The ULTIMAte Summer Hydration

Disclaimer: I received an Ultima Replenisher sample pack to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

It's like a billion trillion degrees even in the shade - so sweaty

So you may have heard me mention a time or two that I live in the hot and humid South. Now don't take that fact as a complaint, I am the first to admit that I am not built for cold weather running. No sir, give me 90 degrees over 30 degrees any day of the week. If that means a heaping helping of humidity, so be it.

Being a hot weather runner, I've come up with a number of strategies to make things easier on myself (see my top tips here) and perhaps the biggest thing to keep in mind is to HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE!!! And in the heat of the summer sun, drinking just water is not enough, you need a balance of electrolytes in order to replenish the sweat loss during a run (or any strenuous activity really). 

And while most people just think of Sodium when it comes to electrolytes, did you know that there are actually 6 main minerals that make up electrolytes? Well if not, I didn't either until I learned about Ultima Replinisher - a clean electrolyte suppliment. Ultima contains all 6 essential electrolyte minerals - Phosphorus, Calcium, Potassium, Chloride, Sodium and Magnesium. For more information on what each of these minerals do for your body, check out the Ultma website here: https://www.ultimareplenisher.com/electrolytes/

Ultima Replinisher also boasts a few other benefits, in addition to including all 6 essential minerals, worth mentioning. 

• Has Zero Sugar, Carbs or  Calories
• Sweetened by Organic Stevia
• Gluten-Free
• Vegan
• Non-GMP
• Keto Friendly
• Paleo Friendly
• All Natural
• No artificial sweeteners, flavors, or synthetic colors
• Super fast to dissolve - fastest dissolving electrolyte supplement I've ever tried in fact
• Comes in either convenient sticks or waste-reducing tubs (including scoop)

But yeah, it's awesome for you, but how does it taste? So in the past, I have tried other hydration and electrolyte supplements and found them all to be fairly unremarkable. They've gotten the job done and tasted ok, but I've considered them pretty interchangeable. For me, I know they are good for me so I drink them. I was already very keen on Ultima due to the extra benefits, but I can honestly say Ultima tastes like something I would actually drink even if it weren't scientifically beneficial to me. That is to say, it actually tastes really good! 

I set out to test each flavor I received (5 total - Grape, Orange, Cherry Pomegranate, Lemonade and Raspberry) each day after my afternoon run for a week. Day 6 I tried a combination that someone suggested to me, mixing both the Raspberry and Lemonade together. Here's how they stacked up for me, in order from favorite to least favorite.

The "Official Ranking"

1. Raspberry Lemonade - Super refreshing with a bit of tang. Hands down the best tasting combo!
2. Lemonade - Not sour at all, just sweet, smooth and refreshing
3. Cherry Pomegranate - Really good with a Cherry flavor that wasn't overpowering
4. Orange - Tastes EXACTLY like an Orange Popsicle* (more on this)
5. Raspberry - Very good still, but was missing something, maybe because I like the Raspberry Lemonade so much I just think it needs the lemony goodness. Would still drink alone.
6. Grape - Not my favorite, but still good. I'm not much for Grape in general though

Now, for the ULTIMAte test (pun intended) - Will my little one drink it. My daughter has had experience in the past of grabbing my water bottles in the past only to discover upon taste that it has an electrolyte drink rather than water in it. On occasions when that happens, there is much carrying on as she has universally hated each that she has tried, to the point, that I have taken to loudly announcing what was in a stray bottle if it was not water, as if she has some kind of rights to my drinks (which, of course she's 9 so does). 

I'd always wanted to have her use electrolyte supplements due to her being so active (she takes Taekwondo 2 or 3 days a week plus is in her school's after school Running Club, in addition to being a super active 9 year old in hot hot, SC. But she wasn't budging on it, she hated the ones she tried.

When I received my Ultima samples, first off the little was super curious about them due to the variety of flavors and bright colors. This helped me convince her to try them. The real kicker was the first one I tested was Grape - one of her favorite flavors. After a few minutes of second guessing and stalling, she tried the Ultima Grape and actually liked it! She asked me to save the rest of it for after her Taekwondo class. Heck yeah! She's since tried all the flavors and has declared the Grape, Orange and Lemonade to be yummy - the others were "okay but not my favorite". I plan to get more of each of these 3 flavors to send with her to Girl Scout Camp this summer, so total Parent-Win! 

