and paying off all my student loans, but for many the New Year is the perfect time to jumpstart their health by eating heathy, working out, and maybe even going vegan! We've compiled 30 of our most popular, healthiest vegan & gluten-free recipes to help get you started. There are even some raw recipes in there! From breakfast smoothies to late-night sweet treats, we've got you covered. Let's eat!
Mexican Chickpea Scramble (pictured above)
Healthy Homemade Granola Glowing Pumpkin Juice Strawberry Blonde Smoothie Pineapple Mint Smoothie Corned Bean Hash
Picante Black Bean Hummus (pictured above)
Hemp Seed Basil Pesto Cauliflower Queso Buffalo Sriracha Hummus Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
Strawberries 'n' Cream Chia Pudding (pictured above)
Choc-Oat-Nut Granola Balls Extra Chewy Chocolate Steel Cut Oat Bars Peppermint Lemonade
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad (pictured above)
Southwestern Black Bean Salad Kale Salad with Ginger Tahini Dressing Tangy Curried Chickpea Salad
Tomato Basil Spaghetti Squash Bake (pictured above)
The BEST Spicy Vegan Chili Moroccan Chickpea Soup Crispy Cauliflower Nuggets Baked Black Bean Burgers
Strawberry Basil Ice Cream (pictured above)
Mango Rosemary Sorbet Mini Key Lime Cheesecakes Persimmon & Ginger Tart Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Chocolate Orange Macaroons Joulebody Wellness Cleanse
The day after Thanksgiving, I started a cleanse. I was felling full, sluggish, and had indulged big time the night before. I needed a kickstart! I had never done a full cleanse before: I had tried various juice cleanses but always gave up after too much rumblin' in my tummy.
Several weeks prior, I had been contacted by a representative of Joulebody. They offered to let me try one of their vegan, gluten-free, whole food based cleanses and I was instantly intrigued. Most cleanses seem freakishly unhealthy for you; subsisting on cayenne pepper lemonade for nine days or eating only grapefruit to 'cleanse' your system is just illogical. These cleanses work by shocking the body into deprivation mode, forcing it to burn fat stores instead of sugars that would normally come from food. You're depriving your body of necessary nutrients and goodness that it needs to function healthily! Joulebody is a whole new game. Owner Yvette Rose has created a system that delivers freshly squeezed juices and chef-prepared food to your doorstep in eco-friendly, reuseable glass jars so you can start your cleanse as freshly and as quickly as possible. 
Day 1
The doorbell rings, and at 10 am a well-insulated cardboard box arrives. I open up the box and see 3 days worth of fresh, healthy pre-packaged meals and juices. They're all packed in small mason jars, tall glass bottles, and compostable cardboard cups. Each day of meals consists of 3 juices (9 am, 3 pm, and 5 pm), one anytime of the day meal bar, and two pre-arranged meals (12 pm and 7 pm). I started with my first drink of the day, a raw, dark green juice made of leafy vegetables, berries, lemons, apples, and a blend of metabolism activating herbs and spices. It tasted strongly of ginger and kale and was a little grainy, but satisfied my hunger...which was especially impressive since all I could think about was the fridge full of Thanksgiving leftovers! At noon I got my first real meal, a cream of celery soup that was rich and had a really delicious flavor. It filled me up, but left me worried that I might get hungry later. After that were 3 and 5 pm juices, a green drink and citrus drink, respectively. The green juice was hard to get through...and at that point I was hungry for more food! The citrus juice was oh so good. Like lemonade with a kick of spice (thanks to a little cayenne) at the end. I dug it. But after that, I was starting to feel a headache come on. And it kept coming, until... I made it to the 7 o'clock meal- a squash toxins salad with squash and kale- and loved it. By 9:30 pm, I was snacky. I almost always eat a late snack, so I indulged with my brownie meal bar. A cacao based bar with a nice chewy texture and great chocolate flavor, it quelled my hunger so I could delegate all of my time to watching Breaking Bad and falling asleep. 
Day 2
Much of the same on day 2. Started the day with the same raw drink as on day 1, only this time it tasted way better! Unfortunately, by 10 am, I was starving. I couldn't imagine waiting until noon for my curried apple soup. I emailed my Joulebody Support team and asked what a girl with a fast metabolism, training for a half-marathon should do- I needed more energy! This is my favorite part of the Joulebody system: the email response, which I got back almost immediately, told me I could supplement my cleanse with fresh, raw veggies and equally easy on the body, low calorie, highly nutritive foods. I munched on some bell peppers and sauerkraut to get me to lunch. The curried apple soup was wonderful and filling, but I was definitely starting to crave bigger portions and lots of carbs. I could feel the junk leaving my body, the toxins being released. As the day went on I was a headachey, a little hungry, and mostly craving cookies, but I knew sticking to the cleanse would be in my best interest. I enjoyed my two afternoon drinks more than I had on day one, and had a mung bean chili for dinner. It hit the spot big time. Around 9 pm I ate my second chocolate brownie meal replacement bar and all the headaches & tummy grumbles were gone! I slept like a baby. 
Day 3
Day three was a rough one. I was really feeling the detox, but also feeling surprisingly light and clean. My skin was glowing a rosy pink and I wasn't having any of my regular heartburn issues. I had the raw drink again and suddenly loved it. Were my tastebuds changing? Was I enjoying the taste of real foods so much because sometimes I simply am not getting enough of them? I had a spicy pumpkin soup for lunch, which was much thicker and chunkier and more filling than day 1 & 2's meals had been. I was starting to love how I was feeling, and my stomach looked visibly flatter. I even craved my 3 & 5 pm juices, especially the citrus juice. I could drink that stuff all the time! For dinner it was kitchari, pictured above. I'm not the biggest fennel fan, so this was probably my least favorite of the meals, but made me even more ready to finish strong! 
When I woke up one what would be Day 4, I felt fantastic. I had an usually unheard of early morning energy that fueled a great run. My stomach and waist looked smaller and my cheeks were pink. I looked healthy and rejuvenated and felt rested and clean.
Its official Joulebody, you've made me a believer. The Joulebody formula makes sense, and best of all it works. Nourishing whole foods guide your body through a gentle cleansing process that removes toxins and replenishes nutrients. Basically, Fettle Vegan approved. To check out more on the Joulebody Cleansing System, visit Joulebody.com. There you can find info on the cleanse, Yvette Rose, and testimonials- because heck, it works. We're working on affiliating with Joulebody to get our readers a discount on this awesome cleanse system...so stick with us, and try Joulebody! |
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