Lastly, I want to mention a fun experiment I did. Remember above where I said that the Orange Ultima tasted exactly like an Orange Popsicles? Well, I decided to go ahead an make Orange Freezer Pops from my Orange Ultima. I mixed up some Orange, poured it into homemade freezer pop tubes and popped into the freezer. I figured these would be an amazing (and fun) way to rehydrate after a hot afternoon visit to our local Amusement and Water Park, Carowinds. 

And YAY! I was right! They were super tasty and refreshing. The little wants me to make more with the Grape and I have a feeling that these are going to be a mainstay in our freezer. 

Interested in trying out Ultima Replenisher for yourself? Right now you can get a 10% discount off your order from the Amazon Ultima Storefront with discount code ULBRAVE19 

You can also purchase Ultima Replenisher locally at stores all over. To find your closest Ultima retailers, check out their store locator here - https://www.ultimareplenisher.com/store-locator/

And be sure to follow Ultima on Socials for news and product updates:
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Shady Rays for Sunny Days

“Disclaimer: I received Shady Rays X Series Sunglasses as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!”

Over the past year or so, I've been trying much harder to improving my health and running in small ways. One of these ways is to make sure that I am wearing sunglasses while running during the day, which frankly, most of my runs are. UV rays can cause just as much, if not more damage to your eyes as it does to your skin. And while it is not as evident as say a sunburn, you are more likely to develop cataracts and blurred vision later in life due to high levels of UV exposure. This is even more so in people with light colored eyes like I have. 

Enter the amazing opportunity to try out via BibRave Shady Rays X Series. Shady Rays are polarized, offer 100% UV protection are shatter-resistant and salt water proof plus come in a handy micofiber cleaning pouch. The X Series has a wrap around frame style and grips to keep the frames from slipping. They are made especially for running, hiking and climbing, water-sports, and other high impact activities.

So how do they perform? Well, personally, I love them. I have accumulated several pairs of what I would consider higher end sport sunglasses over the years and my Shady Rays are the pair that I keep going back to time and time again (seriously, if you follow me on Strava, every single picture I post practically has me in my Shady Rays). My biggest reason is I have a bit of a smaller head and nothing is more frustrating to me than to have to be constantly pushing up your glasses, especially while running. Even when completely covered in sweat from a hot, humid 90 degree SC afternoon run, THEY DON'T BUDGE! (Click here for the demo). 

They are seriously awesome and look and feel great to wear. Let's put it this way, after testing them, my husband made me get him a pair as well. 

A few fun facts about Shady Rays: 

• You can also have custom Rx glasses made
• They offer a Lifetime Craftsmanship Warranty and Free Replacements if they are lost or broken.
• They provide 10 meals to fight hunger through the Feeding America organization with each order placed.
• The have a VIP program where you can earn points for rewards like gift cards.

And... if all this sounds awesome to you, I have a great deal to share with you. When you place an order on the Shady Rays Shade Shop, checkout using code "RAVE" and you will receive 50% off orders of 2 or more pairs! 

So give Shady Rays a look for yourself. You can follow them on their socials here:

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Some Like It Hot

It's getting a bit warm out

I grew up at the beach (Myrtle Beach to be specific) so I am no stranger to heat and especially humidity. So while I am still not a huge fan of running in extreme humidity, I'm no stranger to it, so it doesn't bother me quite as much as some of my local running friends. 

And while I could take the Summer months off (especially this year with no significant races on the horizon) I choose to keep up my mileage despite the 90+ degrees and 90+ percent humidity. The selfish reasoning for this is that as I've said before, Summer Running Makes Fall Races. If I can keep my pace and distances up in while it feels like I am running through hot soup, then when cooler temps and lower humidity hit, I feel like I am flying. And this Fall I am shooting for my first ever sub-2:00 Half at the Rock n Roll Savannah Half Marathon* the first week of November, so I will keep pushing all Summer long. 

But just because Summer Running is hard doesn't mean it has to be miserable. I've compiled a few of my favorite Hot Weather Running Tips for rocking your Summer Runs.

1. HYDRATE - Perhaps the number 1 rule of Summer Running is to make sure that you are hydrating. And just water may not cut it depending on the distance, heat, humidity levels. Typically, I will drink an electrolyte prior to my run if I am running late in the day, drink water during my run, and then more electrolyte drink post run. I've tried several types of hydration and think I've found my favorite recently in Ultima Replenisher. It is made with  6 balanced electrolytes plus support minerals, real fruit flavors, plant-based colors, sweetened naturally with organic stevia leaf extract and no sugar, carbs or calories. I will be doing a comprehensive review of Ultima soon.
   
   
2. TAKE IT EASY - When it gets hot and humid, it gets harder to run. This is fact. You will put in more effort on your same runs in the heat, especially in the hottest parts of the day, so take it a bit easier. Try running by feel rather than by setting pace goals and be sure to give yourself a break if your times aren't what you think they should be. Try checking out this handy calculator for adjusting your pace for higher temps - https://runnersconnect.net/training/tools/temperature-calculator/
   
   
3. PROTECT YOURSELF - Sun screen and Sunglasses and Hats/Visors are a MUST for summer running. Actually, these are a must year-round, but they are especially important in the summer. I'll be the first to admit that I am bad about the sunscreen, need to do better, but I never run without my Shady Rays X Series Shades these days. Love them! Polarized and wrap around for more coverage - you'll hear more about these soon.
   
4. GET SHADY - Seek shade where you can. If you have access to a treadmill, great! When it gets super hot out, use that instead. For those of us without treadmill access, seek out shadier routes. I have a favorite route along the Catawba River that has a lot of shady tree cover and will seek that out on super hot/sunny days.
   
   
5. DRESS FOR SUCCESS - Lighter clothing and moisture wicking fabrics are your friend in the Summer months. Ditch the cotton shirts and socks (well, ditch those any time of the year really) and look for performance fabrics that are breathable and designed for running in hotter conditions.
   
   
6. BE SMART - Most importantly, be smart about your Summer Running and pay attention to how you are feeling. Any signs of distress like dizziness, nausea, disorientation, sudden headache and so on) could be a sign of heat stroke and you should end your run immediately. No one run (or even week of running) will break your goals so if conditions are just too extreme, it's better to be safe than sorry. 

Did I miss a tip? Let me know in the comments. And have a safe and fun Summer so you can kill those Fall races! 

Interested in joining me at the Rock n Roll Savannah Race Weekend, Nov 2-3? I've got some awesome discount codes to share - use  code “19RNRBRP16” for $16 off the Half Marathon and Marathon distances and “19RNRBRP6” for $6 off the 5K and 1 miler. I'll be running both the Half and the 5K!

Want to try the electrolyte drink I mentioned above, Ultima Replenisher? Use code “ULBRAVE19" for 10% off at the amazon.com/shops/ultimareplenisher storefront.

And if you are interested in a pair of Shady Rays like mine, use code “RAVE” for 50% off 2 or more pairs from the Shade Shop - https://shadyrays.com/collections/shade-shop

Runderwear for Under There

Disclaimer: I received Runderwear Women's Low Rise Hipsters as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Okay, so quick heads up. This is one of those blog posts where I may share just a tad TMI. We're gonna talk undies! Some runners wear them, some don't. I am fully on Team Undie. Just have never felt comfortable about going commando. 

Every so often, when it's really humid out (I live in SC, yo) or when I am putting on considerable miles, I've had some chafing issues down there. It's not a great feeling, esp when you step in the shower - you runners know what I'm saying. It's not a feeling you ever want to experience, so I take special care to find undies that will keep me comfortable both while I'm running and after.I had seen some Facebook ads about Runderwear and was curious, so when I was given the chance to test them out, I jumped at it. I chose the Hipster style in Black. 

The Features (from the Runderwear website) - 

Ultimate Comfort - ergonomically designed to move with your body for ultimate comfort. Created using an incredibly soft fabric, which is label-free to prevent irritation, rubbing and chafing mile-after-mile.

Seamless Design - 360 degree seamless design resulting in no side seams for ultimate comfort and chafe-free running. Flatlock fine-stitching means that edges are flat, eliminating irritation and rubbing and minimising VPL.

Moisture-Wicking Fabric - the technical fabric is lightweight, label-free and designed to wick sweat away from your skin, helping reduce any irritation and ensuring you can run chafe-free.  

Breathable, Dry and Chafe-Free - uses high performance moisture-wicking fabric with mesh panels containing micro perforations to increase breathability and sweat removal from your skin, reducing friction keeping you dry and chafe-free.

Lightweight Durability – lightweight technical fabric which is highly-durable, washes-well and dries quickly.

The Performance

Wow, I really liked these undies! They are really soft and comfortable and once I put my running shorts on, I couldn't even feel them on, which is ideal. This is because there are no seams, not tags and no stitching to poke you in any way. They've officially become my undies of choice on my weekly long runs, or on days that I do a Burn Boot Camp class and run immediately after - basically anytime that I am going to be putting in extra hard and extra sweaty workouts. I've even worn them in for a few runs in the rain with no chafing issues. In fact, Runderwear offers a Chafe-free Guarantee - they will refund you for up to 28 days if you chafe, no fuss. 

Oh, did I mention that they are pretty cute too. The ladies' styles come in 4 stylish colors - Black, White, Cyan and Pink while the men's styles come in Black, White, Navy and Cyan.

Overall, I love them and totally am gonna pick up a few more pairs. Luckily for me (and for you if you are interested in trying them out) there's currently a discount code 'BIBRAVE20' for 20% off at https://www.runderwear.com/. But act quick because the offer expires on 5/31.

To learn more, be sure to follow Runderwear on social media:

Facebook: RunderwearOfficial
Twitter: Runderwear
IG: teamrunderwear

You can also follow the hashtag #RunderwearBR on social to see what other BibRave Pros have to say about their Runderwear! 

Thoughts on My Shaklee Cleanse

Last week, I participated in the Shaklee 7 Day Cleanse. Here's my experience from the notes I kept during it.

First, let me preface this with letting you know that I am in no way promoting the Shaklee Cleanse (or any Shaklee product) in any way. The closest association I have with it is that I am a member of Burn Boot Camp and they promote and sell Shaklee products. This is my first time using Shaklee products, and I decided to report an honest experience. I pride myself on presenting an honest perspective, even of the products that I am provided free to review, like often with BibRave, and have never been paid for an item review. These, however, were not free. I paid for the Shaklee Cleanse. 

Why do I feel the need to go into so much disclaimer before this post? Well, especially in the world of nutrition/diets/cleanses... there's a lot of information out there that may not be 100 on the up and up. When I first started trying to research the Shaklee Cleanse, when I did my preliminary Google search, pretty much all I could find were Shaklee Distributors waxing poetic about all their increased energy and all the amazing after effects. Could be true, but Shaklee is a MLM (Multilevel Marketing) company that relies on recruiting people to sell under them and reaping a portion of the profit. We've all seen those type of companies. Some good, some bad. Okay, a lot bad which is why I was suspicious.

Why I Decided to Try It

Round 1 of Food Prep

Two main reasons brought me to actually taking the leap and trying a 7 Day Cleanse. First, as I mentioned, I'm with Burn Boot Camp, and the gym I go to (Rock Hill, SC) was doing the cleanse as a group. I think about 30 ladies decided to do it and misery loves company. This wasn't the first time that the gym had participated in the 7 Day Cleanse, but it was the first time that I didn't have any kind of event to train for or outside factors keeping me from it. See, you are recommended to cut down on your physical activity a bit during the Cleanse due to the caloric restrictions. Second, I was able to track down some info about Shaklee products that convinced me that they wouldn't at least be harmful. Independent research has been done that has confirmed that Shaklee products are all natural and have faced clinical trials. They were created by an actual doctor even. Here's just one of the sites I found describing the Shaklee products https://www.dietspotlight.com/shaklee-review/, though not the specific cleanse I did. That consisted of 2 daily Supplement packets - which I will describe more later.

What Is The Shaklee 7 Day Cleanse?

Morning Pill Pack Contents

You can check out the Shaklee website for the info here, but in my layman's terms, basically, here's the deal. For 7 days, you eat just fruit and vegetables. You also get 2 Supplement packets - one for the morning and one for the evening that are designed to detox your system. They consist of: Morning Packet which has: 1 Optiflora® DI probiotic pill, 5 Alfalfa Complex pills and 1 Liver DTX® Complex pill. The Evening Packet has: 5 more Alfalfa Complex pills, 2 Liver DTX® Complex pill and 2 Herb Lax pills. Fun fact: When you open the packets, they smell vaguely like toothpaste. I think it is the Alfalfa pills. They are not terrible, but take a lot of water to get down.

Other than the Supplements, the plan is basically, eat only fruit and vegetables. The recommend 2/3 be vegetables and 1/3 fruits. In the box you receive there is a helpful booklet that tells you which veggies and fruit to embrace. And basically, if it is not on the list, it's not allowed (looking at you grapes and pineapple). Also, there are a few things that are limited to once per day (ie: the yummiest things like sweet potatoes, avocado, oranges and bananas). Items on the Foods to Embrace list can be eaten unlimitedly. No recipes, but you can find some online plus, there's a super helpful Facebook group you can join for ideas or just to whine.

My Daily Thoughts

Day 1

Actually tastes better than it looks

So I am not the world's most creative cook, especially when it comes to fruits and vegetables, so basically, all I had done to prep was to buy a bunch of the stuff on the list and cut it up. The most creative I got for day 1 was to get a frozen bag of Cauliflower rice with veggies added into it. I mainly at raw cut up fruit and vegetables Day 1. Because I planned to continue to run and go to Burn during the cleanse, I did add a scoop of plant-based protein powder to my morning smoothies, but otherwise, I followed the restrictions exactly. For dinner I had Zucchini Noodles with tomato sauce. Favorite thing I ate, sliced cucumbers with pico. Yum! Felt pretty good because it was early, so of course I did. I went to Burn in the morning and ran/walked a mile and a half with my little one in the evening. Easy peasy.

Day 2

I was getting tired already of my lack of variety so I tried something new. Several people had talked about making Cauliflower Oatmeal so I figured I'd try it. Cooked some berries, added to riced cauliflower and mixed in a bit of cinnamon and vanilla. It was awful. Like really awful. Tried for 2 meals (one on Day 2 and one on Day 3) to muscle it down and just nope. I also made cauliflower fried rice for lunch on Day 2 also (which was okay) but I officially declared myself OVER cauliflower. For dinner I ate mashed butternut squash and green beans. I was not a happy camper. But no headaches like some report on Day 2 and my energy was still ok. I ran 3.5 miles no problem, though I purposefully reduced my pace and milage (usually I run 4-5 on Tuesdays). I was annoyed enough to vow to hit the store on Day 3 for more variety and look up some recipes. Scale says I am down 3 lbs already. (forgot to measure inches).

Day 3

Day 3 Grocery Restock

I had intended to go to Burn in the morning, but apparently my subconscious had other ideas. I slept right though my alarm and woke up 5 minutes after class had started. So, instead, I gathered up my food for the day and headed to work. On my lunch break, I went to the grocery store and picked up some items to make a few recipes that I had researched. I also grabbed a container of raw veggies from the salad bar. Dinner was Roasted Vegetables (carrots, peppers, Brussel sprouts and butternut squash) and was pretty good, but I got tired of eating it about halfway through my plate. Again, I went for an afternoon run of 3.3 miles. Energy levels still okay, but I did feel a bit more wiped after my run. Hard to tell from the cleanse or the heat (been in the mid-80s during my runs). After work, I made up some food for the rest of the week to break the cycle of monotony and I'm pretty exited about some of these dishes. Biggest take away from Day 3 is that in order to feel full, I pretty much eat almost constantly. Either that, or drink. So basically, 90% of my day consists of eating or peeing. Down another pound and a half for total of 4.5.

Day 4

Not gonna sugar coat it. Today was ROUGH! My brain feels like it is not working properly today. Not dizzy or light headed, just feeling a bit fuzzy, like easily distracted. I managed to get up for Burn though, so yay. I ate my new recipes today which added some much needed variety. My Green Smoothie was ok - I have another serving for tomorrow which I will drink, but probably not make again. I'm still adding the scoop of protein in it, which helped the fuzziness some. The Sweet Potato Hash was hands down AMAZING! I will make this even when not on a cleanse. The Tomato, Avocado, Cucumber, Onion Salad was pretty yummy but after, my mouth tastes like onions and I couldn't use a mint. I did Zucchini Noodles again for dinner cause they are pretty darn good too. I felt full most of the day, but again, just off and to the left a bit. Down 5.5  lbs total now.

Day 5

Will you just LOOK at this NONSENSE my coworkers brought

Felt better this morning as far as the fogginess. Not terribly hungry, but am starting to crave bread and eggs for some reason. I expected to crave sweets, but I'm actually pretty okay on that front. Already planning my first post-Cleanse breakfast to be a Egg White and Turkey Sausage Sandwich. I had lots of leftover food in the fridge at work, so I didn't really have to prep anything which was nice. Two decent sized hurdles today. First was a really really tough Burn work out right after running a mile. Bout knocked me on my butt and I was sweating like crazy and pretty weak, but I perked up after finishing my breakfast smoothie. Second big hurdle was 2 of my coworkers brought in yummy food to share - donuts and danishes. I could SMELL the sugar. Normally, I would have devoured a few of them. I did try to file a Hostile Workplace Complaint, but mostly was ignored. Down a total of 6.5 pounds and now within 7 lbs of my goal weight (not for the cleanse, but for overall goal). Hopefully I can keep some of these habits after the cleanse. At least I can threaten myself that if my eating gets so bad again then I'll have to repeat it.

Day 6

I felt better than I thought I might on Saturday morning during my 4 mile run with my Fleet Feet group, but I purposefully ran with a friend with a slower pace and hung out with the mid-back of the pack runners, who I had a blast with. Got to meet a few new people too. I had two main challenges today in keep on the cleanse plan. 1 - I went to see Avengers Endgame which had me in a movie theater for about 3 and a half hours with no healthy food. This turned out to be a nonissue during the movie, but after I was starving and luckily there was a Panera in the same complex. Was able to grab a veggie only salad with no dressing and a apple on the side. 2 - I was having dinner at my SIL's house and I didn't want to have to explain what crazy thing I was up to, so decided to just wing it. Well, I was in luck as there was some veggies and fruit and I grabbed up a bunch of both on my plate and happily ate it - cooked peppers and onions, raw carrots and celery and berries. Sticking to the plan was easier than I expected on the weekend. Down a bit more for a total of 8 lbs.

Day 7

Last Pack of Supplements

I was pretty sure I was dying on Day 7. I slept in a bit which I thought would help me. I woke up feeling light headed, weak and MISERABLE. I headed out for my run (it IS Mile a Day May so no rest days) around 10 am. I wasn't hot, but really humid as it had been raining off and on. When I left, the rain was off. When I got about a mile out, the rain came back on. I The plan was to run for a half an hour and whatever that got me miles wise, that is what I would be okay with. I didn't even make that goal. I made it 2.25 miles (about 23 min) and that was literally all I could do. Had to sit down to recover for a bit after. It is abundantly clear to me that in order to an effective runner, I need carbs. Made another batch of that yummy Sweet Potato Hash for the week because I really liked it. Finished out the last dinner of the cleanse with a big bowl of assorted veggie items from Moe's Southwest Grill (it was Cinco de Mayo) and was so glad to take that last pill pack. I had stuck to the plan, pretty much to the letter with the only addition being a scoop of plant based protein in my morning smoothies. Weight stayed the same for 8 lb total loss.

Shaklee Cleanse Take Aways

The Positives

1. I can be stubborn enough to follow any kind of plan. When I indulge, it's because I want to and I need to remember that and say no to convenient treats more often. 
2. I did develop some good habits of eating more and different fruits and veggies over the week and will continue to eat some of the dishes I discovered. I realized just how much I like Sweet Potatoes and Avocados for instance.
3. I do have time to meal prep if I really really want to.
4. I do feel like I needed this reset as a reminder to do better nutrition wise. I'm an all or nothing kind of girl and need a drastic change to make any kind of change.
5. I did lose 8 lbs and some inches (I didn't measure the inches before hand, so not sure exactly how much, but I did buy a size smaller in jeans over the weekend).
6. I'm now in a couple of Facebook groups that pass around some pretty good healthy recipes, so that's pretty cool too. 

The Negatives

1. A few days during the week (esp Day 4 and Day 7) I was feeling really really rough. I had a hard time thinking straight and running/camp were struggles to get through. 
2. I NEED carbs and protein to do the kinds of workouts that I want to. Fruit and veg are great, but my body needs more than just that to perform well. 
3. I think 7 days was too long. I think after 3 or 4 days I would have achieved the same reset benefits.
4. I know I have losing 8 lbs in the pro category, but I am giving it an entry in the con category as well. Mostly because people are not meant to lose weight that quickly. As I start adding back in "regular" foods, I fully anticipate gaining some of it back. I'm sure not all, but well, it's been 3 days and I've already put 1 lb back on. 

Would I Do It Again?

I don't think so, but I could. If I go way off the rails nutritionally again, I may do a mini-reset, but I do not see myself doing another full 7 Day Cleanse unless I am really desperate to reset again. Hopefully the threat of doing it again will keep me better. Now that is not to say that I won't occasionally eat junk, cause I am going to, but I am hoping to be more consistent with the good habits I've been working on over the last 7 days going forward. In fact the last 3 days that I have been off the Cleanse, I've actually eaten much of the same stuff I did last week, I've just added back in some good protein and good carbs as well. 

If you are considering doing this, or another type of cleanse, feel free to ask me anything. I'm happy to share.